Summerville, S.C. – Banshee Marine Audio, a brand of the Poly-Planar Group, announced today its revolutionary VA1 Active VHF Extension Speaker was named a 2024 IBEX Innovation Award Winner in the Safety Equipment category.

Organized by the National Marine Manufacturers Association (NMMA) and judged by members of Boating Writers International (BWI), the awards were presented during the annual Industry Breakfast, Innovation Awards Presentation, and Keynote, on the opening morning of IBEX, Tuesday, October 1. The awardsrecognize manufacturers and suppliers who bring new, innovative products to market.

Of the VA1, judge Richard Armstrong said, “The Banshee VA1 isn’t the first VHF radio extension speaker, but it’s the clearest and loudest with a 10-watt integrated amplifier and DSP to filter out background noise and emphasize the human voice. The versatile mounting options make it easy to fit on any boat.”

“To be recognized with such a prestigious distinction is truly an honor,” said Dan Soeters, Founder, Banshee Marine Audio. “We are very proud of the innovation, functionality and value of this simple, yet elegant solution to a common problem boaters have always faced, which is to have clear and effective VHF communication. We are grateful to the judges for their consideration.”

Optimized for clarity, the Active VHF Extension Speaker is the loudest VHF speaker on the market. While most VHF radios have a 1-2 Watt speaker inside, the VA1 has a built in 10W power amplifier, significantly increasing the volume of a VHF radio. The face mounted volume control allows users to turn the VA1 up or down as required. The VA1 also uses a specialized Digital Signal Processing (DSP) chipset, which lets it amplify only on the human voice range between 300Hz and 4000Hz – providing unparalleled clarity for those hard to hear communications.

For more information on Banshee Marine Audio or its full line of audio products, visit www.banshee.rocks or call directly, 973-995-8232. 

–30–

About Banshee Marine Audio:

Banshee Marine Audio is committed to supplying the industry’s leading boat builders with the highest quality audio solutions at the most cost-effective prices. Owned by Poly-Planar Group LLC, Banshee Marine Audio is based in South Carolina. As one of the longest operating marine and outdoor entertainment brands, Poly-Planar is known for some of the industry’s most enduring innovations. Poly-Planar, is privately owned and operated. www.banshee.rocks