Good sound system on a boat

[Lake-Effect]

Originally Posted by s/v Jedi

Hold on there... I have everything Sonos and it is lossless, but it is wifi, not BT!

Ah. Sorry. I should have checked that. I thought they were BT

[Tillsbury]

Originally Posted by Lake-Effect

Ah. Sorry. I should have checked that. I thought they were BT

They're neither, they have their own wifi-like network they create (although they use your normal wifi to communicate and set up, the music doesn't go across your wifi).

Sonos is probably a bit on the overkill side for a boat, but each to their own. It probably depends on how easy your boat is to add wiring to and/or how much you dislike doing that. Some boats it's a nightmare to run wires from the chart table to the forward cabin, some are designed so that it's a piece of cake.

[a64pilot]

Originally Posted by s/v Jedi

So many with Bluetooth... but that ain’t good audio ? I believe you can’t get lossless audio over Bluetooth?

You hear so many peoplel who think Bluetooth and MP3 etc are high end quality, but they by definition can’t be.
Most seem to equate thumping bass and loud for quality, it’s just they way it is, music quality went into the crapper with the first music video’s.
I used to be an audiophile, something that I believe no longer exists, but when I’m done cruising, I’m getting me a pair of Klipschorns, a good tube amp and turntable. Maybe find a Shure V15 type IV and break out the vinyl’s.

[AndrewA2]

Has anyone worked out how to have a true multi zone setup where you can control 1 or many zones from anywhere ?
I want to be able to play music that is synced in the main cabin, cockpit, and flybridge. then i want to change the flybridge to its own play list. later i might want to tell the cabin to play relaxing music before i head down to sleep....
You get the idea. Just haven't seen that apart for MEGA (Yacht expensive setups....

[wingssail]

Originally Posted by AndrewA2

Has anyone worked out how to have a true multi zone setup where you can control 1 or many zones from anywhere ?
I want to be able to play music that is synced in the main cabin, cockpit, and flybridge. then i want to change the flybridge to its own play list. later i might want to tell the cabin to play relaxing music before i head down to sleep....
You get the idea. Just haven't seen that apart for MEGA (Yacht expensive setups....

Multi zone speaker controller, such as: https://www.amazon.com/Professional-.../dp/B01FST9WLU

You are limited to two sources with that model, but perhaps that's enough.

[s/v Jedi]

Originally Posted by AndrewA2

Has anyone worked out how to have a true multi zone setup where you can control 1 or many zones from anywhere ?
I want to be able to play music that is synced in the main cabin, cockpit, and flybridge. then i want to change the flybridge to its own play list. later i might want to tell the cabin to play relaxing music before i head down to sleep....
You get the idea. Just haven't seen that apart for MEGA (Yacht expensive setups....

You are describing the Sonos sound system. You control it from an app on phone or tablet and the speakers connect using wifi or Ethernet to the same wifi router that the phone/tablet connects to, i.e. the boat’s network.

To play music from a local collection rather than from the Internet, you need a NAS (hard disk accessible from the network) which you can build using a Raspberry Pi and which is usable for many other tasks on the network as well (all documents, manuals, backups etc.)

[AndrewA2]

Originally Posted by wingssail

Multi zone speaker controller, such as: https://www.amazon.com/Professional-.../dp/B01FST9WLU

You are limited to two sources with that model, but perhaps that's enough.

Thats really just a switch. Im looking for eco system. Ideally open up the app and say play this playlist on zone 1,2,3, and this playlist on zone 4. While someone else is playing something else on zone 5.... Like Alexa systems, Sonos, etc, just more integrated.
Im pretty sure Fusion do this, but for that level of system is $$$$ im looking for $ ;D

Its the syncing across zones that really stumps me. Easy to setup a tablet in every zone connect to speakers, and stream from a central MP3 data store (Plex for example). Each zone can play its own playlist no problem. Its how to take that to the next level and say play this list in zones 1,3 and this one on zones 2,4,5 and something different in zone 6...

[s/v Jedi]

How do you mean more integrated than Sonos? You can use their amps with built in speakers.

[AndrewA2]

I wasnt aware that Sonos made amp/port devices. Still on the pricey side ($650/$450) each. But certainly food for thought.

Frustrating when you can just use Alexa to do this with a bunch of Dots ($30) connected to amps. total cost insanely low. But needs Internet to sync which is the downside. Doesnt QUITE give the full freedom of zone syncing - but you can set zones to sync across that works really well.

[AKA-None]

Originally Posted by a64pilot

You hear so many peoplel who think Bluetooth and MP3 etc are high end quality, but they by definition can’t be.
Most seem to equate thumping bass and loud for quality, it’s just they way it is, music quality went into the crapper with the first music video’s.
I used to be an audiophile, something that I believe no longer exists, but when I’m done cruising, I’m getting me a pair of Klipschorns, a good tube amp and turntable. Maybe find a Shure V15 type IV and break out the vinyl’s.

Like my thorens, sme and the voice of the theater? Something that you can’t replicate on a boat but need a ship for?

[AKA-None]

Originally Posted by AndrewA2

Thats really just a switch. Im looking for eco system. Ideally open up the app and say play this playlist on zone 1,2,3, and this playlist on zone 4. While someone else is playing something else on zone 5.... Like Alexa systems, Sonos, etc, just more integrated.

Im pretty sure Fusion do this, but for that level of system is $$$$ im looking for $ ;D



Its the syncing across zones that really stumps me. Easy to setup a tablet in every zone connect to speakers, and stream from a central MP3 data store (Plex for example). Each zone can play its own playlist no problem. Its how to take that to the next level and say play this list in zones 1,3 and this one on zones 2,4,5 and something different in zone 6...

You need something that acts as a cross bar switch to allow any source to play to any destination without introducing loss or distortion.

[AndrewA2]

Well thanks for the tip on Sonos, as it lead me to the Acemax M5 https://audiocast.io/
From the box: These little devices work over WiFi and allow you to stream to 1+n device. You click and drag each device you want to stream too so you can pick any combination you want ! Stream from your local storage, or NAS, UPNP etc etc
And less then $40 each !

Probably going to give these a go unless i find something better shortly

[ohdrinkboy]

We have one of these at home and it blows me away for the price.

https://www.peachtreeaudio.com/colle...ucts/deepblue3

[CassidyNZ]

So not being an audiophile I don’t get spending $10,000 on sound gear but I do like halfway decent sound. We use a Bose Revolve+ and a smaller Bose Soundlink Micro that can be connected together to create “party mode” which lets us keep one down below and one on deck.

Another feature is “stereo” mode which splits the stereo to the two speakers and enhances the listening experience as much as one can do with Bluetooth. We sometimes use this feature with both speakers on deck.

And, since It’s pretty difficult to get true hi-fi on a boat, the sound quality from these Bose units is very acceptable, at least it is to me

[rbk]

One thing that hasn't been brought up with BT speakers is when you decide to take the party to the beach, another boat, dock you can bring the tunes along for the ride.

I like my music obnoxiously loud when I'm driving in my truck/car and have had many systems over the years loud enough to blow the seals on the windshield, the boat is more public and I'm rarely alone and like others there is nothing worse than having to listen to someone else's playlist that I don't particularly like or am not in the mood for. While the BT speakers aren't perfect sound they are pretty dam good and perfect fit for boating and I'll keep buying JBL charge 3's until they stop making them or something better comes along, link 4 for more sound, waterproof and I can charge my phone form it when it starts dying. We never leave home without at least 2 of them