Stereo Upgrade 2004 Air Nautique 216

[hattie626]

I am looking to upgrade my entire stereo system on my 2004 Air Nautique 216. But, I have questions about what are the best speakers to use and if replacing the stereo itself and controls on the dash is necessary and if so, where to find a control panel to fit the hole.
Also, we are completely redoing it and if you have any suggestions on what to do about the dirty gages and if I need to replace them or if they are able to be cleaned.

[NautiqueJeff]

Can't go wrong with Roswell R1 speakers. They are my go-to on all of my restorations.

Finding a remote to fit that hole will be nearly impossible. Unless you have reason to replace the head unit and remote, I suggest leaving them alone.

The gauges are unobtainable, so you'll have to clean them up as best you can. I have had good success using headlight restoration kits on those.

[bturner]

This is another one of those subjects like "what is the best oil to use?" or "what is the best battery for my boat?" type of questions. There really is no best speakers as it's a very subjective type of question and your choice will probably be determined by what your goals and budget for the project are. You can spend a whole lot of money on just the speakers alone but then you have to remember that a good stereo system isn't just about speakers. You'll need a head unit, amp(s) and infrastructure items like speaker wire, power cables, circuit breakers and cable connectors. How much of this you'll need will depend on what you actually mean by "upgrade my entire stereo system".

The first step is to define your goals for the system by answering questions like.... How loud do you want it? Do you want a sub? How many speakers will you be running? Will you have tower speakers? Once you define your goals you can start making a list of components you'll need like amp(s), power cables for the amp(s), new speaker wire (if needed), breakers and other misc installation items. The speakers you use many times will be chosen based on the power you'll be running to them so picking out something now before you've defined your goals is a bit premature.

Everyone is going to have their favorite brand. For me it's JL Audio but Roswell, Wet Sounds, Exile, Clarion and a host of other companies make good products to fit a variety of tastes and budgets. Figure out where you want to get to then start shopping around. The off season is a great time to buy and Black Friday is just around the corner.

[MLA]

The best marine speaker is one thats a quality built marine speaker, and not one thats a converted car door speaker with an "M" in the model number. One that sounds good to you, looks good and fits your goals and budget. Supply them with a quality input, and most will sound good and perform well.

The Kicker KM654 and Wet Sounds Recon-6 are two solid mid-level models. For a more premium level, look into the Wet Sounds Revo-6, Roswell R-1, Fusion Signature series.

Its been awhile, but I thought I recall seeing a revised trim panel that would house the round Clarion remote. If so, the Clarion M608 is nearly plug n play to that old CMD and pair it with the MW1 remote. If you have to fabricate something, then consider the Fusion Apollo series media units and wired remote.

Id consider an amp and at least a mild woofer for a well rounded system.

[Iamwildbill]

I did the kicker speakers MLA mentioned above and love them for what I want. I obviously powered them with an amp but they sound amazing. I don’t usually scream music in the boat but they sounded great even super loud

[distinguishedmotorsports]

2007-08 230/236s came with the kidney shaped remote control stainless trim bezel with a round 3" remote you can replace with the MW1 clarion remote. Hit up your local nautique dealer and ask them to look up the PN. No idea if its NLA or NOS or still available however