STEREO QUESTION

I have about $1000 dollars for a stereo to putin my boat. I am starting with nothing. It seems that there are plenty of people in here that know alot about stereo systems and I know very little. What would you put in your boat if you had my budget. The $1000 dollars also needs to cover installation. Thanks for the help.

I would keep the stock one in there and just keep saving money, you are not going to get much of anything with that little budget that includes installing it.

like car said. try and save up. if you do decide to get something. id try to find a 4 channel and some interior componet's. next time around you could get a sub amp and a sub or go with the tower set up. but car is right about you wont be able to find much with that budget.

(Message edited by ponte_06_x2 on April 23, 2007)

You can build you a nice sounding 2amp system with a sub and tower speakers that will perform for under $1000. You won't have Wetsounds or NVS, but it will be 100x better than what most people have in boats.

I am not really looking for system that will blow people away. I was thinking about starting with a nice head unit and four 6.5 inch speakers I could put inside the boat and add on if I want down the road. I am hoping to get the best stuff I can so it won't go tu in a year and then I can start adding to it if I have the money at that time. I bought the boat without a stereo so anything will be better than what I have now.

Head unit, 4 6.5s, and an amp with install kits wil be under $500.

on a budget definitley go to EBAY, UBID, sounddomain, elitecaraudio, caraudiotalk. Check out the for sale sections for your amp's and deck. I'd suggest buying your speakers new. Don't be afraid of the off brands, a lot of companies are owned buy one conglomerant.

Just spend 1100 on transom remote,auxillary remote, new head unit, subwoofer custom box enclosure and amp so 1000 will not buy much...Just go into a stereo shop and see what they think you should install with your budget}

If you tackle the install yourself or get a friend that knows how you can get a decent sounding stereo if you work at it. Example, i did my old Tige' this winter with all of the below by searching eBay for a couple of months for around $900 to include taxes and shipping. All new stock, not refurbished. I did however do my own install, it's not that hard to do. I had to look it up but here's what i got for my money;

(1) Pioneer DEH-4900ib head unit
(1) Pioneer CD-MR70 wired remote
(1) Pioneer CD-1200 ipod cable
(1) Orion HP2400 2 channel 400w amp
(1) Orion HP4800 4 channel 800w amp
(1) Orion RB-1 remote gain knob
(2) PAC LC-1 gain/volume controllers
(1) Rockford Fosgate Z3410 10" subwoofer
(6) Rockford Fosgate T162C Power 6.5" Speakers
(1) Rockford Fosgate Fused distribution block
(1) Sealed enclosure for the subwoofer
(2) DIYwake 6.5" speaker cans
(3) KnuKonceptz rca cables for amps
(80ft) KnuKonceptz 16ga speaker wire
(10ft) KnuKonceptz 8ga power wire
(4ft) KnuKonceptz 4ga
(3) Custom 2ga battery interconnects cables from Genuinedealz }
(1) Stinger S80 battery isolator

Like some said it won't keep up with the "big boys" with the NVS and Wetsounds but it sounds pretty damn good.

Thanks for the info guys.

Rick, is all of that marine grade? Do you need marine grade components of will car audio stuff work? I have thought about doing the install myself. It seems a boat would be much easier than a car, but I am nervous about making cuts for speakers.

The speakers are considered marine grade, Malibu's even using them now. The rest is car audio but if placed in fairly dry locations will be just fine. Most will tell you they don't use marine grade stuff. Just make sure all connections are goof stuff and you'll be good.

The cutouts are nothing to worry about, just use templates and make your cuts as clean as possible using a jig saw or hand saw. Double and triple check before you cut to make sure of location and positioning. Look behind where your cutting! Just make sure to wear eye protection and a mask as you don't want glass in your eyes or lungs! Taping a plastic bag behind where your cutting helps catch some of the debris as does an assistant with a shop vac while you cut!

Thanks, I just might give it a try. I could probably save some money that I could use towards more stuff to make my system sound better.

Hmmm,

The $1k challenge:

My setup to win this challenge would be:

IPOD (assume it's already owned)
EQ - $100
4 Channel amp (Orion or equiv.)- $300
4 boat speaks off (Polk db675) the two front channels $200
1 12" Subwoofer off the two rear channels (Alpine Type R or equiv.) $150
Installation $250

You are rockin!

I could be wrong but i've heard the head unit is the least important component of your system. My boat came with an ok hu, nothing I would even consider for one of my cars but on the advice of the the stereo shop who builds systems for my local boat dealer I left it alone and sunk money into amps speakers and capacitors. My stock stereo runs about $125 but I've got a few grand in the amps, speakers, etc. and my sounds are quite nice. I think you will be able to get decent equipment to stay within your budget but the install might be the kicker for you since cheap install work usually looks like cheap work and has some flaws. If you don't mind small flaws you might be ok. Good Luck!