Radio/speaker Upgrade

[SavinRaven]

Hi All,
So most of you know I had upgraded boats this season to the 01' Mariah. The only items noted that we were going to upgrade on this one was going to be some upholstery work that needed addressed and the Radio Head Unit and speakers.

I'm going to get it out of storage tomorrow and put it in the garage to address these things before we launch for our maiden voyage in April.. Then started thinking... I've never upgraded a radio/head unit in a boat.. Plenty of cars but there I just search the make and model of car for a wiring harness and switch it out for the unit in which I purchased... I'm assuming this one is not going to be so easy is it? Let me know what I should expect before I start digging into this one.

 

[Scott Danforth]

Hi All,
So most of you know I had upgraded boats this season to the 01' Mariah. The only items noted that we were going to upgrade on this one was going to be some upholstery work that needed addressed and the Radio Head Unit and speakers.

I'm going to get it out of storage tomorrow and put it in the garage to address these things before we launch for our maiden voyage in April.. Then started thinking... I've never upgraded a radio/head unit in a boat.. Plenty of cars but there I just search the make and model of car for a wiring harness and switch it out for the unit in which I purchased... I'm assuming this one is not going to be so easy is it? Let me know what I should expect before I start digging into this one.

unlike cars where there are hundreds of thousands of vehicles made per year with the exact same harness, as well as specifications on Din or 1.5 DIN or 2DIN chassis, boats make 36-300 units per year, wiring harnesses may come from different suppliers every month and most chassis used are what ever fit where it was mounted.

so...... does your existing head unit have a remote panel? (many did)
is it out in the open, in an enclosure, mounted in the glove box.

as for wiring, you will need to follow the labels on the wiring and the instructions that come with your head unit.

easy peasy lemon squeezy

 

[dingbat]

I've never upgraded a radio/head unit in a boat.. Plenty of cars but there I just search the make and model of car for a wiring harness and switch it out for the unit in which I purchased... I'm assuming this one is not going to be so easy is it?

Something to think about....
Went on the search for a new Radio/Head unit last year to upgrade mine.
Pretty much had my mind set of a Fusion MS-RA210 but was having a tough time justify spending the money to replace a perfectly serviceable 4 channel head with CD to "upgrade" to Bluetooth.

In the end, I purchased and installed a "Marine Grade" Bluetooth adapter for $47 to interface with my IPhone and Spotify.

Very happy with the results and price.

​

 

[SavinRaven]

unlike cars where there are hundreds of thousands of vehicles made per year with the exact same harness, as well as specifications on Din or 1.5 DIN or 2DIN chassis, boats make 36-300 units per year, wiring harnesses may come from different suppliers every month and most chassis used are what ever fit where it was mounted.

so...... does your existing head unit have a remote panel? (many did)
is it out in the open, in an enclosure, mounted in the glove box.

as for wiring, you will need to follow the labels on the wiring and the instructions that come with your head unit.

easy peasy lemon squeezy

Here is where it is located. It is built in I will have to start digging into it once I pick it up and see how many wires were talking about. Sounds like a lot of splicing. Lol

 

[SavinRaven]

Ya that's all I'm trying to get to is being able to use Bluetooth. So that may be a viable option what was install on that looking like just plug and play?

 

[dingbat]

Ya that's all I'm trying to get to is being able to use Bluetooth. So that may be a viable option what was install on that looking like just plug and play?

My unit has aux (RCA) inputs so it was rather easy.

Just plug in the adapter and connect to power. I don't have an amp so I connected the BT adapter power to the (switched) power output to the amp.
Works like a charm

 

[Scott Danforth]

Agreed, a $7 blue tooth adapter from amazon is easier and swapping a complete system

 

[sopwithcamel74]

I'm a bit of an audiophile; I say go for the updated head unit. Something newer will give you cleaner signal quality, which you'll particularly notice if you're planning on springing for new speakers as well.

Bluetooth is an added bonus, but better quality for your tunes is where it's at. Might also be an opportunity to resolve any potential wiring nightmares lurking behind the dash.

 

[SavinRaven]

I'm a bit of an audiophile; I say go for the updated head unit. Something newer will give you cleaner signal quality, which you'll particularly notice if you're planning on springing for new speakers as well.

Bluetooth is an added bonus, but better quality for your tunes is where it's at. Might also be an opportunity to resolve any potential wiring nightmares lurking behind the dash.

If there are wiring issues I dont even want to know about them till next season. Missed most of last season chasing issues on another boat.

 

[dingbat]

I'm a bit of an audiophile; I say go for the updated head unit. Something newer will give you cleaner signal quality, which you'll particularly notice if you're planning on springing for new speakers as well.

“Quality” and “cleaner” don’t belong in the same sentence with marine stereos…lol

THD in whole numbers (1%) and SNR in the 70’s are a joke.

 

[sopwithcamel74]

“Quality” and “cleaner” don’t belong in the same sentence with marine stereos…lol

THD in whole numbers (1%) and SNR in the 70’s are a joke.

I hear ya. However, there is still a marked difference in audio quality among lots of various marine stereos that I've had the opportunity to listen to. Even if you replace older components that were originally of higher quality with newer, cheaper base components like a more modern head unit, afresh set of 2-way speakers, etc.

Button up any loose connections, maybe replace the speaker wire and RCAs, and you're looking at even more of an audible improvement.

I'm not suggesting he'll get studio reference quality, but yes - to many, it's absolutely worth the effort.

 

[SavinRaven]

This got to be a foreign speaking topic for me you all lost me in all honesty. I think my initial thought to "upgrading" was adding features such as bluetooth. I just didnt know how big of a job it would be with the wiring aspect of it all. I know in car radios there can be 100 wires in one of those harnesses.

 

[sopwithcamel74]

It's really not that bad, regardless of which way you choose to go. Even if there's a mess back there, you can likely find the wiring diagram for your existing head unit and sort it out from there.

It's just a matter of weighing your options, keeping in mind what your end game is.

 

[briangcc]

Depending on your existing head unit's age, features, etc, it's probably not much of a chore wiring wise to replace. You're realistically talking...

Power: + and - (so 2 wires)
Speakers: + and - for each speaker, so for a 2 speaker system (4) wires
Antenna: plugs right in

That's just a basic, no frills, no amp setup. Add more speakers, an amp, possibly a Sirrius/XMRadio add-on receiver, and the wiring will get more complex BUT usually its straight forward.


Replacing speakers - unplug the old, install the new. **Caveat: IF SAME size. Otherwise, you're enlarging the opening. Doable but more work.

Location of your particular headunit looks like it'll be fun to remove. If it's working, I'd leave it.