Stereo/CD players--new technology; what's good?

Terry Cox · Mar 20, 2018

JamesG161 said:
Do you get stereo audio with that method?
I was thinking of buying a converter, mainly to turn long .mp4 into youtube, but it does convert both ways.
Jim...

Hi Jim, yes, if the original recording was done in stereo, then it comes through. The converter is a software program available online. You just plug the URL into the converter software and it does its thing. As far as MP4 goes, I use Handbrake to compress the video before loading it into Youtube. You can adjust the amount of compression depending upon the length/size of the MP4 file. Works quite well.

Terry Cox · Mar 20, 2018

justsomeguy said:
@Terry Cox is a self-admitted pirate...

Aaarrrrghhh!

justsomeguy · Mar 20, 2018

Arrrgh!

VanIslandGuy · Mar 20, 2018

https://www.crutchfield.com/S-WZPHP9n6LYE/p_158M100BT/Sony-MEX-M100BT.html

We put this is last year, as well as 6 wetsounds high power speakers. Great set up. It uses bluetooth, USB, and still uses CD's. It has a built in Class D amplifier and really nicely drives the sound loud and clear. It also doesn't draw much amperage at all. Best of all it fits in a single din tray so you don't need to do surgery to make it fit like a lot of the new double height units coming to market.

Terry Cox · Mar 20, 2018

Our 1991 boat came equipped with a Muntz stereo system; separate receiver/amplifier and dual cassette deck. Seldom use the cassette deck, but the receiver/amplifier still puts out a nice range of audio. Some day it will stop working, but until then...

Kermit · Mar 20, 2018

I recently dropped Sirius/XM in my Ford Expedition because I was tired of paying to listen to the same songs on the few stations I enjoyed. The biggest frustration was arguing price every 6 months. I have an old-fashion iPod and an iPhone 7. The best sound I get is when I turn on the Bluetooth receiver to connect my iPhone 7 while listening to Pandora. I’m telling you the sound is so good it makes even songs I don’t particularly care for sound good.

ggrizzard · Mar 20, 2018

Thanks Pizzazz for the details. Afraid I'm nackered. No disk drive on my PC, no "I" or Smart phone, no blue tooth equipment. Just an old guy with lots of jamming cassettes and skipping CD's. So maybe Sirius XM is the simplest solution. It works at sea I'm told.

Jackdaw · Mar 22, 2018

JamesG161 said:
Hmmmm?
I have to switch all music on manually.

I think you meant you have to "manually Link" the bluetooth Aux Port BT receiver. If so, I just turn my BT receiver on when I switch on the Main Stereo.

No I think he meant what he said, that external BT device/dongles have to be turned on manually, and/or recharged independently. Built-in Bluetooth avoids these issues, and also allows the use of the Bluetooth Audio/Video Remote Control (or AVRCP) profile, which allows you to control the playback and song advancement from the faceplace and not just the remote device.

pateco · Mar 22, 2018

Currently using Bluetooth with UE MiniBoom speaker. I will be upgrading to a pair of :

UE WONDERBOOM Portable Waterproof Bluetooth Speaker 2-pack - Black

Only $69 at Costco this week

JamesG161 · Mar 22, 2018

JamesG161 said:
Hmmmm?
I have to switch all music on manually.

I think you meant you have to "manually Link" the bluetooth Aux Port BT receiver. If so, I just turn my BT receiver on when I switch on the Main Stereo. It auto links on my iDevices, after you give a one time permission. The biggest problem is to recharge the BT device, which I now solve by adding a back up battery pack on long cruise.

Hmmm? I guess I guessed right @Jackdaw
Jim...

Jackdaw · Mar 22, 2018

Huh. While I totally understand and use portable BT speakers for their obvious uses like at the beach and on vacations etc, I really don't get using them as a full-time solution on boats. They really don't sound all that great, have crappy stereo separation, and are one more thing to lose or forget to charge. Unless you are on a racing boat or don't have fixed 12v power, why? Am I missing something?

JamesG161 · Mar 22, 2018

Jackdaw said:
I really don't get using them as a full-time solution on boats

I have portable ones too, that AUTO Link up.

My OLD boat has a 1999 -$2200 installed and matched marine environment system.
I guess I just want to save my $$$ for sailing stuff and ADAPT!

JamesG161 said:
Each to his own needs, but annual subscription to music, not my thing.

Jim...

LeslieTroyer · Mar 22, 2018

I have the Fusion with the remote at the helm. I leave the phone below connected via Bluetooth. It’s nice the remote can display N2K values like water temp which motivates me not to fall overboard.

Doug4bass · Mar 22, 2018

Ever since I have owned boats the sound system was “sailing stuff”.

pateco · Mar 22, 2018

Jackdaw said:
Huh. While I totally understand and use portable BT speakers for their obvious uses like at the beach and on vacations etc, I really don't get using them as a full-time solution on boats. They really don't sound all that great, have crappy stereo separation, and are one more thing to lose or forget to charge. Unless you are on a racing boat or don't have fixed 12v power, why? Am I missing something?

@Jackdaw,

My boat has never had an audio system installed. I figured it was much easier to go Blue Tooth wireless than to:

Figure out where to put the stereo head unit.
Cut out an opening and mount a stereo head unit
Figure out how to run power to the unit
Figure out where to mount an FM antenna
Figure out how to wire FM antenna to head unit
Decide on locations for speakers
Cut out and mount speakers
Figure out how to wire speakers back to head unit.
Then finally find time and money to do all of this cutting and wiring.

I already had the blue tooth speaker. I threw it on the boat, and had tunes from day 1. I listen to SiriusXM-online, Pandora, & Spotify in our regular cruising area. If we were to go out of range of cell towers. I can plug in my Zune or a guest's Ipod, and still have tons of tunes. Once I retire one of my laptops to be a boat computer, I could take my MP3 collection aboard on a portable drive, and would have almost a terabyte of music to choose from.

Jackdaw said:
They really don't sound all that great, have crappy stereo separation, and are one more thing to lose or forget to charge.

I am not saying a built in audio system wouldn't sound better, but this system works, and was cheap and easy. And with a twinned/dual speaker system like what @BlowMeAway has, and the one I linked, the stereo separation is as good as your speaker placement. So as to not forget or lose it, I just leave my current single speaker on the charger on the boat when not in use.

Jackdaw · Mar 22, 2018

pateco said:
@Jackdaw,

My boat has never had an audio system installed. I figured it was much easier to go Blue Tooth wireless than to:

Figure out where to put the stereo head unit.

Cut out an opening and mount a stereo head unit

Figure out how to run power to the unit

Figure out where to mount an FM antenna

Figure out how to wire FM antenna to head unit

Decide on locations for speakers

Cut out and mount speakers

Figure out how to wire speakers back to head unit.

Then finally find time and money to do all of this cutting and wiring.

I already had the blue tooth speaker. I threw it on the boat, and had tunes from day 1. I listen to SiriusXM-online, Pandora, & Spotify in our regular cruising area. If we were to go out of range of cell towers. I can plug in my Zune or a guest's Ipod, and still have tons of tunes. Once I retire one of my laptops to be a boat computer, I could take my MP3 collection aboard on a portable drive, and would have almost a terabyte of music to choose from.

I am not saying a built in audio system wouldn't sound better, but this system works, and was cheap and easy. And with a twinned/dual speaker system like what @BlowMeAway has, and the one I linked, the stereo separation is as good as your speaker placement. So as to not forget or lose it, I just leave my current single speaker on the charger on the boat when not in use.

OK that's clear enough. It is an investment in time for sure, just like any upgrade. I did the install in BlueJ (headunit, wiring, cabin box speakers, cockpit rail speakers, remote) all in about 4-5 hours. But I have installed a lot of car stereos, so I knew the drill.

KG original posted about suggestions to UPGRADE to his system, that's what threw me off. You're just noting these BT speakers as stop-gap for boats without wired systems, and not a solution for him. But it all makes for a good discussion.

Head Sail · Mar 22, 2018

Jackdaw said:
Unless you are on a racing boat or don't have fixed 12v power, why? Am I missing something?

If your interested in conserving battery power, bluetooth speaker has its own power supply.

Jackdaw · Mar 22, 2018

Head Sail said:
If your interested in conserving battery power, bluetooth speaker has its own power supply.

Until you need to charge it on board, which will be net less efficient than letting a hard-wired unit consume the 12v directly.

And if you don't need to charge it, you weren't out long enough for it to matter.

Head Sail · Mar 22, 2018

Jackdaw said:
Until you need to charge it on board, which will be net less efficient than letting a hard-wired unit consume the 12v directly.

Not if you use your alternator, or solar, or wind to recharge. Any battery powered device adds to your overall power profile.