# Bose 151 Speakers... Opinions



## mm2187 (Sep 8, 2011)

I am looking to mount some speakers in the cockpit of my boat...again. Last May I installed some Pyle speakers and they are completely rusted and sound terrible if they make any sound at all. 

I was walking through BJs wholesale club today and they had the older style Bose 151 environmental speakers which state they are good for boats. Does anyone have any experience with them?


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## jackdale (Dec 1, 2008)

The Bose site indicates that they suitable for boats. I prefer built-in recessed speakers that won't get in the way. I can see "kicking" those at inopportune times.


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## aeventyr60 (Jun 29, 2011)

I've had the 151's mounted on the aft pulpit for 13 years, speaker faces in, just flush with the SS tubing. Had the same concern of something sticking out into the cockpit. The grills have needed to be painted a few times. Still sound good after all these years.


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## Maine Sail (Jan 6, 2003)

I have two pairs of them. One pair is dead.. These speakers are not sealed and the boxes are "ported". As such corrosion can get on the voice coil and corrode it. Older models used treated paper cones and the newer ones use plastic cones. As long as you're a "tin ear" you'll like them. If you want any sort of good sound quality there are better offerings.. They are quite efficient and easy to drive with a car stereo... For the price they are not a bad deal but outside they sound quite thin... We had a pair in the cabin and I ripped them out and replaced them last summer, for better sound quality..


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## GMC (Sep 14, 2009)

A little off topic. I like music and I like good sound. I was about to rig a wired sound system into my boat and paused and decided to take a reluctant step into the 21st century. I got a boom box type thing from Creative (not the old style boom box - no radio, just speakers) that has blue tooth. Mine runs on 4 double A batteries and can also plug in to boat elec. In the cabin, it sits on a shelf and sounds great. I can bring it out to the cockpit, or cabin top (lashed, if necessary). The blue tooth allows me, or any visitor, to connect wirelessly from anywhere on the boat, play off stored songs or off Pandora through cell phone. You can control it, obviously, from wherever you have your cell phone or other mp3 player. Can be taken to the beach, etc. It has worked out real well. A lot of flexibility. I know there is sacrifice in sound quality using mp3 to blue tooth, but I think when outdoors, the speakers are more important than the source.


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## Maine Sail (Jan 6, 2003)

GMC said:


> A little off topic. I like music and I like good sound. I was about to rig a wired sound system into my boat and paused and decided to take a reluctant step into the 21st century. I got a boom box type thing from Creative (not the old style boom box - no radio, just speakers) that has blue tooth. Mine runs on 4 double A batteries and can also plug in to boat elec. In the cabin, it sits on a shelf and sounds great. I can bring it out to the cockpit, or cabin top (lashed, if necessary). The blue tooth allows me, or any visitor, to connect wirelessly from anywhere on the boat, *play off stored songs or off Pandora through cell phone.* You can control it, obviously, from wherever you have your cell phone or other mp3 player. Can be taken to the beach, etc. It has worked out real well. A lot of flexibility. I know there is sacrifice in sound quality using mp3 to blue tooth, but I think when outdoors, the speakers are more important than the source.


OMG get rid of the Dinosaur saddle that is Pandora and come in to the 21st century. 

One word *SPOTIFY* !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! If you like music there is simply nothing better.it is basically iTunes with unlimited music at your finger tips to play when you want, how often you want and when you want. You can create playlists or even see your friends playlists and play them.. Yes it costs a little money but is sooooooooooo worth it.. Listening to a guys bluegrass playlist right now that has not had a bad song in over an hour.... I could NEVER afford to have the MILLIONS of CD's or downloads available on Spotify, never...

It is exactly the music re-play system I would have designed, had I been that smart...


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## GMC (Sep 14, 2009)

Mainesail, I'll try it. The future's so bright . . .


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## Argyle38 (Oct 28, 2010)

Maine Sail said:


> I have two pairs of them. One pair is dead.. These speakers are not sealed and the boxes are "ported". As such corrosion can get on the voice coil and corrode it. Older models used treated paper cones and the newer ones use plastic cones. As long as you're a "tin ear" you'll like them. If you want any sort of good sound quality there are better offerings.. They are quite efficient and easy to drive with a car stereo... For the price they are not a bad deal but outside they sound quite thin... We had a pair in the cabin and I ripped them out and replaced them last summer, for better sound quality..


So what's a "tin ear" and what do you suggest for better sound quality? I'm looking to install a sound system inside the cabin this year (will be easily heard outside in the cockpit). My plan was to install two 151's or something similar up high in the cabin and a pair of subwoffers cut in to the space under port and stbd settees. I saw the 151's installed in a trawler at a boat show last year and thought they looked and sounded pretty good.


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## Tim R. (Mar 23, 2003)

I used to have the Bose 151 inside my previous boat. Not horrible but very pricey. On this boat I used some Poly Planar speakers in the cockpit that sounded awful.

I have since purchased a set of Pyle outdoor speakers for $18 that sound decent. They are small enough to be mounted near the bottom of my binacle guard facing diagonally aft.

No interference with the compass and I will be happy if they last more than a year.

Amazon.com: PYLE PLMR24 3.5-Inch 200 Watt 3-Way Weather Proof Mini Box Speaker System (White): [email protected]@[email protected]@http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/[email protected]@[email protected]@2118naQDatL


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## Seaduction (Oct 24, 2011)

I installed Poly Planar platinum series flush mount, magnetically shielded speakers in my cockpit 14 years ago and they still sound wonderful. They were about $189/pair at the time (1998). I would buy them again.


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## Tim R. (Mar 23, 2003)

GMC said:


> A little off topic. I like music and I like good sound. I was about to rig a wired sound system into my boat and paused and decided to take a reluctant step into the 21st century. I got a boom box type thing from Creative (not the old style boom box - no radio, just speakers) that has blue tooth. Mine runs on 4 double A batteries and can also plug in to boat elec. In the cabin, it sits on a shelf and sounds great. I can bring it out to the cockpit, or cabin top (lashed, if necessary). The blue tooth allows me, or any visitor, to connect wirelessly from anywhere on the boat, play off stored songs or off Pandora through cell phone. You can control it, obviously, from wherever you have your cell phone or other mp3 player. Can be taken to the beach, etc. It has worked out real well. A lot of flexibility. I know there is sacrifice in sound quality using mp3 to blue tooth, but I think when outdoors, the speakers are more important than the source.


I did something similar last Spring. I already have a wired system but my head unit was shot. So a bought a new Sony head unit with Bluetooth A2DP built in. I installed an external antenna to extend the reach of the bluetooth as it got a little weak out in the cockpit. Now I can listen to any music on our ipad, Nexus 10 or our cell phones from anywhere near the boat. The radio also supports phone connection so we use it as a speaker phone. Also use internet radio, Pandora. Have not signed up for Spotify yet but plan to.

BTW, human bodies block BT signals pretty well.


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## carl762 (Jan 11, 2010)

> One word SPOTIFY !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! If you like music there is simply nothing better.it is basically iTunes with unlimited music at your finger tips to play when you want, how often you want and when you want. You can create playlists or even see your friends playlists and play them.. Yes it costs a little money but is sooooooooooo worth it.. Listening to a guys bluegrass playlist right now that has not had a bad song in over an hour.... I could NEVER afford to have the MILLIONS of CD's or downloads available on Spotify, never...


Yup, Spotify is very cool. Been using the Premium service for months. Listen to it at work, home, the boat and while traveling. Well worth the cash.

Now to upgrade the crappy speakers.


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## kellysails (Nov 1, 2008)

I have a Poly Planar system, I really love it. It is fairly new so I can't speak to the endurance of the system. Nice quality though.


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## CalypsoP35 (Jul 24, 2006)

Two season ago I mounted Poly Planar small box speakers in my jib sheet boxes in the cockpit combing. They were the smallest outdoor speakers I could find at the time. I'm probably a "tin ear" but I've been very happy with the way the project turned out. The speakers are out of the way and protected from the weather and I didn't have to cut any big holes in the cockpit.


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## remetau (Jan 27, 2009)

The 151's are 8 ohms where most 12v stereos are 4 ohms so the sound will be quite different from a home based system that is 8 ohms.

I use component Polk speakers below with a Bazooka tube sub and two Bazooka Tubbies for the cockpit driven by an Alpine head unit.


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## hellosailor (Apr 11, 2006)

Spotify, millions of CDs...nice concept but then again, you can fit 800-900 albums on a 64GB data card with is only about $64 these days. Throw in a Jambox or other Bluetooth speaker box, and you can take the speakers where you need them, and stow them below when it blows real stink. Keep 'em in a plastic bag when on deck if you want.

I have the older Bose 101's, not permanently mounted, no porting to worry about, but IIRC Bose only calls them water-resistant, not designed to be used under green water. Wouldn't call the exceptional sound, would't call any Bose device really exceptional, but like anything from Bose they're not too shabby compared to a lot of what else is out there.

These days? really, who wants to run wires? You need really young good ears to hear any difference.


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## miatapaul (Dec 15, 2006)

remetau said:


> The 151's are 8 ohms where most 12v stereos are 4 ohms so the sound will be quite different from a home based system that is 8 ohms.
> 
> I use component Polk speakers below with a Bazooka tube sub and two Bazooka Tubbies for the cockpit driven by an Alpine head unit.


Well, Bose do tend to be lower impedance than typical home speakers, this is one reason they tend to be louder, as they can pull more power out of an amp. (not really literally, but in auto competition one of the things they do is run at around a .5 ohms) As long as you don't go too far below the system rating, you will not have an issue. If you go to far below the rating you can run into amps shutting down and over heating.

just keep in mind these are really just 2.5 inch full range speakers, with no tweeter, so don't expect too much sound wise. I think you can do better for the same money or less. You might want to check these out:

General out door selection:
https://www.parts-express.com/cat/patio-porch-deck-speakers/97

About the same price as the 151's at BJs:
https://www.parts-express.com/pe/showdetl.cfm?partnumber=310-058

These look good for cheap ones:
https://www.parts-express.com/pe/showdetl.cfm?partnumber=303-527
https://www.parts-express.com/pe/showdetl.cfm?partnumber=310-069

I have had good luck with parts express speakers (Dayton Audio is there house brand) in the past, but have not heard these. I have heard the Bose and was not impressed, but in general I don't like the "Bose sound," well perhaps the 901s but that is it. I used to have a wave radio that I thought was awful.


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## Maine Sail (Jan 6, 2003)

remetau said:


> The 151's are 8 ohms where most 12v stereos are 4 ohms so the sound will be quite different from a home based system that is 8 ohms.
> 
> I use component Polk speakers below with a Bazooka tube sub and two Bazooka Tubbies for the cockpit driven by an Alpine head unit.


Both pairs or 151's I have are rated at 4 Ohm nominal, both are ported but one has a treated paper cone and the other pair has a plastic cone....

There seems to be a lot of confusion in this thread thanks to Bose. The 151 model at Sam's Club and BJ's are not the same speakers as the 151 SE.

The 151 SE has a 2.5 inch driver and the 151 has a 4.5" driver. The 151 is ported and is a 4 Ohm nominal speaker..

The 151 and the 151 SE are totally different..

*Sam's Club Bose 151*


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## hellosailor (Apr 11, 2006)

"I used to have a wave radio that I thought was awful."
Jeez, Paul. And here I thought I was a hard customer.
I have to think Bose makes the finest _clock-radio _out there.

Replacement for a rack of stereo equipment and a couple of yard-tall speakers? Hell no, but the finest clock radio on the market.


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## Maine Sail (Jan 6, 2003)

hellosailor said:


> Replacement for a rack of stereo equipment and a couple of yard-tall speakers? Hell no, but the finest clock radio on the market.


Problem is that their entire line up, not just the wave clock radio, sounds about as good as a clock radio...

-Recovering Audiophile


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## carl762 (Jan 11, 2010)

> Problem is that their entire line up, not just the wave clock radio, sounds about as good as a clock radio...


Probably true now. However, I've been very impressed with 4-sat, 2 sub Acousti-Mass system my brother owns, powered by Onkyo. Friend used to have pair of 601s that kicked butt.

I own a set of Bose Tri-Port headphones on the boat, which sound pretty impressive, but definitely not portable and I'm starting to see what people say about Bose. Being surrounded by musicians and music pretty much all the time, my tastes are becoming more discerning. My Alpine/Bose car setup sounds like real crap now. Was great for a few years, then just fell apart, sound-wise.

Definitely shopping for new speakers and a subwoofer, docking station type setup for the boat.


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## miatapaul (Dec 15, 2006)

hellosailor said:


> "I used to have a wave radio that I thought was awful."
> Jeez, Paul. And here I thought I was a hard customer.
> I have to think Bose makes the finest _clock-radio _out there.
> 
> Replacement for a rack of stereo equipment and a couple of yard-tall speakers? Hell no, but the finest clock radio on the market.


I have a Sony unit that I got at Target on clearance for $30 and it sounds at least as good as the wave, it also has useable iPod integration, aux in and HD radio and a working alarm that will wake you up to any source or an alarm. It is about the size of the original wave radio. I am suffering from withdrawal as I just got rid of my Revolver turntable, and NAD receiver in expectation of moving aboard as a turntable will not work well on the water! Not really high end stuff, but nice and warm sounding. Down below I think I will end up using a set of computer speakers, some of them put out surprisingly good sound for little money and often run on 12 volts if you get rid of the power block and you can have surround sound for movies from a laptop and music from a tablet.

I think the issue with Bose is they have a signature sound that you either love or hate. I fall in the later half, and pulled a Bose system out of a car because I could not stand it. I don't really like loud music so much anymore, but I do like a warm rich sound.

Back on topic, personally I would put in some of the Polk 6.5 inch speakers, building up a fiberglass box behind it so there is no risk of water entering the cabin if a wave blew out the speaker cones, somewhere in the cockpit. Then you have nothing to get tangled in lines and will likely have better sound and longer lasting speakers. I don't think any small water proof box speaker is going to sound as good as even a mid level auto/marine 6.5 speaker.

There are some full range Tactile transducers that are making inroads. They could really be cool, mounted behind a hatch or lazerette lid. Completely invisible and protected from the elements. I have seen installations in PWC behind the cowling, and they can make a fair amount of noise, not sure of quality of sound, but a cool concept. Not that I think PWC need to make any more noise than they already do! Again I don't need lots of volume, but it would be nice to have tunes, and perhaps the weather reports. But with the wind noise you are not getting much in the way of quality sound anyway.


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## crstophr (Feb 15, 2012)

Addicted audiophile here....

For budget conscious folks Parts Express: the #1 source for audio, video & speaker building components is hard to beat for value. They have some marine speaker offerings. I would recommend avoiding the bose brand altogether. They were a neat gimmick in the 80s and early 90s due to the sound they produced for the small size of the speakers. Today however you will get significantly better sound from most anything else that's bigger and at less cost. They are a particularly poor value because you pay a premium for the brand name and get mediocre sound.

Don't listen to me though. I tend to look at larger boats and start mapping how I would layout the home theater... where the subwoofer will fit... mounting locations for the big screen or projector.... I know.. I know...


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## chef2sail (Nov 27, 2007)

miatapaul said:


> I have a Sony unit that I got at Target on clearance for $30 and it sounds at least as good as the wave, it also has useable iPod integration, aux in and HD radio and a working alarm that will wake you up to any source or an alarm. It is about the size of the original wave radio. I am suffering from withdrawal as I just got rid of my Revolver turntable, and NAD receiver in expectation of moving aboard as a turntable will not work well on the water! Not really high end stuff, but nice and warm sounding. Down below I think I will end up using a set of computer speakers, some of them put out surprisingly good sound for little money and often run on 12 volts if you get rid of the power block and you can have surround sound for movies from a laptop and music from a tablet.
> 
> I think the issue with Bose is they have a signature sound that you either love or hate. I fall in the later half, and pulled a Bose system out of a car because I could not stand it. I don't really like loud music so much anymore, but I do like a warm rich sound.
> 
> ...


That must be true as I have a9 speaker Bose system in my Murano and it is awesome. I also have a Bose Home theater system which is very good too, but my 20 Year old Polk speakers with a Marantz tuner/ receiver in my office at home is still the bomb.


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## jackdale (Dec 1, 2008)

chef2sail said:


> That must be true as I have a9 speaker Bose system in my Murano and it is awesome. I also have a Bose Home theater system which is very good too, but my 20 Year old Polk speakers with a Marantz tuner/ receiver in my office at home is still the bomb.


My Mazda CX-5 has a Bose system. Some folks on the MAzda forums do not like it, I do. Sound must be in the ear of the beholder.


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## travlin-easy (Dec 24, 2010)

As a full-time musician/singer/entertainer for more than a half century I owned more sound systems than anyone can possibly imagine. The list is endless, the systems ranged from huge to immense, speakers weighing in excess of 100 pounds, amps to nearly 1,000-watts, the works.

Not too many years ago Bose came out with their L1 series of professional sound systems. The L1 was originally designed for guitar players who also sang. The system was then modified for arranger keyboards, synths, etc..., and was later coupled with an incredible 4-channel mixer.

It took a lot for me to dump my five-year-old Barbetta Sona-32CS sound system, then shell out nearly $2,500 for the Bose L1. After then first performance I never looked back. Bose IS THE BEST--no doubt about it! Bose sound systems are considered the Gold Standard that other manufacturers try to emulate, and despite the high price-tag, they're worth every penny.

Someone suggested flush-mounting the speakers outside, then building a box around the back side of the speaker so water couldn't leak into the boat. The only problem with that is speakers, all speakers, are mounted inside acoustically balanced housings that are vented for maximum movement of the speaker cone. The quality of the sound is highly dependent upon the speaker housing, even those used for automotive purposes. For example, speakers mounted on the back deck of a car utilize the trunk's interior shape, size and components to drive the sound out of the speaker cone itself. Same holds true with speakers mounted in car doors and side panels. The cavity behind the speaker is equally as important as the speaker itself for producing the ultimate sound quality.

Of course, there are some folks that just want it LOUD. For those individuals the industry produces massive sub-woofers, and long-throw speakers that move huge quantities of air. The speakers are connected to massive, solid-state amps that drain the boat's battery system within a few hours. What is often emitted from the speakers is horrendous, thumping sounds at ear-bleed volumes that can be heard for miles. You'll find examples of this every summer weekend at Fairlee Creek and similar locations throughout the mid-Atlantic region.

One more word about Bose. From my perspective, they have the best customer service of any manufacturer I've dealt with in decades. I know of several musicians that had audience members damage their systems and Bose had another system to them the following day. If there was a warranty problem, they usually replaced the entire system at no charge whatsoever. Now that's service with a capital "S."

Cheers,

Gary


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## jackdale (Dec 1, 2008)

Just be careful with the volume. Cockpit speakers and generators enjoy the reputation.

I actually enjoy the solitude of quietly checking out the stars with a scotch or cognac while in the company of someone I love.

Underway the stereo is a no no.

I will admit that doing the dishes is easier while listening to Stan Rogers.


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## aeventyr60 (Jun 29, 2011)

When the wind and seas start cranking up I enjoy Jim Morrison's 'riders on the storm" from my tinny Bose 151's...


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## chef2sail (Nov 27, 2007)

jackdale said:


> Just be careful with the volume. Cockpit speakers and generators enjoy the reputation.
> 
> I actually enjoy the solitude of quietly checking out the stars with a scotch or cognac while in the company of someone I love.
> 
> ...


Sometimes when we are on. 10 hour day when trip cruising we ill play some music. I cam listen on headphones. I love playing the Boss (Bruce) when sailing up the coast of my old state New Jersey.

Usually listen only when reading or working on a project. Will have to try Stan Rogers when washing dishes o see if it makes it more palatable ( I had to look him up)


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## blutoyz (Oct 28, 2012)

I saw a couple posts of people with subs? Does the sub tend to pull a lot of battery or is it negligible?


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## miatapaul (Dec 15, 2006)

blutoyz said:


> I saw a couple posts of people with subs? Does the sub tend to pull a lot of battery or is it negligible?


Well it would depend on if you are talking a cruiser or a day sailor, for a day sailor it likely does not matter as most people are only out for a few hours. But many cruisers think just a radio is too much, so it really depends on your battery bank and use.

I think you could hook up a T-amp without too much draw. The T-amps don't pull a lot of power but have a lot of headroom and will drive speakers well beyond what there lowish power ratings would indicate and they can even be run off of a battery packs of AAs.

examples of the T-amps are Lepai, Parts Express(very inexpensive) and Topping(higher end). Lot's on eBay as well.


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## blutoyz (Oct 28, 2012)

miatapaul said:


> Well it would depend on if you are talking a cruiser or a day sailor, for a day sailor it likely does not matter as most people are only out for a few hours. But many cruisers think just a radio is too much, so it really depends on your battery bank and use.
> 
> I think you could hook up a T-amp without too much draw. The T-amps don't pull a lot of power but have a lot of headroom and will drive speakers well beyond what there lowish power ratings would indicate and they can even be run off of a battery packs of AAs.
> 
> examples of the T-amps are Lepai, Parts Express(very inexpensive) and Topping(higher end). Lot's on eBay as well.


Interesting...
I will be adding a sub to the cockpit for sure now

Thanks


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## remetau (Jan 27, 2009)

I have a Bazooka tube sub on board (mounted behind the salon). It has a built-in amp and draws about 1 to 4 amps depending on how loud I play it. I also put a switch in so that I can power it off if I don't want the extra power draw. I've been really happy with the performance of it.


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## MarkSF (Feb 21, 2011)

For down below I recommend a good pair of compact, audiophile-grade speakers from a well-respected speaker manufacturer (not Bose!) My boat came with a pair of Realistic Minimus 7s that sound fine (must be 20-30 yrs old now), if I had to upgrade I'd go with some good compact monitor speakers like the Wharfedale Diamonds. I have a pair of B&W monitors that are just a bit too big...wish they fitted on the boat!

Any amp that can drive 4 ohms is going to be able to drive 8, as higher impedance is an easier load. No problem putting home speakers on a boat/car stereo.


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## MarkSF (Feb 21, 2011)

Here you go, any number of Minimus 7s for sale for about $50, and better than anything Blose ever made :

realistic minimus in TV, Video & Home Audio | eBay


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## jackdale (Dec 1, 2008)

BTW - bass sounds are going to carry a significant distance through the water.


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## carl762 (Jan 11, 2010)

I definitely want a Bazooka tube subwoofer. Will be looking at some suggested replacement speakers to pair up with the tube.


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## miatapaul (Dec 15, 2006)

MarkSF said:


> Here you go, any number of Minimus 7s for sale for about $50, and better than anything Blose ever made :
> 
> realistic minimus in TV, Video & Home Audio | eBay


I remember those when they came out and made a big deal about them. Must be a bit of a niche market for them, I was not aware of that.


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