Marine Sound Bars

A soundbar is the perfect solution for high quality audio that requires little to no cutting and minimal wiring. Most Bluetooth sound bars require only 2 wires for power, one to (+) on the battery, one to (-). All of these sound bars with the exception of the Wet Sounds Stealth Core and the JBL UB4000 have built-in amplifiers. All of these sound great and for the most part, you get what you pay for. Wet Sounds invented these, all the others are copy-cats.

Looking for the Perfect Soundbar?

Our Best Marine Soundbars article helps you find the perfect soundbar for your boat or UTV.

How do I mount my sound bar?

Soundbar mounting styles vary between the different brands and models. How you mount it will largely depend on the type of surface to which the sound bar is mounted. Is it flat? Is it a metal tube? Most sound bars with the exception of the Wet Sounds products come with hardware to mount the soundbar to a tube. This is probably the most popular mounting application. The Wet Sounds products come with light bar type end mount. The mounts screw into the ends of the sound bar and are then designed to be screwed into a flat surface. Wet Sounds howver does offer tube mounting adapters and clamp kits if you choose to mount it to a metal tube.

How Do I Wire a Marine Soundbar?

To power your marine soundbar, you will need to run the power and ground cables to the battery. The Wet Sounds Ultra HD has a built-in Bluetooth controller and does not require a remote wire for power. You turn the unit on and off on the soundbar itself. For the Wet Sounds Surge soundbar, you use the remote wire to connect to your external Bluetooth controller or head unit. With this setup, the amplifier built-in to the soundbar turns on when the controller or radio turns on and turns off when the radio or controller, turns off. Since the Wet Sounds Core soundbar is passive, it does not require any power connections, just speaker wire from the amplifier, head unit, or main soundbar. The Memphis and JBL soundbars work like the Stealth Ultra HD and only require two wires for operation, power and ground.

Do You Need a Radio with a Marine Soundbar?

It depends on the soundbar. The Wet Sounds Ultra HD, Memphis Powersports 20" Soundbar, Memphis 35" Soundbar, Memphis Powersports 28", and the JBL Stadium do not require a head unit. These soundbars have an amplifier built-in, Bluetooth built-in, and a controller that is integrated into the soundbar itself. The Wet Sounds Surge requires a separate controller such as the Wet Sounds Bluetooth Rocker Switch or the Wet Sounds Bluetooth Volume Control, but you can also use a marine head unit to send the signal to the sound bar. The Wet Sounds Core soundbars require an external source and external power. You can use the built-in amplifier in your marine radio to power the Wet Sounds CORE, but we recommend an external amplifier to get the most out of the product. The deck-power from the amplifiers built-in to the radio will work, but will probably leave you wanting more.

If You Don't Have any Speakers or Stereo In Your Boat, is a Soundbar the Ideal Solution?

This depends on your budget and who is going to be doing the installation. If you are reading this, it is likely because you are a DIY guy and you don't want to drop your boat off at a stereo shop to have them install a new stereo system for a couple thousand dollars. If you want to add speakers and a stereo to your boat, but you don't want to mess with cutting holes and everything involved with installation a complete stereo system, a soundbar will give you good sound that you can hear over the engine, wind, and water, and installation is pretty straightforward. The most important thing to consider is the length. If you find out your space requirements, compare the lenghts of the soundbar, and pick the right one for you. The Wet Sounds Ultra HD has the most features, but you have to reach up and power it on, from the soundbar itself. If you plan on mounting your soundbar out of reach, we recommend the Wet Sounds Surge soundbar and pairing it with the WW-BT-RS or a head unit. The one drawback of the Surge soundbar is that it is only available in black.

Adding a Subwoofer to a Soundbar

If you want high quality, full-range sound, we recommend adding a subwoofer to go with your soundbar. The easiest solution is a STEALTH subwoofer from Wet Sounds. These subwoofers are specifically designed to work with a soundbar and come with a heavy duty enclosure, a built-in amplifier, and they are designed to withstand the elements. You can mount the Wet Sounds Stealth subwoofers virtually anywhwere you have the space and they come in 6 inch, 8 inch, and 10 inch models.

How Loud is a Marine Soundbar?

We often have people ask us if the soundbar is going to be loud enough. Loud is very subjective and there are so many outside factors that determine how loud, is loud enough. A soundbar is designed to be heard in the boat, not necessarily behind the boat. If you are going 30 mph and you want it loud, you will probably need more. If you are looking for a solution that is under $1000, that will give you tunes, and you don't have to cut holes in the hull, a soundbar is going to be perfect and give you exactly what you need. For the most part, you get what you pay for. Is a $800 soundbar going to outperform 2 pairs of $300 speakers and a $300 amplifier, probably not. Will it be much easier to install and require less cutting, assuming you don't have existing speakers? Absolutely.