Marine Radios

What is a marine stereo?

- More than music on board -

With excellent sound quality, elegant design and functionality, today's marine stereos are a welcome, if not essential addition to any boat's equipment. Not only providing the best music enjoyment thanks to modern sound systems, marine radios are also part of the basic safety equipment on board. This is because you will still be able to receive the latest weather report through your radio, even if you find yourself in a mobile phone reception dead spot at high sea or in a sheltered bay. The multi-band radios from SANGEAN are particularly suitable for offshore sailing. Our large selection of brands and products impresses with all the bells and whistles that make a waterproof radio suitable for marine use. These marine radios, when installed correctly, are both waterproof and weatherproof, and, when combined with the right antenna, have excellent reception.

The New Zealand manufacturer FUSION has made a name for itself with its sound systems specially developed for water sports. The waterproof marine radios and speakers from FUSION are designed with excellent sound quality, elegant style and functionality. So-called Digital Signal Processing (DSP) technology optimises sound quality by adjusting it according to playback quality, the environment and the volume. With the FUSION-Link app, marine radios can be easily controlled via smartphone. 

With its multi-band radios, the electronics manufacturer SANGEAN develops radios for use on the high seas. Founded in 1974, the company is a world leader in what its sector.

The best sound system is only as good as its speakers. To get the most out of your marine radio, you'll need speakers that are also marine grade. They must be seawater and corrosion resistant. To meet this requirement, the German manufacturer VISATON produces speakers of the highest quality for below and on deck use.

What types of boat radio reception are there?

Marine radios are able to receive various types of signal. These are usually received via VHF (FM) or medium wave (AM). Multi-band radios can receive both long and short wave radio signals. However, these frequencies are being used less and less. The difference is in the range. The VHF range is a few tens of kilometers, depending on conditions it can be more. Medium wave signals cover several hundred kilometers. Shortwave occupies a special place among radio waves. Due to their large range, signals can be received worldwide - for example with the SANGEAN ATS 909X2 multi-band receiver.

But the marine radio of the future is digital. Marine dab radio (Digital Audio Broadcast) is the talk of the town in this respect. And now, with DAB+, the best sound quality is possible, without any noise. More and more stations are using digital radio, and FM is gradually being phased out. FUSION therefore offers an upgrade with external DAB modules for its earlier models.

Most marine radios have multiple playback sources. In addition to USB, AUX and Bluetooth, the FUSION radio remote control MS-RA770, for example, has integrated WiFi. This means that smartphones or computers can be wirelessly connected to the sound system with little effort. Some radios can also be connected to your boat's navigation system via NMEA2000 and controlled with the chartplotter.

Most marine radios have a two-zone speaker system for the best audio experience. Here, volume and sound can be set individually for two different zones - for example one for the cockpit and one for the saloon. Special marine speakers are recommended, in which the membranes are made of waterproof and corrosion-resistant materials.

The best reception also requires an appropriate antenna. We always recommend buying a matching mast antenna when buying a marine stereo. The higher the boat antenna is mounted, the better the reception. 

How do you connect a marine radio?

Marine radio systems are designed for the harsh conditions at sea. This means that radios are waterproof and corrosion resistant. When installing below deck, however, care must be taken to ensure that the installation seal supplied is fitted.

Installation itself is very easy. You should ideally install your radio close to the power supply, speaker cable and antenna connection. A template is usually included with the radio for the cut-out hole to place the radio in. A Multimaster cutting tool is useful for this, but be careful when cutting not to damage any hidden cables. 

A waterproof installation seal, cable sets and, depending on the model, NMEA2000 cable for networking via SeaTalk with the navigation system are included. Screw the radio into the bracket, connect the cables with clamp connectors, plug in the antenna and you're done!

For convenient and easy operation, we recommend a wireless radio remote control such as the FUSION MS-ARX70B, which can be attached to any location using adhesive tape. 

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We also have TVs for boats and accessories for smartphones and tablets to match your on-board entertainment system, perfect for your next cruise.