Best option for AUX input

I have a Clarion M5475 marine CD player in my boat right now. I just have a simple system with 4 Polk DB651s run off of the receiver's built in amp and 4 more DB651s on the tower powered by a 200 watt (Max) HiFonics Zeus amp.

I'm perfectly happy with this setup accept for the fact that I have good data service where we run the boat on my iPhone 4 and could be using Pandora instead of staticy radio stations with long commercials.

My research tells me that many have tried and failed to reverse engineer the CD changer input on this receiver and make a cable to create an AUX input. Many have been successful with the Clarion XMD-1 but not the M5475.

Anyway, I've already blown my accessory budget out of the water this year with a PerfectPass Stargazer and I still want more ballast so this has to be done on a budget. I figure I have 2 options:

1) The most obvious- Replace the receiver with another one for $150-200. I'd try to sell the Clarion for what I can get for it on Craig's List to offset some of the cost. I'd like a super slick one with iPhone controls but I have my doubts about that working well with Pandora rather than the built in iPod app. Does anyone have any experience with one of these and Pandora or Slacker? Can you skip and what not through the receiver's controls?

2) Buy a cheap EQ with aux input- I see some of these that are in the $50 range.

Any recommendations given the above scenario? Also, I'm hesitant to spend much on a non marine receiver given the fact that there are marine options on the low end of that price range.

Because you are using headunit power to run the DB651s in the boat, the EQ route would also require you to buy an amp to run your in-boats. You could get one of the refurb Boston Acoustics amps for $100 or so plus a clarion eqs746 for $50 or so. This would give you an aux-in that you could run for your phone. It would also give you power to your in-boat speakers which would really wake them up and it would give you 7v pre-outs from the eq, which should also help for sound quality.

Do you have a remote that you need to integrate with your deck too? If not, in my experience, trying to push the tiny little buttons on a single din deck to control your ipod/iphone is really no easier than just using the phone itself. So while the deck might be able to control the phone, it's easier to just use the phone. My answer is totally different in a car where you can keep your steering wheel controls to control the phone... that is killer. But if I have to take my hands off the wheel to push a button anyway, Might as well just push the phone.

To me the big selling point of a marine deck is not its "waterproofness," but rather the ability to read the deck in full sunlight. Marine decks are usually pretty good on that score. Neither marine nor car audio is going to take a full on dunking. I guess the conformal coated boards can help if you live where it's humid. Not a problem here in the desert.

I don't have a remote.

I'm in Southern Louisiana so humidity is always a factor.

Oh and I didn't think about the fact that I'd have to get another amp to use the EQ. That makes sense now. I probably would rather just buy a new receiver.

For whatever it is worth my Clarion head unit in my truck works with Pandora from an iphone just fine. However the one in my truck is a dvd/navigation unit. I don't know for certain if one of the marine receivers with the USB input would work the same.

How does the CD changer plug in? If it is RCA just get RCA -> Mini cord and run it like that, don't see why that wouldn't work.

Also if you want to keep the changer's function you could "Y" the rca's

I added an AUX to my fiance' Honda Accord - they made a "Y" clip that you ran the stock plug into - then it "Y"ed so one end went into the head-unit (no change as far as the car was concerned) and the other "Y" end had an RCA connection - added the RCA to mini to that and then her disk 6 or something was the AUX connection (all steering wheel controls still worked too)

No, the CD changer plugs into a proprietary DIN port. It's not even the same as other Clarion CD changer ports of similar vintage.

Its not a challenge to interrupt the DIN cable to get access to the audio input. The problem is getting the port to open up on the source unit without the changer plugged in. On the XMD1 all you had to do is close a circuit with a switch. On the M5475 its done via a microprocessor loop which requires that a changer is plugged in and a disc is in play. Easy to do with a changer and RCA source selector switch. Finding an old Clarion changer with a discontinued protocall won't be easy.
The other option is a hardwired FM modulator. Its infinitely superior to a wireless FM modulator and is an acceptable compromise if you're just running on radio power.
However, for the cost of a quality modulator you are half way to the cost of a Kenwood marine receiver with easy, direct access. And, I wouldn't invest anymore on a 13 year old unit. You're on borrowed time as it is.

David
Earmark Marine

Check out my Kenwood setup in the classifieds section - I'm ready to deal

If you like Pandora so much look into the Pioneers that have it integrated into them. You plug your phone in for the data but the stereo does the rest.