It seems that for superyacht owners, once you get the bug for better sound and vision, you just can’t shake it off. Steve May sits down with the companies that are taking on board entertainment to the next level...
For one music-loving boat owner, it was Taylor Swift who persuaded him to upgrade his on-deck audio tech. Specifically, the track cardigan, which was played on hard repeat as he compared competing sound systems. His existing speaker stack, deployed for DJ parties, just didn’t get the piano tone right. A comparison with the L-Acoustics Syva speaker array eventually proved far more compelling. It was time for an upgrade.
"You could hear the song all over the boat. It played all day while the owner compared his existing speakers with our high-spec Syva sound system," recalls Nick Fichte, business director, home and yacht, for the brand. "I’m not a Swiftie," confesses Fichte, with a pained expression and a laugh.
Clearly, getting the sound right on deck is a serious business for yacht owners. Typically there are two approaches to bringing music on deck: fixed and deployable. Built into the fabric of the boat, fixed audio is plumbed in at birth or during a refit. Most likely, these sound systems take the form of low-profile speakers nestled in bulkheads or hidden in ceilings. They’re unobtrusive and low maintenance, at least from a crew point of view, and are fine if you just want to stream Spotify, but they have their sonic limitations. They can sound thin, and produce audio that doesn’t travel far. Deployable systems, by their very nature, can be far more performative and are stored until required. Altogether more sizeable, they’re designed for beach club parties and DJ sets. But traditionally, they’re bulky and demand significant storage space.
"On larger boats, we’re seeing quite a few vessels that have deployable systems on them," says Fichte. "The deckhands will go and get the loudspeakers and subwoofers and set them up so boat owners can have some live music, a band or a DJ."
However, this job can be quite onerous, not least because of the size and weight these systems can be. That’s where L-Acoustics comes in, a brand renowned for supplying speakers at concerts and festivals. It is finding traction with its Syva hardware, designed for beach club and (big-ticket) residential use. The enclosures are sleek and relatively discrete – at least when compared to old-style audio.
The L-Acoustics system comprises three components, the Syva, Syva Low and Syva Sub. A standard configuration would see the main slimline Syva speaker slot into the Syva Low, with the Syva subwoofer available for enhanced bass if required. The assemblage then connects via a single cable at the base to relevant amplification.
Standing 130 centimetres tall, the 21-kilogram Syva offers an array of drivers that go some way to mimicking a concert-grade line array. The 29-kilogram Syva Low handles mid and low bass, dropping to 40Hz, but if you really want your beats to bang, the 27-kilogram Sub drops to 37Hz, with levels hitting an organ-rearranging 128dB.
For the integrators at London-based Ideaworks, most marine AV projects involve a mix of both fixed and deployable entertainment systems. "What we do falls into two main categories," explains Rex Barrett, projects director. "There’s base-level outdoor cinema systems, and what we call event systems – big PA, speakers, lighting, performance areas, microphones, mixers, all that kind of stuff."
The common factor is that both options have to sound exceptional. Ideaworks has a team member affectionately known as Golden Ears, actually a trained sound engineer, whose job it is to go around tuning all the sound systems to perfection.
Audio is one thing, but video quite another, and it brings its own particular set of challenges, when it comes to on-deck tech.
"Bespoke outdoor solutions can be really expensive, because they are such low volume," explains Barrett. "We often specify standard 4K TV displays, as today’s models are often now bright enough to use in daylight. A standard TV will cost €1,000 (£845), whereas the equivalent IP-rated weatherproof model is between €10,000 and €12,000."
However, when it comes to on-deck cinema, the deployment of projection systems must be carefully considered.
"As part of a cinema project a few years ago, we did a study to find when the image is viewable with sunlight. We found that the sun needs to be setting before the image is in any way viewable, even with the brightest projectors. It’s only 20 minutes after sunset that you finally get acceptable contrast."
Barrett says his team was asked if they could specify an outdoor projection system so that a boat owner could watch the Euro 2024 final. "They were in Norway where the sun didn’t go down until 11pm, but the match was at 7pm. They quickly realised that a projected solution probably wasn’t the best thing for them…"
One crafty new big-screen solution that brings cinematic visuals on to the open deck – and is definitely football-friendly – hails from Seable&Co. Its CineSea is a large LED display that folds down and transforms into a daybed when not in use. This multifunctional yacht lounger can also double as a fitness platform for yoga or a TRX resistance exercise system or turn into a shady retreat with an optional awning. Then when required, it opens up to provide a genuinely cinematic experience.
CineSea comes in two LED screen sizes, 98 and 128 inches, but is also customisable; Seable&Co is currently working on a 158-inch version. Brightness is an impressive 3,000 nits. Designed for 24/7 outdoor use, it’s IP65 rated. The integrated sound system has been designed by California Audio Technology and features four 12-inch subwoofers and a pair of mid-high coaxial drivers. (Coaxial in speaker design refers to when the tweeter and woofer are positioned on the same acoustic axis.
Luxury TV display specialist C SEED, known for its spectacular folding screens, is also targeting the superyacht market. The company has a new IP65-rated iteration of its N1 MicroLED folding screen that is considerably easier to install than previous C SEED displays, as it doesn’t require a recessed silo for storage but instead folds down into a solid block. At 4,000 nits, it’s bright enough to be viewed in daylight and, like all C SEED screens, can rotate left and right, allowing it to be viewed anywhere between the lounge area, pool or spa pool. To ensure there’s no sign of any gaps between its folding panels, the company has developed something called Adaptive Gap Calibration. Sensors detect potential offsets between the folding TV wings, automatically calibrating the corresponding MicroLED panel brightness to render gaps invisible.
The display itself is made up from a multitude of LED tiles. This means that if the screen develops a faulty pixel, it’s a relatively simple job to replace the failing tile, says C SEED Marine sales director James Common.
"We sell Bronze, Silver and Gold parts packages, which give the client peace of mind. If the yacht is in a remote location, then we can attend quickly and have someone who’s been trained on site to handle the repair."
This outdoor iteration of the N1 is available in 137- and 165-inch models. According to Common, the new design can cover refits and retrofits for 40- to 60-metre boats, so it’s not just for the largest superyachts.
Giovanni Varone, yachting sales manager at Videoworks Group, a leader in designing and installing state-of-the-art entertainment systems for yachts, says there has been a surge in demand for more sophisticated audio and video systems able to transform outdoor spaces into immersive entertainment zones.
"Innovations need to cater to those looking to unwind under the stars with family or dance the night away with friends," he says. "We’ve spent years perfecting outdoor cinemas and floating discos, which are becoming increasingly popular in the yachting world." From open-air discos to cinemas, the possibilities are endless, he enthuses.
Videoworks’ latest project is a stunning 50-metre yacht poised to become the ultimate party vessel, courtesy of high-performance integrated speakers and subwoofers from Italian audio manufacturer K-array, which are discreetly aligned with the yacht’s design. The 50-metre’s entertainment setup will feature high-powered audio systems on the sundeck, complete with a dedicated DJ station, and extend to the upper and main aft decks. The upper deck’s bow and beach club will also boast cutting-edge sound solutions, ensuring no corner of the yacht is left untouched by the immersive audio experience.
But there’s a twist. By integrating the yacht’s exterior lighting system with its entertainment features, the party mode is elevated to a whole new level. When the festivities begin, onboard lights shift to vibrant shades of red, while laser beams from the roll bar cut through the night sky, signalling a celebration is in full swing to anyone nearby.
Technology is transforming lighting design, agrees Doug Wood, design and commercial director at Ideaworks. "You can do an awful lot with pixel tape (essentially a flexible circuit board). It can be seamlessly integrated into the boat and controlled by an app. So in a normal scene, it’s just warm white light, but when you want to do something funky, you can have a chase light going round, or patterns or words or art suddenly appear – it looks like magic."
It seems that for many yacht-lovers, once you get the bug for better sound and vision, you just can’t shake it off.
First published in the March 2025 issue of BOAT International. Get this magazine sent straight to your door, or subscribe and never miss an issue.