difference between marine audio and car audio

hey i dont know to much about car or marine audio but the stock speakers i have in my boat are built under the ski hull on each side of the boat, i think there like 50-75 watt handling, anyhow they sound like ••••••••• you crank them up to try to get some good volume. im trying to decide what to do, put a good audio system on my tower or a good system inside the boat. any one have any answeres?

I mostly stay away from marine specific equipment it costs more and you get less performance then most car audio stuff. Polk makes some good coax speakers that work well in boats.

so you think i should stay with audio in the boat rather then puting it on the tower

Audiobahn is now making some "marine" specific speakers. Unlike the typical marine speakers which cost more and usually suck, these new audiobahn speakers rock. They also have horn tweeters so they are louder and project the sound better to the rider. I bought 4-6x9's off of Ebay this summer and my box is in the process of being made so I haven't heard them while riding. However, I hooked up one 6x9 in my car and another pioneer 3-way 6x9 and the audiobahn was much louder...with all that said, unless you are using the speakers for your tower I would just get regular car audio stuff to go in the boat.

Oops-Misread your post. It depends if you want music to the rider vs. good sound in the boat. Unless you go with NVS or Skylon horn drivers its hard to get sound to the rider, unless you drive alot of power to them and use a quality coax or 6x9 speaker. If good sound in the boat is what your looking for just upgrade to some Polk or Alpine sps-170a and a decent amp.

(Message edited by iagainsti on February 14, 2006)

here are some pics of my plans

i would like to put a 8'' or 12'' sub under the passenger seat where the battery box is stored, there is alot of room in there

here are the ski well's where the two speakers are placed, the holes are drilled 5'' round front and back, probly could fit a 6'' in or 8 by 5 facing up,

the thing i dont like about where the speakers are placed is they are hidden inside where the sound cant escape very well although they stell dry and out of the sun

this is the area i have been told by alot of people to store my amp is under the steering on the wall

i will probly be able to put about $600 and more if it takes to put a good sounding system in that will last years and have good clear sound at high volume levels, could you guys give me some names and models of what i should use that would fit the price best for what im looking for

anyone have any ideas?

go with some kickers 2-ways inside and digital audio amps..pretty inexpensive and gets the job done.

Justin- You have come to the right place for help and info on installing a system in a ski boat. Don't know if you are familiar with some of the systems on this site, but let's just say they are "Olympic" level systems! The best of the best in other words!

As for your amp placement, put your amp on your port (passenger) side. If anything needs protection, it's your amp(s). The port side is a good place for a sub, but behind or in the kick plate at the drivers feet would be a better place. All depends on your boat. I've never heard of your boat.

As for speakers, just like what was mentioned earlier, don't go with marine specific speakers. But DO go with a marine deck! As for the speakers, poly car speakers are the choice to go with. Not much different than marine speakers, just cheaper and you get more performance. Anyone who tries to tell you that you have to go with marine speakers, just send them over to WW and they will get schooled. I have a sizeable system in my boat that I am very proud of, but I will be the first to admit that my knowledge in stereo installations in a boat only amounts to about a half an ounce compared to others on here. On the speakers, go with a good quality poly speaker. Don't go cheap, you WILL regret it! Unlike a car, our boat are an open air environment. Speakers in cars sound great due to they are in a sealed enclosure, the car! Our boats are open air so we have to push alot more watts to achieve a loud environment, especially when going 22mph in an open air environment. Personally, I run Focals. A little pricey but they sound amazing! Everyone will have thier own opinion on this. Take the brands that everyone suggests and go listen to them all yourself! Some like a really clean sound (Like myself), and others just want it to be louder than a train wreck.

As for the tower.....DO IT!!! Boarding to music is an experience! There is one draw back however. I have a guy in my crew we call "Militia", he throws a backroll. As most know, when throwing a backroll it takes concentration, setting it up and edging just right to get the speed and then throwing the roll. Militia has a problem behind my boat. He has A.D.D. So, when he's behind my boat enjoying the tunes, he edges out and then forgets to concentrate on the trick because he's so into the music! Now, if you have this problem, then maybe tower speakers aren't for you. LOL!!!

And as for a deck, go with a marine deck in this situation. Marine decks have a coating on their circuit boards that protect them from the elements. But more importantly, marine decks have the connection for wired remotes. Some manufacturers may offer non-marine decks with this option. Do the research though.

Just my $.02.......or $100.02!

so should i spend more money on the speakers and buy a cheap amp to power them, i have been lookin at focals and i have been told not to buy them off of ebay because they are fake. anyway your right i dont want to go cheap, i want this system to last and go over my expectations, what are some good focal models i could check out?