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Select 2025 models of our WaveRunner personal watercraft have been equipped with an audio system from Yamaha Corporation. Thanks to these specially designed and optimally tuned speakers for WaveRunners, users can enjoy feeling like they are at a summer music festival while out on the water. In this issue, we go behind the scenes to look at how the two Yamahas worked together to create this audio system.

It All Started with a Simple Question from an Engineer

As a WaveRunner races across the surface of the water, the punchy, powerful sound sent out by its dedicated audio system developed by Yamaha Corporation envelops the rider. The system is now featured as standard equipment on four 2025 WaveRunner models.

SUZUKI, Masakichi, an electrical engineer at Yamaha Motor (currently stationed at Yamaha Motor Manufacturing Corporation of America (YMMC) in the United States), led the development of the new system. When we asked him about the affinity between personal watercraft and music, he said, “I think it’s the same feeling everyone gets when you’re out for a drive. When you get into it, you usually start to want some faster-paced music, right?” The project for both Yamahas to co-develop the system was also triggered by Suzuki’s own simple question: “Why are Yamaha Motor products not using Yamaha speakers?”

Yamaha Corporation has a proven track record in the field of vehicle audio systems, supplying them to car manufacturers both domestically and internationally. However, cars and watercraft exist in completely different operating environments. “For the most part, you can’t really just dunk any speaker in the water,” says Suzuki with a laugh. The development of the speakers for the new WaveRunner audio system was a process of repeated trial and error.

The Energy of a Summer Music Festival on the Water

What the development team sought was to create the feel of being at an outdoor music festival in the middle of summer, thereby making the user want to keep on riding.

“The sound was tuned by Yamaha Corporation’s experts while receiving feedback from development tests conducted mainly in the U.S.,” explains Suzuki. As a result of that work, “The bass is full and throaty, while the mid- and high frequency sounds are delivered in a way that make it feel like you’re riding while enveloped by the music, as if the vocals are coming from right in front of you.”

On the other hand, there were also difficulties unique to a product that is not only open-air but also drastically affected by the waves and winds. Foremost of these challenges were the high level of waterproofing required and the shock resistance needed to protect the system from vibrations large and small produced by the waves and the engine running. It was a constant process of prototyping, testing, and then making design alterations in order to address these and forge a complete and refined product.

“We haven’t received enough feedback from customers yet, but our dealers in the United States have been very happy with it,” says Suzuki. “Of course, it’s great to listen to music while you’re riding, but if you stop for a bit and just listen to music while looking up at a clear blue sky, that’s something special on its own. I often did that in between tests to calm my mind and organize my thoughts,” finishes Suzuki, remembering his days spent developing these new speakers.

Audio System by Yamaha
https://global.yamaha-motor.com/business/waverunner/technology/audio/

Message from the Editor
Under the slogan “Two Yamahas, One Passion,” Yamaha Motor and Yamaha Corporation are working on a variety of activities together as companies sharing the Yamaha brand, like how we cooperate to exhibit at the Japan Mobility Show and other events. But on the other hand, there are actually not that many cases of product co-development like this one. The fact that the Tuning Fork Mark from our two companies—which actually slightly differ from each other—can be found on the same product is also an interesting twist!

MATSUO Kaoru, PR Group, Corporate Communication Division (YMC)