ariette
Active Member
I'm keen to use a marine amplifier without a head unit to drive an ipod based stereo on the boat with both cockpit and saloon speakers. Anyone got any recommendations or experience from trying to put such a system together
ipod amplification
- Thread starter ariette
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Impaler
Well-Known Member
Not sure exactly what you mean but I have an FM transmitter that clips into the top of the ipod and you can tune the radio in to receive the signal. Works fine.
ariette
Active Member
thanks but the head unit is not needed if you don't want a radio and just more bits to go wrong on board. I'm just looking for a marine amplifier that has volume adjustment from the ipod and can feed 2x2 channels via a A/B switch so you can have music in the cockpit, inside the boat or both
Jonny_H
Well-Known Member
Wouldn't you need the radio to get weather forecasts and for music when the iPod batteries go dead? That how we use ours (with a cassette adapter as its a tape head unit - but the FM transmitters are good (got one in the car)).
Also, with a car stereo head unit, you can link the outside speakers to the front channel, and the inside speakers to the rear channel, and then use the FADE control to have complete control over how much sound you have where.
Jonny
Also, with a car stereo head unit, you can link the outside speakers to the front channel, and the inside speakers to the rear channel, and then use the FADE control to have complete control over how much sound you have where.
Jonny
AlanPound
Well-Known Member
Don't really know what a "marine amplifier" is... If you mean some sort of "marinised" or waterproof unit, then you will probably end up paying over the odds (if you can find anything at all)...
The usual thing is to find a decent car radio/CD player - ideally one with separate "front" and "back" outputs (these will have separate amplifiers, so the pairs of speakers can be controlled wrt front/back balance - which implies being able to turn one pair right off). The other good thing is to have a separate "aux" input, which you can drive directly from the iPod.
Not what you asked for, but manufactured in great volumes, and correspondingly inexpensive (for a lot of useful functions).
The usual thing is to find a decent car radio/CD player - ideally one with separate "front" and "back" outputs (these will have separate amplifiers, so the pairs of speakers can be controlled wrt front/back balance - which implies being able to turn one pair right off). The other good thing is to have a separate "aux" input, which you can drive directly from the iPod.
Not what you asked for, but manufactured in great volumes, and correspondingly inexpensive (for a lot of useful functions).
ians
Well-Known Member
steve_cronin
N/A
We had one of those Belkin FM transmitters but in Corfu, the whole FM band is occuupied so it was difficult to get interference free operation. We now have a Sony MArine radio with two Aux inputs. Connecting the IPod nano to this with a simple 3.5mm jack lead gives perfect performance. Only trouble is that the IPod has mysteriously dissappeared since our last but one trip to Corfu.
I can't see how you would have any difficulty with the set up you suggest unless the amplifier's input is seriously in-sensitive or from an era when impedence levels were out of kilter with modern ones.
Steve Cronin
I can't see how you would have any difficulty with the set up you suggest unless the amplifier's input is seriously in-sensitive or from an era when impedence levels were out of kilter with modern ones.
Steve Cronin
Jonny_H
Well-Known Member
ShaunG
Well-Known Member
You will need a 4 channel Amplifier. You will need a 3.5mm jackplug to 2 x RCA lead to connect between your ipod and the amp.
There are a couple of marinsed amps that have the PCB coated in epoxy, Clarion and Fusion are the two that spring to mind.
Fusion can be bought here http://www.smgeurope.com/product_display.cfm?id=1202
and Clarion can be bought here
http://www.marathonleisure.co.uk/acatalog/Amplifiers.html
I have installed a couple of systems similar to what you are after, it should work no problem, Bear in mind the power requirements though, you may find that a 4 x50w head unit is far more power efficent than a 4X50W amp, granted the quality will not be quite so good, but the sound quality is restricted by waterproof spearkers anyway.
if you want to control your Ipod from a head unit then Sony and Clarion produce Marine Head Units that you can control your ipod from, Both of these guys offer a waterproof remote control as well.
If you need more info or ideas on where to get the parts then please let me know, i am sure i can help /forums/images/graemlins/wink.gif
There are a couple of marinsed amps that have the PCB coated in epoxy, Clarion and Fusion are the two that spring to mind.
Fusion can be bought here http://www.smgeurope.com/product_display.cfm?id=1202
and Clarion can be bought here
http://www.marathonleisure.co.uk/acatalog/Amplifiers.html
I have installed a couple of systems similar to what you are after, it should work no problem, Bear in mind the power requirements though, you may find that a 4 x50w head unit is far more power efficent than a 4X50W amp, granted the quality will not be quite so good, but the sound quality is restricted by waterproof spearkers anyway.
if you want to control your Ipod from a head unit then Sony and Clarion produce Marine Head Units that you can control your ipod from, Both of these guys offer a waterproof remote control as well.
If you need more info or ideas on where to get the parts then please let me know, i am sure i can help /forums/images/graemlins/wink.gif
William_H
Well-Known Member
Perhaps this idea will not suit your needs but the fact is that small speakers and headphones are quite inefficient.
Such that decent large sized speakers can often be run very well from the headphone output of portable Ipod etcwithout further amplification. This especially so for relatively quiet saloon listening. And of course you can always add an amplifier if you really want it.
The larger the speaker the more efficient so more sound you get for less power in to the speaker. olewill
Such that decent large sized speakers can often be run very well from the headphone output of portable Ipod etcwithout further amplification. This especially so for relatively quiet saloon listening. And of course you can always add an amplifier if you really want it.
The larger the speaker the more efficient so more sound you get for less power in to the speaker. olewill