What speakers should i get for my sailboat?

[MarkSF]

Originally Posted by Boracay

. First I tried MP3 and then FLAC but neither sounded good to my uneducated ear. Eventually I gave up and selected my favourite CDs from my collection. They fit nicely into one shelf and sound really good.

My solution was to get a 160GB iPod Classic, and I rip the CDs in Apple lossless compression. They usually take about 400mb each.

With my Wadia iTransport at home, the sound through a good DAC is indistinguishable from the sound of the CD played through the DAC - as you'd expect, given that the stream is bit-identical.

[noelex 77]

Not relevant t the OP but if you are traveling internationaly having a system that will play Internet radio is a big plus.
Satellite radio is probably another option, that may be useful to have. (although I have not got this)

In the more remote areas where cruising sailors are likely to be the only radio stations that can be picked up play local music. I like to think I have broad music tastes but there is limit to say how much Greek music I can enjoy.

I have a big music collection on board, but some new stuff is still good to hear, at least occasionally.

[Boracay]

Just recently purchased a sailboat. It needs a little restoration, just some in depth cleaning, little paint, and updating. It's a 25' boat I'm not really sure what brand it is yet. Started on the inside though.

Does anyone know what speaker and radio system would be good for a sailboat?

Hopefully the above may help. please ask away if more info is needed.

Would I need waterproof or not? The speakers are on the deck not in the cabin where the radio is going to be. I'm not really sure but there are only two speaker places for it anyways the speaker are just old and busted.

I'd advise water resistant on such a small boat. Both speakers and radio. Defender has a range that should give some idea.

It's also has some cb radio thing, should I update that as well?

This may be a VHF radio. Some are remarkably sturdy. Check out the wiring and antenna, turn it on to Ch 16 and listen for a while. Please read up on radio procedure before making a test call. If it's not a VHF consider what you ned before buying. A handheld may be fine for what you are doing for example.

Do I need an amp?

Maybe not.

Looking forward to installing it. Any advice would help, thank you.

You're about to find the fun of boat maintenance/upgrading/fixing. It may be wise to check out such things as alternator, wiring, batteries, antennas with their associated coaxial cabling before launching into radios. A portable AM/FM radio may be all you need.

[zeehag]

i use the stereo out of my normally aspirated 300zx......plays cds and makes sounds i canlisten to when there is a station locally...my cds skip a lot now--stereo is over 10 yrs in age....and i use donated waterpruf speakers that occasionally work....

when i am in port, whether anchored or in a slip, there is enough ambient music to make my stereo irrelevant. when i am on ocean sailing, i like the natural music of life.

[hellosailor]

Mark-
" a 160GB iPod Classic," Curious how Apple has studiously ignored putting BlueTooth in those, isn't it? It isn't as if they can drive customers over to a 160GB iPhone, either.<G>

Back to waterproof speakers and the like, I'd suggest buying a small tube of silicone dielectric grease, and making sure there's a tiny dab of it on EVERY connector in the stereo system. Damp air, especially salt air, will create problems with speaker wires and everything else if the connections aren't protected with a little silicon grease.

[Lake-Effect]

HS - do your Minimus 7's still sound sweet? Just curious. I had a pair when they first came out, very happy... and then they were stolen .

Back on topic, Outdoor speakers, even "waterproof" ones, must generally be considered consumables. Through sun, temperature extremes, humidity, fungus, inquisitive little fingers, bass-boost and accident... I haven't seen any last more than 5 years outdoor, tops.

[Dave]

Bose 151's from Costco.

Dave L38 #38

[knots2u]

This thread seems to have drifted away from the original question...what speakers to buy. I'll start by saying that music is very important in our life, we listen to just about anything. When we bought our boat (also a 25' sailboat) the first electronic upgrade I installed was a stereo. It's a marine Sony radio/CD player that I can also plug an mp3 player into and it has waterproof speakers...love it. Even though they are installed inside the speakers are protected against humidity. As for the best speakers for the cockpit, in my opinion the answer is NONE. I think exterior speakers on boats should be outlawed. There's nothing worse than finding a nice out-of-the-way anchorage and having to listen to some moron's music all night especially when they are not even in the cockpit. We sometimes listen to the stereo when away from shore, it doesn't have to have to be loud to hear it in the cockpit, it's a sailboat after all. Speakers in the cockpit are just another hole that needs to be sealed. Just my two cents.

[hellosailor]

Lake-
The Minimus were in a closet for a long time, I haven't checked them other than visually. Consumable? Yes, the typical foam surround on any speaker cone will rot after ~20~30 years and crumble, and the paper may also stiffen. But the foams are sold as replacements for many speakers as well. Either way, the "waterproof" ones typically use plastic instead of paper, so they don't sog apart after the first splash. Big difference.

knots-
What speakers to buy? You want a specific make and model? Open your wallet, find out what it can buy, there probably won't be a lot of competition in any price range. As to what SOUNDS good...that's a highly subjective question. No one can tell you what will sound good to you and finding someplace to listen to them is unlikely.
I've heard plenty of salons hyping "really incredible" speakers that actually sounded worse than ones 1/3 the price. Worse, as in a triangle (i.e. in the Grand Canyon Suite after the storm) almost is inaudible on one, but is perfectly clear on another. But that's critical listening, and with the backgorund noise of a boat at sea or different music, who's to even know it is there.
Below in the cabin, waterproof shouldn't matter but then you get into a power problem. Unless you are driving a dock queen or a megayacht, you probably can't run the amount of power that good bass will require--from anything. At least, not for along. If your criteria is "cabin", go to any stereo shop and audition the speakers. See what can physically FIT.

[Octopussy]

We purchased an MB Quart WR1-USB head unit and two pair of MB Quart NKF116 speakers.

We used to install competition car stereos years ago... so we went with a brand that we always used in our competition cars.

Here is a post on my blog related to the installation.

The Weekly Wrap-up: 07-13 May: Rounding the Corner | S/V Octopussy

Hope it helps!

Cheers,
S/V Octopussy

[tamicatana]

My solution for the F-27GS I had, and have continued on my 40' cat, is to get a BOSE SoundDock, plug it in to a small inverter which plugs into my 12V power port (cigarette-lighter style port). Nice side effect is that the inverter has a USB charger port and charges the phones much more quickly than the 12V power plug does.

The Bose is light, sounds really good, and if I want it in the pit whilst sailing, I move it to the companionway. For anchor etc it lives in the salon.

I'm with knots2u above. I don't appreciate others' sharing their music at a nice quiet anchorage. It's getting to be like the city around our islands, I mean these boat stereos are as loud as those competition loudness cars anymore.

[willardj]

We installed these Infinity Reference 6.5-Inch speakers and have been quite happy. Even thinking about putting another set in.
Amazon.com: Infinity Reference 612m 6.5-Inch 225-Watt High-Performance 2-Way Marine Loudspeaker (Pair): Car Electronics

[jbsdrumboy]

I decided to go with a marine package from sony. It was $150, comes with a sony head unit with built in sirius xm and iPod/phone aux jack plus pandora, as well as 2 6.5'' speakers that are water resistant. But the original speakers were outside on deck where the cockpit is and everyone knows it rains up there so I will be getting a cheap pair of the same size to put there (checked at west marine and the set is $30) which are waterproof and just run all the speakers to the same head unit. I would put the sony speakers inside the cabin where they will not get wet. Tunes outside and in. BTW I found out that the VH radio does work! No need to get another one of those. I was also thinking on getting an extra battery to run the stereo as well as some fans I would like to put in there. I'm not sure if the main battery would drain fast if I just used it to power everything from the lights and the bilge pump to the running and cabin lights as well as the accessory outlet and cigarette outlet. Is there a battery out there that will basically power a stereo and fans without draining to fast?

[Liam Wald]

You should get really quiet speakers that can't be heard from other boats at the anchorage.
There is an old musicians adage that says, "All music is good except for the music next door!"
'Nuf said.

[jbsdrumboy]

Well they wont be loud, they are only 4'' speakers which have a volume toggle on them anyway.