Marine Electronics Journal’s 7 Best Stereo Systems

The Marine Electronics Journal is the publication of the National Marine Electronics Association (NMEA) and once a year, it asks electronics manufacturers what is their “Best and Brightest” product in category. It may not be the newest or the most advanced, but overall they consider it a star. Following are the stereo receivers and speakers that fit the bill.

Fusion Apollo RA770

The Apollo RA770 is the world’s most awarded marine stereo. Featuring many industry firsts including Fusion’s Digital Signal Processing technology (DSP), PartyBus-Network capabilities, built-in Wi-Fi with Apple AirPlay 2 and a large color touchscreen display, the Apollo RA770 redefines audio excellence with its revolutionary technology and innovative design to deliver an unprecedented marine audio entertainment experience.

Clarion CMSP

Offered in 6.5” (16.51 cm) and 7.7” (19.56 cm) options, the new CMSP coaxial, full-range speakers and matching 10-inch subwoofers benefit from Clarion’s decades of experience in marine audio design. The premium marine coaxial speakers feature a bridge-mounted, edge-driven, silk dome tweeter with neodymium magnet and ferrofluid cooling for outstanding high-frequency detail. Integrated within the woofer basket, away from the elements, is a second-order, high-pass tweeter filter. Woofer assembly is sealed from the front to eliminate a common failure point of typical coaxial speakers and creates more woofer cone surface area for better efficiency and output. Available in 6.5” (16.51 cm) with or without optional built-in RGB (red, green, blue) LED lighting or 7.7” (19.56 cm)with built-in RGB LED lighting. The CMSP series also includes a powerful 10” (25.4 cm) subwoofer optimized for infinite-baffle applications.

Simrad/Lowrance/B&G SonicHub 2

SonicHub2 gives users complete control of songs, radio stations as well as video from Lowrance, Simrad and B&G multifunction displays and is also the first marine audio system built on the newly implemented NMEA 2000 audio entertainment protocol. A drop-in replacement for the original SonicHub entertainment system, the enhanced, black-box solution provides independent dual-zone control and features built-in Bluetooth audio streaming, dual stereo AUX-IN connections, integrated support for Pandora internet radio via smartphone or tablet without the need for additional hardware, and compatibility with the WM-3 SiriusXM satellite radio/marine weather module (subscription required). SonicHub2 is compatible with both iOS and Android platforms, comes equipped with a video output for USB video playback, has dual USB ports for connecting/charging multiple devices, and includes a built-in AM/FM antenna.

Poly-Planar MA-OC6

The Ocean Series of 6.5-inch high-performance, waterproof speakers surround your boat with clear, crisp sound and cool blue light. These two-way coaxial speakers are low profile, waterproof and LED-lit. Features include IPX6 waterproof rating; rugged mechanical construction using materials that are resistant to sun, salt and corrosion; independently mounted crossover circuit; 6.5” (16.51 cm) cone; high-power, long-excursion woofer with 35-mm voice coil; and peak power rated at 480 watts per pair. Three-year warranty.

Infinity Kappa 6120M

Infinity’s Kappa marine loudspeakers leverage Infinity’s world-class audio engineering and music reproduction with purpose-built marine loudspeakers that will survive the rigors of the harsh marine environment. The 6.5-inch coaxial pair has a Plus One cone (results in higher sensitivity), mylar dome tweeter, one-piece cast polymer basket, sealed magnet, and rubber surround for high SPL performance. The speaker is rated at 100W RMS/300W Peak with a sensitivity rating of 92 dB at 2.83 V. The speaker also includes two forms of illumination (center mount and perimeter) for optimal boat lighting at night. Available in white or titanium.

JBL-R3500

The JBL-R3500 is the opener of the all-new WAKE series from JBL Marine. This source unit features AM/FM/WB, 4x55W Peak @ 4 ohms, BT5.0, 2-ohm stability, USB input, aux input, and one set of pre-outs. The LCD viewing area is a sizeable 4 inches and the source unit also includes a rotary encoder for a smooth interface. The faceplate measures 6.4 x 2.95 x .4 inches and is IPX6 rated. The sequel, the JBL-R5500 with upgraded features and the same cutout and footprint as the JBL-R3500, will be available shortly.

JL Audio M7

Extending JL Audio’s popular line of M6 speakers is the massively powerful 12-inch M7 marine subwoofer with transflective RGB illumination. Featuring more cone surface area and greater woofer excursion than any other JL Audio marine subwoofer, M7 is able to handle more than twice the power of JL’s potent 10-inch M6 subwoofers, proving there is no replacement for displacement. More than powerful, M7 subwoofers are designed to precisely reproduce powerful, high-impact, low-distortion bass and evenly disperse smooth sound in an open-air boat environment. Featuring the same grille design as the M6 line of marine speakers found in numerous new boats around the world, M7 can be seamlessly integrated into any style of boat to add powerful bass.

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