Marine CD stereos

[sailorboy1]

In the end I installed a car unit. It comes with a removable face so that if someone breaks into my boat they wouldn't steal the stereo

[ullar]

Those removable panels have given me most grief with my car units. It seems that those small contacts connecting the removable part with the main unit get corroded in marine environment and after a while even the slight touch on some of the buttons on removable part can make the whole unit to restart. Not nice.

[Pizzazz]

Originally Posted by Stu Jackson

I've been running car stereos on my boats for the past 35 years. No reason for anything else. My current one has lasted 14 years and still going strong: SONY with a CD changer and a GASP!!! cassette deck! I have a LOT of mix tapes!

Stu, if you have that many tapes you owe it to your ears to get one of these vintage Akai/Nakamichi cassette decks from eBay. I have been looking to get one myself.

On topic, the most important feature for a boat radio is a reliable Bluetooth connection. The rest is noise

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[Pizzazz]

Originally Posted by ullar

On a little bit different note if anyone has a nice HiFi setup on their boat that would be interesting to discuss.

I used to be into HiFi before the kids arrived, now I have moved my focus to the boat. The key issue is that there is not enough space for decent size speakers. Thus, you need a split system. Currently, I have a Samsung sound bar under the TV and a sub under the settee. It is OK for movies but average for music. There is also a car CD player with 4 speakers but the sound is not good (although it has great imaging if you stay put in the companionway). In general, stereo imaging on a boat is not practical because you constantly move around.

The next step for me would be high quality small speakers in the cabin and a built in subwoofer in the port settee where the batteries are. This will save space but the subwoofer needs to be tuned to the system with level, phasing and time adjustments and this is a little bit of a headache. In the cockpit... well, I never listen to music while sailing. It just doesn't not fit with the wind for me.

In terms of components, use automotive speakers, sub and head units.

[amytom]

Originally Posted by frank_f

I might be wrong here but I thought the marine units used silver solder on the boards to reduce corrosion in a salt air environment. I also thought the components were military grade rather than consumer.



As I said, I could be wrong. It's not like it would be the first time today.

Silver solder may make a difference but I think the biggest difference is conformal coating of the boards. This coating has gotten so cheap that the car stereos probably have it too; that may be why they are lasting so long in a salt air environment.
As far as mil grade components; that is more of a paper trail than actually better quality components. Unless of course you get into radiation hardened stuff.


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[ullar]

Originally Posted by Pizzazz

I used to be into HiFi before the kids arrived, now I have moved my focus to the boat. The key issue is that there is not enough space for decent size speakers. Thus, you need a split system. Currently, I have a Samsung sound bar under the TV and a sub under the settee. It is OK for movies but average for music. There is also a car CD player with 4 speakers but the sound is not good (although it has great imaging if you stay put in the companionway). In general, stereo imaging on a boat is not practical because you constantly move around.

The next step for me would be high quality small speakers in the cabin and a built in subwoofer in the port settee where the batteries are. This will save space but the subwoofer needs to be tuned to the system with level, phasing and time adjustments and this is a little bit of a headache. In the cockpit... well, I never listen to music while sailing. It just doesn't not fit with the wind for me.

In terms of components, use automotive speakers, sub and head units.

HiFi starts with speakers, so forget car speakers and, to be honest, I can't any reason to include sub-woofer into HiFi system.

Have a pair of Dali's (Icon On Wall) on the salon wall.