To each his own opinion... To quote Stu, "Your Boat, Your Choice"...
Still, as an audio professional and former concert sound engineer, (now working as a marine audio product specialist) I cannot personally find myself considering a package that retails for $89.00 that has a radio and a pair of speakers... At that price they just can't be that good. Sure they make sound... If that is what you are after its fine, but they can't make GOOD sound, faithfully reproducing the music...
Granted, my benchmark for audio reproduction is way different from yours. I like my music louder sometimes, while being more sonically accurate with a broader frequency response than can be had with an inexpensive radio speaker combo. Certainly my audio goals are higher than some of the regular posters in these forums, so yes, I have a radio, quality speakers, an amplifier AND a subwoofer in my sailboat!
(I also have a TV/DVD combo connected through the stereo with an amplified mast-top antenna, pressurized water, a push-button electric macerating head, color-changing RGB LED mood lighting, air conditioning and a real air horn, but that's just me....
)
I typed a post last night and deleted it this morning; it seemed too harsh... Still, there are some certain truths I shared, so here I go again. Sailors as a group to a large part are the tightest, cheapest bunch of boaters I know!
So many times I laugh at some of these threads; it is almost as if there is a contest to see who can be the out-do each other to suggest the cheesiest cheapest solution...
The rest of the boating world enjoys pretty decent audio offerings from the factory. Some boats come from the factory with some pretty impressive audio systems. I am amazed that more sailboats do not come with basic stereos pre-installed. I am also amazed that so many sailors turn their nose up at the mere notion of
installing a sound system, head unit or not, that will sound at least as good as the factory system in their car.
To me, and this is just my opinion from my perspective, a portable solution be it a BT speaker, or a boom box, or other portable device is just another thing to trip over, kick, have sliding around bown below, banging dings in fiberlass and woodwork. When I go aboard, and when I have my wife and/or friends aboard, stuff is put away. Purses, bags, snacks, etc. are all stowed, in cabinets, under seats, or in rear quarter berth. No point in having a bunch of stuff to have to step over or around, and that includes that boom box....
So, back to the question posted by the OP. The answer to his question depends on the level of quality he is looking for. Centerline's solution might be ideal. Then again, if there is a desire for a greater level of performance it is likely that he will want to spend more money.
