Superyacht System Sails the Seas

Butte, Montana (June 23, 2026)—Not too many landlocked audio providers get to take on installing P.A. for the high seas, but Montana Pro Audio (MPA) has been making the most of that opportunity, as it is part-way through an audio update for a 177-foot, 776-gross-ton superyacht. Designed by Delta Design Group, the vessel can accommodate up to 16 guests and 14 crew—and numerous L-Acoustics speakers.

MPA first gained the owner’s attention at a private event in Montana—about as far from the open ocean as you can get. While an initial commission for a 114-foot vessel established a foundation of trust, the owner’s subsequent acquisition of a 177-foot superyacht demanded a significant evolution in hardware.

MPA director of business development Aaron Fisher spec’d L-Acoustics for the project, which just completed Phase One (the second half of the install takes place next year). “In terms of AV, the goal was to outfit the vessel with discreet, professional-level products that provide a nightclub-level audio experience throughout the boat,” says Fisher.

This year’s efforts concentrated on exterior social and entertainment spaces of the three-deck superyacht. All in all, the Sun Deck received two Soka inWall, six X4r, and two SB10r subs; while the Owner’s Deck was fitted with two X6i, two X4r, and one SB10i sub, and the Main Deck now sports two Soka inWall, two X4r, and one ceiling-mounted SB10r.

Even the boat garage underneath all those decks is outfitted with audio in order to provide a beach club experience. A pair of X8i and a surface-mounted SB10i were installed on the underside of the overhead garage door; when the door is raised, the system is then positioned to support water activities off the back of the vessel.

Also on-board is a deployable DJ system consisting of a pair of Syva mains, two Syva Low, a KS21 sub, and an X8 as a DJ monitor, routable to any deck. Patch panels throughout provide left-right sub DJ-fill outputs, a multi-pin input for the DJ equipment, and a port for an Allen & Heath digital stage box. “The DJ can easily patch a system to any patch panel located on the decks, or in the boat garage,” Fisher explains. “The music can then be routed to all audio locations throughout the vessel.”

• Seen on the Scene: InfoComm 2026, Part 1

Phase Two, planned for 2027, will extend the system to the yacht’s interior spaces, including the Main Salon, Dining Room, Media Room, Owner’s Suite, Gym, and Wheelhouse, as well as a deployable system on the bow of the vessel.

Maritime installations require systems that can handle the elements and more, which informed Fisher’s gear decisions. “We were able to meet the project’s timeline because these enclosures are built to handle humidity, salt air, and spray as standard manufacturing design.”

The installation required close coordination with the L-Acoustics team and the yacht’s own engineers, two crew members with detailed knowledge of the vessel’s interior structure. “They know every inch of the vessel’s construction. They were able to guide us and provide quality solutions for cable runs, penetrations, and inform us of any structural limits,” says Fisher.

• Subscribe to Mix magazine and our daily Smartbrief newsletter for free!

“Our L-Acoustics team has been genuinely helpful. They provided us with highly detailed Soundvision models showing the systems’ performance in each space, giving us multiple options for different performance values. They’ve gone above and beyond in helping us, from the initial designs to the final calibration. Between the IP55 ratings already being part of the products and the support that L-Acoustics provided, we knew from the very start that this was going to be a successful voyage.”