Radio with good sounds.

Sneaky Pete

Sneaky Pete

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26 Nov 2009
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I would like to fit a new music radio at the chart table replacing the existing one plus two speakers in saloon. Are there any recommendations on makes and models of radio with USB ports and Bluetooth connectivity to the speakers? I have recently bought a Bose mini to connect to my android—awesome—but would like a more permanent installation.
 
I have just fitted a Pioneer DEH-X8500 DAB radio / CD player in my car.....bought from Halfords for £169 and I got a 10% discount as well but can't recall if that had an end date on the offer.

Unit gives amazing sound quality and has loads of good features.....DAB radio, AM/FM tuner, CD player, Bluetooth, 2 x USB at the rear with one extension cable supplied in kit, one audio output on front panel etc etc.

I have a 4GB memory stick on one of the USB extension cables, with the second output used for my iPOD, all tucked away in my glove compartment.

Reception on DAB amazing when the signal there, which is more than I expected, whilst standard AM/FM tuner is better than the Sony it replaced.

Set up menu allows you to choose colour of displays and buttons and also what pattens or flashing you what turned on or off......I dumbed mine down to just a deep gold with no flashing or graphics.

I'm in Troon

Regards

Mark
 
I'm a fan of the Fusion marine stereos, rather than something intended for a car. The only people who fit aftermarket car stereos nowadays are Kevs in 1-litre Vauxhall Novas with plastic bodykits, and it shows in the designs. They also tend to use a lot of power, and forget the settings when you turn the batteries off.

The Fusion units are waterproof, have many connection and input options, and can have a remote control installed so that when you're playing your iPod on "shuffle" and that embarrassing novelty song you bought years ago comes up, you can hit Skip from the cockpit :D.

Pete
 
Downloaded albums.......on previous cars i used to have a CD changer but nowadays it's just more downloaded music, not iTunes, which are of course on my iPod
 
Almost any radio will give high quality audio within the bounds of the media source. What really makes the difference in sounjd quality is the speakers. Basically the bigger the better. But some small speakers can work well. Just buy the radio that has the inputs and media that you need. There is no such thing as a hi fi radio just higher priced IMHO.
olewill
 
William_H said:
Almost any radio will give high quality audio within the bounds of the media source. What really makes the difference in sounjd quality is the speakers. Basically the bigger the better. But some small speakers can work well. Just buy the radio that has the inputs and media that you need. There is no such thing as a hi fi radio just higher priced IMHO.
olewill
Click to expand...
You have DAB+. We are lumbered with original DAB, which is next to useless.
 
elton said:
You have DAB+. We are lumbered with original DAB, which is next to useless.
Click to expand...

I suspect given the average age of people on here and their spectrum of hearing it won't make one bit of difference.
Personally I would like to find a head unit that doesn't have a built in CD unit. It's years since I bought a CD. The things are so yesterday.
Don't even have CD's in the car.
 
I like the look of the double din android stereos available now, navionics, weather, films,whatever you want, all from a stereo!
 
elton said:
You have DAB+. We are lumbered with original DAB, which is next to useless.
Click to expand...

My understanding is that our DAB could be ok, except that they're using ludicrously low bitrates for most of the streams. Can't remember the figures now, just that it was even lower than I used on my very first MP3 player fifteen years ago (when you had to dial it down to fit more than half a dozen songs on) - and I could definitely hear the difference then and I'm no "golden ears" audiophile.

Pete
 
Car radios, 1-DIN, are ridiculously cheap and many have a USB socket on the facia for easy MP3 playback. As others have written, the sound quality rests on the loudspeakers (plus sufficient RMS audio output) and a boat doesn't usually have much space for an adequate size nor is it an ideal acoustic space.

A relevant thread from the Liveaboard forum is here :
http://www.ybw.com/forums/showthread.php?334779-MP3/page2
 
Quote: Not really answering the question but these are fantastic for the money and draw very little power..
http://www.ebay.co.uk/sch/i.html?_tr...at=0&_from=R40
Add a bluetooth reciever and off you go.
Unquote.

Yup.
I have one allied to a pair of old domestic speakers rescued from a skip. I'm not bothered about the speakers getting damp as they cost nothing and replacements will be just as expensive.
The amplifier takes signal from a small DAB radio, plus MP3 from tablet and/or phone.
 
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