Best Boat and Marine Subwoofer Review 2021

If you want to spend marvelously — spend your time on a boat. Nothing will beat enjoying a little extra punch from your marine stereo.

To have that, getting a top-notch subwoofer is the best solution.

The right marine subwoofer makes all the difference between having the greatest time of your life and passing some quiet, lonely time.

Subwoofers give the ultimate experience on a boat. They not only add an extra bass but also makes the speaker sound a lot better.

This is because a subwoofer takes the bass duty out from the speaker, and takes care of all the highs, mids, and deep lows. As a result, the speaker is able to deliver a clearer and crisper sound.

Our 6 Favorite Marine Subwoofer Reviews

Although subwoofer should be at the forefront in the list after a speaker but choosing the right one can be quiet a daunting task.

We have done our research to bring you the top ten marine subwoofer reviews to make your life a bit easy. Have a look.

1. Bazooka MBT1014 Marine Subwoofer Review

For getting an absolute beast of marine sound production, there is no better alternative than the Bazooka. Bazooka MBT1014 is a great option if you are looking for an easy off-the-shelf marine bass system.

It is from the MB series of subwoofers from Bazooka, known for its superior quality and design.

This Bazooka MBT1014 is fitted with a 10-inch water-resistant enclosure whose functions have also been enhanced with the help of Bazooka’s BT Mobile Audio tubes.

The woofers used in the enclosure have a large, high excursion, lightweight foam edge rolls maximizing their efficiency and bass output.

It is powered by a class D amplifier with exceedingly low levels of electrical impedance. With a power output of 200 watts at 4 ohms, it features a high sensitivity rating of 104 dB. It also hits as low as 35Hz and as far up as 250 Hz.

So, you see, there is no better sound sensitivity than that of Bazooka.

Even though it looks a lot like a tube than a subwoofer, we believe it is worth the sound experience that you’ll get. The hardware is made with complete stainless steel and designed to withstand harsh outdoor conditions.

Since both the subwoofer and its enclosure is water-resistant, it can be mounted anywhere on the boat.

It is compact and provides the advantage of fitting into tight spaces. And it is powerful enough to provide a heavy bass boost to your audio system.

In addition to the marine tubes certified as UV and salt water-resistant, the Velcro-reinforced water-resistant mounting straps keep the whole thing in place during turbulence.

2. Pyle PLMRW8 Marine Subwoofer Review (Budget Pick)

In case of a tight budget, this subwoofer from Pyle will come to your rescue. Not like the Bazooka one but still a very good subwoofer.

Available in a range of different sizes depending on your needs, Pyle offers a range of subwoofers, all of which can be called premium quality.

This model from Pyle is robust and includes 12 inch/600 watts, 10 inch/500 watts, and an 8 inch/400 hundred watts variations of subwoofers.

These 8, 10- or 12-inch variations in diameter allows you to perfectly match the needs of your boat’s sound system.

The Pyle PLMRW8 uses a good value polypropylene cone, which is surrounded by rubber to withstand rough sea-weather conditions.

They are also made of marine-grade material, thus providing a great quality subwoofer. Its water-resistant body is fortified against salt water, fog, and UV radiation.

Suitable for both boat and car, this subwoofer has a peak power output of 400 watts. Its frequency response is 35 Hz to 3.5 kHz with a sensitivity of 91 dB.

With a mounting depth is 3.6 inches, this piece is sold in single units of each weighing 5.22 lbs.

It has a 1.5-inch high-temperature voice coil making it suitable to perform in the harshest conditions. The crisp heart-thumping bass its 24-oz magnet provides makes your listening experience more enjoyable.

The whole unit is easy to install with mounting hardware that comes with it. You can install it in front of the compartment or under it. It can also be placed in a box or behind the helm seat too.

Its ABS plastic frame is made with marine-grade mold with a tough grille. The Pyle Hydra PLMRW8 is able to pump out a high-level beat and is very powerful.

3. Lanzar AQTB8 Waterproof Marine Subwoofer Review

When you look for the best products for your boat, a subwoofer comes to the list. If you want a low-profile powered marine subwoofer, then the Lanzar AQTB8 model is the one we suggest.

It is a slim and small marine woofer from Lanzar and perfect pick when the space in your boat is short. Its unique design makes it suitable for low profile use or discrete placement. You can even use it as an under-seat subwoofer in cars.

The Lanzar AQTB8 is equipped with both low- and high-profile inputs, adjustable phase controls, remote bass boost level control, and a low-pass filter. Now you can have your bass exactly the way you want.

With a powerful and clean sound, this woofer will amplify the music and add performance and quality enhancement to your audio system.

A high-quality connection between the amplifier and speaker is ensured through the screw terminals and the nickel-plated RCA speaker connection.

In order to improve the sound of your marine speakers, nothing beats this AQTB8 model. This perfect water-resistant subwoofer combo is designed for any wet environment.

It has a resilient and rigid body featuring pearl white and chrome-like accents.

This unit from Lanzar includes overload protection LED indicators. Therefore, it keeps your equipment safe and secure.

The amplified subwoofer combo has a clean, streamlined, and high-tech professional appearance that makes it suitable for all parties.

Some additional features include bass boost circuitry and control for adjusting the input sensitivity ranges from 0.2V to 3V.

But, to enjoy the long-lasting experience with the amplifier’s control center, turn-on/off the unit to prevent it from damaging.

AQTB8 is a combination amplified subwoofer pumping out up to 1,000 watts of power and has input sensitivity from 0.2V to 3V. Whether out on the ocean or barbecuing on your deck, this unit is the best friend you can count on for great sound and bass.

4. Fusion MS-SW10 Marine-Grade Subwoofer Review

Now you are half way through our best marine subwoofer reviews. Do you want to increase the bass level of your marine speaker’s sound?

Introduce a subwoofer into your boat’s audio system. The Fusion MS-SW10 has earned its spot for our top pick as one of the best subwoofer for boat.

Designed by people who love great sound and boating, this subwoofer unit has gone rigorous testing on extreme marine environments. This FR6022 model is water-resistant and perfectly complies with the ASTM standards for UV stability.

Its True Marine Standard makes it weather-resistant, ensuring sustained high performance during prolonged exposure to harsh marine elements. And what’s more! This sub works perfectly well in the enclosure as well as in open air.

The Fusion FR6022 subwoofer complements perfectly to your marine audio system. Because it combines high-end audio performance with high-end power handling. And it has an impressively durable speaker too.

Reasonably priced, this subwoofer system gives you continuous power handling of 100 RMS watts, which is the highest available. This 10-inch marine subwoofer can handle more power than most marine speakers out there.

It is rated for 88 dB sensitivity, which isn’t the highest, but it is quite accurate and balanced.

The low frequencies it provided weren’t as accurate as of the mids and highs either, but the performance was very good indeed. This is right in line with the sensitivity rating of the manufacturer. Most subs aren’t able to provide that.

If you are looking for a cheap marine subwoofer, this will be a great investment for adding some bass to the sound system. Besides it being the most affordable, it will pump out crisp, accurate bass response for you even in harsh marine conditions.

5. Rockville MS10LW Air Subwoofer Review

When It comes to power, Rockville does not disappoint anyone. There are very few marine subwoofers that can literally rock your boat other than Rockville. It impresses us with the fact that it is different and even stronger than other marine speakers in the market.

This best marine subwoofer comes with a 10-inch speaker with 2400 watts of max power output. You can also get 600 watts of CEA-rated output and 1200 watts of program RMS output.

With a fantastic sensitivity rating at 90dB, this sub has a double-stacked 80 Oz magnet that handles double the power than most other subs.

For reproducing low range frequencies, this subwoofer is excellent. The Polypropylene cone makes the sound go louder to crank it up. Even boats that are thousands of feet away can feel the bass with its 80 oz magnet.

The Rockville MS10LW is fully fortified against moisture, salt, and UV rays. To prevent sun and water damage, it is made from marine-grade components that have a non-corrosive waterproof coating.

When it comes to construction, this unit’s polypropylene cone has a rubber edge that absorbs and transfers energy. Engineered from a special blend of waterproof and molded ABS plastic, its structure is unbendable and enduring even if you walk on it.

The only drawback is the LED light, which might connect poorly and is not very powerful. But all in all, the Rockville MS10LW stands out above others in terms of excellent loud sound, powerful bass, and unbending structure and extreme durability.

6. Bazooka MBTA10250D Marine Pre-Loaded Bass Tube Review

If you do not want the hassle of going through a crazy installation process such as drilling or creating enclosures, then this Bazooka subwoofer is ideal for you. This best marine subwoofer offers you the best solution when you want the thrill of powerful bass on your boat without making a lot of modifications.

The Bazooka MBTA10250D subwoofer is a marine-ready 10-inches amplified Bass Tube, which will add some clout to your nautical audio system. It is equipped with awesome features to greatly enhance performance and reliability when you want some great sounds.

This bass system is water-resistant and designed to withstand harsh marine conditions. Because of this, it can also be mounted just about anywhere on your boat. Moreover, it has a rugged structure and unique tube shape making it easy for you to place it in any tight spaces.

This marine certified 10″ power amplified bass tube has its amplifier integrated into its enclosure, which saves you from the hassle of matching up a subwoofer with a compatible amplifier. It also ensures that it can be connected to almost any radio.

Moreover, the sub features a high sensitivity rating of 104 dB and is able to handle up to 275 watts of power RMS. The bass enclosure is designed to add great depth and richness to the sound but not huge booming bass.

Furthermore, the installation kit comes with a power harness and simplifies the installation process, which can be a tedious task for beginners. A bass reflex design takes advantage of both forward and backward of the woofer, increasing the efficiency of the system.

This allows awesome sound output compared to a typically sealed subwoofer.

What to Look for Before Buying Marine Subwoofer?

By now, you have already read our top marine subwoofer reviews and probably deciding to buy one. But informed decision never hurts anybody. Before you go out and pick the best one among our picks, we suggest you understand on what basis we picked only these subwoofers out of hundred others.

Size

Although this might seem obvious at the beginning, the size of a subwoofer often gets overlooked while buying. There are many different sizes to pick from, but the most common ones are 8”, 10”, or 12”. This measurement typically means the diameter of the cone inside.

Larger ones have deeper and louder frequency response while smaller subs produce tighter, richer sounding bass. So, depending on what type of sound you prefer, you have to pick the size.

But for larger cones, make sure you have enough space available. Also, keep in mind the mounting depth behind the sub to accommodate the magnet and cone.

Peak and RMS Power Ratings

The power of the subwoofer is of particular importance in terms of placing it on a boat. Because the sound will have to travel through the open air and so it needs more power to cut through it.

Furthermore, the first thing is that a best boat subwoofer needs is the ability to handle equal or more power than the speaker can provide. The power is represented in terms of watts. This power is measured in two different numbers: RMS and Peak Power.

RMS stands for Root Mean Square, which is a mathematical measure of a waveform’s best value. This is required for a recommended power rating.

The other figure is the Peak Power rating, which is the higher figure of the two. It basically means how loud the subwoofer will be able to perform before damaging itself.

Impedance

This is a measure of electrical resistance. It is related to the power that the speaker is able to accept from the amplifier. Simply put, impedance means how easily electricity passes through the coils in the subwoofer. This is measured in ohms.

An ohm is the measurement of electrical resistance and is basically what impedance is. Lower impedance means a more powerful sound and vice versa. Most high-quality subs have lower impedance rating.

If the impedance is 4-ohm, it will extract more power than the one with more ohm. It should also be noted that this level of impedance should match the power of the amplifier. The amplifier could overheat if the impedance is too low compared to it.

Installation

Before going out to buy a subwoofer for your boat, installation is another factor that needs to be considered. Whenever you read marine subwoofer reviews, you’ll definitely come across sayings such as ‘easy installation.’ But if you are a novice, it becomes a bit tricky.

It is better to go for a plug and play subwoofer such as Bazooka if you don’t have hands-on knowledge of installation. But then again, you can also get a professional easily for this kind of job.

However, there is nothing to worry about if you just take proper measurements of the speaker before cutting any holes in your boat. Because you definitely don’t want to leave any lasting mark on it.

Marine Grade Material - Marinization

Most people will think of marine grade as simply water-resistant. But there is more to it since when you call a thing as Marine Grade, it is expected to conform to a higher standard than just water resistance.

On the water in the boat, salty air and fog can corrode any exposed metal, and UV rays from direct sunlight could damage mechanical devices. So before purchasing a sub for your boat, make sure it is fog, salt and UV certified also.

Enclosure

The subwoofer is placed into an enclosure in the majority of marine systems, which are basically made of wood. They come in different builds, sizes, and shapes with a sealed enclosure. The sealed enclosures are made for tighter sounding bass from the subs.

But the more popular builds are vented enclosures which give maximum output from a sub. They are made to produce deeper bass.

Wiring

Proper wiring is crucial for installing a subwoofer for marine systems. We recommend using the best wiring possible to get optimal performance. The best wirings are made of 100% pure oxygen-free copper, and the size of it depends on the power needed for the system.

Frequently Asked Questions

Why do I need a marine subwoofer?

If you care about having the most wonderful time on the boat with the best sound, a subwoofer is a must for you. A marine subwoofer will be able to give you the best possible outcome in terms of perfect and loud thumping sound and bass.

Which subwoofer has the loudest sound?

Usually, the loudness of the subwoofer depends on the power it uses, size and impedance — the bigger the cone size, the louder the sound. To produce more sound, a sub uses more power but less impedance.

How much power do I need?

It depends on the subwoofer type. Although more power is better for subs, it needs to comply with that of the speaker. We recommend you choose an amplifier rated higher than the woofer’s maximum RMS power. This way, the sound quality is not distorted.

Do cone materials make any difference?

Just like speakers, subwoofers are made from Polypropylene cones. Besides, some sub cones are also made from treated paper or composites, which tends to be less durable. But because of its lightweight, it responds quicker than other materials.

What if the subwoofer gets wet? 

There is always a possibility of a subwoofer getting wet in the boat, just like the speaker. That is why we recommend marine grade systems throughout the boat to protect them from damages.

Final Words

We hope that our additional information from this marine subwoofer review article has helped you realize that finding a reliable product has become a lot easier. However, since your boat is surrounded by a harsh environment, do not forget to take care of the sub from time to time.