Best marine speakers under $250

Replacing your boat's speakers will make your music sound better. Boat builders cut corners when it comes to the sound system speakers. Aftermarket marine speakers use better materials and superior construction to deliver improved sound and long-term endurance in rugged conditions. Replacing old speakers is a quick and inexpensive way to get better sound in your boat.

Marine speakers are designed to survive in the hostile environments of extreme temperature changes, vibration, moisture, and dirt found in boating and off-road motoring. Not only must the material of each individual part — like a speaker's frame, surround, cone, and coil — resist contamination, but the wiring and adhesives that hold all the pieces together need to resist corrosive damage and remain functioning.Normal car and home speakers just aren't up to the task.

You'll most often want to replace factory speakers with the same size aftermarket marine speakers. For deeper-sounding music, you might consider custom-mounting larger speakers in the factory locations, or adding a subwoofer. If you're into high-performance boats, wakeboarding, or skiing, you’ll want a set of tower speakers, so everyone in or behind the boat can hear the big sound. Speakers with built-in RGB lighting systems can intensify the boat's party-vibes.

All boats are different, so some speaker installations will be easier than others. If you're replacing your boat's existing speakers, you can usually use the factory mounting locations and wiring with no issues. Before you order new speakers, remove one of the old ones and measure it so you can be sure your new speakers will fit the opening. Measure the cutout diameter, the depth of the cavity, and the space around the cavity.

If you only listen to quiet music and talk radio while docked or float fishing, you won't need an amplifier. Otherwise, since you'll be listening to your music on the go and out in the open, you'll want plenty of amplifier power for each speaker, in order to hear clean, clear sound over the background noises of wind and waves. A quality marine amplifier will feature weather-proof covers, conformal coated circuit boards, corrosion-resistant connectors, and plenty of power.