Sound on Board -- Bringing it Up to Date

[Dockhead]

Originally Posted by Dockhead

Thanks to everyone for all the different excellent suggestions, which really got the creative juices flowing.

In a flash of inspiration, I think I finally figured out the right solution.

I wanted to add an amplifier to my head unit anyway and upgrade the speakers, and it just occurred to me that 12v (and 24v!) amplifiers are available which have other inputs besides the RCA inputs used with the normal head unit.

Something like this:

Sure Electronics' webstore 2 x 100Watt 6 Ohm Class D Audio Amplifier Explorer w Bluetooth, Remote Control & MW 24V 120W Power Adapter

Only drawback is it has two channels; I need 4. A lovely thing with Bluetooth and also Toslink (!) inputs. A simple USB-Toslink adapter, and I have a digital, interference-free connection between my ship's computer and the amp.

Remote control! So I can mount it out of the way.

Seems absolutely perfect; now to find one like it with four channels.

I still haven't found anything like this with 4 channels.

But I guess I can use this very unit -- two of them. Connect to my computer by Toslink, using a splitter.

Connect to phones and tablets with Bluetooth/AptX.

Connect to my Alpine head unit using RCA cords.

Then upgrade the 5.25" speakers and should be job done. Wish I could find a single four-channel integrated amp, though!

[SecondBase]

Before you buy stop by your local wakeboarding shop and get their point of view.

[Dockhead]

Originally Posted by Dockhead

I still haven't found anything like this with 4 channels.

But I guess I can use this very unit -- two of them. Connect to my computer by Toslink, using a splitter.

Connect to phones and tablets with Bluetooth/AptX.

Connect to my Alpine head unit using RCA cords.

Then upgrade the 5.25" speakers and should be job done. Wish I could find a single four-channel integrated amp, though!

On third thought. . . .

I'm not usually so indecisive!

Maybe just change out the head unit for a newer one with Bluetooth and USB. Upgrade the speakers.

For listening to music with quality, just play via USB. For podcasts and streaming radio and music underway, Bluetooth will be ok. Phone (or tablet) can be used more as a playback device - convenient.

This will be much simpler, less wiring, no new wiring, etc.

[kimtrang]

Originally Posted by mkriley

I am looking for a all in one solution similar to a boombox but with FLAT sound ,no exaggerated bass! Battery operated, cd, bluetooth, Video out? Must reproduce a male speaking voice with no background resonance. Does something like this exist?
thx
mk

Do you have an iPod classic? I used to own one of these. It was quite ok from memory. No cd or Bluetooth in it though, but video out from IPod stored movies.

https://www.amazon.com/Altec-Lansing.../dp/B0009VKJH4

Ancient, but you might find one somewhere. The stainless looking grills tend to corrode in sea air too.

[Sandibar]

Originally Posted by SFS

I am a reformed audiophile as well (Mark Levinson, B&W, etc.), and have decided to adhere to the rule "don't bring anything on board that doesn't do at least 2 things". So when my cellphone recently died, I bought (for less than $200) a Motorola Moto G4. It will work anywhere in the world, but more importantly supports a micro SD card of up to 128 GB. That was enough to hold my entire music collection (around 800 CDs) in a lossless format (FLAC). I left the native 32GB internal memory available for just the phone and its apps.

I just play it through my Bluetooth-enabled AV receiver at home, and will be pairing it with a Bluetooth speaker setup on board. Small, doesn't draw much power, rechargeable, and it still does all the things a phone (and apps) do.

There are Digital Audio Players that do a fine job for under $200 as well, if to don't want to go with a phone. Without the need for a head, you may get back some room on the boat. Though if you keep your existing speaker setup, you will obviously need an amp of some sort.

Remember to back up all that music, if you don't hold on to the original CDs. Mine is on a computer, a portable 1 TB harddrive, my phone, and the cloud.

I would also use something already on the boat as the source, i.e. computer, tablet or phone. However, I wonder how you ripped 800 cd's to FLAC in only 128gb? My humble collection of less than 400 takes up 200gigs on the hard drive I think. If I could squeeze it on a single sd-card it would make things a lot easier.
As to playback, for background noise I just use the cheap car stereo on board with mp3s on an sd card. For more critical listening it will be computer/tablet - usb-headphone amp/dac - Fidelio X2 headphones. If I could have lossless music on one sd card in my tablet that otherwise is the entertainment center (has projector), I'd be more than happy to leave the laptop home. Small boat - need simple solutions

[mkriley]

Originally Posted by kimtrang

Do you have an iPod classic? I used to own one of these. It was quite ok from memory. No cd or Bluetooth in it though, but video out from IPod stored movies.

https://www.amazon.com/Altec-Lansing.../dp/B0009VKJH4

Ancient, but you might find one somewhere. The stainless looking grills tend to corrode in sea air too.

second sentence of description says BOOMING sound and that is what I am trying to get away from!!

thx
mk

[JimsCAL]

Your least expensive option would be to get an auto or marine head unit with a USB port. With an inexpensive USB flash drive, you can store a pretty large music collection, especially if you use .wma or .mp3 files. You do need to do a little research to find out how the head unit handles the audio files, i.e. what options it gives you on searching for tracks to play (by album, by artist, random play, playlists, etc.), and what file types it supports. Head units with USB, Bluetooth, remote, and Sirius XM capability can be had for about $100 or so.

[Matt Johnson]

Did anyone bring up Fusion stereos? Their selling point for me was connecting to the nmea2000 bus and being fully controllable by my B&G chartplotter (small menu at bottom of plotter). Also, they are set-up from the start for at least two listening zones.... just a single button press to change volume in one of the zones.

But, I don't like my Fusion speakers.... I'd buy something else.

Matt

[SailRedemption]

Originally Posted by funjohnson

Did anyone bring up Fusion stereos? Their selling point for me was connecting to the nmea2000 bus and being fully controllable by my B&G chartplotter (small menu at bottom of plotter). Also, they are set-up from the start for at least two listening zones.... just a single button press to change volume in one of the zones.

But, I don't like my Fusion speakers.... I'd buy something else.

Matt

I brought them up and I agree with your selling points. We have a Furuno chartplotter in the cockpit that can be used for a remote screen. Not hooked up yet as we're waiting for our NMEA2000 cables to come in this week.

I have their signature series speakers and I think they sound great, very clear. The ones in the cockpit are pushed by a 300w car amplifier I had and they are clear all the way up to ear bursting volume. I liked them better because they were mesh grills instead of the plastic ones that leave the speaker cones exposed. And they had better specs

[Three Sisters]

Originally Posted by Dockhead

I still haven't found anything like this with 4 channels.

But I guess I can use this very unit -- two of them. Connect to my computer by Toslink, using a splitter.

Connect to phones and tablets with Bluetooth/AptX.

Connect to my Alpine head unit using RCA cords.

Then upgrade the 5.25" speakers and should be job done. Wish I could find a single four-channel integrated amp, though!

Remember the considerations for running fiber cables. They will require a certain bend radius when making a turn in the cabling route. I would guess you have already taken this into consideration during the planning stages so I won't wait around for a pat on the back.

[Dockhead]

Originally Posted by Three Sisters

Remember the considerations for running fiber cables. They will require a certain bend radius when making a turn in the cabling route. I would guess you have already taken this into consideration during the planning stages so I won't wait around for a pat on the back.

Yes, bend radius is no problem on this particular installation.

Fiber is great for this installation because it is immune to electromagnetic interference.

But I'm battling with complexity and think I might have ditched this idea anyway, in favor of simply replacing the head unit.

[SailRedemption]

I did see JBL new marine head unit and was told it's pretty nice. Never looked into it as I already had ours.

[Matt Johnson]

Originally Posted by SailRedemption

I brought them up and I agree with your selling points. We have a Furuno chartplotter in the cockpit that can be used for a remote screen. Not hooked up yet as we're waiting for our NMEA2000 cables to come in this week.

I have their signature series speakers and I think they sound great, very clear. The ones in the cockpit are pushed by a 300w car amplifier I had and they are clear all the way up to ear bursting volume. I liked them better because they were mesh grills instead of the plastic ones that leave the speaker cones exposed. And they had better specs

With the Fusion speakers, I think you really need an external amp like you're using to power them. We're using the stereo 50x4 and it can't drive them enough to get even usable sound... they're the flattest sounding speaker I've ever heard. I'm just not willing to add an amplifier to our power budget.

Matt

[rwidman]

I'm surprised when boaters get so worked up about fancy sound systems. As someone pointed out, there's no good place in a boat to seriously listen to music. You can't place the speakers where they should be placed and the acoustics are all wrong, Then there's background noise. For the best sound you should be wearing high end earphones.

When I hop onto my boat, it's to get away from noises and the sounds of civilization. I replaced the original stereo in my boat with one that lacks a CD player but accepts a USB drive or an SD card. I can put hundreds of songs on either of these with no moving parts.

This is just a standard car stereo with four 35 watt channels. As a practical matter, I seldom even turn it on. The sounds of nature are my music.

BTW: If you do feel the need for a 400 watt sound system for your boat, please be considerate of other boaters and even waterfront homeowners. Whatever your choice of music, there will be some who don't like it or are trying to sleep.

[Matt Johnson]

Try living aboard and you'll see you want a "home" experience every once in a while.

Matt