The Best Marine Audio Gear: Waterproof Boat Speakers and Stereos 2023

There’s nothing like enjoying music on the open waters – especially if you are listening to great speakers like the marine-grade Kicker 45KM654 2-way coaxial speakers.

The 45KM654’s woofer cones are made of UV-treated polypropylene and then attached to the speaker’s frame with a durable rubber surround. The 3/4” titanium dome tweeters do a fine job of delivering stellar high-frequency response to each listener – even through the fair amount of noise when the engine is running and wind is whipping past.

Capable of handling up to 65 watts continuously (and up to 195 watts of peak power), these speakers will run well off a marine-grade amplifier. Adding an amplifier (assuming you don’t already have one) will increase both sound quality as well as volume potential.

Two pairs of stylish protective grilles are included to finish the speakers off quite nicely – one pair is white and the other is charcoal in color. These Kicker speakers are designed to withstand the punishing environment found on boats, so you can rest assured that you’ll be enjoying them for years.

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.

So perhaps you have outfitted your vessel with some killer speakers, but what about that important bass response? We got the solution for you: JBL’s Stadium-series Marine 102 subwoofer! This marine-grade subwoofer features an IPX5 rating, so you know it’s ready for whatever life throws its way.

The Stadium Marine 102 employs JBL’s patented PlusOne woofer cone for deep and powerful bass response, and their Selectable Smart Impedance (SSI™) to allow you to flick a switch to select between a final 2- or 4-ohm impedance. Having this option permits you to get versatile in selecting the proper amplifier (or using one of your existing ones) to power this subwoofer properly.

Speaking of power, this subwoofer will handle up to 300 watts of power continuously and then up to 900 watts of peak power. And as far as placement of the subwoofer goes, the choice is yours because this is a free-air subwoofer, which means that you can mount it just about anywhere in the boat. Use an existing wall, cabinet, under a seat panel, etc.

The durable gray grille is a nice addition to protect the subwoofer from damage and it’s also UV, salt, and water resistant just like the subwoofer it guards.

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).

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.