Your boat is more than “just” a boat. Your boat is an access to adventure and a place to relax. It’s a getaway for spending time with family and friends while out on the water. We know when everyone gets together it’s time to celebrate, and we also know there’s little celebration without music. Which is why proper installation and wiring of your boat’s marine sound system is so important.
If you’ve recently invested in a quality marine stereo system for your boat and you’ve found your way here, then it’s time for wiring. This may sound intimidating, but don’t worry. We’ve put together this ultimate guide to help you learn everything you need to know about wiring so you can capitalize on your investment with optimal sound quality every time you go out. We will start with some must-know basics about wires and cables before diving into specific components of your sound system.
Wire vs. Cable
The terms “wire” and “cable” are often used interchangeably, but although they are similar, they are actually two different things. The biggest difference between them is that a wire is a single conductor (a material that allows electric current to flow through it, like copper) and a cable is two or more of these wires wrapped in one case.
Types of Wires
When looking at wires you will find two types: solid and stranded. Solid wires are typically recommended for higher frequencies as they offer lower resistance, while stranded wires are more ideal for long-term use in situations where you will need flexibility, such as on a boat.
Types of Cables
There are a number of different types of cables, including twisted pair, multi-conductor, coaxial and fiber optic. Each one is going to be better suited for different purposes. For example, multi-conductor cables are generally recommended for sound and audio.
Choosing Your Marine Wire or Cable
To get the highest quality sound with your marine speakers, you want to invest in the right wiring. First, let’s address a common misconception. You might have heard that it’s okay to use certain types of automotive wire on your boat. While this is true in some cases, it is definitely not recommended. When choosing which wire or cable you want to use for your marine speakers, select marine grade. Marine grade wire and cable may cost a little more, but it is superior in longevity and performance for a number of reasons:
- The wires are more flexible, making them better suited for the movement of a boat.
- The wires are tinned, providing protection against corrosion.
- The wires are insulated, meaning they are resistant to oil, moisture, and heat.
When it comes down to it, marine-grade wiring is designed to hold up against the harsh marine environment, unlike other wires and cables, making it the best choice for your boat’s speakers and sound system.
How to Install Your Marine Speakers
After you have selected your wiring it is time to connect it to your marine speakers and other sound system components. If you select quality marine cable, installation should be relatively quick and simple as it should come sealed and with proper connectors already attached to make your marine audio “plug and play.” All you should need to do is check that your cables’ plastic coating is completely intact around your wires to protect them against moisture and air (this is not as necessary with tinned copper marine wire). If any connections are not sealed, you can use liquid electrical tape to seal them.
If you chose marine wire, then most likely it came bare and you will need to put in a little more work before you can use your new sound system, so the remainder of this guide is intended for wiring a marine sound system with a bare marine wire. Before you begin wiring, you should decide how you want to have the speakers set up so you can wire them properly; in other words, you want to know the layout of your system. This will help you know where to place the wires and how much you will need. Then, gather any tools or items you may need, such as a screwdriver, wire stripper, and zip ties for holding the wires in place.
The most important thing to note when wiring your marine speaker cables is that you want them to be wired “in phase” and not “out of phase.” You may have also heard these terms referred to as “polarity,” or the electric charge, which can be either positive or negative. Understanding what this means is going to save time during the initial installation and any future, subsequent installations as you add to or change your marine sound system so we will start with a quick overview of these terms.
Wiring “In Phase”
When you wire “in phase,” you are connecting the positive charge wire with the positive speaker terminals or connection points on the sound system components. This is how you want to wire your marine speakers to achieve the highest possible sound quality, so any time you connect your speaker wire to a sound system component, you want to check you are wiring them “in phase.”
Wiring “Out of Phase”
While wiring your speakers “out of phase” will not be harmful to your sound system, it will be unpleasant to your ears. If your wires are “out of phase” then they are connected in reverse with positive charge wires to a negative terminal, or vice versa. This results in lower sound quality from tones being canceled out and a not-so-ideal experience.
Not sure if the wire or speaker connection point is positive? Grab a spare AA battery! The speaker cone will move forward if the positive end of the battery touches a positive speaker connection point. Once you have identified the polarity, you can then use colored tape to label the wires for easy future reference. It should also be noted that if your speaker wire came labeled in different colors (typically red for positive and black for negative) it will make matching them to the speaker terminals for “in phase” easier than what you see here; however, most often the speaker terminals will be color-coded and your wire will not.
Connecting Your Speaker Wires to a Binding Post
Once you have identified the polarity and are ready to wire “in phase,” you can connect the wires to the speakers. Unless your wires came with their own connectors, you will likely need to prep them by using a wire stripper to expose a small section of the wire at the end of each wire and twist the stands together to create one single wire. Then, follow these steps to connect the wires to the speaker:
- Locate the binding post (connector) on the back of your speaker and unscrew the cap until you can see a small hole in the middle.
- Insert the exposed section of your wire into the hole.
- Tighten the cap over the hole and wire to secure it into place.
- Repeat until you have connected the wire to each of the binding posts.
How to Connect an Amplifier to Your Marine Speakers
After your speakers have been wired, it’s time to add each of your chosen components to your marine audio system. The next component should be your amp. Amps, or amplifiers, are an important component for your sound system if you’re looking to get the highest quality sound. They strengthen low-power audio signals to bring them up to a level that can be heard through your marine speakers, which allows you to hear a wider range of tones clearly.
To connect your amp to your marine sound system, take the other end of your speaker wire and connect it to the terminals located on the back of the amp just as you had with your speakers. Two speakers can be connected to a single amp if needed. To do so, you will want to connect one speaker to the left terminals and the second speaker to the right terminals. These will also be wired “in phase,” so the wiring will need to match with the positive and negative terminals.
How to Connect Radio/Source Units to Your Marine Stereo System
Your marine radio or source unit is what sends the audio signals to your amps and how you will control your marine sound system. This connects very similarly to the way you connect the speakers to the amplifier with the wiring “in phase,” so positive wires connect to positive terminals and negative wires connect to negative terminals. But unlike the speakers, which connect only to the amp, your source unit is going to connect to multiple components, including both the amp and subwoofers.
Start by stripping the ends of the wires with your wire cutters to expose and twist them together to create one strand as before. Next, crimp on connectors to the ends of the wires in preparation for connecting them from the amp to the source unit. Attach the wire to both the amp and the source unit, paying close attention to where you connect the wires on the source unit. These connections should be color-coded, so when connecting the amp look for the blue wire. You will also find the red, positive charge wire and black, negative charge wire as well as a yellow wire which all connect to the system’s power source. Before connecting to power, ensure that you have turned off your marine audio system and use caution.
How to Connect Subwoofers to Your Marine Amplifier
Subwoofers amplify low frequency sounds, the bass and sub-bass, to improve the sound quality of your audio system. Like the speakers, the subwoofers are going to connect to your amplifiers and work together with those components to provide a better sound experience. To connect them, connect the subwoofer output to the amplifier input. This is usually labeled on the back of the amplifier so it should be easy to identify. To connect the subwoofers, prep the wire in the same way as you have for the other components, crimping a connection if necessary, and connect the wires “in phase.”
Connecting LED Controllers to Your Marine Audio System
With certain speakers you can connect LED controllers to your marine sound system to add dynamic music and color-changing modes to bring your sound system to the next level. These speakers often offer a simple built-in color selector but can also be connected to an external LED controller (likely a remote) that allows further control of color selection across the full RGB spectrum and may even include features like a dimmer. This optional accessory puts boaters in complete control of their lighting experience.
Each controller will pair with a receiver that’s integrated into your marine sound system. Most of these receivers include power and ground connections, RGB output, line input, and a stereo plug. The power and ground terminals allow you to set up wires to power the system. The RGB output allows for bare wire to connect to RGB LED strips. The line input is how the system synchronizes the lights with the beat of the music. The stereo plug connects to the audio cable. Once each of these have been setup properly (we recommend checking the manufacturer’s instructions for more detailed information), you will be ready for high quality sound with lights that almost literally dance to the beat of the music.
Does my speaker work with Bluetooth?
Some marine speakers can work with Bluetooth, but not all. We recommend checking the user manual for your specific system to check whether it can work with a Bluetooth receiver. This type of receiver becomes the source unit for your marine sound system and can connect to your devices via Bluetooth. To connect to the receiver, you should be able to pair from your chosen device, likely your phone, by accessing your Bluetooth devices under Settings. This process may change depending on what device you are connecting to the receiver, so always check the user manual included with your specific device if you are having difficulties.
Completing Your Marine Audio Setup
After you have connected all of the components and installed additional pieces such as LED lights or a Bluetooth-enabled receiver, you are almost ready to head out on the water to enjoy your new sound system. We recommend testing thoroughly and checking that your system works before you are on the water, so you can more easily address any issues that may arise. If you do experience any issues, double check that each of your components are wired properly and connected to a power source.
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