Luckily, some of the most trusted names in car and home audio have engineered a balance between protection and production, making great sound on the water not only possible but surprisingly affordable. Obviously your primary concern is to find a speaker that’s waterproof, but water’s not the only hazard to your speaker’s life.
Models with UV coating on important components will stand up better to the sun and heat, while corrosive-resistant elements are particularly important if you use your boat in salt water. Reinforced brackets will ensure the speakers won’t take a tumble after a particularly bumpy ride.
Here are our recommendations for the 4 best boat tower speakers on the market:
Kicker KMT674 Marine Speaker Tower System
For the biggest sound in the most durable package, you’ll want to check out the KMT674 from Kicker. It gives you a pair of full-range two-way speakers that are designed for long-range output and dispersion with a high sound quality. They’re able to pack so much power into a compact housing by using horn-loaded titanium dome tweeters. Each speaker features a 6 ¾” driver, larger than many marine speakers are able to boast. The enclosures themselves will protect these powerful speakers from the wind and waves. The assembly is marine-rated, meaning it’s completely weather-proofed and UV-treated to stand up to both salt spray and continuous sunlight. They’re also designed to be mounted in a variety of configurations, making them more versatile than most boat speakers on the market.
Bazooka MAC8100W
Though the SAS company started back in 1983, Bazooka speakers are still relatively little known in the mobile audio world—which is a shame, considering the quality and affordability they deliver with each of their products. The 8” polymer woofers in these speakers put out incredible bass production from such a small package, while the aluminum tweeter handles treble frequencies with clarity and accuracy. They’re also built to last, with UV-resistant grilles, rubber surrounds for the drivers, and a stainless steel construction that will stand up to rain, sea water, sunshine, and whatever else you want to throw its way.
Pyle PLMRW65 Marine Wake Board Speakers
You can still get rocking sound with these Pyle marine speakers. With this model, Pyle brings their expertise in the car audio world to the marine audio landscape, putting their top of the line speaker components into a fully weather- and water-proofed package, resin treated to prevent rust and water damage. The bullet-style design is attractive and unobtrusive, but what really matters is the great sound you’ll get through them. The 2-way system has accurate full-range sound reproduction thanks to its 6.5” Poly Mica woofer and 1” polymer dome tweeter, with a rubber surround that keeps the sound from distorting when you’re on the move and the consistent, clear sound reproduction you can expect from Pyle’s extensive line of speakers. If you’re on a budget, these are undoubtedly the best boat tower speakers for the money.
Boss Audio MRWT6B
Boss speakers are known for their power and performance, and their marine speakers live up to the reputation they’ve earned for their home and car audio equipment. These speakers are fully marinized, which includes waterproofing and UV coatings to protect the electronics from corrosion and other damage from the elements. Each speaker includes a 6.5” poly-injected woofer and a 1” bullet tweeter, with a rubber surround to keep them in place even when you’re going over rough waves. They’re also very efficient speakers, with a sensitivity of 94 dB, giving them as wide a frequency response and dynamic capability as tower speakers that cost twice the price. This should be on anyone’s list of the best boat tower speakers.
Installing Your Speakers
Installation for a wake board tower speaker can be a bit more complicated than simply connecting your new speakers up at home. Mounting the speakers to the tower and running the connecting wires through it is the trickiest step, and will require some tools—a screwdriver or wrench to actually secure the speaker mounts, and a power drill with a ½” bit to make the holes for the wire in the tower.
Leaving the wires exposed is not a good idea. Aside from the aesthetic concerns, electrical wiring can be easily damaged by the elements, which can lead to damage to your speakers or amplifier. Instead, you can have your wires run through the tower, protecting the wires and keeping them unseen. It’s important to note that you should use only marine-rated wiring for your boat tower speakers—even inside the boat tower regular bare copper wires can corrode quickly, so use tinned wires instead.
To start, figure out where you want your speakers to be positioned. Attach them to the bar, then mark the location of each bracket. Remove the speakers and retrieve your drill. Drill a hole in the center of the space where each speaker will mount. This is where the wire will run out of the tower to connect to your speaker. You’ll also need to drill a hole at the bottom of the tower leg closest to the amplifier or receiver. A second hole at the top of the leg will also be necessary to enable you to pass the wire through the tower. It’s a good idea to put a rubber grommet around each of these holes before you start passing your wires through to give extra protection from the elements. Use a marine-grade sealant and allow it to dry completely before running your wires.
The trickiest and most frustrating part of the installation can often be threading the wires back out of the holes at the top of the tower to plug in your speakers. Rather than trying to run wires connected to your amp up the tower leg to the speaker, let gravity be your friend. Take some loose wire and start in the hole at the top of the tower leg. Let half the wire fall down to the lower leg hole, where it will go to your amp; you can form a spare piece of wire into a hook to help you retrieve the hanging ends.
You can use a similar tactic to get the wires across the top, to the speakers. Use a long, stiff wire with a hook formed at one end. Put it into the hole for the speaker, then run it to the top hole in the leg and clip the wires inside the hook. It will be easier to pull this stiff wire back across, pulling the speaker wires with it, than to thread each wire through the hole individually. With these instructions in mind, you’re sure to enjoy the sound that you desire, and we hope you’ve found the best boat tower speakers for your needs here. Good luck!
