This is a project in work, so it will be updated over the next few weeks.
When I first received the boat, I noticed that one of the speakers was not quite working correctly. This was a name-brand "marine" speaker, When I removed the speaker, I noticed that the voice coil had deterioated and fell apart. While this speaker is 11 years old, even a marine rated speaker is no match to the marine environment.
The selection of the replacement speakers took some forethought. I really did not want to enlarge the holes if necessary, therefore, it took some searching to find a matching hole and bolt pattern. I was also concerned about using non-marine speakers when the location subjects them to the full outdoors. I realize that some manufacturers may simply use white covers and call their speakers "marine grade", but true marine-rated speakers have other features such as plastic spyders (voice coil support baskets).
I used Polk dB650s in the last boat and was very happy with them. While they are not true "marine" speakers, a cockpit or canvas cover kept the cockpit speakers out of the elements, so this was not an issue. I'll save the Polks for the cabin.
Since the exterior speakers on this boat are directly exposed to the elements, so I chose Sony XS-MP1620W 2-Way speakers. You can see here that the speakers are true marine speakers with plastic corrosion-proof spyder baskets.
Speaker replacement for this project is pretty easy. Modern speaker systems often have an odd set of terminals. The set I purchased came with these terminals, but soldering or other methods of attachment can be used.
Normally I like to provide an extra step and seal the rear of the speaker with silicone sealant. Silicone works well here, because it provides an air-tight seal, and it is easily removeable. Under no circumstances should you use adhesive sealants, such as 3M 4200 or 5200 - as these may permanently attach the speakers to the boat.
However, in this case, I have elected to not silicone the speakers, because there is a wiring port behind them. The wiring port provides the main path for electrical wiring and other items from the main cabin to the flybridge, so it must remain accessasble. So in any boat, you need to be aware of what ramifications sealing speakers may present.
As you might have guessed, I did use Polk dB650s for the interior cabin. I have found these to be outstanding speakers, and are really not very expensive. The panels are a bit of a comprimise here. They do form an infinite baffle, which is good, but they simply velcro in place. This is required because behind the panels are wiring raceways. However, the removeable panels tends to result in rattling from the vibration of the speakers. If I were to make them "tight", chances are that they would be more difficult to remove the next time I need to access the wiring. I have not as of yet thought of a solution to this problem.
No debating it - the old system has to go. True, the system is 11 years old - which means its not only outdated, but the installation simply does not pass my asthetic eye.
I cannot be sure, but I do believe that after looking at photos of other Carver 325s, that a previous owner (there were two), may have cut the block of wood for the stereo mount. And I am pretty sure, again from photos of other boats, that the A-B antenna switch below the stereo was a factory install by Carver. The boat has a built-in TV "Flying Saucer" antenna - hidden in the helm area, as well as a "shorepower" connection for cable-tv. This switch allows selecting either.
Using skills that I developed from the last boat, I bought a piece of Corian for the stereo mount. This corian is solid black, and when polished, it takes on the gloss and look of Black Onyx - very elegant. DuPont, the makers of Corian recognize that there are some non-kitchen applications for their product - namely artistic, woodworking, and other art forms. Therefore, they do sell small pieces through a company called Art Specialties (1-800-724-4008). You can get pieces large enough to do a project such as this, but not large enough to do a countertop.
After cutting, shaping, and drilling all of the holes needed, I used progressive grits of wet-and-dry sandpaper, all the way to 12,000 grit. The end result was indeed a Onyx-like piece of Corian.
I decided to mount a switch panel below the stereo unit for various accessories, as well as an auxillary input, should I decided to connect a MP-3 player or other accessory. The polished aluminum rack handles were standard kitchen cupboard pulls rather than bona-fide rack handles. For some odd reason, as you will see, they seemed to match the stereo unit's faceplate better.
Using my mediocre sheet metal working skills, and a $25 hand brake, I fashioned a mounting bracket at the rear of the assembly to tie everything together for a solid module.
After attaching the front faceplate and mounting the system in the boat, everything was connected, and fired up. The functions of the switches along the bottom, from left to right, are:
As part of this installation, I relocated the A-B switch for the TV antenna and Cable TV inlet to be hidden inside of the aft cabin's locker.
The final look of the stereo system sure is different than the original installation. One note on the stereo unit itself. It is a Sony CDX-MP80, which is actually not made anymore (production ceased in 2004). We had a CDX-MP70 in the last boat, and we liked it so much that we were quite astounded to find a new - still in the box MP80 (which is the big brother of the MP70). We just don't like the current offerings from Sony quite as much. However, if money is no object, and if you want the ultimate in a car stereo system for your boat cabin, I might suggest the MX-406 from McIntosh Labs. This is the same McIntosh as the famous home stereo builder of the 70s and 80s, and for me, it presents state of the art in stereo systems.
Any stereo system on a boat that is located in the cabin should have a wired remote control at the helm. We accomplished this with a Sony RM-XM55 wired remote. Before choosing a wired remote, make sure it is compatible with your stereo unit. For most stereo brands, not all of their units will work with their wired remotes.
The old CD changer was replaced with a 10 disk CD/MP3 changer. The changer was mounted in the closet in the aft cabin. It would have been nice to mount the changer below the stereo unit itself, however, the available space, nor the mounting brackets did not lend itself to this mounting arrangement.
