Cheapest Stereo System Ever

[seachange]

For the first six months of our cruise we were listening to music on our cranked up on our cell phones because we could not bring ourselves to fork over the $100+ to West Marine for a "marine" 12V stereo system or even the $60 to Walmart for a cheapo car stereo system.

All our music is in electronic format so I could not see the point in buying something that played CDs. We have a Kaito radio, so I did not want to pay over for a radio we did not need. I also couldn't see how I could nicely mount either system.

The solution for us was a 12v mini amplifier from eBay for $12. The amplifier has a mp3 plugin so we can plugin the radio or our mp3 players into it. Here is a link to the one we bought:
http://www.ebay.com/itm/Mini-Hi-Fi-Audio-Stereo-Amplifier-for-Cars-Motorcycle-Boat-Home-12V-/221037416448?pt=Car_Amplifiers&hash=item3376db5000

Are we cheap? Sounds like it. But it works great.

[CapnK]

I've been using one of those for a couple of years - not the same brand, but otherwise apparently identical from what I can see. I use it to run 2 6"x9" speakers. It came with a wall wart that converts 120AC to 12V DC, so I just wired it into the mains for power. Works great. Get a long patchcord, and you can use it plugged into your laptop for "movie night". :)

[s/v Faith]

Very cool idea!

  Faith has been using a boom box, that I have never really been happy with.  It takes too much room below, but I never found a way I wanted to mount the standard marinized car radio....

  Why does it not suprise me you have one of these Kurt?  Maybe because I remember the "speakers" you rigged up when you first brought Katie down to SC.... Iirc you went to RadioShack and bought some car speakers.... And used the boxes they came in to make cardboard "enclosures".   ;D

 

[CapnK]

Those enclosures lasted a year or so... ;D