Want to enjoy some nice music on your boat trip, but your speakers aren’t loud enough?
Some good music can add a lot of life and make your trip a hundred times more fun. Even if your existing sound system isn’t that amazing, you can still make a few small upgrades to amp up the sound.
Want to know how to make boat speakers louder?
I suggest you keep reading.
How to Make Boat Speakers Louder
Here are a few ways in which you can upgrade your sound system to make it louder:
Keeping Your Sound Equipment Protected
When you’re sailing across the water, the environment can seem a little loud. You need to ensure the stereo system you have is suitable for the marine environment.
Exposure to water can damage your electronics. Temperature changes can also have an impact on your amplifiers and may cause corrosion. Plus, too much exposure to UV light might make parts of your speakers dry out and crack.
One way to avoid such situations is to ensure your sound equipment is kept in a protected place. Get covers and cases for your equipment. Make sure you keep everything in a dry place.
Ensuring Proper Installation
As mentioned earlier, marine environments can damage your equipment if not protected. When installing your sound system, make sure all wiring is installed properly. I suggest using wiring that can withstand exposure.
In addition, to stop moisture absorption, it’s best to use plastic panels instead of wood. It will also last you longer as wood tends to get mold.
Subwoofer
If you have mid-range speakers in your boat, a subwoofer can enhance the sound quality. Subwoofers are made to reproduce bass, which immediately helps improve the overall sound. Not only do they play with more detail, but they also increase the volume.
Adding a subwoofer will make your boat speakers louder and make your trip even more fun.
Marine Audio Amplifiers
Another alternate way to improve your speaker sounds is by adding a marine audio amplifier. You usually cannot install these in closed spaces like cars and rooms. However, you have more open space on the deck of your boat.
A marine audio amplifier works similarly to the sound system at a festival or a concert. This means you can enjoy loud, high-quality music without changing your whole sound system.
Getting Marine Audio Equipment
If your boat came with a pre-existing sound system, the chances are that it’s not that great. This can happen because of low-quality speakers. Speakers are the most important part of your sound system. If they can’t provide you with good performance, there’s no point holding onto them.
You can purchase new speakers. I would suggest getting marine audio speakers. While they do cost more than your usual speakers, they’re suitable for the marine environment.
Moreover, you can save yourself the cost of constantly replacing your speakers and get one that will last you a long time.
Digital Signal Processing
When purchasing a new stereo for your boat, I suggest getting one that has digital signal processing (DSP). Audio signals are converted to digital sounds. The DSP effect produces high sound quality, making you feel like the sound is created in the environment.
For instance, say you’re listening to a song by your favorite artist, the DSP effect will make it seem as if you’re in the studio where the artist is recording the music.
Imagine having a concert on a boat with a DSP sound system!
Tips for Installing Your Boat Sound System
If you want to install the sound system on your boat by yourself, here are a few tips to keep in mind:
Location
When buying a new sound system for your boat, you need to consider where you’ll be placing all the items. Think about where you’ll be installing the stereo, where the amplifier goes, and more importantly, about the speaker placement.
Usually, speakers provide the loudest and clearest sound to the area directly in front of them. If you want to listen to music while you steer, you need to ensure the sound reaches you.
I suggest you walk around your boat and think about all the locations you want the sound to reach.
Speaker Quantity
Continuing from the previous tip, once you’ve decided the locations you want the sound to reach, it’s time to figure out how many speakers you need.
Just remember that you’ll also have to mount all of these speakers, so don’t go overboard and get too many speakers.
Mount the Speakers
If this is your first time mounting speakers in a boat, you should know that this is different from mounting speakers in a car or home. In closed spaces, sound bounces off the wall, so location doesn’t have much impact.
However, given that the deck of your boat is an open area, you need to be careful when selecting the location of your speakers.
Tip: when purchasing speakers, make sure your speakers have a higher wattage than your stereo. If not, high volume on your stereo can damage your speakers.
Mount Stereo Unit
To ensure your stereo is protected from damage, it’s best to mount it properly. There are two places where you can mount your stereo for safety. First, there’s the dashboard area of the boat. If you want easy access to the music as you steer, then this is a great option.
Alternatively, you can mount the stereo inside the cabin of your boat.
Just remember that the marine stereo should be mounted horizontally. It may not function if you mount it vertically.
Hardware
Lastly, make sure the hardware you use doesn’t rust easily. When buying hardware, keep in mind that you’re installing them on a boat, a place where they may be exposed to water.
Try getting screws that are made of stainless steel or have a rustproof layer on top. Avoid using wood, as it can get moldy.
Conclusion
By now, you should have a fair idea of how to make boat speakers louder. With the tips I’ve provided in this post, you can improve your overall sound system in your boat.
By applying these trips, you can ensure your friends and family have a fun boating experience.
