Design & Support

Marine Audio offers a full AV design service to help you achieve the ultimate onboard entertainment experience.

Our combined experience of over 60 years in the AV industry, unbiased and ‘best of breed’ product selection, plus our ongoing design work for some of the world’s leading boat builders, mean we can design and specify your AV system from the ground up, providing a one-stop-shop service and for any size of boat or installation.

System drawings and technical support will be provided along with our promise for excellent customer service and after-sales support.  Please contact the team on +44(0)870 6091446 or enquiries@marine-audio.com for more information.

We have provided some examples of typical system designs below:

Sports Boat - 6 Speaker Audio System

31ft Cruiser - 2 Zone AV System

56ft Sailing Yacht - Multi-zone, Centralised AV Media Server System

We have provided examples of some typical systems with all the major components to help point you in the right direction. If you are still unsure please contact us and we will be happy to assist.

6m RIB (typical price £300-£1500)

• 1 x waterproof CD or MP3 source unit
• 1 x pair waterproof loudspeakers
• 1 x waterproof subwoofer and amplifier (optional)
• 1 x radio antenna

Sports boat (typical price £300-£2500)

• 1 x waterproof CD or MP3 source unit
• 1 x pair waterproof loudspeakers
• 1 x radio antenna
• 1 x waterproof subwoofer and amplifier (optional)
• 1 x pair waterproof tower speakers and amplifier (optional)

30ft Flybridge (typical price £600-£2500)

• 1 x CD or MP3 source unit (saloon)
• 1 x waterproof remote control (flybridge)
• 3 x TV/DVD system (saloon and cabins)
• 2 x pairs internal loudspeakers (saloon)
• 2 x pairs internal loudspeakers and amplifier (cabins)
• 1 x pair waterproof loudspeakers and amplifier (flybridge)

30ft Yacht (typical price £600-£2500)

• 1 x CD or MP3 source unit (saloon)
• 1 x waterproof remote control (helm)
• 3 x TV/DVD system (saloon and cabins)
• 2 x pairs internal loudspeakers (saloon)
• 2 x pairs internal loudspeakers and amplifier (cabins)
• 1 x pair waterproof loudspeakers and amplifier (helm)

50ft Flybridge (typical price £1000-£4000)

• 1 x CD or MP3 source unit (saloon)
• 2 x waterproof remote controls (cockpit & flybridge)
• 3 x TV/DVD system (saloon and cabins)
• 2 x pairs internal loudspeakers (saloon)
• 1 x internal subwoofer and amplifier (saloon)
• 2 x pairs internal loudspeakers and amplifier (cabins)
• 3 x pairs waterproof loudspeakers and amplifier (cockpit & flybridge)
• 1 x waterproof subwoofer and amplifier (flybridge)

50ft Yacht (typical price £1000-£4000)

• 1 x CD or MP3 source unit (saloon)
• 1 x waterproof remote controls (helm)
• 3 x TV/DVD system (saloon and cabins)
• 2 x pairs internal loudspeakers (saloon)
• 1 x internal subwoofer and amplifier (saloon)
• 2 x pairs internal loudspeakers and amplifier (cabins)
• 1 x pair waterproof loudspeakers and amplifier (helm)

Non marine installation (house, office, hotel etc)

Please contact us directly for further information and pricing on our non-marine systems and installations.

General / Service / Installation

Do you provide an installation service?

Yes, please contact our sales team who will be able to provide further information or a quotation.

What is your returns policy?

Please view our Returns Policy here

What are your delivery terms?

Please view our delivery information here

How long will delivery take?

Please view our delivery information here

Do you deliver outside the UK?

Yes, we can deliver worldwide! Please view our delivery information >here

Aerials & Antennas

Will my radio pick up digital (DAB) radio?

Please refer to individual product specifications for DAB compatibility.

Will my TV antenna pick up Digital (DVB-T) TV signals?

All our TV antennas are ready to receive digital (DVB-T) TV signals if a signal is present. The location of your boat and antenna will play a large part in the availability of a good digital TV signal.

Amplifiers

How much power should my amplifier have?

Your amplifier should generally have a higher or equal power rating to your speakers. Using a lower powered amplifier could result in turning the amplifier up too high, causing ‘spikes’ which can in turn damage your speakers.

How do I connect an amplifier to an existing system or stereo?

You will require a RCA/Phono type output from your existing system. This is often called ‘line out’, ‘front/rear out’ or similar. To connect an amplifier for subwoofer use your existing system could also have a ‘sub out’ connection which can be utilised for this purpose.

Cables

What type of cable do I need?

There are a huge number of cable types, connectors and applications! Please contact us with your specific requirements so we can advise you correctly.

Source Units (CD, DVD, MP3, iPod, Tuners etc)

Will I be able to listen to LW radio?

Many modern tuners do not include LW facility however some manufacturers do for their marine models. Please refer to individual product specifications for LW compatibility.

How many speakers can I use with my stereo?

The majority of stereo units will provide 4x channels of audio. Each channel relates to 1 x speaker. A subwoofer will generally use 2x channels, so a 4x channel output will allow 2x speakers and 1x subwoofer. Please refer to individual product specifications.

Is this compatible with iPod/iPhone/iPodTouch

Please refer to individual product specifications for iPod and iPhone compatibility.

Remote Controls

Will a remote control be supplied with extension cable?

TBD

Spa & Bathroom

Will my product be suitable for use in a spa, sauna, bathroom environment?

All our products should be suitable for use in ‘wet room’ environments however some steam rooms and saunas can produce extremely high temperatures and cause damage to our products so please consider this before installation. Our sales team will be able to advise if you are unsure.

Do I need a power supply?

The majority of our products operate on a 12V DC system. A 230-240V AC to 12V DC transformer will therefore be required (for UK systems).

Loudspeakers & Subwoofers

Are all speakers supplied in pairs?

All speakers are sold in pairs unless otherwise stated. Subwoofers and VHF extension speakers will be sold as single items.

Do I need to buy any speaker cable or does this come with the speakers?

All speakers should be supplied with a short length of speaker cable from the manufacturer. This manufacturer supplied cable is often of poor quality and we recommend purchasing a better quality speaker cable.

How do I know if my speaker will fit?

Please refer to our Quick Reference guide here which details all the main dimensions for mounting your speakers successfully.

Can I turn off/on my exterior speakers separately?

Yes, we can provide a number of solutions to turn exterior speakers off/on when moored at night for example.

Batteries & Power Supplies

Do I need an additional battery onboard for my AV system?

TBD

TVs/Monitors & Mounting Brackets

What type of mounting bracket do I need?

TBD

Buyers Guide & Glossary

We have put together a brief buyer’s guide to help you navigate your way through some of the common terminology and technical information associated with our products and services. Hopefully this will help you make an informed and educated purchase from the Marine Audio product range.

Nb. If you are still unsure, or need any assistance at all, please call us on 0870 6091446 or email enquiries@marine-audio.com

Glossary

2-Way Loudspeakers (see also Co-axial Loudspeakers)
2-Way speakers utilise two separate speakers (normally one bass speaker and one tweeter) mounted into one frame on the same axis. Each speaker is driven by a separate voice-coil, not a shared one as in the case of the Dual Cone speakers. In most marine and car audio speakers the two speakers are mounted co-axially – in other words appear concentric when viewed from the front.

Aux (Auxiliary) Input

Often head or source units are described as having ‘aux input’ facility which indicates they allow the input of additional/auxiliary sources to be input into them. So your CD player may have ‘aux in’ which will allow you to listen to a signal from an iPod or TV signal for example.

Co-axial Loudspeakers (see also 2-Way)

Co-axial speakers utilise two separate speakers (normally one bass speaker and one tweeter) mounted into one frame on the same axis. Each speaker is driven by a separate voice-coil, not a shared one as in the case of the Dual Cone speakers. In most marine and car audio speakers the two speakers are mounted co-axially – in other words appear concentric when viewed from the front.

Conformal Coated Circuit

This feature indicates the circuit board (or PCB) of a product has been coated with a waterproof substance to protect against damage caused by moisture, humidity and water ingress.

DIN

DIN indicates the size of a particular source unit (CD player etc) and is most commonly recognized as the size of a standard ‘car’ radio. Larger units are often referred to as “Double Din” for units with a fascia height twice that of a standard car radio.

Frequency Response

This can be quite a complicated area but basically indicates the range of frequencies a product can reproduce effectively. The average human ear can hear frequencies from 20Hz to 20,000Hz so audio visual products will typically reproduce signals within this range.

Impedance

The impedance of the speaker is the mathematical combination of reactance and resistance at a particular frequency. Most speakers used in the music business are either 4, 8, or 16 Ohm speakers. A simple way to check the impedance is to measure the DC resistance of the voice coil with a Volt-Ohmeter.

IP Rating

The IP (Ingress Protection) Rating classifies the degree of protection provided against the intrusion of solid objects, dust, and water in electrical products. It consists of the letters IP followed by two digits:

• First digit indicates the level of protection against the ingress of solid objects and dust.
• Second digit indicates the level of protection against the ingress of water.
• Where there is no protection rating to one of the criteria, the digit is replaced with the letter X.

Any “marine” product should have a minimum protection of IP65 (which indicates protection against dust and jets of water) and a fully “waterproof” product should have a rating of IP67 or IP68 (which indicates protection against dust and immersion in water).

IR (Infra Red)

IR signals (such as from remote controls) require ‘line-of-sight’ operation, so must be pointed directly at the receiving product. IR performance is also severely impaired in bright sunlight.

RF (Radio Frequency)

RF signals (such as from remote controls) will transmit further and do not require ‘line-of-sight’ operation, i.e. you can use them between rooms/cabins etc. Unlike IR signals RF performance is unaffected in bright sunlight.

RMS (Watts or Power)

RMS (or Root Mean Square) indicates the power of an amplifier or loudspeaker which is likely to be achieved in the real world, i.e. an average power capability which can be achieved continuously, hour after hour, and without causing any damage!

Manufacturers often quote the ‘Maximum Power’ to improve the perceived quality of a product but these values are rarely achieved, perhaps only at full volume at the very loudest point of a very loud song and for a fraction of a second! What's more, continuous use at this sort of level would be highly likely to cause damage to your equipment (and your hearing)!

Satellite Radio

Only available in the USA and Canada whereby radio stations and programs are transmitted via satellite and allow for a much larger choice of radio stations than conventional broadcasting through an antenna.

Sensitivity

Sensitivity is often used when referring to loudspeakers and is a measure of the sound output (volume) for a given input. So two speakers with exactly the same signal input (in terms of content and of power Watts) may give different outputs, i.e. one will sound louder than the other. Generally, the higher the value the better!

Sirius XM Radio

US satellite radio provider, similar to Sky TV but for radio. Only available in the USA and Canada whereby radio stations and programs are transmitted via satellite and allow for a much larger choice of radio stations than conventional broadcasting through an antenna.

SNR (Signal to Noise Ratio)

Signal to noise ratio compares the level of a desired signal (such as music) to the level of background noise within a particular product. The higher the ratio, the less obtrusive the background noise is.

THD (Total Harmonic Distribution)

THD indicates the amount of unwanted harmonics (or frequencies) added by electronic circuitry and audio media. A THD rating < 1% is considered to be essential within high quality audio visual electronics as it will be inaudible to the human ear.

Tweeter

A Tweeter is part of a loudspeaker which reproduces the high-frequencies. In ‘Component’ type loudspeakers the Tweeter is installed separately to the main body or ‘woofer’ of the speaker and can help improve sound quality.

VESA

An international standard adopted by TV and mounting bracket manufacturers. The vast majority of TVs and monitors will therefore have a VESA mounting plate on the rear allowing VESA brackets to be used when mounting the TV to a wall or stand.

XM Radio

US satellite radio provider, similar to Sky TV but for radio. Only available in the USA and Canada whereby radio stations and programs are transmitted via satellite and allow for a much larger choice of radio stations than conventional broadcasting through an antenna.

UK Mainland Delivery

Our delivery times are Monday to Friday 9am - 5pm (excluding Bank Holidays and weekends). Saturday deliveries are usually made between 9am - 12pm.

Next day delivery is available on all orders where the following criteria have been met:

• The order is placed before 3pm and all security checks have been completed.
• All items on the order are in stock and available for delivery.
• Cleared funds have been received in full for the order total.
• Delivery is to a UK mainland address (some post code restrictions may apply).
• Applies to next working day (Mon-Fri).
• Only available on items shipping directly from Marine AV Ltd.

International Delivery

Marine Audio can deliver to any corner of the world. Please contact our sales team to enquire about our competitive international shipping rates or to receive a quotation.

We hope that you will be pleased with your purchases from Marine Audio Ltd. However, we understand there may be occasions when you will need to return items to us.

All goods that are returned to Marine Audio Ltd must be accompanied by a completed Goods Return Note (GRN) with a valid Returns Authorisation Number (RAN). A GRN must be requested before any goods are returned. A GRN can be requested by contacting Marine Audio on +44 (0) 870 6091446 or enquiries@marine-audio.com. Returns will not be processed until the relevant paperwork has also been received.

Please note Marine Audio Ltd will not be responsible for the cost of returning products and this cost will be the customer’s responsibility.

Return of Faulty Goods:

Goods that prove to be faulty will be replaced with an identical item or item of comparable specification unless the item has already been replaced, in which case a credit note will be raised.

Return of Non-Faulty and Damaged Goods:

Goods which prove to be ‘non-faulty’, or goods which have been damaged or are not in a re-sellable condition, will be returned to the customer and any carriage charges will payable in advance by the customer.

Return of Goods Not Required/Ordered Incorrectly:

If you have changed your mind about any item ordered and you wish to return it, you can do so provided you inform us of your decision within 10 days of receipt (in line with the Distance Selling Regulations (DSR)). The item must not be used and must be 'as new' when returned to us (this includes all packaging). Once you've informed us that you wish to return goods under the DSR, you have 28 calendar days to do so, at your own expense. Once the item is received at Marine Audio, we'll issue a full refund for the product to your original payment method. Please note this policy has some limitations and does not apply to business customers.

Goods returned by business/trade customers as “not required”, “ordered incorrectly” or similar reason will incur an administration fee of 25%.

All products purchased from Marine Audio carry a 12 month return to base warranty from the date of purchase.