Is there anything more fun and relaxing than cruising around on a boat out on the open waters with some music playing in the background? It’s one of the best ways to spend a Saturday or Sunday afternoon.
There are so many marine stereos that you can install on your boat to allow yourself to enjoy this experience. Just imagine how amazing it’ll be to hang out on the back of your boat for a few hours with Jimmy Buffett songs blasting from your speakers.
Before you begin doing this, though, it’s very important for you to take the time to choose the right marine stereo system. If your boat isn’t equipped with the ideal marine stereo, it’s not going to produce the kind of high-quality sound that you’re looking for. It’s also not going to last for
anywhere near as long as you want it to.
Need help picking out the best marine stereo and speakers? You can ensure that you end up with a complete marine stereo package by utilizing the tips found below.
Focus Your Search on Stereo Systems Made Specifically for Boats
When you first start looking around for stereo systems to install on your boat, you might make the mistake of browsing through systems that aren’t made specifically for boats. You might think that you can get away with installing one of them on your boat as long as you shield it from the water.
This is not a good idea. While you might be able to use a stereo system made for a car or truck on your boat for a little while, it’s not going to be able to stand the test of time. It’ll start to break down on you almost right away since it’ll be too exposed to the elements.
Your best bet is to focus your search for marine stereos on those stereos that are made for boats. These types of stereo systems are designed to deal with ocean water, rain, fog, and more without encountering any major issues.
These types of stereo systems are also designed to provide you with a place to put your smartphone or whatever else you’re going to be using to play music through them. They’ll keep your devices safe by setting them up with a waterproof place to go.
Look for Marine Stereos Made by Trusted Manufacturers
The boating industry has turned into a big business for companies that specialize in making marine stereos. There are approximately 12 million registered boats in the U.S. right now, and many of the people who own these boats choose to install stereos on them at some point in time.
With this in mind, there is no shortage of marine stereo manufacturers out there. As you’ll see when you start shopping around for marine stereos, there are tons of companies that sell them to those looking to add sound to their boats.
You should make it your mission to find the top manufacturers of marine stereos. The company that you buy a marine stereo from should have a wealth of experience in the industry and a reputation for producing high-quality stereos that will prove to be every bit as durable as you need
them to be.
Try to Find Marine Stereos That Are Big (and Loud!) Enough for Your Particular Boat
Boats obviously come in all different shapes and sizes. You should remember this when you’re in the market for a marine stereo since not all stereos are going to work well on all boats.
The marine stereo that you invest in for your boat should be big enough to produce the kind of sound that you’re looking for. The last thing you want to do is buy a rinky-dink marine stereo that’s going to sound like a whisper when you turn it all the way up on your boat.
You’ll want to be especially mindful of this when buying a marine stereo for a boat that’s on the bigger side. Your marine stereo should be able to deliver rich sound on your boat so that you and everyone around you can enjoy the music that you play when you crank it up.
Make Sure Marine Stereos Come With Speakers That Produce Top-Notch Sound
You can install the very best marine stereo in the business on your boat. But without the right speakers to go along with it, you’re not going to be able to use it to its full potential.
When shopping for different marine stereos, you should see which speakers will be compatible with it and take a closer look at how much power they’re able to produce. The typical marine boat speaker is capable of producing better sounds than the speakers that you would find in other
vehicles in most cases.
You should also consider pairing your marine stereo speakers with a good sub-woofer that offers the kind of bass that you’re chasing after. It’ll get the party started every time you turn the music
up on your boat.
Track Down Marine Stereos Capable of Streaming Music From Your Smartphone
In past years, people who installed marine stereos on their boats usually used them to either play songs off the radio or to play CDs or cassette tapes. But this is no longer the case.
It can be difficult to get a radio signal when you’re on a boat these days. It can also be challenging to get CDs to play without skipping when you’re out on a boat. And who in their right mind is still listening to cassette tapes?!
Rather than going with any of these options, you should find marine stereos that can connect directly to your smartphone and stream music from them. You can use any of the various music streaming services to keep the tunes coming on your boat. You can also download music to your smartphone if you know you’re going to be in an area without any cell phone service. It’ll ensure that you and your passengers never run out of music (and Jimmy Buffett classics!) on your boat.
Locate Marine Stereos That Are Easy to Control at All Times
When people are looking to buy marine stereos, they often spend almost all their time focused on how the stereo sounds. But you should also think about how easy it is (or isn’t!) to control it before buying it. That could play a key role in how much you do (or don’t!) enjoy your marine stereo.
Your marine stereo should have big buttons on it that allow you to turn your music up and down on command. It should also come with a remote control or, better yet, an app that you can use to control the songs that you’re playing.
It can be difficult to control some marine stereos when a boat is rocking up and down and all over the place. One of the best marine stereos will make it so simple for you to control your music without a problem.
Consider the Costs Associated With Marine Stereos Prior to Purchasing One
If you’re not careful, it’s very easy to spend a small fortune on marine stereos. Once you start adding everything from the stereo itself to speakers and sub-woofers for the stereo to your cart, the costs are going to add up.
For this reason, it’s a good idea for you to come up with a budget for your marine stereo before you begin shopping around for it. It’ll help you steer clear of breaking the bank on a marine stereo and speakers. You can certainly find something that’s well within your price range as long as you’re willing to look around for it.
At the same time, you shouldn’t skimp and cut too many corners when you’re purchasing a new marine stereo for your boat. If you’re not willing to spend a little bit of money on a stereo for your boat, you’re better off not buying one at all. You don’t want to end up with a subpar product that’s
either not going to be loud enough for your boat or not hold up when put into a marine setting.
Your goal should be to track down an affordably-priced boat that will be durable enough to withstand whatever the high seas throw at it. It’ll guarantee that you get a lot of life out of your marine stereo in the years to come.
Start Shopping Around for a Marine Stereo Today
Spending a lot of time out on a boat is great in and of itself. But you can make your boating experiences so much better than they already are by finding a great marine stereo for it.
Marine stereos sound incredible nowadays compared to what they used to sound like. You can make it feel like you’re at a concert when you turn your marine stereo on and crank the music up.
Want to find some other ways to beef up your boat before taking it out on the water? Discover how it’s done by browsing through the articles on our blog.