To make our driving more relaxed and to enhance our sea experience, we usually add a stereo system in the vehicle or marine vessel which creates a good atmosphere and elevates the passengers’ entire mood.
Although car speakers and marine speakers are similar audio devices, they still vary in many different aspects. If you’re looking to replace or install new high-quality speakers, you might need to understand the distinctions between the two and make the right decision for your vehicle or vessel.
In this article, we take a look at the main differences so you can decide what’s right for you.
Durability
The most noticeable difference between marine speakers and car speakers is longevity. Top-of-the-line marine speakers are usually built to withstand harsh, humid, and salty environments and this makes them more durable than car speakers which, in turn, are used in more normal conditions.
In addition, the materials used to make the marine speakers are made to survive exposure to blistering sunlight and rapid changes in temperatures without getting damaged. For this reason, any idea to have car speakers installed in your marine vessel would probably be a bad one as they’re not designed to be as durable as marine speakers.
Materials Used
The next major difference between these two types of speakers is in the overall build quality which ultimately decides how durable the speaker will turn out to be. Heavy-duty and robust materials are used to build marine speakers which ensures their durability. Almost all of these materials are waterproof or at least water-resistant and you can quickly notice that most of the marine speakers are made from plastic or similar long-lasting materials.
Car speakers, on the other hand, are not always made of hard-wearing materials and many brands use a paper cone as opposed to marine speakers, where many brands use plastic cones. When the car speaker gets wet or moisture gets in, it can damage the paper cone and easily damage it.
Wiring
Again, for obvious reasons, the wiring in a marine speaker is different from a car speaker and it comes down to the needs and environment. The chances of any form of moisture or salt getting into the wires of a car speaker are slim to none. For this reason, the need for protecting or concealing the wiring in-car speakers is not as important as when it’s a matter of marine speakers.
When speakers are intended for marine vessels, then the wiring must be carefully protected and covered with sealants and a layer of waterproof material, to avoid damage. Manufacturers also tend to coat the circuit boards with an extra layer of protection which will not impact their performance. Such special sealing is not used in a car speaker since severe weather conditions are not a threat to an enclosed car space.
Sound Quality
Since the environment of a boat is different from that of a vehicle, it’s understandable that another major difference between a marine speaker and a car speaker is the sound production and quality.
As the interior of the car is small with a confined space, a car speaker projects better sound for small spaces. If you roll down the windows, you would barely hear any tunes when standing a few steps away.
On the other hand, marine speakers are envisaged for bigger spaces like boats that are usually uncovered and if you need projection through open spaces. Such speakers are engineered to achieve loud and high-quality sound performance while cruising at high speeds and they disperse sound in a wider area.
Price
Generally speaking, marine speakers are much costlier than car speakers since they must handle different conditions and because of the protective materials used to build them. However, this is not always the case and you should know that there are also high-end car speakers and low-quality marine speakers.
When evaluating the cost, you should weigh the risk and think long term because although car speakers are more affordable as building them is not labor-intensive, they’re at a greater risk of getting damaged whereas marine speakers are more likely to last longer as they can withstand harsher weather conditions while producing a powerful sound.
Final Words
Many prospect buyers might be confused when deciding whether to buy car speakers or marine speakers. This is why they must learn about their main differences, strengths, and weaknesses.
If you want a more precise sound and don’t have the money to splurge, car speakers are the right deal for you. However, if you need speakers to project sound over great distances and open spaces, then marine speakers are recommended. In the end, it all comes down to the user’s particular preferences and needs.
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