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We are fielding three big requests right now in this area: People who don’t have a radio at all but want one, people who want to have their phone or MP3 player connect to the radio in their boat, and people that have a radio that just sounds awful! In this day and age when our phones can connect to every appliance in our house we can’t blame them for wanting it in their boat!

We won’t sell you speakers and a brand name here, sight unseen, because that never works and always results in terrible performance or nightmare stories. Your boat isn’t a used Honda Civic. That’s why you are here, there is no rush to do things correctly!

What we do is a complete Marine Audio Assessment. If you contact us, we’ll make arrangements to send a Technician out to you and your boat. We’ll review your machine, what it is equipped with, how it is performing, what the power supply / charging system is capable of, your wants and your needs, and we’ll compare that with your budget. This is important.

When our Tech returns to the office, he’s going to do a lot of research on your behalf. He’s going to compare all of your wants, and needs, versus what can actually be done (and physically fit into your boat), versus the products that are available. He’s going to write a report that includes options, links to the specific products, along with his own recommendations, and including pricing. He’ll send that to you so that you can do your own research with the subject matter expertise that he has provided. What you’ll have is a complete idea of all the possibilities that are available to you. From there, we’ll want you to look at them, and Ask Questions.

Once your questions are answered and you’ve settled on the options that you like, we’ll write a complete estimate and get the ball rolling. The idea behind this procedure is that you’ll know exactly what we are going to do, what equipment we’ll use, how it will perform, and what you’ll be paying. By the time the job is done, we guarantee your expectations will be met and you’ll be wearing a smile!

We charge $80 to perform this assessment within the boundaries of Ottawa, and $20 for each additional 30 km outside of that boundary. If you bring the boat to us, we charge $60. The whole assessment process usually takes 2 weeks from point of contact to point of decision. Installations can usually be done within a few days of that decision being made.

We also do simple radio and speaker swaps or exchanges. Email us for quotes on these.

We do have access to an extensive line up, and we install everything we sell! What we have to choose from is tried and true, quality MARINE units that really work and actually last! Let’s take a closer look.

What is Marine Audio? We aren’t talking about a cheap radio bought on-sale in bulk by your boat manufacturer intended for passenger vehicles and hidden behind a cheesy plastic cover. And we certainly aren’t talking about installs that involve crimp connectors and garbage bag ties holding the wires! Those covers always break, IF they ever close right. You can’t see the display, and the rear of the unit is exposed to the same weather as the front so no real protection is offered. Those units were never designed to take the abuse of vibration, moisture, or sunlight, and fail in the Marine environment as a result. The photo to the right is a perfect example of what we DO NOT do, what we WILL NOT sell, installed in a manner that won’t last.

We sell true WATERPROOF source units, speakers, amplifiers, and even subwoofers! Some of our units support iPod, USB, Satellite Radio, WEATHERBAND, and even BlueTooth! The unit pictured to the left is made by Clarion, supports ALL of those features and it can take a non-stop stream from a garden hose!

Best of all, you can have it in your hands for $XXX, AND we warranty it for 3 years at no extra charge. Beat that, Big Box!

Some people have boats with no room for a radio. Some people really have to worry about theft where they leave their boat during the week. These people all have an option. This unit, also made by Clarion, is a two-piece radio. The receiver is a small unit which is installed somewhere that’s not obtrusive on the boat – perhaps under a seat or in the engine compartment. The transmitter and display is just as pictured to the right, and can be installed almost anywhere! Best of all, it can be packed away with the fish-finder and the life jackets at the end of the day. USB, iPod and Satellite radio compatible!

Imagine having access to this off of the back of your swim platform! Compatible with the Clarion Marine radios shown above, you can have as many as 3 of these watertight remote controls with display located in choice locations around your boat. If you are the type of person that likes to drop anchor and swim, think outside the box! This remote lets you change songs, stations or volume levels when you aren’t in the pilot’s seat! They are waterproof, watertight, and come with a 3 year warranty when we install them for only $149.95 each. Now that’s…just…the right…touch!

The sound comes from the speakers, so let’s talk about them next. In most cases, a good set of waterproof speakers will do the trick. DO NOT let someone put regular car audio speakers in your boat regardless of quality unless you want to watch them fail. The copper voice coil in speakers (an electromagnet) will corrode just like the roof of the Parliament Buildings, then it will short out and fail. For those that already have two speakers offshore, adding a second or third set will help you to hear the music rather than deliver background noise. We urge you to consider the  brands we carry, and you can review them by clicking on the links here or at the bottom of the page:    Clarion    Kenwood    Infinity    Cerwin-Vega   and don’t forget to search out reviews on YouTube like the “Cerwin-Vega Marine 10″ woofer test”. Watch these guys torture-test a speaker with a swimming pool!

Wakeboard Tower Speakers are in demand, and your Local Marina has them for about the same price as your firstborn child! Check out these mean machines by clicking on the image to the right. Made by Infinity, they are available as you see them, or in a package with a matched waterproof Marine amplifier and the integrated “Talk-Back” system. We have others… so ask us!

Let’s talk about Signals

If you don’t care about AM or FM Radio, then skip this part. If you are still one of the millions of people that tune in then you may want to pay attention here. This may save you a lot of frustration. AM signals still exist and millions tune in to them. They are broadcast horizontal to the earth – straight out from the broadcast station and are therefore limited to line of sight reception.

This is why AM fades under overpasses, in parking garages, and in the valley that holds your lake or waterway. FM transmission in comparison goes up and down bouncing its signal off the atmosphere and the earth in a saw tooth pattern. When that signal eventually hits the water, it dissipates and gets weak. As a result, getting a clear signal on the water is not easy.

For this reason, we always recommend an AM/FM amplified signal boost antenna. They take whatever signal they can find and amplify it by 12 decibels, or nearly 4 times the power. They don’t guarantee crystal clear reception, but they perform far better than the standard alternatives. We use these amplified antennas as standard equipment in our Marine Audio installations, and they’re available for purchase for older installations that may have been performed elsewhere.

We also offer Satellite Radio parts and installation including Marine grade mounts and antennas, just in case the static gets to you!

Installation

We install everything we sell, and service almost anything we don’t! We have our mobile crew of Qualified, Licensed service technicians available to travel on-site to your dock, cottage or marina just in case your boat isn’t quite as mobile as we are.

If you have any questions regarding Marine Audio products, services or installations, give us a call, or send us an email! We’ll consult with you to make sure your installation turns out to be better than you imagine!

Clarion  Kenwood  Infinity  Cerwin-Vega  DBDrive  MBQuart  Rockford Fosgate  Kicker  

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