New member of the community here. To start, thanks to all of you active forum participants as I have spent a couple of nights reading posts here in preparation for the asking what I hope will be some smart questions. Sorry about the long post but I want to get this right.As background, I live in western Connecticut on keep an 2001 Angler 18' c/c on the Long Island Sound. My kids and I use it mostly for fishing with some tubing and cruising as well. The boat is shrink wrapped and stored outdoors for the winter so it is dry but will be subject to freezing temperatures (not sure if this is relevant). The boat did not come with an audio system and I am finally getting around to installing one. I am likely to keep the boat through this season and probably next but I will be upgrading at some point. Thus, I have budgeted about $300-400 to install a head unit and speakers. I can't justify going with an 'ideal" system with separate amps and four JL Audio speakers - that will have to wait for the "upgrade".Our usage is simple and we would play music when running to and between fishing spots. Since we stay relatively local, our runs are 20-30 minutes at most. We usually fish shallow so we won't play (loud at least) while fishing. The other activities are different and would lead to longer listening periods. Our music tastes run more to classic rock, metal, new wave than to jazz. We live within reach of the NYC and LI radio stations so broadcast radio is very clean and there's little need for satellite (I have XM in my truck). The kids and I own several iPods so using them as sources is likely so an auxillary input is desired. Interestingly, I was looking at heads that play MP3 CDs but, as you will see in a minute, I now wonder if that is necessary given iPods and radio.So, the console on the 180F is typical of a boat of its size - cramped. I want to do a flush mount of the head end but, with the fishfinder installed there is no natural place on the console face to install it, partly due to the depth. One option I have been looking at is JBL's "black box" receiver, the JBL MBB-218S. I read ScarabChris' post but was wondering if anyone else has had experience with this unit? This unit eliminates the CD mechanism which allows the "guts" to be stored away from the head end making installation in my situation much easier. This also allows the head end to be much more water proof at a lower cost given the lack of a CD door. This unit boasts 45 watts x 4 though I have not been able to find it in a store and haven't heard it. I missed the NY Boat Show which may have been my shot at an audition.So any thoughts on the MBB-218S? Are ProSpec manufactured head units any good?I had been looking at the Poly-Planar speakers (low magnetic field) but, after reading some many real-world experience posts here, I am now stearing toward the Infinity units. You Infinity fans, any thoughts on which model with a 45 watt receiver? I run a two stroke Optimax engine which is a bit quieter than your basic two but not as quiet as a four. Thus, the 6x9s were what I was thinking of. Can the JBL unit drive those effeciently.Any other thoughts?BTW, one of you recommended to another poster to install an amp without a receiver at all. That poster was going to focus use an iPod almost exclusively and the thinking was to keep it simple. Any thoughts on that sort of setup?If you have read this far I thank for your time and look forward to your comments.Tom
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