Boat Audio Question

[djtech2k]

I am buying a 2012 Yamaha SX210 this week. I know the audio in it now is basic/dated so I know I will want to upgrade it.

When I looked at the boat, the HU looked like a standard DIN unit with some kind of weather cover over it. I know this could not have been factory. What do you guys do for HU upgrades? I think there is a remote on the swim deck so I assume it will not work after changing the HU.

My next question is about the speakers. I assume that from factory it has outdoor waterproof speakers. When you upgrade/replace them, do you use waterproof stuff or not? I have seen some videos that replace the speakers with nice upgrades, but they did not appear to be waterproof. That kind of confused me because I would assume that anything not waterproof would be destroyed in short order from weather and just being in the water.

I am just trying to figure out what the best or most common options are for replacing/upgrading audio.

 

[OCMD]

LOL even the so called "waterproof" ones get ruined, just look at my Polks after 2 seasons of little use. Really pissed me off that they failed and Crutchfield would do nothing about it. Oh well.

 

[Andisimose]

I just swapped out the stock clarion unit in my 14 AR210. It was more like a double din. The cutout in the dash was almost 3.5 inches x 7ish inches. Im not sure what radio you have but I was surprised the cut out was so large.

In my case I went to a different manufacturer for the HU and had to replace the transom remote as the cable pinout was not the same. Wasn't terribly hard to do, but not fun in the summer heat.

 

[djtech2k]

Did you replace it with a marine kind of HU or a standard one for a car?

 

[IvanRZB]

Our 2012 SX190, little sister to your boat, came with a standard HU and marine-rated speakers. If you're upgrading speakers should definitely be looking at marine-rated--regular speakers likely won't last you too long since they're guaranteed to get splashed/rained on/etc. My original speakers are still going strong on an 8-year-old boat although they're about to be upgraded. As with most other things, a $40 marine-rated speaker may not last as long as a $140 one.

The HU and amplifiers you could go either way on whether to get marine-rated stuff or not since they're protected from the elements. My opinion is to get marine-rated if you plan on being near salt water, otherwise you're probably ok either way. Looks like you're in WV so I'm guessing mostly fresh water

My factory unit is a JVC single-DIN type, for upgrade I'm looking at a Fusion MS-RA70 since we mostly do radio and streaming (don't use CDs). You will most likely need to get a new remote if you're upgrading HU, unless you happen to find a newer unit that works with the old remote.

 

[Andisimose]

Did you replace it with a marine kind of HU or a standard one for a car?

Marine. With the elements it could be exposed to I at least wanted to think it was built better

 

[djtech2k]

Marine. With the elements it could be exposed to I at least wanted to think it was built better

Understood. From pictures from Yamaha, it looks like the factory does not have a cover. The boat I am buying has a flip-down "bubble" cover to it so I assume it was put there to make it waterproof. Through the cover, it looked like a pretty old HU, so I am sure I will need to replace it to something more modern.

 

[ripler]

I found a video of your boat and from what I can see the radio doesn't have a cover over it which leads me to believe it may have been replaced. Form the video it looks like the same POS that I had in my 2010. The issue with the factory radio is that is not a standard DIN size and the stern remote is rectangular and you won't find a new stern remote to fit the hole.
Do you have a picture of it?

I asked in your other thread what part of WV you are from, I live in SW PA and if you are near my area I'd be willing to help you with all of your questions.

 

[djtech2k]

I found a video of your boat and from what I can see the radio doesn't have a cover over it which leads me to believe it may have been replaced. Form the video it looks like the same POS that I had in my 2010. The issue with the factory radio is that is not a standard DIN size and the stern remote is rectangular and you won't find a new stern remote to fit the hole.
Do you have a picture of it?

I asked in your other thread what part of WV you are from, I live in SW PA and if you are near my area I'd be willing to help you with all of your questions.

Thanks! I do not have a picture yet, but I am 99% sure it was a standard DIN radio with CD player. I think it was a low-end brand if I was seeing through the cover correctly. Playing through Bluetooth from my phone is the most important functionality to me. I'd like it to sound decent too, so that is why I am assuming that I will need to upgrade it.

For speakers, I will look around at what marine options there are. I know I have seen guys putting things like subwoofers inside of the boat storage, so it stays dry. I do not know that I will do that right off the bat but its good to know. The main cabin speakers are my first priority.

I live in the Eastern Panhandle of WV, just outside of Washington DC. So bodies of water near me would be the Potomac River (~30mins), Lake Anna (~2hrs), and Deep Creek Lake(~2hrs). Those are where I think the boat will be used the most.

 

[ripler]

Before you upgrade let me know I can help you out with suggestions. I completely upgrade my audio system with Rockford Fosgate amps and speakers. One word of advice is don't place your subs in any storage compartment, I did this originally and wasn't happy, I changed to a infinite baffle sub and it is a way better option.

 

[biffdotorg]

Understood. From pictures from Yamaha, it looks like the factory does not have a cover. The boat I am buying has a flip-down "bubble" cover to it so I assume it was put there to make it waterproof. Through the cover, it looked like a pretty old HU, so I am sure I will need to replace it to something more modern.

Those bubble covers can be reused with a new head unit of the same DIN size. In our previous boat, we used a standard Alpine deck as it had better features, lower cost and it was mounted in a glove box. But all our amps and speakers were marine rated due to water exposure and being mounted in damp places.

Just this past week, I replaced our stock head unit with a Fusion Marine. I considered all the non marine rated ones, and the units on sale online. But kept going back to Fusion due to the @##)(@ forum, and all the great luck they were having with them. Then I saw this was the same head unit mounted in the new Yamaha boats.

Well long story longer, it was an easy install and I can't be happier. nice big buttons, great iphone app, and a remote on the swimdeck to be proud of. Just keep in mind, the head unit is just an interface for your music of choice. The amps, speakers and power are as important if not more. Our old head unit, along with a Wetsounds Bluetooth adapter did all we needed. It just died on us. The amp, speakers and subs did all the work.

Good luck.

 

[djtech2k]

Thanks. What are you guys using for speakers? Any suggestions?

 

[TimW451]

I have a one year old to me 2011 SX240 with the factory setup and have been researching an upgrade. If you are looking to drop several thousand dollars there are some good threads that cover the whole experience. My guess is that you are not. I bought a $150 Bluetooth speaker to stream music from my phone so that I don’t rush into anything. (My HU effectively doesn’t work.)

My suggestions
1) anything you buy must be marine rated, if not it will die faster than cheap marine stuff.
2) don’t buy any cheap marine rated stuff, which can have a lifespan of 1-2 years. (Those $100 HU & speaker sets)
3) tech has changed a lot since our boats were built. Wired remote on swim platform was probably cutting edge. You’ll probably use Bluetooth remote today. (Note how the new boats put the HU on the swim platform now and remote from the helm. )
4) browse Crutchfield‘s marine section to get an idea of what is out there
5) key decision point: using HU amp or separate amp
6) replace everything: HU, speakers, AND speaker wire. (Be prepared to upgrade/add electrical: battery, fuse block or more to power a newer system.)

HTH

 

[RightStuff]

Do some searching here, there are a ton of posts around stereo upgrades. I have a post in my history when I did a dual battery and stereo upgrade on my 2013 AR210. I went with a 6 channel amp, Polk MM series 6.5" and added a 3rd pair of speakers in the middle of the boat. I did use the stock headunit, but it's only used for the signal at this time, it's not powering any speakers.

Link: Another Stereo upgrade and dual battery upgrade (w/ pics)

 

[ripler]

I used all Rockford Fosgate amps and speakers. I didn't use marine amps in my boat since it's trailered and stored in my garage and I have the same amps in my boat for 8 years. My set-up is loud and clear and will out perform systems costing a lot more.

My current system includes
-Clarion M303 receiver
-Clarion MW1 stern remote
-Clarion remote extension cable to connect
receiver to remote
-Clarion EQS755 equalizer
-4 Rockford Fosgate M262 6" interior
speakers, 6.5" wasn't available when I
bought these and I'm considering changing
them to 6.5"
-1 Rockford Fosgate 10" infinite baffle
marine sub
-Wetsound REV8 tower speakers
-2 Rockford Fosgate R600-4D 600 watt
amps