Giving His Pontoon a Kick(er)

When it comes to comfort, styling, performance, and everything in between, Corey Schaub and his family absolutely love their 2023 Barletta Corsa 25UE. However, since no boat is truly perfect there was one thing keeping their beloved pontoon from reaching perfection status in their eyes. Because of his desire for good tunes while out on the water, Corey wanted to upgrade the stock stereo system that came with his pontoon. When he learned KICKER Marine Audio was releasing a new line of speakers, the Michigan native was ready to go all in.

“I’m always in pursuit of perfection,” he said when asked why he felt it was time to upgrade his sound system. “I was looking for a more refined system and after learning more about the features KICKER is now offering, I knew it was the right fit.”

close up of two speaker components on a counter surface

cropped view of hands holding a drill gun and removing screws from a speaker component at the base of a pontoon's passenger bench

high angle view of a man using a drill gun to remove screws from a speaker component at the base of a pontoon's passenger bench

Corey didn’t just stop with the new MSS65 speakers; he went for the complete KICKER experience with a plan to install himself the KMC5 Media Center, KXMA800.8 and KMA600.6 amplifiers, KRC55 Digital Commander, a MWLE10 Premium Loaded Enclosure, and a KMLC Remote.

Taking Sound To New Levels

The all-new MSS65 and MSS8 component speakers were released this fall and truly bring the luxury of premium home audio to the water. The MSS systems set a new standard in marine audio with innovative technology that blends durability with sparkling sound for the discerning ear. The MSS series separates the tweeter from the mid-range cone to eliminate the frequency response dip commonly found in coaxial speakers. MSS components deliver sonic accuracy right in the heart of the vocal range, enriching the listener’s experience with lifelike sound reproduction.

Unboxing Day

When all the packages arrived, Corey was anxious and could hardly wait to get started. He began with the stern lounge to replace his four stock speakers with 6.5-inch KICKER speakers because of the ease of accessibility.

“When doing any type of install I like to start with what I feel will be the easiest part so I don’t have to learn on something that is less accessible,” he explained. “The first four speakers in the lounger were all plug-and-play and it was extremely easy to pull wires.”

cropped view of a man kneeling at an empty speaker opening on a pontoon passenger bench, he uses a blow torch in one hand while holding wires in the other

low angle view of a man sitting at an empty speaker opening on a pontoon passenger bench, he uses a blow torch in one hand while holding wires in the other

a man uses a tape measure to determine the depth of an empty speaker whole on a pontoon passenger bench

close up of a Kicker speaker beside a stabilizing handle on a pontoon

Because it was hard to trace the original wires in the harness located under the helm console, Corey opted to pull all new 16ga wires, which helped the installation go smoothly. The speakers came with two options for the grill covers: white and charcoal gray. He tried white at first, but switched to gray when he decided charcoal gray grills made a better choice.

However, these speakers do more than just look good. KICKER’s Realmarine™ standards guarantee these speakers are built to withstand the harshest conditions by using materials such as glass-filled nylon and carbon fiber-infused cones that resist rust, UV damage, and salt fog.

Heading To The Bow

With the four speakers in the rear lounger seat bases installed, Corey moved on to the bow speakers install. He hoped the ease of swapping out his existing speakers would continue, although that’s when he ran into trouble with the new MSS65 KICKER speakers. On his Barletta, despite the 6.5-inch speakers being the same size as the ones being replaced, the diameter of the existing hole was a half an inch too small. It was a small obstacle, but both speaker holes in the bow needed to be expanded. The biggest challenge was trimming the hole with a sawzall while making sure he didn’t damage the back of the exterior aluminum panels. With surgeon-like precision, Corey successfully trimmed half an inch so the new speakers could be installed.

close view of the new KICKER KMC5 Media Center console before installation

cropped view of a mechanics hands holding the KICKER KMC5 Media Center console before installation

the current audio control panel sits on a work table during installation

view of the previous audio control console, yet to be removed

wide view of the pontoon's helm with panels open and wires scattered

the new Kicker amp sits on a counter top

The MSS series is about performance, but also practicality. Meticulous attention to detail is evident and added touches such as hidden fasteners that allow for a smooth finished appearance is just one example. The silicone gaskets provide superior damping and water resistance and the grills, grill gaskets, and speaker frames incorporate drainage channels to shed water.

Slight Console Adjustment

Another challenge was with the stereo head unit. The KICKER KMC5 Media Center wasn’t the same size as the unit being replaced. Corey reached out to a local company who was able to cut a piece of black Plexiglas and bevel the edges to help make it look like it came from the factory. The Plexiglas doesn’t sit flush, but he was able to use the original hardware to mount it to the helm so he was happy with the final results.

There were two amps installed, with one under the helm for the 6.5-inch speakers.

“Honestly, the hardest part of installing the amp was crawling under the console to do it,” recalled Corey. “The actual install was really straightforward and easy.”

The second amp was for the subwoofer box and Corey built some brackets to hold it up vertically. It was placed under the lounger seat with the sub so it would be close to the batteries. When mounting the sub box, Corey positioned it as close to the center of the pontoon as he could for best results.

“I wanted to get it near the center so it would give it a better range of sound,” he said. “It has a woofer inside that is designed to handle the mid- to low-end sound range and a subwoofer that is for the really low hits. Once dialed in, the range offers smooth and clean sound through the speakers while still packing a lot of punch.”

top view of the Kicker amp with the wiring connected

low angled view of the new Kicker speakers at the base of a pontoon passenger bench

the new Kicker control console installed below the navigation panel on the pontoons dashboard

a Kicker speaker beside a stabilizing handle on a sailing pontoon

a Kicker speaker at the base of a bench on a sailing pontoon

With any high-quality sound system there is typically some fine-tuning that needs to happen. For this Corey had a friend, Bob Johnson, who spent several years in the car stereo industry, stop by and he couldn’t believe what a difference it made to the boat.

“When I got the boat out of the shop and on the water, the KICKER system sounded great and I was very happy with it. But even though I don’t really have an ear for fine tuning, I could tell something was missing,” recalled Corey. “Bob stopped by and did a little adjusting to the amp levels and a slight adjustment on the head unit and I was in heaven!”

Final Steps

All that is left now is to install the remote control in the stern lounger as well as add the RGB lighting to the speakers. Corey plans to complete the install before winter layup as soon as he gets what he needs to finish. It was an oversight when he placed his order and he didn’t get the wire harnesses or correct speaker wire, but otherwise his new system is good to go.

As far as tips, Corey said to not even attempt to use the old wiring. If you are going to do the install yourself, order the KICKER, KMWRGB150 spool of wire, which has 2, 16ga speaker wires and the RGB Lighting wires in a shielded cable. This will make it much easier to complete the installation and get full use of the amazing sound AND lighting.

“Going into the install if you decide to do it yourself, plan on pulling all new wires,” he stated. “Just remove the riser trim from the side of your boat and run new wires and it will make your install a lot easier. Plus, then you won’t have to worry about messing up the original wiring. Also, be sure to add resettable inline fuses for the two amps, so it’s easy to reset if you ever do happen to pop a fuse.”

Turn It Up

When it comes to boating and getting out to enjoy the water, Corey admits he has always been the type of boater who prefers to have the stereo on the entire time. However, to clarify, for him and his family it’s not about wanting a play-it-loud system.

“For me the ideal system is one we can still converse over that is clean and clear,” concludes Corey. “I want to be able to hear it, but still be able to talk over it and that’s what I really like about this KICKER system. Of course, when you want to blow someone away, it does it with ease! I absolutely love it and I would recommend it to anyone who feels their current stereo is inadequate.”