Marine Speakers

Why should you bother with marine speakers? Why can’t you just use regular, readily available stereo speakers instead? I’m glad you asked.

Let me tell you a little story.

It’s a nice summer day and you’re out on the sea, sailing in your beautiful boat. There a nice breeze sweeping over the deck, your favorite songs are playing, and you haven’t been feeling so good the whole year. All of a sudden one stray gust of wind sends a few waves crashing over the starboard, drenching the speakers with cold, salty water. Within seconds, the speakers give out a screeching sound and quit playing – an early exit to what would have been an otherwise perfect day. That is the reason why marine speakers were created.

What’s So Special about Marine Speakers?

As you are well aware, the great outdoors are way different than cars or indoors. Various manufacturers devote their time and effort to produce speakers that bring an improved sound experience to any boat. Sound of superior quality shouldn’t be limited to the inside of your house or your vehicle. You see, marine speakers are waterproof speakers specially designed for adverse weather conditions. Since water (and any liquids for that matter) is one of the biggest enemies of any type of electronics, speaker engineers have remodeled and redesigned marine speakers to resist heat and cold, humidity and salt, and even full submersion.

Are Marine Speakers for You?

Marine audio systems and speakers are built to withstand rough weather, and produce high quality sound just as you would expect from an audio setup in your home. Therefore audio products labeled as “marine” are usually found on motorcycles, all terrain vehicles, spas, saunas and, obviously, sailboats, catamarans and all kinds of boats, large and small.

In spite of the term marine speakers, not only sailboat owners but also those spending a lot of their time in the great outdoors can take advantage of what these speakers have to offer. At outdoors concerts or while having a BBQ, you can see people gathering their speakers and hiding them inside at the first sign of rain. With a set of marine speakers you can go on having fun, listening to music, without worrying about your precious electronics being damaged by wind or rain water.

To sum it up, weather proof speakers are for any outdoor enthusiasts – whether it is on your own backyard, on a boy scouts trip, on the beach, or on your very own yacht. Their ability to withstand adverse weather conditions make them suitable for a wide range of cases where waves, rain, or mud might be involved.

How to go about buying marine speakers

Go through product reviews. I assume this is what you do before any kind of serious acquisition but I want to stress this point. Always check out real customer reviews of various speaker brands before going any further. Check out buyer reviews on big online stores like Amazon or Nextag or search Google for “marine speakers reviews” to gauge other people’s feelings about this purchase.

One thing you should look for when buying weatherproof speakers is their durability. Since they will be exposed to harsh marine environment, durability is the key. While few speakers sets are fully waterproof, look for the ones providing the best protection against splash water damage, heat and wind. Several manufacturers label their equipment as weather proof, but reading their small print disclaimers carefully you will notice certain types of extreme weather conditions not being covered.

Last but not least, the chosen marine speaker system should play well with the audio source. That is, if you want to play music from your other electronic devices like an ipod or an iphone, the system should be compatible and allow you to plug in those gadgets. If on the other hand you will have it connected to a TV or a Playstation, you will need a different set of cables and adapters. Keep those things in mind while making your purchase.

These are just a few pointers on marine speakers, their advantages and how to go about buying them. Browse the website further for extended discussions on other related topics and brands before making up your mind.

The marine speakers reviews on this page are collected to help you decide what brand or collection of brands of marine speakers to get for your new (or old) boat. All these reviews are largely unbiased just like the ones you are used to from Consumer Reports. They pull no punches and aim to inform you both about the good and the bad when it comes to buying and installing marine speakers. Reading marine speakers reviews is the key before making any major buying decision.

Four brand marine speakers reviews

Clarion is a well known name in the audio industry and they are not newcomers when it comes to marine speakers. Taking all their audio design experience from the automotive industry where their speakers and audio players – CD, tape and disk players – are famous for their quality, Clarion adds marine roughness to the mix. Well designed and easy to install, with a powerful and deep sound, the Clarion marine speakers are a joy to install and use. Do try and use professional services for the installation in order to get the best setup, otherwise you might end up with a sub optimal system.

When it comes to JBL (by Harman) here at marine speakers reviews, we really like them a lot. JBL has been making audio speakers since the beginning of the audio industry and it shows. Their marine speakers, like the popular JBL MPS1000 and the JBL MS 9200 6″ x 9″ 2-way marine loudspeaker, are well thought out and – most importantly – particularly resilient to weather damage like salt water, wind and rain. You will be hard pressed to find a better set of marine speakers and JBL stands tall with the best of them all. Clear sound, powerful bass, easy to adjust tremble – it’s all part of the package. You will not be disappointed by these speakers if you buy and install them for your yacht or sail boat.

Pioneer on the other hand still has some ground to cover. While their auto and home audio systems are good to great, their marine speakers leave room for improvements, and our marine speakers reviews are not about to hide it from its readers. The sound coming out from their speakers is good but not great. Unless the weather is calm, you might have a problem hearing the sound, and if you pump up the volume to high it might get distorted on some pieces. The sound would be decent if we’re standing on the shore but the boat is made for the ocean – right? Unless you’re one of those guys that buys a boat to keep it in anchorage and impress the ladies, then look somewhere else for your marine speakers needs.

The line of marine speakers from Memphis are a mixed bunch. Some of them are good but at marine speakers reviews we don’t like the build quality of others. The installation might be challenging and some of the outside components are cheap made in China, prone to rusting and dusting in the medium term. We don’t think marine speakers should be replaced every year, once you install them they ought to last for some time. This is not the case with the audio devices from Memphis and you should buy a better brand for your catamaran.

Least but not last, Jensen speakers were a mixed bag on the testing bench from marine speakers reviews. While having a good design and well thought out protection from the elements, the sound could use a little improvement. It is good at medium volume but once you increase the pitch, the voice gets lost in the noise. If you go for Jensen audio you might want to invest in an amplifier as well. Otherwise, you will not like what you’ll hear. Don’t say we didn’t warn you! The price point is good for the quality they are offering and if you are on a budget, the marine speakers from Jensen might be your way out. But if you are looking for quality, you have to check out other brands, like Clarion.

We hope our marine speakers reviews help you make a good decision when it comes to your buying needs. Don’t hesitate to comment or send us a message if you have any questions. We are here to help!