Adding a subwoofer to the stereo

[dboy4ever]

Hi Folks,

I'm thinking about adding a powered subwoofer to the stereo. Currently I have a pair of Polk Audio outdoor speakers in the cabin. They sound fine, but bass is unsatisfying when I listen to hip-hop.

Is this a good idea? Will too much bass ruin the sailing experience? Will adding a powered subwoofer drain my batteries much more quickly? We have 2 deep cycle batteries on board, each rated at 75 amp hours.

Thanks!

[Capnblu]

you are right, hip hop will ruin sailing for the rest of us, get an Ipod!

[Capnblu]

and pull your pants up, your crack is showing!

[merc2dogs]

I tend to agree that it will ruin the experience for other sailors.

BUT, I also like cleaner sound in my music than is normally heard through regular speakers. So tend to run an amp (or amps) and good speakers.

In my truck I -had- a 200 watt RMS (not useless peak watts) amp driving the mains, and another 200 watter driving the sub to provide clean sound. Picked up a set of speaker boxes with 'small' 6" speakers, mid and tweet, that had a 9x9 passive radiator in them. The bass was so nice from them that I ended up removing the sub and the second amp because I didn't need it anymore.

Also, after removing the sub and it's amp, I noticed a slight increase in mileage, only about 15-20 miles per tank full, but enough that I would say the draw from the powered sub -would- have an impact on your house batteries.

Ken

[dboy4ever]

Thanks for the responses.

I don't think my music will bother the other sailors. I'm usually pretty considerate with stuff like this. We plan to play the music only after we leave the marina. Out on the water, at least here in the San Francisco Bay, the wind is usually so strong that I couldn't have heard it if another sailor 100 feet away screamed at the top of his lungs. Perhaps the low-frequency bass sound can travel through water to other boats? If so, then we will not add a sub.

[wind_magic]

Sub can have practical benefit too, adding some bass to the VHF, SSB, etc, makes it easier to hear, especially when the engine is running. NOAA weather reports will never sound the same again.

[MotorMark]

I loved listening to music on my boat, and I'm a louder the better, kinda guy... But that's 35 miles offshore. Having good music on the boat is great. Sub amps are fairly thirsty for amps, though, and far from neccesary sailing equipment. However, if you use a battery isolator or monitor your power consumption so you still have power to start the engine, then go for it! I would source an all in one amp and sub and enclosure (a bazooka tube they call 'em). There are lots of manufactures, some are cheap, some are good value, and some are expensive. I'd look for good value. Then just tap in to the pre amp outs of your stereo. There are some made for line out's as well if your stereo doesn't have pre outs. The all in ones are compact, and tuned. The enclosures are very important to good sound, but that is a whole other issue. Like good rum, 'please enjoy responsibly'.

You know... I don't reckon I've ever seen "hip hop" and "sailboat" in the same sentence before.... Hahaha

[remetau]

I use a Bazooka on our boat, but I put a switch in line for the power so that I can easily turn it off when low on power or I don't need the extra bass. You should play your music as loud as the guys that play Jimmy Buffet all day long.

[oceanscapt]

And I heard that a properly set up, powered, and positioned subwoofer can remove barnacles and birds.

[rtbates]

Just stay the hell away from my dock and my boat with those sub woofers, especially playing hip hop. BOTH should be banned from planet earth...

IF you do go that route, be sure you attach a license plate on your stern so that it can vibrate to the beat...