What kind of stereo system should we buy for our boat?

[Norm]

I'm finally going to break down and install a car stereo in our 2002X. I've now lost 2 boom boxes to heeling "accidents". Wifey is insisting on a dedicated sound system before we go sailing again (I'm not gonna argue). I'm going to mount 2 speakers in the V-berth and the stereo under the light switches on the port side just inside the hatch. I'm wondering how much "stereo system" do I need to hear it over engine noise while motoring, or wind/water noise while sailing. 100 watts per channel? More? Less? I just want am/fm & CD. Real basic, and not spend more $ than need be, but I do want it to sound reasonably good. Any recommendations?

(edit) We normally motor at 2000-2500rpm's so we don't want it to "boom" like those annoying water-sking rap people's boats. Just regular rock n' roll for a couple of 40 year olds:)

[rick retiree]

Norm: I recently installed a Boss Mr1515 radio with CD player exactly where you want to install yours with 4 100 amp speakers (2 forward and 2 4" speakers port and starboard side in black plexiglass panels on helm(about 3 inches above deck) If U need specifics on installation I will email U same. Spent about $20.00 more to have wired remote on helm just fore of steering wheel. WELL worth the extra bucks. System works BOSS. Also got signal splitter so mast antenna can service both vhf radio ans stereo.

[RandyMoon]

Water skiing boats are annoying.

We bought one of those 60 gig iPODS and have a 110v Bose sound system for the Bose, that might be our system with an inverter. That way you can play exactly what you like and you have a remote control from the cockpit.

[March]

If you want to hear your music from the cockpit, with the engine on, and if your speakers are inside, you'll need more than 100W and more than the regular car speakers--you'll probably need a powered sub-woofer for the low frequencies (the lower frequencies suck up most of wattage). That'll take up soime space which, we all know, is an expensive commodity on this boat. If you need breezy background music while the engine's off and the boat is at anchor, and you're below deck, a smaller system would do. So what do you want the system for?

It also depends on the quality you expect. A bigger system with good speakers and a powered subwoofer can be turned down. Even at lower volumes, the quality of the sound is way better than a "weaker" system playing at the same volume. If your standard is a boombox, then a regular car stereo would probably work fine

[Hamin' X]

I would caution against the use of sub-woofers in a moored or marina environment. While spending the night on a friends boat at a marina, we were very disturbed to hear and feel someones sub-woofer thumping, while we were below. When we went topside to find the offending source, there was not a sound. Low frequency sound travels like mad underwater.

Rich

[DLT]

This is what I installed...

[Frank C]

I decided long ago that I did not want to hassle with lugging "CD luggage" from home, to car, to boat, so I bought one of the earliest MP3 Nomad Jukeboxes (Creative Labs) ... @ 20 gigabytes it holds more than I own.

Install any sort of powered speaker system for a computer ... 2 speakers, 2.1 (with sub), 4.1, etc. These are available from $20 to $300. Try to find that kind that accepts only a 12v power source & you're golden.

Latest update ... XM radio ~ don't even bother with the Nomad any more! ... but they're interchangeable, of course. I got the Delphi XM2Go for both car and boat. Retails around 250, but I found it on eBay for about $100, plus the ten bucks per month for the satellite. Fits in your pocket, has a cradle & antenna for car, separate one for the boat. It comes with a wireless remote too.
Just one opinion, a car stereo in the boat is too much effort for too little reward.

[Theo]

For what it is worth. Our 200X came with a stereo system installed as you want. The controller is in the cabin on in the galley above the battery compartment. Very convenient. The speakers are mounted in the forward V-berth above in the liner. Problem is you can not hear it in the cocpit unless it is CRANKED way up. Inside the cabin the noise is deafneing but in the cockpit it is just pleasant!

My advice is to go with a four speaker system. Two speakers above the V-berth and two marine shielded speakers in the front of the cockpit. That way you can listen to music anywhere but not deafen anyone in the cabin.

Theo

[David Mellon]

I have just completed my stereo install on my . I bought the cheapest Jensen marine AM/FM CD and box speakers from West Marine. I installed the stereo above the rear berth next to the ladder on the port side. I bought two stainless door hinges and mounted them on either side of the companionway. With the speakers on hinges they point back to the cockpit or into the cabin. I use bungee cords to keep them in place so they swing out of the way when kicked and return on thier own. I get great sound in the cabin and in the cockpit. No need of a power sucking amp. The Jensen boxes come with set of stantion mounts I plan to use on the pulpit when I nose into shore. I also installed the Jensen wired remote on my instrument panel. I launched from Dana Point on saturday and was very pleased with the sound under sail and motor. Was a great day of sailing too!

[Dimitri-2000X-Tampa]

Coincidently, I just spent my memorial day weekend installing a stereo in my 2000X. I had been contemplating it since I bought the boat 3 years ago. The P.O. had given me an uninstalled stereo system with 2 speakers but I pitched it and bought this 4X50 watt marine stereo instead:



http://pyleaudio.com/itemdetail.asp?bra ... PLCD12MRKT

Then I pitched the two 5 inch speakers that came with it and got four Boss 6.5 inch speakers instead. Two white ones were installed above the V-berth and 2 black ones installed in the pedestal. The bigger speakers have more bass. The wired remote control was also installed in the pedestal. This was the main reason I didn't install the other stereo, it didn't have a remote and you couldn't add one either. I got a 12 dollar underdash shelf to mount it to the ceiling and a little wired antenna which is out of sight in the head compartment. All this stuff I got on Ebay for under 200 bucks...probably less than half of what WM charges for similar equipment.

I installed the shelf right on the ceiling in front of the head wall (between head and rear dinette seat). Last night, I bought the last component of my A/V system...an Audiovox d1020 TV/DVD and a bunch of headphones for all my kids. This was about $250 plus $30 shipping and another $80 for 3 extra pairs of wireless headphones. It will be mounted right on the head wall where it is very close to the stereo and the audio can be plugged directly into the AUX port of the stereo (or I listen to the stereo and make the kids use headphones to watch a movie). The d1020 does also come with an FM modulator but there is probably less chance of interference having it directly wired. I plan to also mount the TV antenna inside the head compartment and another idea I plan to try is using the straps that come with the TV to hang it in the companionway at times when I want to watch TV from the cockpit (like Sunday afternoon football games for example). The TV/DVD will only be semi permanently installed so it can still be removed and used for car trips.

It was no small amount of work doing all this installation work (I also installed a new electrical panel and two more cabin lights) in scorching FL heat (I was supposed to do it over winter/spring) but it sure is nice having all this stuff done now...the boat has achieved a higher "luxury" category. Yesterday, we went for a nice late afternoon sail and tried out the new blender for making pina coladas on board too. It took a while to chop all the ice but they were good when they were done....yes, this is definitely the good life... Stereo sounds great at lower engine speeds and while sailing. I turn it off when running higher engine speeds cause it just isn't worth trying to fight the engine noise with the stereo.

[zuma hans 1]

My used boat came with two marine speakers installed up in the fuel tank lockers, and another two over the v-berth. Very nice. The fade controls allow us to dampen the inside speakers and amplify the outdoor ones, when the stinkpot is running.

The West Marine and Boaters World catalogs always have some sort of 4-speaker combo units. Those are midpower units, marine grade, and are fine for what we need.

Be sure to buy a stereo with line inputs for your computer, I-pod or satellite radio.

XM on the waves is TERRIFIC. The choice and variety is worth the $12 a month. Last Sunday, I worked on the boat and listened to CSPAN radio replay Meet The Press, Faux News Sunday and the other talkers. It let the brain think while the hands worked. I would never have listened to those programs had i not had the sat radio.

The XM remote control works from the pedestal, where it sits.

One other thing about XM: When I first installed it, I was going to buy a marine XM antenna. I let the standard car antenna flop down into the undersink bilge while installing the built-in cradle.

Much to my surprise, the el cheapo antenna worked just fine - even when under sail, putting the antenna below sea level. I just gaffers taped it upside down under the sink, so it will never get wet.

In other words, you don't have to buy any fancy XM gear ... the standard car adapter works fine in the boat.

[Frank C]

SIDEBAR: regarding XM (satellite) Radio

I mentioned it above, and zuma just affirmed, XM radio is amazing. But cheapo that I am, I'd never have discovered it, since I'd SURELY NEVER PAY for radio - but, I'm now an evangelist. Direct TV provides XM radio as part of their Total Choice package for ~ $45 per month. If you're a DTV subscriber, check it out!

I stumbled across the XM channels and was amazed. The stereo fidelity equals any CD, but you get a continuous broad mix, rather than a CD's single artist. Further, you cannot imagine the breadth of different mixes they offer - rock, pop, country, soul, jazz, R&B, comedy, talk, etc.

Even though my truck has a terrific Bose system I never used it to listen to CDs or FM radio. The CDs were monotonous. And, I quickly grow weary of the commercials and chatter on FM - besides which, FM simply cannot deliver real stereo fidelity. I never before realized just how great the truck's stereo system really was.

You have to purchase annual subscriptions to XM. I was so enthralled with the experience in the home (at no cost) that I subscribed to a 3-yr package for $360, just for the car and the boat. Finally, I suppose that Sirius is just as good, but I have zero use or respect for Stern, so that would probably have stopped me ... but Satellite radio is amazing.

(It's gonna really peeve me if they start adding commercials!)

[Terry]

Curious? Do sailors really play their stereos or are they just something nice to have if the odd occasion comes up? I carried a boom box around the first year, it got banged around a bit so it ended up in my garage, mostly because I never used it once on the boat. Maybe shorter sailing seasons have an influence but I have never felt the need for a noise box while out on the water. I quite enjoy the peace & tranquility that comes with the wind in your sails while on the water. Aside from the racket that comes from the engine (honda 4-stroke) once it is turned off all I can hear is the wind and the water and the idea of interrupting such enjoymrnt with a stereo just doesn't seem appropriate for the mood. Maybe I'm different but I would put a stereo at the very bottom of my boat buck budget. I suppose it is better than listening to VHF 16 though.

[Terry]

Curious? Do sailors really play their stereos or are they just something nice to have if the odd occasion comes up? I carried a boom box around the first year, it got banged around a bit so it ended up in my garage, mostly because I never used it once on the boat. Maybe shorter sailing seasons have an influence but I have never felt the need for a noise box while out on the water. I quite enjoy the peace & tranquility that comes with the wind in your sails while on the water. Aside from the racket that comes from the engine (honda 4-stroke) once it is turned off all I can hear is the wind and the water and the idea of interrupting such enjoymrnt with a stereo just doesn't seem appropriate for the mood. Maybe I'm different but I would put a stereo at the very bottom of my boat buck budget. I suppose it is better than listening to VHF 16 though.

[Scott]

Dlt, This cracks me up!!!! I have this unit hanging under the counter in the kitchen in my home!!!

As for the Question regarding Boombox's or "Do sailors really play their stereo's". We play ours from the time we arrive and its near the last thing we stow when we leave, I went with a modified version of Franks answer. We have an MP3 compatible boom box and we have cut everything to CD as Data ie: MP3. 160 songs per CD and everything we own is left on the boat and added to as we collect more. For you RCIA types we own everything we have cut and do not distribute. Somewhere in the neiborhood of 5k songs all cut by type of music with around 20 mix CD's

Someone mentioned earlier losing boomboxes over the side, Can you say lanyard??



Notice the power cord draped over the hatch. Thats one of those universals that Cat mentioned. We also use the same power cord to power the laptop that we watch DVD's on. It has 10-12 tips for different setups. Same laptop all 7 years same power cord and both still work.