Yeah another radio thread -- Stereo Upgrade

G

Golfman25

Well-Known Member
Sep 12, 2009
7,695
IL
Boat Info
1998 370 Sundancer
Engines
7.4 MPI
So 1998 370 Sundancer. Have an old Clarion M303 with the cd changer in the cabin. Remote at the helm. No amps that I can find. Runs 4 speakers and a sub in the cockpit. Also looks like it runs the cabin speakers as well. Handles bluetooth streaming, which is basically all we use these days.

Cold rainy day, so dreaming of an upgrade. Question is replace the unit in the cabin with a multi zone unit -- cabin and cockpit? Or just add a new unit at the helm (cabin unit would stay run the cabin), with amp. to run sub and 4 speakers? Seems like adding at the helm would be "easy," no long runs in the cabin.

What say you?
 
There has to be an amplifier - probably behind one of the cabin seat backs....
Anyhow - I'd keep the Clarion for the solon and install new speakers and a sub using the existing amplifier to power that area.
Then get a nice separate system for the helm and cockpit with new amplifiers. Plus you can feed the solon Television audio into the M303 and have a rather good television experience down there. I gotta tell you that I really love the Fusion RA770 I have but it's way on the expensive side of the spectrum. If you have Garmin chartplotters then the Fusion can be controlled from them.
The down side - If you have SiriusXM, it will only interface with one of the two systems unless you have two subscriptions. Actually, I'm not sure the M303 is Sirius ready anyways.
 
To Tom's point on the Fusion stuff. Way expensive, but way worth it. Personally I'd ditch everything and put the RA770 in the salon area and a remote at the helm. The RA770 is a 4 zone unit so you can do anything you like with it and it also has many inputs for just about any configuration.

https://www.garmin.com/en-US/c/marine/fusion-audio-entertainment/

I have mine in basically 3 zones (two in the cockpit- merged as one). Many 3x NRX300 remotes and 2x ERX400 remotes, plus the MFD(S).
 
I thought the fusion radios would interface with other MFDs as well?
 
ttmott said:
There has to be an amplifier - probably behind one of the cabin seat backs....
Anyhow - I'd keep the Clarion for the solon and install new speakers and a sub using the existing amplifier to power that area.
Then get a nice separate system for the helm and cockpit with new amplifiers. Plus you can feed the solon Television audio into the M303 and have a rather good television experience down there. I gotta tell you that I really love the Fusion RA770 I have but it's way on the expensive side of the spectrum. If you have Garmin chartplotters then the Fusion can be controlled from them.
The down side - If you have SiriusXM, it will only interface with one of the two systems unless you have two subscriptions. Actually, I'm not sure the M303 is Sirius ready anyways.
Click to expand...
The m303 is siriusxm ready. But I just stream it thru the app on my phone so it’s overkill for me. I do like the fusion stuff.

I’ll have to look harder for the amp. Do the seat backs just pull out.
 
I went with the fusion MS-770 last summer, love the zones and everything about it. It’s a little quirky at times, but it it worth the money imo

SKybolt said:
To Tom's point on the Fusion stuff. Way expensive, but way worth it. Personally I'd ditch everything and put the RA770 in the salon area and a remote at the helm. The RA770 is a 4 zone unit so you can do anything you like with it and it also has many inputs for just about any configuration.

https://www.garmin.com/en-US/c/marine/fusion-audio-entertainment/

I have mine in basically 3 zones (two in the cockpit- merged as one). Many 3x NRX300 remotes and 2x ERX400 remotes, plus the MFD(S).
Click to expand...
 
Golfman25 said:
So 1998 370 Sundancer. Have an old Clarion M303 with the cd changer in the cabin. Remote at the helm. No amps that I can find. Runs 4 speakers and a sub in the cockpit. Also looks like it runs the cabin speakers as well. Handles bluetooth streaming, which is basically all we use these days.

Cold rainy day, so dreaming of an upgrade. Question is replace the unit in the cabin with a multi zone unit -- cabin and cockpit? Or just add a new unit at the helm (cabin unit would stay run the cabin), with amp. to run sub and 4 speakers? Seems like adding at the helm would be "easy," no long runs in the cabin.

What say you?
Click to expand...
I put a Fusion unit in my 340 using 4 zones before I moved to the 400. Set up an NMEA2000 backbone to the Garmin chartplotter I also installed. Then sold the boat...
 
jmauld said:
I thought the fusion radios would interface with other MFDs as well?
Click to expand...

Yes, Simrad and Raymarine (Axiom) also. But each MFD has a little different interface that they made from the Fusion one.
 
I put in the fusion 670 and and wish I would have gotten the 770 for the native wifi and extra zone. My plan was to run the cabin speakers off the built in amp on head unit, but that messed up zone stuff to the amp, so I just left that crappy factory amp in for cabin on zone 3. That way radio switch at hatch still works. I did add a travel jump router to solve the wifi problem on the boat and relay marina wifi on the boat. USB upgrade sucked bad... In the cockpit, garmin mfd via nmea 2000 works great and have one of the bluetooth remotes on arch. I have the Garmin marine ethernet cable. I I hook the fusion up that method, some other bells and whistles open up but the stupid Garmin network lockdown on the MFD is a mess.
 
But, with a single Fusion running different zones you cannot have multiple sources playing.
I say this as we have little ones on the boat and they like to be in the solon watching television or their own music whilst we are on the bridge or swim platform listening to our music. So, to have independent audio systems has value.
 
ttmott said:
But, with a single Fusion running different zones you cannot have multiple sources playing. ...
Click to expand...

When Fusion first came out years ago. I spoke with there tech support on this exact subject. I was going to get the BB300 and wanted independent sources in zones. They had said they are working independent sources and the 770 would have this feature when it comes out. There answer is/was the party bus thing and also the SRX400 as a zone remote. Although that is just a dumbed down head unit with 25w of power.
 
SKybolt said:
When Fusion first came out years ago. I spoke with there tech support on this exact subject. I was going to get the BB300 and wanted independent sources in zones. They had said they are working independent sources and the 770 would have this feature when it comes out. There answer is/was the party bus thing and also the SRX400 as a zone remote. Although that is just a dumbed down head unit with 25w of power.
Click to expand...
The Partybus was an epic flop. It's premis was to allow a mulitude of stereo systems to play the same source. So, back to what @Golfman25 was trying to achieve: If he desires multiple sources in different areas of the boat then I'd recommend keeping the existing and adding a new at the helm. If he desires single source but independent control in different areas of the boat then a multi zone head like the RA770. One thing of note on the RA770 is I cannot seem to set different levels of volume in different zones then switch to combine the volume control and keep the differential.
 
ttmott said:
... One thing of note on the RA770 is I cannot seem to set different levels of volume in different zones then switch to combine the volume control and keep the differential.
Click to expand...

Right, the "All" zones volume level for some strange reason they decided to bring the lower levels all to the same level and then increase all to the same new level.

I am going to call them on this, as it is also a problem for me as well.
 
ttmott said:
The Partybus was an epic flop. It's premis was to allow a mulitude of stereo systems to play the same source. So, back to what @Golfman25 was trying to achieve: If he desires multiple sources in different areas of the boat then I'd recommend keeping the existing and adding a new at the helm. If he desires single source but independent control in different areas of the boat then a multi zone head like the RA770. One thing of note on the RA770 is I cannot seem to set different levels of volume in different zones then switch to combine the volume control and keep the differential.
Click to expand...
Interesting discussion on zones. Seems like it's not at all like my home receiver with 2 zones. I can play the same source on zones 1 and 2. Or I can play TV inside on zone 1 and stream music outside on Zone 2. So not sure what value they would bring on the boat.

My biggest desire is simplicity. By adding a unit to the helm it seems simple -- old hole from raymarine device and all the wires are nearby or the speaker runs are short. No runs to and from the cabin.

Our primary use is streaming from our phones while sitting in the cockpit. Or maybe pulling in the local radio station. The old unit in the cabin would rarely be used. We usually just click the TV on when down there.
 
Golfman25 said:
Interesting discussion on zones. Seems like it's not at all like my home receiver with 2 zones. I can play the same source on zones 1 and 2. Or I can play TV inside on zone 1 and stream music outside on Zone 2. So not sure what value they would bring on the boat.

My biggest desire is simplicity. By adding a unit to the helm it seems simple -- old hole from raymarine device and all the wires are nearby or the speaker runs are short. No runs to and from the cabin.

Our primary use is streaming from our phones while sitting in the cockpit. Or maybe pulling in the local radio station. The old unit in the cabin would rarely be used. We usually just click the TV on when down there.
Click to expand...
Exactly right. Even though, at least on my home system, is if I play different sources on other zones then I lose surround features on the home theater zone. The solution is way out of my economic "zone" but then, why would I immerse myself in a theater experience while playing Nirvana around the pool?
 
I am almost positive I can set the zones different, and raise the volume that keeps them different. Put the unit and remote in late summer, used it 1-2 weekends

Zone 1 is at 2, zone 2 is at 4, zone 3 is at 3 and zone 4 is at 5…. I I raise the main volume they keep their difference and all bump up the same amount…. I may have done that at the 400 wired remote, I don’t recall for sure, it’s winter time and I haven’t used it since fall

ttmott said:
The Partybus was an epic flop. It's premis was to allow a mulitude of stereo systems to play the same source. So, back to what @Golfman25 was trying to achieve: If he desires multiple sources in different areas of the boat then I'd recommend keeping the existing and adding a new at the helm. If he desires single source but independent control in different areas of the boat then a multi zone head like the RA770. One thing of note on the RA770 is I cannot seem to set different levels of volume in different zones then switch to combine the volume control and keep the differential.
Click to expand...
 
So was able to dig around a bit today. Still can’t find amp. But Radio has a set of RCA plugs for speakers Front left and right and rear/sub left and right. Both being used. But the regular speaker connections are also connected — front back left and right. Is that even possible?
 
Golfman25 said:
So was able to dig around a bit today. Still can’t find amp. But Radio has a set of RCA plugs for speakers Front left and right and rear/sub left and right. Both being used. But the regular speaker connections are also connected — front back left and right. Is that even possible?
Click to expand...

Absolutely, if the RCA's are being used then there are amp(s) somewhere being used. If the internal speaker out(s) have wires connected to them then there are also speakers connected as well. Yes I stated the obvious, but I would, with all zones on, disconnect one RCA at a time and note what stops playing. Then disconnect all of the RCA's and you can hear what is directly connected to the head unit. My guess is the cabin speakers are the internal amp and the cockpit speakers are the external amp.

EDIT: I should add that if you trace the RCA wires out, you will find where the amp(s) is.
 
Chris-380 said:
I am almost positive I can set the zones different, and raise the volume that keeps them different. Put the unit and remote in late summer, used it 1-2 weekends

Zone 1 is at 2, zone 2 is at 4, zone 3 is at 3 and zone 4 is at 5…. I I raise the main volume they keep their difference and all bump up the same amount…. I may have done that at the 400 wired remote, I don’t recall for sure, it’s winter time and I haven’t used it since fall
Click to expand...

Chris, I am going to verify this today for us. I'll get some pic's of raising the volume by all. I don't do that, that much. But will try both the app and head unit and ERX400 remote. I am curious about this as well and may have confused this with the single zone volume changing will raise the max volume level setting on the screen.
 
Ok so first of all sorry for the bad pics, I didn't check them after I took the shot.

But as @Chris-380 Chris said, when changing the volume using "All" all of the volume leves will change with the "All" level. I used the ERX400 remote, I did not try the head unit, but believe it is the same. The phone app reacted the same way. @ttmott Tom I didn't try the NRX300 because it's a bit of a PITA to change it to all. Going to assume that will work the same way, but is that where the issue is, with the NRX300?

PXL_20230319_160103276.jpg


PXL_20230319_160123176.jpg



Sorry @Golfman25 for changing the topic. Hopefully you will find this info useful.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Forum statistics

Threads
113,154
Messages
1,427,381
Members
61,060
Latest member
Danileo
Back
Top