Stereo Help

[Ididntdoit]

Ok - right now my boat ('05 300) has no head unit installed - there are four speakers in the cockpit (6.5") and im not sure where the factory amp(s) are hidden - NOT looking for crazy quality or cost - just looking to make things work again and be able to stream from a separate device - I assume I need some kind of head unit - someone told me i could just get a "fusion dongle" and plug that into the amp with no need for a head unit.....would also like a remote to replace the old clarion one at the helm - help me out here guys - at some point i would also like to upgrade the speakers and maybe add a sub too.....just need to know where to start

 

[Wylie_Tunes]

would also like a remote to replace the old clarion one at the helm

The Kicker KMC-2 is a round compact media unit with blue tooth. It could kill 2 birds with one stone. It can power four 4 ohm speakers as well as has RCA pre-outs for external amps.

You can plug a blue tooth unit direct into the amp, but there are some concerns here. 1 is location. This could put the receiver berried deep in the boat, yielding poor reception. You then need a means to turn the unit on, and amp(s) on. Could require additional wiring. A better option would be a helm mounted BT unit, Like the Wet Sounds BT-RS blue tooth rocker switch.

 

[KevinC]

On my 340sda the stock amps were mounted on wall behind the DC panel. My stereo is mounted just above in the same cabinet so it makes sense and relatively easy to get to.


-Kevin

 

[Ididntdoit]

The Kicker KMC-2 is a round compact media unit with blue tooth. It could kill 2 birds with one stone. It can power four 4 ohm speakers as well as has RCA pre-outs for external amps.

You can plug a blue tooth unit direct into the amp, but there are some concerns here. 1 is location. This could put the receiver berried deep in the boat, yielding poor reception. You then need a means to turn the unit on, and amp(s) on. Could require additional wiring. A better option would be a helm mounted BT unit, Like the Wet Sounds BT-RS blue tooth rocker switch.

Thank you so much - just checked both of these out - I dont think my amps are behind the panel like Kevin's, but im going to hunt them down and investigate the wet sounds route......but I really like that kicker unit too....I'll report back (undoubtebly with more questions) as I get into it

 

[Fly'n Family]

Have you checked for amps under/inside the cabin salon seating? That's where the amps were located on both my 310 and 370.

 

[scooper321]

Have you checked for amps under/inside the cabin salon seating? That's where the amps were located on both my 310 and 370.

In my 320 the amp is under the galley seating (coach) in the right hand (aftmost) storage compartment.

 

[Ididntdoit]

Thank you so much - just checked both of these out - I dont think my amps are behind the panel like Kevin's, but im going to hunt them down and investigate the wet sounds route......but I really like that kicker unit too....I'll report back (undoubtebly with more questions) as I get into it

Thanks again Wylie - found the wet sounds rocker switch for $85. and installed it this weekend - Works Great! Very simple install......I'm sure I'll want better speakers, stronger amp, a sub etc at some point.....but for now I'm just satisfied to not be using a portable BT speaker anymore

 

[scooper321]

I am in the same position. I just recently bought a 400 sedan bridge, with the original clarion stereo. It all works great: head unit, speakers, and amp. But it does not have Bluetooth. So after going around and around with all of my options, I have decided to simply upgrade the head unit to a Bluetooth capable receiver. To minimize the effort and mess, I ended up going with the fusion MS-RT70NSX. I have bigger plans for my electronics, so I made sure I had the one with NMEA2000 connectivity. But yeah, one piece at a time. Next up will probably be the speakers. As long as the original Clarion amp is working, I’ll probably leave it be.