A 55-foot catamaran is not a typical weekend audio project, but KICKER’s Super Kraken marine audio feature raises a useful question for any boat owner: are you planning one loud spot, or a listening experience throughout the boat?
In its September 21, 2026 feature, KICKER described the new Super Kraken from Mike and Sarah Howe and the team at DSK Marine. The manufacturer calls it its largest marine audio installation yet, with more than 100 components serving areas from bow to stern, including sundecks and living spaces. It is described as the third open-water cruising catamaran from that team and the largest so far.
What the Super Kraken marine audio story tells us
The confirmed headline is the scope of the installation. The short manufacturer feature does not provide a complete bill of materials, amplifier-channel map or electrical design. We should not turn “more than 100 components” into an invented speaker count or total power rating.
For a smaller boat, the useful lesson is to start with a map of where people spend time. The size of this particular project is unusual; asking where the sound needs to go is a question any owner can use.
Plan the listening areas before choosing equipment
Write down the spaces you want to cover: the helm, a seating area, a cabin, a swim platform or another area that actually exists on your boat. Then describe how you expect to use each one. Do passengers in the cabin want the same volume as people outside? Should the helm have convenient control? Which listening areas matter while anchored?
These are planning questions, not a claim that the Super Kraken uses a particular control arrangement. They help you explain the project to an installer without starting the conversation with an arbitrary number of speakers.
Questions to take to a marine audio installer
- What is included? Ask for an itemized system proposal that identifies speakers, subwoofers, amplification, source controls and installation materials separately.
- How will each area be controlled? Ask which volume controls are independent and which are shared. Have the installer explain the intended everyday operation.
- Where will the hardware go? Review proposed mounting locations before purchasing. Ask the installer to check each selected product’s installation requirements against the boat.
- What does the electrical plan require? Request a documented assessment for the actual equipment and vessel. A different boat’s component count is not an electrical specification for yours.
- How will the system be serviced? Ask how technicians will reach wiring connections, amplifiers and other installed equipment after the project is finished.
Use a showcase build as inspiration, not a shopping list
At 12 Volt Outlet, our takeaway is that a coherent plan matters more than copying the scale of a headline build. A useful proposal should explain what each part does, where it belongs and how you will operate the finished system.
The Super Kraken feature offers an impressive example of the range of spaces one marine installation can cover. For your own boat, start with your layout and listening priorities, then work toward a documented equipment plan. Follow our marine audio and 12-volt industry coverage for more practical context.
Illustration: original conceptual planning graphic, not the Super Kraken layout.
