Marine Audio Suggestions?
 

I'm looking around online for a good deck and stereo system to put in my new BlackJack. I don't know too much about marine audio but I have an idea of what I want. I'm thinking at least 3 speakers, one subwoofer, and an amplifier (2 speakers on the front deck facing rearward and a speaker and sub on the console). I don't really want to pay for JL Audio, but I don't want cheap speakers either. Most of the time I'll just be listening to Walton and Johnson while I fish, but I like to crank the tunes every now and then as well. Any advice or knowledge from experience with different marine audio is appreciated. Any BlackJack owner with a stereo setup feel free to chime in as well. Also, i was thinking of letting Bailey's or Jay's do the install...any other recommendations of a place in the Lake Area that does good work is appreciated too. Thanks!

the fusion marine radios hold up really good

I love my Fusion audio.

My Fusion RA 200 pushed 2 JL 770s - no amp - plenty sound for what you want. Stashed the I Phone, I Pod, etc under dash with USB cable and ran it all off of the head unit.

http://www.fusionelectronics.com/mar...eries/MS-RA200

Would go with a Fusion head. I had two Sony's and they were junk...

x2 on the Sony, had nothing but trouble with my last one..

I hate the fusion. Constantly holding moisture behind the display. I've had 2 of them. Both were replaced. My opinion, go to west marine, get a good Sony deck, and some good speakers. The deck will go out within the year. Chances are, it'll be a warranty claim. Salt is a killer.

This! West Marine offers a protection program for like $20 extra bucks. I have the Sony Marine and like it. West Marine has replaced the speakers, no questions asked because they were under their protection plan.

Salt water will kill any brand over time, the warranty is the deciding factor.

You buy a $60,000 bay boat and want to put some $50 speakers in it?
Get the JL Audio and be done with it

Thanks for the input guys, keep it coming. I'm looking to have this boat for a long time so I want a quality system that will hopefully last as long as the boat (it is garage kept and will be taken care of better than a newborn). It's looking like I'm just gonna bite the bullet and go with JL Audio. I was hoping there would be a price effective alternative with similar quality sound and longevity, but I guess you get what you pay for.

fusion

I bought a Fusion 50 and JBL speakers. Just ain't got em in the boat yet.

I had my fusion mounted right above my access door on the console and mounted the fusion wired remote where my speedo was and had no issues with water or moisture. I would always put my iphone in the radio, then put the plastic cover over the radio to avoid scratching the face and roll like that all day long. If the phone rings the radio rings too and your cell phone stays fully charged.

MRD-70 Stereo
 

Check out this little unit. I have this model in my boat.
I thought it would be a nice stereo for my Cape Horn. What makes it neat is the CD player head unit go under dash and a heads up display mounts on the console. Price is pretty good. The head unit is not waterproof,I just undo 2 screws and take it out when the boat goes threw the car wash.

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Poly-Planar-...item27b360c5dd

^^^^^ Do that......anyone smart enough to buy a Cape Horn should be listened to!!!

Here is the real ticket!
Use it in the boat and on the street.

What!!
 

OK,why didn't I get that system?
Question:
Is that a guy?
Is he,she,it carrying a purse?
And do you think you can get that little stoner "to sit still
in the back of the boat and hold the stereo?

LOL LOL LOL

Not gonna lie, I've done the ice chest radio on the boat before. I'm just looking to upgrade from that lol

Installed a Fusion 50 yesterday with JBL speakers. Sounds great.

Aint gonna lie either. I rock the ice chest radio everywhere! goes in the fishing boat on the 4 wheeler in all your friends boats that dont have tunes, the camp, the camp fires, the beach. The places are endless. I need to upload sum pics if I can figure that out. Its a 48qt igloo with Jbl marine head unit, and 4, 6 1/2 Jbl speakers. Onboard charger that pugs strait into a wall outlet bluetop gel batt. Alpine mini amp that draws hardly no amps and pushes great for the size of it. Remote, 12vlt. adapter plug for Q beams or cellphone chargers. Things pimped out and sounds bad azz. Every where Ive taken it it gets compliments. Built a half adozen of them for others that had to have one. Fits rite under my leaning post on my boat and is heard loud and clear at full throttle. Only problem is I should have taken out insurance on it and my back, cause replaceing it would be costly, and its like lifting a 48qt ice chest with a case of beer and 40 lbs of ice. Lol !! Dont know how long it plays for exactly, because I never had it die on me. The batt. is 4yrs old and it has been left on all day and all night until the nxt day w/o going dead. Im guessing it'll run 36-48 hrs. :cool:

I have JL audio and a 300 watt R Fosgate marine amp, with a Sony head with the built in cover and wrap, very dry and no issues. IPOD dock, Phone etc. Those Jl speakers are the best I ahve heard in SOUND quality.

I use my Android 16g chip loaded with my favs plus Pandora use 1/8 to RCA plug it straight to a cheap pyle marine 240 watt amp & cheap Boss 6-1/2" marine speakers. Sounds good and it is pretty loud, don't get me wrong it doesn't rival the 700 watt Yamaha Klipsch reference standard setup in my home or JL audio in my truck, but for the little change I spent to be out in the saltwater elements it's all good. Bought it all online I have about $65 tied up every thing cables amp speakers...

look at clarion cms1.....It has a control head that mounts on the consold and the brain of the unit mounts under your console. You can purchase an additional attachment to be able to use your IPOD.

look at wetsounds they make great water proof equipment that sounds wonderful

Pooooo them WetSounds are high dolla!

Yea they are. My boat should be ready in 10 days so I still have a little more time to think about it. I'm starting to sway away from the sub and amp idea. I know I would like it if I did it though....upgraded the tunes in my truck a couple years ago and don't regret it.

What did you decide on the marine audio system???

Well, fortunately I had the problem of guiding quite a bit when my boat came in so I haven't had time to let the boat sit up and get some tunes installed. Its on the back burner for now. I've still been browsing around and I'll probably go with 4 Wetsounds or JL Audio speakers and I have my eye on a Sony deck that I like. I'm still open to checking out some different decks though. I wasn't thrilled about spending a whole lot of money on audio but I've decided I want to do it right the first time around. I have also decided not to go with a subwoofer. I'm just going to put two speakers up front facing rearward, and two speakers in back facing frontward when the time comes.

Hey thanks for the reply. I as well am looking at only putting two speakers and going with quality such as JL or Wetsound. I looked at a boat the other day (Blackjack) and they had installed the speakers on the side of each rod box below the cup holder facing back toward the cockpit. If I can figure out how to get the picture off of my cell phone I will send to you.

I have fusion again in my new boat, second set. I have four fusion speakers with an amp under the console and a subwoofer on the side wall. The system is very loud (but expensive), if I had it to do all over again I would skip the subwoofer. I had a fusion head and four speakers with a amp in my Haynie and I loved it.

Boat driver is right, water usually does get in the head and that can be frustrating

Bushwhacker, that is exactly where I will install the speakers on my BJ. Two in the front rod boxes facing rearward and two in the rear gunwale facing frontward. Great sound even running wide open. Casey, glad to hear you say that you would skip the subwoofer. I was on the fence about that for a while.

I just tried to get 2 JLs mounted in the forward rod boxes in my BJ, but the shop was unable to get the wires to the front and wanted to cut an access hole in the starboard side of the boat to fish wires up front. Have you gotten yours installed? How?

My new BJ is supposed to be in next week. Will try the rod box mount and let you know how it goes. I know it can be done, I have seen them mounted there.

Baileys audio did mine. They got the wire there. Speakers are under the cup holder. I'll try to take a pic later

The guys at LAM tried to get the wire upfront but were not able to. I will see if they tried that way. Much easier to get all wires laid out before the cap is put on

no offense to the guys at lake area but the guys a baileys have mad skills and some cool tools for getting wires in sneak spots.

under the radio is a weathe proof USB input

Don't know if they are still selling radios, but Poly Planer radio's and speakers are made for marine environment.
I have had 2 sets. One on my old offshore boat that lasted 13 years, including washing with soap and water and one on my Chris Craft. It is tough, I can spray it with water and have no issues. It is made for keeping water out.
They are not fancy, but water won't bother them. Even spraying the face with a water hose and brushing down with soapy water.
And they are not expensive.

Thanks for those pics. What radio do you have there? My Sony is nearing its end. The folding faceplate is not the best design.

I work at an Atv audio shop in sulphur and every boat that I've done Is fusion or aquatic radio and jls you can't beat them they are they best quality and most durable Marine speaker on the market and if you really want jam you should look into the jl 8.8s we just did a boat with two jl 7.7s and two 8.8s and it sounds insane def one of the best setups I've ever heard and if you go to baileys tell Blake that patt from Kaos Atv sent you he will take very good care of you

It's a Sony waterproof.

Ricky Smith in Lafayette got my JL's wired to the front rod boxes, facing back, in no time. Boat sounds good on a trailer, now just have to see if I can hear some music while running across the bay.

Bought a fusion for my boat 2 months ago. Sent back for condensation forming behind the screen. Said they replaced faceplate gasket. Reinstalled it and it did it again yesterday. I emailed them about it and they've been asking some 'no value' questions. I have a cover for it and I don't wash it directly. Nice sound though. Good luck.