The Best Marine Audio Gear: Waterproof Boat Speakers and Stereos 2024

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Our picks for this year’s best-of-the-best marine speakers and audio equipment.

Rule #1 about buying audio equipment for your boat: if it’s not specifically made for life on the water, do not take it to sea. True marine audio gear is water-resistant, fog-proof, salt-proof and UV ray resistant. Marine receivers or head units come with coated circuit boards that don’t rust, rubber caps to cover all open inputs, and gasket sealed covers for all controls, knobs, and end caps. Marine speakers and subwoofers are built with plastic cones and rubber surrounds and come with weather-resistant mounting hardware. Anything less than true, marine-grade audio gear, and you’ll be tossing it before the season’s over. Rule #2: unless you own your own cruise ship, smart and efficient use of cabin space is critical, so look for an audio system you know will fit… while giving you the best possible bang for the buck.

Below are our picks for the best of the best by category, as chosen by experts - one of whom is both a life-long sailor and a recent inductee into the Consumer Technology Hall of Fame: our own founder, Bob Cole. So… you ready? Let’s shove off…

Questions along the way? Don’t hesitate to pick up the phone and talk to one of our audio technicians at 1.866.961.7781 or email us here. We love this stuff and want to help.

Here is the Best Marine Audio Gear of 2024:

  1. The Best Marine Subwoofer Amplifier Kicker KMA800.1 800 Watts Marine Mono-Channel Amplifier
  2. The Best Value 10” Marine Subwoofer for Boats Kicker 45KMF102 10" 2-Ohm Free-Air Marine Subwoofer
  3. The Best Value 12” Marine Subwoofer for Boats Kicker 45KMF124 12" 4-Ohm Free-Air Marine Subwoofer

The Best Marine Subwoofer Amplifier

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Kicker KMA800.1 800 Watts Marine Mono-Channel Amplifier

Regular price $319.99
Sale price $319.99 Regular price
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  • Power Output @ 4 ohms: 300 watts x 1
  • Power Output @ 2 ohms: 600 watts x 1
  • Power Output @ 1 ohm: 800 watts x 1
  • Frequency Response: 25Hz – 200Hz
  • Wired bass control knob: Included
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In need of a heavy-duty marine-grade amplifier to drive your new subwoofer(s)? Look no further than Kicker’s 48KMA800.1 monoblock amplifier. Measuring in at only 7-1/8” x 2-5/16” x 8-1/16” (WxHxD), this amplifier is compact, but powerful.

This KMA-series amplifier boasts pretty incredible power output: 300 watts x 1 @ 4 ohms, 600 watts x 1 @ 2 ohms, and 800 watts x 1 @ 1 ohm. To ensure that this amplifier keeps chugging along in the marine environment, Kicker applied a conformal-coating to the amplifier’s internal printed circuit board. The amplifier’s hardware is also resistant to corrosion and rust. This thing was designed to last.

The included remote bass knob allows you to dial in the perfect amount of bass response from the subwoofer(s) connected to this Kicker amplifier. Speaking of tuning, the 48KMA800.1 has an on-board bass boost to help emphasize the bass output of the subwoofer(s) as well as a subsonic filter to protect the subwoofer(s) from harmful ultra-low bass response. With these controls properly set, those subwoofers will be able to achieve fantastic volume with low potential of distortion.

Long story short: get this amplifier to get the most from your boat’s subwoofers. You won’t be disappointed.


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Kicker

Kicker KMA800.1 800 Watts Marine Mono-Channel Amplifier
Regular price $319.99
Sale price $319.99 Regular price
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The Best RGB-Lit Marine 10" Subwoofer Under $500

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Regular price $19.99
Sale price $19.99 Regular price
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Regular price $19.99
Sale price $19.99 Regular price
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The Best Value 10” Marine Subwoofer for Boats

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Kicker 45KMF102 10" 2-Ohm Free-Air Marine Subwoofer

Regular price $199.99
Sale price $199.99 Regular price
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  • Woofer Size (in inches): 10"
  • Power Handling: 250 watts RMS, 500 watts peak
  • Sensitivity: 86.27dB
  • Frequency Response: 30Hz – 500kHz
  • Impedance: 2 ohms
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Adding bass to a boat can be a very challenging prospect. Don’t worry: Kicker’s got you covered with their 45KMF102 10” marine-grade free-air subwoofer. You can get the bass you crave without sacrificing much space at all.

Free-air? What’s that mean? It means that this Kicker subwoofer doesn’t need an enclosure to perform well, which is a good thing for a boat where space can be at a premium. Instead, this rugged subwoofer can be installed into places such as a cabinet, compartment, or in a bulkhead.

Due to the high potential of the subwoofer coming in direct contact with wind, water, salt, and UV, Kicker built the 45KMF102 to withstand all of these elements and come out on the other side grinning. The built-in water drainage system will keep the subwoofer running well and the included stainless steel hardware will resist corrosion quite well. A Santoprene rubber surround will keep the subwoofer in-check for a good long time, too.

Kicker’s 2-ohm 45KMF102 will handle up to 175 watts of continuous power and up to 350 watts of peak power, so you don’t need a massive amplifier to get the job done.

If protection of the subwoofer is required, Kicker does offer a sturdy ABS plastic grille with built-in LED lighting (Kicker 45KMG10C (charcoal) and 45KMG10W (white) grilles available).


Product Image

Kicker

Kicker 45KMF102 10" 2-Ohm Free-Air Marine Subwoofer
Regular price $199.99
Sale price $199.99 Regular price
Save $-199.99 (%)
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The Best Value 12” Marine Subwoofer for Boats

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Kicker 45KMF124 12" 4-Ohm Free-Air Marine Subwoofer

Regular price $229.99
Sale price $229.99 Regular price
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  • Woofer Size (in inches): 12"
  • Power Handling: 300 watts RMS, 600 watts peak
  • Sensitivity: 87.46dB
  • Frequency Response: 30Hz – 500Hz
  • Impedance: 4 ohms
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Bass is an integral part of every genre of music and adds so much in immersing you into the music. Out on the open water, this should be just as important as if you were sitting in your home. Kicker’s 12” 45KM124 is a wonderful solution and absolutely something worth considering for your watercraft.

This marine-grade subwoofer has a sealed box requirement of 1.25 cubic feet, so it doesn’t take up too much while delivering solid performance. The subwoofer’s durable polypropylene cone repels water with ease and the built-in water drainage system gets rid of excess moisture so the subwoofer can play as long as you need it to. The hardy Santoprene rubber surround on the 45KM124 will keep the woofer cone in-check, ensuring accurate bass response in addition to a long lifespan.

The 45KM124 has a 4-ohm voice coil and handles up to 175 watts of continuous power (and up to 350 watts peak). It’s mounting depth is only 5.5”, so finding a suitable enclosure for the subwoofer should be relatively easy. If you prefer a ported enclosure for this subwoofer, the box requirement only jumps to 1.75 cubic feet.

If protection of the subwoofer is required, Kicker does offer a sturdy ABS plastic grille (Kicker 45KMG12C (charcoal) and 45KMG12W (white) grilles available) with built-in LED lighting.


Product Image

Kicker

Kicker 45KMF124 12" 4-Ohm Free-Air Marine Subwoofer
Regular price $229.99
Sale price $229.99 Regular price
Save $-229.99 (%)
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One more thing...

Once you pick out your marine audio gear, a last word of advice: buy from a trusted dealer, and the more experience / the longer the track record, the better. A good dealer will take care of you in the event anything happens. (See our “Happiness Guarantee,” right here.)

Speaking of trusted dealers…

World Wide Stereo is home to some 90+ industry-leading audio/video professionals who love what they do, and talking about it, too. We opened our doors in 1979, gained a small yet diehard following, won a slew of national awards for everything from killer car audio installations to customer service, grew the business online… and today we enjoy a faithful following of like-minded TV-watching, music-listening, gear-loving defenders of fun for the whole family. Our only rule: no one leaves unhappy. And P.S.: we’re brutally honest when it comes to this stuff. Want to know if something is as good as advertised - even if you're shopping somewhere else? Call us or stop by our showroom — we’ll give it to you straight.

Until next time: turn the music up, have fun, and be safe – make sure everyone has a life jacket – including the dog!

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2024 Marine Audio Deals

We’ve made it easy to find the best deals from brands like Sony, Kicker, Focal, JBL, Polk and more. Our deals update daily so you don’t miss a beat, and we’ve got your back through with our price match guarantee, 60-day returns, easy financing, and free shipping. Don’t see what you want on sale? Give us at 1.866.961.7781 or chat with an expert.

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