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View Full Version : Do I need a MARINE stereo?



DickB
07-20-2004, 09:02 PM
I want a stereo for my Classic 18 that will play MP3 CDs and radio. I’ve found three candidates:

Jensen MCDA1

Rockford Fosgate RFX-9220M

MB Quart NRA-450



The Jensen is sweet and is my #1 choice. 250 watt built-in amp, 10 CD changer, surface mount faceplate (no holes in the dash), white color. Problem is I can’t get one. I’ve had one on backorder since March, and they tell me Jensen isn’t delivering with no outlook for when they can ship. Every outlet I have contacted is out of stock with the same story.



My next choice is the Rockford Fosgate. Drawbacks are only one CD, not a changer (although I can add one at extra cost), I’ll need to cut a hole in the dash or find an alternate location to maintain integrity, and the cost is the same as the Jensen that I really want.



My question is, do I need a marine unit, or can I just use a car stereo? There are a lot more choices in the car stereo domain, so I’m tempted to go that way. However, my concerns about using a car stereo are

Moisture

Shock/anti-skip

Voltage fluctuation problems



Regarding the latter, my last boat was a houseboat (really!) and the car stereo that was installed in it would routinely loose its memory due to voltage fluctuations when I cranked the engine (the stereo was a LONG way from the battery). This was a real PITA.



I’d appreciate any input from you if you use a car stereo, not marine, in your Donzi. How’s it working for you? Any problems?

Ranman
07-20-2004, 10:01 PM
I just bought a Kenwood KDC-X679 MP3 Player for my 18 Classic. It is a nice head deck. I personally think that If the boat is on a trailer most of the time and not used in the salt, you're better off using a standard car stereo because you get more for your money. The marine radios might have somewhat of a more durable construction, but they are pricey and lack features. My boat had an Alpine unit in it for the last 5 years and although the steel case had a bit more corrosion on the outside than what you'd find in a typical car installation, it worked fine when I took it out.

I am from the old school of car stereos so I stick with the proven names like Kenwood, Pioneer, Clarion, Alpine and Sony.

Jensen, Rockford and MB don't do much for me. In my day, Rockford and MB Quart were speaker companies? Now they make head units??? To me that would be like Goodyear making engines for cars. Also, I would be very skeptical of a claim of 250W from a head unit. 24W X 4 is about as good as you get. Oh yeah, be sure to protect the unit with one of those flip down marine face cover deals. They keep the spray off the face when not in use. Anyway, just my $.02, good luck.

blackhawk
07-20-2004, 10:56 PM
I agree with Ranman, if it's a trailer boat in fresh water get a car audio unit.

Not familiar with MB Quart and you can't go wrong with Rockford Fosgate. But I would never buy anything from Jensen. I had a CD player in my car years ago and it was a skipping POS.

I personally run all Sony components in my boat and they have held up great and sound awesome.

Just my $.02

harbormaster
07-21-2004, 06:33 AM
JVC KD-AR300 HAS A WIRELESS REMOTE, PLAYS mp3 cds.
Also has hookups for amp, cd changer and is satellite radio ready. You can buy them all day for 125 bucks.

Ebay has good deals on all kinds of stuff. Shop your local flea markets to find out what items are selling for locally. That helps you to judge what is a good deal and what is not.

DickB
07-21-2004, 06:51 AM
Thanks for the feedback. Mine is a freshwater application but the boat lives on a lift.

Another feature of the marine units is an anti-shock memory. Acccording to Crutchfield the Kenwood has none. Any problem with skipping? My boat does take a pounding.

rayjay
07-21-2004, 07:32 AM
Another feature of the marine units is an anti-shock memory. Acccording to Crutchfield the Kenwood has none. Any problem with skipping? My boat does take a pounding.

I can only speak for SONY's units. I worked there and almost everything I have was from our company store. SONY's latest anti-skip is incredible (I think it is ESP3 now). My XJ-S rides pretty stiff and even Manhattan streets didn't make it loose a beat. I know the Kenwood's and Pioneer's (forget the Blau^pun^kt's!!) in friends' cars would skip at times. Just watch the age of the unit being sold as this area has had yearly significant improvements over the past few years. Also, if you are going to add a separate CD changer make sure the cahnger has shock protection and will play the type of CD and compression format you want, i.e. CD, CD-R, and CD-RW for type and MP3 for compression.

My only advice would be to make sure the "constant on" lead is as big as you can make it, and should even run directly from the battery. In new "high powered" head units this is the lead that will power everything in the unit, including the internal amps. The "switched" lead will only turn the unit on and off and no longer has a big draw. This was changed a few years ago so as not to cause problems with the keyed switches in our world of micro-processor controlled cars.

Big internal amps pull big power and create big heat too. So make sure there is plenty of air around the unit. The best systems I have seen use separate amps, using pre-outs, which bypass the internal amps and keep the heat down. That way you can protect the unit in a marine box without worrying about the heat generated.

rayjay

GKricheldorf
07-21-2004, 09:04 AM
You can also just spend the extra $30-$40 and get the extended warranty. I have traded in 2 stereo's in the last year. No questions asked.

Ranman
07-21-2004, 09:27 AM
Thanks for the feedback. Mine is a freshwater application but the boat lives on a lift.

I still think you'd be OK with an auto unit.


Another feature of the marine units is an anti-shock memory. Acccording to Crutchfield the Kenwood has none. Any problem with skipping? My boat does take a pounding.

What is an anti-shock memory? Do you mean a buffer in the CD unit where it stores a few seconde of music in memory to prevent skipping? I think that feature is pretty much standard now. My old Alpine would skip pretty bad if playing underway. The new Kenwood is MUCH better. I don't think it's a good practice to try to play a CD while pounding the waves and I turn mine off before getting on plane. I juct know the nechanisims are delicate and were never designed to take that kind of pounding. I doube the marine versions would be any better (same mechanism). Lastly, be sure to mount it solidly using a good strap on the back of the unit.

blackhawk
07-21-2004, 09:37 AM
As long as you have a cover for your stereo and the boat is covered you should be fine.

Rayjay, I agree 100%. The only thing my head unit powers is my 2 tweeters. my amp powers everything else.

Ranman, shock protection, memory, etc is exactly what you said. Believe it or not there are some pretty s**tty disc changers out there still. My Sony 10 disc reads 10 seconds in advance and has never skipped and I use it all the time on plane. And this unit is almost 2 years old so their new stuff is probably even better now.

rayjay
07-21-2004, 12:03 PM
Ranman, shock protection, memory, etc is exactly what you said. Believe it or not there are some pretty s**tty disc changers out there still. My Sony 10 disc reads 10 seconds in advance and has never skipped and I use it all the time on plane. And this unit is almost 2 years old so their new stuff is probably even better now.

If it is 10 sec that is original ESP, my 10 disk has ESP3 which should be 45 seconds just like my head unit. If you really want shock protection get an mp3 memory stick reader or player built into unit. I have a little "lipstick" sized one that I use on my bikes. 64 meg stick carries hours and hours of mp3's with no moving parts i.e. no skip. Sound is a little off in mp3's, but with the little speakers in the helmet you would never be able to discern the difference. Wagner at 110 - 120 is just great!!

rayjay

DickB
07-21-2004, 12:33 PM
What is an anti-shock memory? Do you mean a buffer in the CD unit where it stores a few seconde of music in memory to prevent skipping? I think that feature is pretty much standard now.
Yes, that's what I meant. The Crutchfield web site lists detailed specs for the stuff they sell. They have an item labeled 'memory' under the CD specs, and most say 'no'. But, that does sound fishy. Maybe it's only the marine units that emphasize this feature - the others may have it but don't advertise it.

blackhawk
07-21-2004, 01:55 PM
Rayjay, actually the first was 3 seconds. I had one and it would skip once in awhile. Stereo equipment is getting to be like computers. It's outdated before you get it home and installed!

I'm just going to keep my stuff until it breaks. My original changer did quit after 3 years and my volume button on my head unit is getting touchy but other than that it has worked great for 5 years.(knock on wood!)