Best Marine Stereo Reviews 2018

Marine stereos are a special category of stereos and have several features that distinguish them from the normal car stereo. These special features also mean that their prices are much higher than that of the car stereo. Thus, you’ll be seeing good quality marine stereos with prices ranging from as low as $90 to as high as $250. The pricier high-end stereos are likely to be more feature-laden than the lower priced marine stereos but this does not necessarily mean the low-end products are of low quality.

The products we reviewed here fall within the price range stated above which means we have both high-end and budget-friendly marine stereos so whatever your budget, you’re sure to find a reliable model that fits nicely into your boat and gives you the highest possible value for every cent spent on it.

In the course of our research, we came across some rather cheap marine stereos but we ignored them because they were either made with materials that’ll not stand the strength of the elements or their components have low power ratings.

Once you’re shopping for a suitable marine stereo for your boat, you should keep some factors in mind that affect the overall performance and durability. These factors include:

• Design and type
• Protective features
• Components
• Expandability
• Other extra features

There are marine stereos that accept musical input from android, iPhones, iPods and other Bluetooth enabled devices and then there are the marine stereos that also have in-built CD players. If you’re one of those who wouldn’t leave their CD collection behind for the world, then you’ll do well to make sure the marine stereo you’re looking to purchase comes with a CD player.

The protective features of a great marine stereo are what make them different from car stereo systems. There are 3 basic and extremely vital protective features that you should look out for when shopping for a marine stereo for your boat. They are – water-resistant / waterproof components, UV-protection and anti-corrosion parts. Because the marine stereo components are situated mostly on open deck or other places where they’re exposed to seawater and rainfall, they ought to be fully waterproofed or at least, water-resistant.

The next important protective feature to look out for is to check whether the marine stereo is UV protected against sunlight damage. Due to the exposure of some of its components like the speaker cones and receiver faceplate to long hours of sunlight, it becomes necessary for such components to be UV protected to reduce the adverse effect of sunlight on the stereo system thereby extending its life span.

Because of their exposure to saltwater which is an extremely corrosive medium, it’s recommended to go for marine stereos with wires and cables made from tin instead of copper. Tin is known to be highly resistant to corrosion from saltwater as opposed to copper, which easily corrodes when exposed to water – either salty or fresh. The circuit boards should also be coated with corrosion-resistant materials.

If you have a large boat, then you’ll most likely be looking for a marine stereo to effectively service the entire boat. Such devices have the provision of several preamp sets and outputs so you can connect multiple amplifiers, speakers and subwoofers easily. This feature helps you create the marine stereo system tailored to your specific needs and desires and ensure all nooks and crannies of your boat enjoy music.

You’ll have to decide where’s best to mount your marine stereo. Consider the space and power limitations of your boat and also the best location that affords the most protection against the elements. Once you’ve successfully installed your stereo, you can go right ahead and have a ball on your boat.

There are four basic components of a marine stereo: the stereo receiver, speakers, amplifiers, and subwoofers. The stereo receiver is the central control unit and coordinates the general operation. It ought to be kept away from the elements always and as such, better mounted in a location safe from both water splashes and sunlight. The stereo receiver features the display unit, ports for USB attachments, amplifier outputs, charging ports and CD player if available.

Stereo speakers are for the most part placed at strategic locations on the deck for better sound production and thus are highly exposed to water. This means they should ideally be waterproofed with rubber cones coupled with a corrosion-resistant mounting hardware.

The stereo amplifier serves to amplify the stereo sound above external noise levels while maintaining the sound quality and integrity. It’s important, however, to ensure the receiver, amplifier and speaker systems all have matching power ratings so they can work well together.

The last component is the subwoofer which reproduces the ultra-low bass frequencies. It’s not essential, but certainly a desirable component. Subwoofers are speakers and ought to be waterproof in the same manner as the stereo speakers.

A key feature that makes the marine stereo easy to operate is the remote control. This device doesn’t come in all marine stereos so you should be on the lookout for it if you want more versatile control for your marine stereo. The remote control allows you mount your stereo receiver in a safe place like inside the cabin and operate it from a reasonable distance.
Some marine stereos also come with a satellite radio with FM and AM options that allow you listen to and stay in touch with your favorite radio programs while at sea.

You may also want to check if the marine stereo system has a hands-free call option so you can receive or make calls while navigating your boat. A marine stereo with backlit controls has an added advantage of being easy to operate even in the dark and may also be bright enough to be used as a source of muted illumination.