Four of the Best Boat Stereos

A day out on the water with family and friends is great, but add music and it gets even better. Here are some of the best boat stereos at a variety of budgets.

You might think any old music system is okay for your boat, but boat stereos need to endure extremes, including water, heat, cold, salt and sun. While you can get adequate sound from a stock unit, or even a car stereo, marine quality stereos give the better experience.

Boat stereos are different because they are manufactured to marine specifications. To protect them from the elements, they are made using different materials and different construction methods.

That is because a marine environment can exert lasting damage if your sound system is not specifically for a boating environment. So that the best boat stereos can cope, they are subjected to hundreds of hours of extensive pre-production testing. Ultraviolet test chambers simulate years of sun exposure, while special salt and fog chambers test them even further.

Of course, marine-based sound systems need to be waterproof. That means more than just coping with splashes and light rain. The best boat stereos are built to cope with complete submersion. When choosing a setup for your boat, it is worth making sure it meets this kind of standard.

Boat stereos also need to be UV resistant as they are likely to be exposed to a lot of potential damage from the sun, and they need some kind of anti-corrosion protection to protect from rusting. This includes coated circuit boards, plated connections and rust-resistant components.

When it comes to technology, the best boat stereos have it all. There are models with built-in Bluetooth so that music can be streamed without having to take your hands off the helm. Many also come with satellite radio tuners, as well as the ability to plug in iPods, MPs players and other music drives.

If your sound system needs to have party function, then there are larger systems available that can take multiple outputs and connect to external amplifiers and subwoofers. Indeed, there is almost no limit to what you can do to personalize your system to suit your individual needs.

Fusion MS-RA55

The Fusion MS-RA55 Compact Marine Stereo comes with Bluetooth for wireless streaming and has a PX5 water resistant front panel designed for the extremities of marine environments. It is described as compact and easy to install in tight spaces; ideal for small boats.

This stereo has a 2.3-inch screen with brightness and contrast adjustments for easy viewing and puts out 45 watts across four channels. It also has multi-zone technology for independently controlled audio zones with a RCA line out and auxiliary line in, offering multiple accessory options.

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BOSS MCK752

The BOSS MCK752 marine receiver package is enabled for A2DP audio streaming from a Bluetooth device. The front panel has an aux-in as well as USB and SD card ports to use with an MP3 player or smartphone and the disc player is compatible with MP3, CD, CDR, CDRW, and WMA.

This package comes with wireless remote control, four 6.5-inch dual cone speakers with 180 watts handling power and a dipole antenna, allowing all types of music to be experienced at sea.

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Sony MEX-M71BT

The Sony MEX-M71BT is a marine stereo with a CD receiver and Bluetooth enabled for effortless wireless streaming. You can even connect a second phone for taking additional hands free calls.

With this stereo, NFC technology lets you pair your Bluetooth phone instantly, just by tapping it on the receiver’s volume dial and that means you can use voice commands to play music, dictate text messages, make calls, and more.

Importantly, this model is ready for the elements. It’s single-DIN CD receiver has an anti-corrosive coating and UV-resistant finish so sunshine and sea air are never a problem.

It also has powerful amplification and customizable audio settings. For example, the high power four channel amplifier delivers four times 55W power for loud and natural sound and there is extra bass with enhanced low frequencies along with a 10-band digital equalizer.

When it comes to boat stereos, this is one of the kings, allowing you to get the lights on the LED screen to pulse in time to the music. The high contrast LCD has five times the contrast of conventional screens, plus optimized viewing angle, which the manufacturer says makes the screen always easy to read.

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Kenwood KMR-D562BT

The Kenwood KMR-D562BT offers CD, MP3, USB, AUX and an AM/FM radio output, and is regarded as one of the ultimate boat stereos on the market. This particular package comes with four marine speakers, a marine stereo receiver and a waterproof 400-watt amplifier.

It features a conformal-coated PCB circuit board, covered CD slot, USB port, and auxiliary inputs and this boat stereo has a speaker setting function for different sizes and types of speakers.

The drive equalizer feature adjusts the volume based on the level of exterior noise, making for a better stereo experience. The sound reconstruction is designed to give an improved compressed music playback.

It also comes with three pairs of Enrock EM602W two-way, 6.5-inch weather resistant marine speakers which feature one-piece baskets that keep water out and polypropylene cones that will withstand heat and sun.

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