Which volume control to use?

["Bill Kearney" <wkearney99@xxxxxxxxxxx>]

The discussion regarding speaker kill switches triggered an idea.

Whose volume or fader controls would you recommend for handing dividing
speaker output from what's basically a car head unit?

I've got a setup in a boat that has two speakers in the main cabin and two
in the forward cabin.  They're both being driven by the 'Front' speaker
outputs from a Clarion head unit (radio).  The rear line-out is fed to an
amp that powers the rear speakers out in the cockpit and radar arch.  I'd
like to consider adding some speakers on the bow to give a bit of coverage
when at anchor without having to crank up the arch speakers.  I'd also like
to be able to fade between the foward and main cabin speakers.

Output currently:
Head unit
    |
    +-- rear line-out -- amp -- rear speakers
    |
    +-- front speaker out --+--main cabin speakers
                            |
                            +--forward cabin speakers

I'm not planning on the bow speakers to be anything other than background
level sound.  I don't expect they'd need amplification.  If they did I'd
probably add a small amp for them as the existing amp doesn't have means to
support them.

The installation areas in a boat are more like a house, in that it's wood
bulkhead not automobile dashboard plastics.

Basically I want to accomplish two things, get some audio up on the bow and
be able to turn off the foward cabin speakers but leave the main cabin ones
on.  I'm guessing this means a fader between the main and front, along with
a volume control for the bow.  Something like this:

    +-- front speaker out --+   +--main cabin speakers
                            |   |
                            +---0 fader
                            |   |
                            |   +--forward cabin speakers
                            |
                            0 volume control
                            |
                            +---bow speakers

That look about right?  I'd probably use units rated for outdoor use, but
they'd be mounted inside the main cabin.

So whose controls are worth considering?

Thanks,
-Bill Kearney