A marine stereo, or head unit, is the control centre of your boat's audio. We stock Fusion marine stereos, including the Apollo SRX400, MS-RA60 and MS-RA70N, alongside JBL Marine and JL Audio head units. Pair them with marine speakers, subwoofers and amplifiers. For help choosing, read our guide to choosing a marine stereo system.
What makes a marine stereo different from a car stereo?
It is sealed against water and dust and has UV-resistant displays and buttons, so it copes with spray and sun at the helm.
Can I control my stereo from my chartplotter?
Models with NMEA 2000, such as the Fusion MS-RA70N and the JBL Marine JAM5000N, can be controlled from compatible chartplotters. Check each product page for the displays and networks it supports.
Do I need an amplifier?
Often not for a simple system. Consider one when you are driving tower speakers or a subwoofer, or when you want more volume than the stereo's built-in amplifier gives.
A head unit's power output on paper counts for little once it is matched to real speakers; pairing wattage and impedance correctly avoids clipping distortion at volume and unnecessary strain on the amplifier stage. Where a head unit gains real capability is its network connection: NMEA 2000-capable units can share zone volume and source control with a compatible chartplotter, so the stereo can be operated from the helm display rather than a separate control head.
Bluetooth and app-based control cover most day-to-day use, but a wired connection or the head unit's own remote is generally more reliable in a cockpit than relying on a phone signal reaching a locker-mounted source unit.
If you are adding zones (cockpit, cabin, flybridge) later, check the head unit supports the number of zones and amplifiers you eventually want rather than just what you need on day one, since retrofitting a different source unit later is more disruptive than the speaker wiring itself.
