Stereo Speakers (General Info, Mounting Suggestions)

[l008com]

This is my boat:

It's a bit longer than it looks, this photo is looking at an angle, not straight downward. Anyway in another thread, I found a stereo that I really like. Now the question is speakers. This particular stereo cannot bridge its 4 channels into 2. So to get optimum sound out of it, I'm going to need 4 speakers, and 4 locations to mount speakers.

So before I think about my options for location, are there other things I need to consider? Like, do they make fully waterproof speaker grills? So I could have exposed speakers? Are these speakers going to be ok sitting through sub zero winters? (I assume yes, since car speakers still work fine in the winter) What about a compass? That's a big one, I really need to get a compass on my dash, how far away does it have to be from the giant speaker magnet, to not be effected by it? What about directions? Meaning... one of the few locations i've been able to come up with, is on the inside walls of the pass-through to get to the bow. But these speakers would be about 18" away from each other, and pointing directly towards each other. How would this effect the sound?

So, not having the answers to ANY of the questions above, here's what I came up with:
Two speakers like I said, mounted on the walls of the pass-through. So if you were standing between the left and right windsheild, you'd basically have one speaker at each knee. Then in addition to that, two speakers near the back. You can see in the picture, what used to be two seats, on each side of the engine. The boat can only legally hold 5 persons anyway, so I tore out those rotten seats anyway. Imagine sitting in one, the part that would be pressed against your lower back, thats where I would put two speakers (one on each side). These speakers would be facing forward, which would be good.

So, what do you think?

 

[l008com]

Re: Stereo Speakers (General Info, Mounting Suggestions)

So I did some more research after my initial post. I found these kenwood 6" speakers. Their power handling is right inline with the built in amp of the radio I plan on getting. According to crutchfield, these are fully waterproof speakers. You can mount them directly "outside" and they can get rained on and sprayed with salt water all day. I can get 4 of these speakers and the radio itself on Amazon, for about $300. I'm very happy with that (assuming they sound good). So I guess now it's just a matter of where to mount them. The two locations I mentioned above would have the backs of the speakers essentially completely protected from water, so it would only be the fronts that got wet.

 

[Silvertip]

Re: Stereo Speakers (General Info, Mounting Suggestions)

You have a boat -- not a concert hall so spending large sums of money on killer stereo systems is, in many ways, a waste and if "loudness" is a criteria, that becomes a thorn in the sides of your fellow boaters as sound travels great distances over water. Having said this you probably don't need all four channels so the front right and left would be sufficient. Leaving the outputs on the rear channels open probably will not affect the stereo (but verify that in the instructions). Speaker location in a boat amounts to wherever they fit and you are happy with what you get for sound.

 

[LippCJ7]

Re: Stereo Speakers (General Info, Mounting Suggestions)

I mounted speakers in the bow pass through in my first boat and it was a waste, the sound was never right, if it was me I would mount speakers in the very front bow, back rest area where there is no padding currently, facing somewhat towards each other as well as towards the rear of the boat. the rear set I would mount under the rear seats close to where your ankles are, I understand you want to mount the speakers where a persons lower back would be however those seats get used more then the Bow does so I would keep them available.

 

[l008com]

Re: Stereo Speakers (General Info, Mounting Suggestions)

You have a boat -- not a concert hall so spending large sums of money on killer stereo systems is, in many ways, a waste and if "loudness" is a criteria, that becomes a thorn in the sides of your fellow boaters as sound travels great distances over water. Having said this you probably don't need all four channels so the front right and left would be sufficient. Leaving the outputs on the rear channels open probably will not affect the stereo (but verify that in the instructions). Speaker location in a boat amounts to wherever they fit and you are happy with what you get for sound.

I really wouldn't call a $300 system a "large sum of money" or a "killer stereo". Really, its about as cheap as it gets for a complete 4 speaker stereo system. If you wanna talk big money and killer systems, add a zero. Also, the amp is kind of low power (17watt rms per channel), so I definitely want all four speakers connected.

I mounted speakers in the bow pass through in my first boat and it was a waste, the sound was never right, if it was me I would mount speakers in the very front bow, back rest area where there is no padding currently, facing somewhat towards each other as well as towards the rear of the boat. the rear set I would mount under the rear seats close to where your ankles are, I understand you want to mount the speakers where a persons lower back would be however those seats get used more then the Bow does so I would keep them available.

Re: the bow speakers, the place you are talking about, is right where the curve is right? That would be a tough place to mount speakers. Plus the bow seats aren't in use that much, I really want to position them in the most ideal location for the driver/front passenger... everyone else can go buy their own boat
You're wrong about the back back seats though. At least in this boat, no one ever used them. That's why they're now gone. And I have no intension of ever installing new seats there. For now I just use them as steps when climbing into the boat, the docks I'm at are always way too tall. But back to those bow speakers, I cut out a 5" circle representing the cutout diameter for these 6" speakers and, i really don't have very many options for the front pair. The sides of the passthrough will fit them easy. Where you said on the bow could work if I made some sort of creative enclosure to mount them. That's really it. Now I'm kind of wishing this amp had a bridges 2channel mode, so I could just put two nice 6x9s in the backs of those rear-most seats and that could be the whole system. Hmmm decisions decisions.

 

[scca vette]

Re: Stereo Speakers (General Info, Mounting Suggestions)

I think you need to look at what all options you have to place speakers. Look at what others have done by doing a google search. I looked at the photo you attachhed and I could see a lot of options on where "I" would mount them. I also assume that you are redoing this boat and this is the reason for adding the nice stereo? If this is the case then that really opens up the options.

Here is a couple ideas on how I did mine.

I installed 6" speakers in the side panels. This is an option for you to do. If you are going to redo the boat you could add these panels to your boat and install the speakers. This would also be a nice idea to hide all your control wires behind.

I also installed 2 6x9's in the rear engine cover. I know you do not have an engine cover per say however it looks as if you would be able to do this under the rear seats?

The head unit in mine is on the side panel for the walk through again it is mounted in a trim panel.

I mounted the amps and such under the passenger side console and the 12" sub will be mounted under the drivers side console so everything is easy to get to however out of site and out of the way.

I also went one step further and mounted 2 speakers on teh swim deck so they can be used when outside the boat and not have to crank the stereo to hear the music. I can use these speakers at a lower volume as to hear it BUT everybody wont be bothered by really loud music.

I also have about 300 bucks in all 6 speakers, 2 amps, head unit and sub with box.

 

[l008com]

Re: Stereo Speakers (General Info, Mounting Suggestions)

Problem is my boat is much smaller than yours. My side panels are actually too small to put 6" speakers. Well in the front they are anyway. And with my switch panel installed, there's no space for them anyway. I don't want to build any kind of 'door' or cover for the back of my boat. It would always be in the way when I have to grab the gas tank. But I think I have the rear speakers set. It's the fronts I'm having a tough time positioning. I am re-doing the boat, but I'm not going too crazy. I'll be replacing the main seats and then hopefully replacing all the padding in the bow. That's about it for big stuff. The radio I found basically had a face that is separate from the amps. So I can mount the amps exactly where you mounted them but mount the control panel on the driver's side dash. There's no CD player or anything, just am/fm/weather/ipod, so the control is only 3x5ish. I'm starting to think I might want to get a custom dash insert made from aluminum, one that will house my gauges without any adapters, and have room for the radio control. And not have any more f'ing wood trim in this boat

Here's a wide angle shot of the right side of the boat. I've got some options for the rear speakers, its the front that I really don't have a lot of choices for. Oh and before the pic, I also don't have to worry about swim platform speakers. It's a cool idea, and back in the day it would have been useful up at the lake. But now I only boat around boston, and if I ever end up in physical contact with the water, that means something had gone very wrong

 

[scca vette]

Re: Stereo Speakers (General Info, Mounting Suggestions)

Problem is my boat is much smaller than yours. My side panels are actually too small to put 6" speakers. Well in the front they are anyway. And with my switch panel installed, there's no space for them anyway. I don't want to build any kind of 'door' or cover for the back of my boat. It would always be in the way when I have to grab the gas tank. But I think I have the rear speakers set. It's the fronts I'm having a tough time positioning. I am re-doing the boat, but I'm not going too crazy. I'll be replacing the main seats and then hopefully replacing all the padding in the bow. That's about it for big stuff. The radio I found basically had a face that is separate from the amps. So I can mount the amps exactly where you mounted them but mount the control panel on the driver's side dash. There's no CD player or anything, just am/fm/weather/ipod, so the control is only 3x5ish. I'm starting to think I might want to get a custom dash insert made from aluminum, one that will house my gauges without any adapters, and have room for the radio control. And not have any more f'ing wood trim in this boat

Here's a wide angle shot of the right side of the boat. I've got some options for the rear speakers, its the front that I really don't have a lot of choices for. Oh and before the pic, I also don't have to worry about swim platform speakers. It's a cool idea, and back in the day it would have been useful up at the lake. But now I only boat around boston, and if I ever end up in physical contact with the water, that means something had gone very wrong

hmmm Well i guess it all depends on how much work you want to do. If you made some side panels and covered them (looks like there were some there at one time do to the holes) you would be able to mount any size speaker you wanted if you made the side panels tall enough. I would also build hinged panels in the back to not only mount speakers but to hide the fuel access. With them being hinged you caould lock them down and then open them when you need to access the fuel tank.

 

[l008com]

Re: Stereo Speakers (General Info, Mounting Suggestions)

And the answer is . . . not that much work For now, I'm going for a simple bare look inside. I don't feel like learning how to do upholstery, nor do I feel like paying to have the whole boat re-done. So the plan is to install premade seats I bought, and have the bow done custom to match the premade seats. Then at some point, clean out all those old mounting holes, and fill them in with fiberglass putty or something, to make them disappear.

 

[scca vette]

Re: Stereo Speakers (General Info, Mounting Suggestions)

And the answer is . . . not that much work For now, I'm going for a simple bare look inside. I don't feel like learning how to do upholstery, nor do I feel like paying to have the whole boat re-done. So the plan is to install premade seats I bought, and have the bow done custom to match the premade seats. Then at some point, clean out all those old mounting holes, and fill them in with fiberglass putty or something, to make them disappear.

The panels are VERY cheap to make. You will spend a little of your time however they make a world of difference and a lot less work than filling holes in Glass. I bought a 4x8 sheet of wood at Lowes for 17 bucks. The vinyl will cost you probably around 40 bucks to do all of it. Foam is about 10 bucks. You should be able to do the whole boat for around 100 bucks. After you see how easy it was you can do the front seats yourself.

 

[Rick.]

Re: Stereo Speakers (General Info, Mounting Suggestions)

The best place for speaker placement is about six inches below the water line on the exterior of your boat. LOL. I have no doubt you'll come up with an acceptable location. I ended up building little plywood boxes for mine. Funny thing is I love my music, more than most, but I never turn it on when I'm in my boat. Not sure why. Best of luck. Rick.

 

[LippCJ7]

Re: Stereo Speakers (General Info, Mounting Suggestions)

Ok I have a better idea of the boat now seeing that wide angle shot, when I talked about the speakers in back I didn't mean the back to backs I meant the very back farthest to the right, problem is in your boat that's a void, so the answer I have for you is to build boxes for the speakers and place them in that void facing forward, this will also give you more base in your speakers. up to you on the front I would fab some new speaker grills to fit the curve in the bow then paint them to match the boat, fabing plastic or fiberglass is initially intimidating but once you get the hang of it you will start making up things to fab up. But then you said your not worried about the sound in the bow which is cool too so going back on the first idea fab some boxes and mount the speakers under the helm on both sides (passenger and driver) just below the bottom of the dash facing towards the stern. Marine grade plywood and a nicely colored carpet automotive carpet, some quality spray adhesive and your done!

Sorry for the confusion I never thought there would be a void under the stern seats facing forward., but it makes sense, looks like your battery is under there too.

 

[LippCJ7]

Re: Stereo Speakers (General Info, Mounting Suggestions)

here some pics of mine, here you can see a similar idea as what I am proposing to you build a box under the helm facing the stern, in this case ignore the 10" sub and amp focus on the 6 1/2 infinity Kappa, this is a box fabbed up and carpeted

and here you can see under my lounge another Kappa this is in the same position as what I am proposing in the rear of your facing forward(the bow) same idea as SCCA

you can build a box or a panel its all up to you, the best part of it is that you build it for 1/4 the price of someone else doing it, and then you wonder why anyone pays someone to do something this simple, you don't have to go as elaborate as me or SCCA have right now but once you get into it you will be amazed that its this easy, you can simply build an 8" box with a properly sized hole for your speaker and another very small hole for the speaker wire, use wood glue to seal it and screws or nails to keep the box fixed until the glue sets, spray the entire outside with spray adhesive and carpet the box, place the box in its location in the boat and screw it from inside the speaker box to the floor. Attach the speaker wire to the speaker and screw the speaker in place and your done, repeat on the other speakers. you don't have to wait for anything to set up go from one process to the other until its complete. if your doing panels get some scrap cardboard from some companies trash, use a box cutter to cut the shape of the panel and then trace the shape onto marine plywood and cut, then spray adhesive, carpet and if say your attaching it to a gunwhale use screws to go from behind, through the gunwhale into the panel, then use stainless L brackets from Lowes or Home depot to mount to the floor you can do your whole boat in a weekend or two. if you want to do vinyl well thats a little tougher if you want more then one color but all you add is a foam backing in between the plywood and the vinyl.

 

[l008com]

Re: Stereo Speakers (General Info, Mounting Suggestions)

So I had a new thought on this matter. I REALLY love this head unit, I really don't want to get a DIN style radio. But you can't bridge this thing to 2 channels. But, could I splice the two left and two right channels together, and just feed each pair to an 8 ohm speaker instead of a 4 ohm speaker? That way each channel would still "see" a 4 ohm load. Would that work?

Sadly, even if it does work, 99% of the marine speakers out there are 4 ohm any way so that really wouldn't get me very far.

If I could bridge that amp, I found a nice pair of polk db 6x9s that i'd install. Nicer quality than the 6.5''s I previously liked.

 

[Sixmark]

Re: Stereo Speakers (General Info, Mounting Suggestions)

The really odd thing is that your 84 Thundercraft looks like a sister to my 85 Baretta Vanguard.

I actually mounted my front speakers underneath the dash on both sides, they are well protected from backsplash etc.

You can mount the rears underneath the molded seats in the stern, and if access to fuel tanks, batteries, etc. becomes an issue then you can put the speaker panels on a hinge and just lift them up or open them to the side for more access.