At the Sydney Boat Show (still happening, ends tomorrow), Sony showed they were ready to pump out the tunes for all those keen on a bit of high-fidelity on the high seas (or on a lake, or river, or whatever else floats your boat).
It’s a scene dominated by Clarion, so a bit of new competition is healthy like some sea air. And with their first showing of gear offering a full install at less than $1,000, suited best to boats running $50,000+, it’s no surprise the Sony crew were telling us they are struggling to keep up with demand.
No surprise again that the gear is largely adapted from their car range, so they aren’t exactly starting from scratch either…The big lessons Sony has learned so far? People like their speakers white and their head units and controllers black. Oh, and the gear needs to be UV, water, salt, and shock resistant (aka, compliant with the IPX5 water-resistance standard). Smartly, there is a cool Marine Commander Remote you can install near the helm so you can run the system while keeping the head unit below deck.
The marine stereo (CDX-HS70MW) runs at $549; marine amp (XM-604M) $297; and commander remote (RM-X55M) at $198. A few speaker kit options are in the mix to round out the picture.
