This weekend, I started having some issues with my stereo. When I turn up the volume past 20, it starts to crackle a little bit and eventually the front displays "Protect" and there is no sound from the speakers in the boat.

The tower speakers and subwoofer, however, continue playing music. They are hooked up to the amp so they are unaffected it seems.

The stereo is Kenwood KDC-MP232. I checked the battery connections and everything seems tight.

The Protect message from the manual means "The speaker wire has a short-circuit or touches the chassis of the vehicle, and then the protection function is activated. Wire or insulate the speaker cable properly and press the reset button."

Has anyone had this problem? I'm not much on stereo systems, so I don't really know what to do next. The connections on the back of the deck are all in. Should I unplug each speaker one at a time? Or is it more than likely the deck itself? Is there a ground on a bus bar somewhere that might be the culprit?

Any help from you audiophiles would be greatly appreciated.