Square and Custom Fit Marine Radio

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Do these Units have a built-in amplifier?

Some do, some don't. It will state the power output in the product spec chart of each radio, but we can save you the time.

The following square-style marine stereos come with a built-in amplifier:

Rockford Fosgate PMX-2
Rockford Fosgate PMX-3
JL Audio MM50
Wet Sounds WS-MC-1
Wet Sounds WS-MC-2
Kicker KMC10
Boss MGR450B
Infinity INFPRV315

The following do NOT have a built-in amplifier and require an external amp:

Rockford Fosgate PMX-0
Rockford Fosgate PMX-1
JL Audio MM100-BE

Is the built-in amplifier comparable to an external amp?

No. They are not even in the same ballpark. Head units are all rated based on their peak power. The 50 watts per channel claim, for the most part, means that the radio will put out 50 watts of power when it is struck by lighting, and then it will immediately blow up and stop working. Most DIN size marine stereos put out 15-25W RMS. This is enough power to give you "Ok" sound but it isn't going to be great. If your boat goes over 30 mph, you will probably want more. If you just go out on a nice little sunset cruise, you don't really ever go fast, deck power from the head unit is fine. We recommend adding an amplifier. It just always sounds that much better. It is the difference between the speakers that are built into your TV and having a Bose home theater system. Adding an external amps is not that expensive in the grand scheme of owning a boat and 50 watts from an amp and 50 watts from a marine stereo are not even remotely close in terms of volume, sound quality, or clarity. We recommend adding the external amplifier. You will enjoy your boat so much more with your favorite songs playing as loud as you want, crystal clear, and without distortion.

How many zones do I need?

The number of zones you need in your boat will usually depend on the size of your boat and how many speakers you have. The more zones you have the more control you have. But, these make the most sense when you have multiple speakers in different parts of the boat, separated by some distance. If you have a 22 foot wakeboard boat, having 4 zones doesn't make sense. If you have an 60 foot sportfisher, you might want 4 zones becuase the volume you want or need outside is going to be much different than the volume you want inside. You can also use the fader to control volume. If you have tower speakers, we usually reocmmend wiring the tower speakers to either front or rear so that you can control how much volume goes to the tower speakers versus the speakers in the hull.

If I want AM/FM, what do I about an antenna?

The easiest way to add an antenna for AM/FM reception is to purchase one of the little, black-box antennas. These use the 12v power lead from either the blue, REM wire on the stereo's harness or, if the stereo has a power antenna lead, use that. You usually have to place the black box away from metal surfaces as the metal will shield the AM/FM signal. The work well when installed correctly, they don't work well when they are not.

Are these square marine stereo water proof?

These square style marine receivers have much better water resistance compared to the DIN size receivers. Most of these marine stereos are rated to IP66 or IPX6 meaning that they are splash proof. Please double check the water ingresssion rating for the stereo before taking a hose to it.