Marine speakers are speakers made for humid and harsh weather conditions. They are designed to be used on boats and ships and have to be constructed to withstand the salt, temperature, and even UV rays because of the probability of direct contact as opposed to car or home speakers
If you are not sure about which one to buy, skip to the end to first understand what you might require your in marine speaker.
How To Select The Best Marine Speaker
Budget
The foremost important thing to consider before buying marine speakers or anything for that matter would definitely be your budget. How much you are willing to spend on an item will decide what type of item to buy. The above list comprises of marine speakers for all kinds of budgets
Location
If you are buying marine speakers, it is obvious you want it for a boat or probably outdoor places where water and moisture are ample. So marine speakers being waterproof is a default.
But where exactly you plan to set up your speakers in a boat and whether that place gets a lot of water and how harsh is the water body determines how much resistance your speakers should have. Generally, speakers can combat some level of water but it largely depends on your location and environment.
Magnetic Shielding
All speakers consist of magnets and the flow of electrons creates a magnetic field that can damage the equipment. Hence magnetic shielding is done in speakers to avoid this common phenomenon. Good quality speakers often have this quality, so be sure to look out for them
Water resistance
The water-resistance of a marine speaker is its ability to withstand water splashes. Most marine speakers are not completely resistant to water and especially kinds of water. A lot of marine speakers deteriorate due to salty waters and high temperatures
Top 10 Marine Speakers available online:
1. Skar Audio SK65M
The 6.5 inches 2 way Marine grade speakers is a first from skar Audio. The output of the speakers is amazing with a peak power of about 320 watts.
The build is strong and designed especially for extreme outdoors and will serve you for a long period of time.While the volume output is huge, the clarity of sound is not adjusted at all.
The hardware used is of great quality and each of them has been specifically made for harsh weather situations
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2. Kenwood KFC-1653MRW
Kenwood Marine speakers have been designed to bring powerful and crisp sound to your boat. They are waterproof thanks to their water-resistant cone woofers with Santoprene rubber encapsulation and dome tweeters.
They feature UV-resistant grills to protect themselves from the harsh sun and also have protection against saltwater and can perform well for a long time. The speakers consist of a balanced PEI tweeter that enables the production of the wide soundstage required for excellent imaging.
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3. Pyle PLMR60W
Pyle Hydra is a reputed name for Marine speakers and has various products in the section. It can handle strong splashes of water and is good with outdoor conditions.
The speakers are designed of polypropylene cones with cloth surround to make them durable and sturdy. The speakers are of standard size making them easy to install.
The architecture of the speakers is engineered such that it can withstand sun damage and harsh weather. 150 watts peak power With 16 kHz frequency response.
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4. BOSS Audio Systems MRWT40 Marine Waketower Speaker System
The boss systems are Of supreme quality and made with advanced weather and waterproof technology. The surround systems are made of rubber instead of cloth to maximize damage control.
The speakers feature Voice coils that can give protection against temperature and still maintain strength and shape. The speakers emit a sweet but optimum quality sound and have long playability.
The frequency tolerance is large. The dome shape speakers have a wide dispersion pattern and make up for great sound and volume output.
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5. JBL MS6520 180W, 6.5 Coaxial Marine Speakers
JBL audio systems are a huge name in the speaker industry although not that flawless among the Marine speakers yet, but they are onto something with some of their latest models.
The MS 6520 has an output of 180 watts and are coaxial speakers, i.e two-way speakers mounted on the same axis. The installation of the speakers is great and the sound and volume of the speakers can be described as good and more than decent.
The frequency range of the speakers is balanced. The exteriors sure do look good but do not have great reviews against the test of time or harsh climates. The speakers feature plus one woofer cones and dome tweeters.
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6. Kicker 41KM604W
The new kicker series of marine speakers are quite impressive. The speakers sound quality first of all is excellent - the volume is quite high and doesn't cause distortion at high levels. The bass is also surprising for the size.
The sound quality is comparable with all the big names that you might have thought of but they come quite cheaper considering the quality. The outer build of the speakers is also great.
They use polypropylene woofer cones along with Santoprene woofer surround. The highest recommended product on the list.
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7. Rockville WB65KLED Marine Wakeboard LED Tower Speakers
These are LED tower speakers from Rockville that come with the option of remote control. These are the perfect choice if your boat is up for parties or you have youngsters quite often on your boat.
The sound quality is decent- the speakers are loud and sound fine. The installation process can be quite painful and the speakers come out of the enclosure after some movement.
The build quality is decent as well. The outer shielding can withstand some damage. The reason for including it on the list is if you'd like a set of inexpensive and good-looking speakers with LED lights and can handle decent sound quality - these speakers are for you.
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8. BOSS Audio Systems MRGB65B 6.5 Inch Marine Speakers
The BOSS speakers have a controlled illumination system. You can control the speed, RGB colors, different modes, and brightness levels. The speakers have incorporated voice coils and a surround systems for durability.
The voice coils are designed to combat high temperatures and keep them sturdy for longer periods of time. Treated cloth is used in surround and gives support to the speakers and the cones.
Advanced technology is used to make the speakers weatherproof and a stamped basked is included to provide a strong supporting platform for clear and loud music outputting.
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9. MCM Custom Audio 60-10031 8" Marine Wakeboard Two-Way Speaker
These marine speakers are pretty good. They have a clear sound and don't distort a lot. However, the sound isn't very loud, if you need louder sound consider setting them up with an inexpensive amp and they'll sound much better. You can also opt to make them Bluetooth as such.
The frequency response and power handling are impressive. The speakers have installed 8-inch poly cone woofers with a sturdy rubber surround. The size of the speakers is pretty huge and can be problematic if your vehicle is small.
A titanium dome tweeter is also featured in the speaker. The speakers mount perfectly on a wakeboard tower but will do fine on any tube or rail as well.
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10. Pyle PLCDBT95MRB
This product is a little different from the rest of the products. It is a combo from Pyle that consists of a stereo system and CD player with a set of speakers, a radio shield, and a remote controller. The stereo has a Bluetooth receiver and has AUX and USB connectivity options as well.
The speakers sound loud and decent and are waterproof. The set can be used for multiple purposes like in a car or a sauna but they do have a good waterproofing ability while they might not withstand very harsh weather conditions.
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Are Marine speakers waterproof?
Yes. All marine speakers have to be technically waterproof to a great extent.
Coaxial vs Dualcone speakers?
Coaxial basically means two cones have been fit on the same axis. They were initially designed to save space and make speakers smaller in size with no compromise on the sound. But after some research, models have been devised to produce better frequency than single coned speakers.
The sound is more full and crisp in coaxial speakers. It is however argues that they aren’t better than component speakers but that will require a lot of work while setting up
Dual cones necessarily mean that the two cones are mounted on a driver. This is a type of component speaker and will not have a woofer and tweeter(bass and treble)
Do Marines speakers have good bass?
Yes. Marine speakers with good woofers and tweeters will give the speakers a good bass audio.
Final verdict on The Best Marine Speaker
Hope the above article has been of help to you in understanding what you need in your marine speakers and ample options of marine speakers you should consider buying. The list has been made in an unbiased manner after considering all the probable options and requirements because listening to music on your boat always makes the ride better.