Spending time in nature be it in the mountains or in the open sea getting hit by waves and a light breeze can help keep more than just your mental health in check. Especially when it comes to the sea, it hits you in a different way as you need to have a certain type of transport.
Boating in itself is a physically demanding activity that can make you out of breath while keeping you in shape. Since you're exposed to the sun quite a bit you also get to replenish your body with vitamin D and experience what is known as the blue mind. This is when you're near a body of water and you calm down by reconnecting with nature's vastest ecosystem.
Benefits of Adding a Marine Subwoofer
Loudness
No experience is the same without some good music and what better way to listen to it than with the help of a subwoofer? A subwoofer is made to make the sound coming from your radio or any other audio system louder. Proper marine subwoofers are especially well made to suit such an audience as crashing waves can easily silence any song.
Sound Reproduction
A marine subwoofer is not only able to make your radio louder but it can also enhance sound reproduction. With a good-quality boat subwoofer, you can go down to 20Hz or even lower when it comes to the clarity of the sound coming through. In comparison, most speakers can go down to 50Hz. You get to enjoy a sound clear of distortion without the speakers being on the edge of their capabilities.
Versatile
A subwoofer is not used to replace the speakers but as a matter of fact, to help them sound better. This is why subwoofers are quite a versatile solution since they can make even the smallest of speakers sound much better thanks to their low-frequency amplifiers taking over the mid and high frequencies, thus enhancing bass.
Bass
Bass matters more than it did before and with a subwoofer you can ensure that it's not left out despite not being its main focus. You can also get one that focuses mainly on bass if you love that type of sound, but even if you don't you'll still usually get a good representation of it in every song.
Important Factors of Subwoofers
RMS
RMS or root mean square is the power output of a subwoofer expressed in watts. The higher the RMS setting is the longer the subwoofer can provide a louder and clearer sound without any issues. Keep in mind though that not all manufacturers calculate RMS the same way, meaning there can be a little bit of a difference in the subwoofer's consistency in this regard.
Impedance
Measured in ohms, a subwoofer's impedance rating refers to the amount of electrical resistance it comes with. Impedance is quite the opposite from RMS and therefore it should be as low as possible, otherwise, your marine subwoofer won't be able to handle a lot of power and thus produce a sound that's not as clear and as loud. A subwoofer with an impedance of 4 ohms or less is fine for marine applications.
Peak Power Rating
Like the RMS setting the peak power setting of marine subwoofers is also measured in watts and it refers to the amount of power they can handle without fail. The difference between the two ratings is that peak power can't be tolerated for a long period of time. That's when a small section of a song is louder but only for a moment. Typically the peak power rating of a subwoofer is double its RMS.
Size
The size of a subwoofer is important for two reasons, space and capabilities. While larger boats can accommodate larger more capable subwoofers, smaller ones limit you in this regard. But know that with today's technological advancements, you can get a decent subwoofer even on a small vessel as long as its above specs are in a solid range.
Frequency Response
The range of low-frequency sounds a subwoofer can carry over represents its frequency response which is measured in hertz. This setting is measured between the lowest frequency the subwoofer can deliver as well as the highest, and the wider the range the higher the quality of the subwoofer.
Design
The design of a boat subwoofer can be more than just a stylish solution. It actually affects the durability of the device. A UV-resistant and waterproof body is a must for marine applications which comes with anodized and galvanised materials as well as a high IPX rating that ensures the subwoofer is sealed off from any water jets and dust particles.
Conclusion
No boat is made the same and thus no marine subwoofer is but if you know what to look for you can easily find a fitting solution that will last you a long time with no issue. If you keep to the basics you're off to a good start.
