"Matt" wrote in message
...
So really as long as they don't use paper components i shouldn't have a
problem? What about the other parts of the speaker? The two front are
positioned in the bow where it's possible they might get wet / splashed.


Matt,

You should have no problems with non-marine speakers. I have quite a few
speakers on my boat, all non-marine Clarion, and never had a problem. I
went with Clarion because they are not the cheapest, not the most expensive
and a decent balance between quality and value. Two speakers in the rear of
the boat are encased in carpet covered speaker boxes. They have all gotten
some degree of wetness over time and I have not had any problems. One even
got directly hosed with a hand-held water gun ... still no problems.

I operate only in fresh water. If you are boating in salt/brakish water,
your mileage may vary. To be honest, I have not seen any main-stream stereo
speakers that contain any paper in a number of years. As with anything
though, keep in mind that the marine environment is pretty harsh on anything
(heavy chop, vibration, water, etc.), and any speaker will likely not last
as long as one operated on dry land it's entire life. Most higher end
speakers (such as the Clarions I have) will likely give you quite a bit of
use before they need to be replaced.

If you are really concerned about moisture, the back half of the speaker is
the part you would want to protect. A small bead of waterproof caulk around
the interior perimeter of the speaker and the bulkhead of where you are
mounting the speaker will keep most water splashes from getting to the rear
of the speaker. The drawback however will be a more difficult time
replacing the speaker when that time eventually comes.

For what it's worth, my system is a 1000 watt system with Kenwood deck,
Eclipse AMP and a variety of Clarion speakers (4x4's and 4x6's). The AMP
was screwed into the inside of a storage compartment that is used for
lifejackets. 2 additional 4x6 speakers were mounted in carpeted speaker
boxes and screwed to the gunwales on each side of the boat back by the rear
lounge. Incidently, Kenwood decks are among the best for shock/skip
resistance, but I still get some CD skipping while in heavier chop.

-RH