Maritime audio systems include many of the same parts you'll find in home components, but they need to be tougher because they have to withstand tough of weather conditions. In particular, they need to withstand salt spray, moisture and UV rays. The associated issues can be complex and deciding on the best marine speakers is not an easy task.
Fortunately, a lot of information is available online for those interested to learn more. A good place to start is the web site of the leading manufacturers. They include Fusion, Eclipse, Clarion, Alpine and Rockford Fosgate.
One basic point is that audio equipment designed for a car or home is not suitable for a boat. These audio systems are not suitable for maritime environments. Corrosion from water and salty air is a major problem. Even electrical wiring needs to be specially treated to help prevent rust and corrosion.
Some people prefer to install a dual CD-cassette player as part of their audio system. A cassette player can continue playing without interruption even when the sea motion is severe. By contrast, a CD player will distort since the CD reader will be adversely affected by bumps and other severe motion.
The units should always be mounted using special mounts and other hardware, as well as special fixing techniques, all designed for maritime applications. Care should also be taken to avoid installing different metals to avoid them coming in to direct contact with each other. This is normally achieved by using plastic separators. This procedure avoids galvanic (or electrolytic) corrosion.
To sum up, the best marine speakers tend to be designed for infinite baffle mounting. This means they purposefully have no enclosure. In-wall speakers are perhaps the best known example of infinite baffle mounting. With enclosed speakers, the air inside the enclosure (sealed box) behind the speaker acts like a natural coil or spring, projecting the sound in the direction the unit is pointed. This is especially useful for getting increased bass response.
Fortunately, a lot of information is available online for those interested to learn more. A good place to start is the web site of the leading manufacturers. They include Fusion, Eclipse, Clarion, Alpine and Rockford Fosgate.
One basic point is that audio equipment designed for a car or home is not suitable for a boat. These audio systems are not suitable for maritime environments. Corrosion from water and salty air is a major problem. Even electrical wiring needs to be specially treated to help prevent rust and corrosion.
Some people prefer to install a dual CD-cassette player as part of their audio system. A cassette player can continue playing without interruption even when the sea motion is severe. By contrast, a CD player will distort since the CD reader will be adversely affected by bumps and other severe motion.
The units should always be mounted using special mounts and other hardware, as well as special fixing techniques, all designed for maritime applications. Care should also be taken to avoid installing different metals to avoid them coming in to direct contact with each other. This is normally achieved by using plastic separators. This procedure avoids galvanic (or electrolytic) corrosion.
To sum up, the best marine speakers tend to be designed for infinite baffle mounting. This means they purposefully have no enclosure. In-wall speakers are perhaps the best known example of infinite baffle mounting. With enclosed speakers, the air inside the enclosure (sealed box) behind the speaker acts like a natural coil or spring, projecting the sound in the direction the unit is pointed. This is especially useful for getting increased bass response.
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