Breakers Stereo

Boat Stereo Systems Nothing beats being on the lake in a boat with a killer stereo system and no one does it better than Breakers Stereo in Oxnard! There are many different options and deciding factors which determines an average stereo system in a boat to one that has that WOW factor and can keep up with your boat when you’re speeding across the lake at 90mph! It doesn’t matter if your cruising down the channel at slow pace or docked enjoying your music and appreciating the scenery, you need your boat to be loud and sound good at the same time and I’m going to let you in on how the pros do it here down at Breakers Stereo. So let’s start!

1. Power Power and more Power. The key to any good sounding stereo system is power especially in a boat. You have to remember this is not like a car where everything is in and enclosed environment, everything is out in the open and when you’re speeding down the lake you’re going to need that extra power to keep up with the wind noise and the engine.
2. Great sounding speakers. Ok here’s where I have my own option. If at all possible try to stay from marine speakers and here’s why: marine speakers are good because they are water resistant but are not normally the best speakers in world. Normally a manufactures will take their low end car speakers and make it weather proof. Not my idea of something I would like to put in a boat I’m trying to sound killer. If the speakers are in a position to get wet then by all means buy marine speakers but most times speakers are placed in the boat where they are not that exposed to getting wet. In that case go with better sounding speakers with polypropylene cones and rubber surround you’ll have a much larger selection and in most cases the speakers will be less. Stay away from paper cone speakers and foam surround because if the water doesn’t get them then the sun will.
3. Subwoofer placement. One of the most important factors when building a stereo system in a boat. It’s not a car so in the trunk isn’t the only place to put a subwoofer box. Look for spots that are more exposed to let sound travel better. Such as in the compartment below the steering wheel on the floor or under the rear seat. Another key factor is that you want to go with a ported subwoofer enclosure vs. a sealed subwoofer enclosure, the reason why is that a ported enclosure tends to fill larger areas much better than sealed enclosures. Think of your home audio subwoofer, more than likely that is a ported enclosure and is designed to fill a large room.
4. Second battery. You’ll want to make sure that when you’re docked you can play your stereo system and still be able to turn the engine over. This allows you to drain your secondary battery down and have the main battery start the engine. It also comes in handing when you’re cranking your tunes when the engine is on by providing a 2^nd source of current keeping your current more consistent.
5. Good sounding head unit. Most boats come with a marine stereo either made by Sony, Clarion or heaven forbid Audiovox. Although you may be familiar with these brands these head units are not the best sounding headunits out there. Boat manufactures are like most car manufactures they don’t spend a lot of money on the radio. So look to replace that radio with either an Alpine Marine radio or other car stereo head units with a marine cover. The head unit is the source so if the source isn’t producing good sound then you’re wasting money on all that good equipment. Most headunits are priced low enough that it’s worth the extra money invested. Plus you can get cool features like an iPod connection and Bluetooth audio.

So those are my some of my best tips for building a great sounding stereo system for your boat. Stick to them and you’ll have one of the best sounding boats on the lake. I do have other tips that will help you have that killer system you’re looking for such as:

1. Which manufactures work best in the boat application
2. New speakers placement
3. Tower speakers
4. Wire and wireless  RF (radio frequency)remotes
5. How to save money by not over spending where you don't need to.

To learn about these 5 other tip give us a call or if you’re ready to start building that killer boat stereo system you always wanted please don’t hesitate to call us at (805)486-8307