Sea Ray 390 Motor Yacht
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This Sea Ray 390 Motor Yacht is the lap of luxury with a spacious salon, lots of open glass and an extra wide aft stateroom. It’s the perfect condo in the water. What better environment to add an audio/video system.
At the center of the entertainment system is the electronics cabinet in the salon. From the top, a 20-inch LCD offers a crisp picture from either the starboard or port couch. Just below is a combination DVD and VHS player. A Clarion marine AM/FM/CD player and accompanying six disc changer provides the source electronics for both cabin and cockpit systems. Fading to the rear targets the exterior cockpit system consisting of a large four-channel amplifier, four 6 1/2-inch marine coaxials and one 10-inch subwoofer. Fading to full front isolates the interior cabin system. The cabin system has two distinct zones including the salon and aft stateroom with individualized volume controls.

Hidden below, we installed a Sony Direct TV satellite receiver which is connected to a dish antenna on the boathouse. This receiver features a radio frequency remote control allowing full operation behind closed cabinet doors in the salon, from the staterooms or even from the bridge.

Just to the left of the satellite TV receiver is a pre-amp level fader control which delivers the ability to soften the speakers at the galley end of the salon or dial in the full surround sound effect.

The factory marine source unit does not have a provision for a wireless infrared remote control. Since the audio system is an important part of the theater sound, it’s convenient to have local control from the salon couch. Usually we might add a hardwired remote in a strategic position, but this cabin features two large and very comfortable couches, one on each side of the salon.

In this case, we added a radio frequency remote control. The radio frequency receiver converts all commands to the factory stereo pulse code and ties into the existing hardwired remote control system. Wireless control of the stereo is achieved from the salon or from any corner of the boat and beyond.

Two 6 1/2-inch coaxials are concealed overhead in the salon. The grills are re-wrapped with an acoustically transparent cloth which greatly increases the articulation and high frequency response.

Two Canton speakers are dyed to match the salon upholstery and mounted on custom-made swivel bases. These 2-way German-made speakers feature a 1/2-inch aluminum dome tweeter and a mineral-filled poly mid with a butyl rubber surround. The Canton speakers offer super detail and a very linear response.

An 8-inch subwoofer enclosure is contained within the starboard couch and radiates out this black louvered vent. The bass level remains constant as the pre-level fader varies the front to rear salon balance.

The five speaker salon system is powered by a discrete five channel Alpine amplifier.

The theater sound (ie: Satellite TV, DVD or VHS HI FI) plays through the Clarion audio system including the five salon speakers, two stateroom speakers and five cockpit speakers.

An Alpine XM Satellite Radio receiver and controller was added. While TV is the primary source of entertainment at dock, satellite radio is the chosen source while out cruisin’ the lake. For this reason the skipper wanted the satellite radio controller mounted outside in the cockpit control console.

An infrared target in the salon and an emitter on the XM controller allows the crew to switch stations from both the cabin and cockpit.

The XM Radio marine antenna mounted up on the hard top.
We installed a 20-inch LCD in the aft stateroom replacing a small TV/VHS combo unit. Just to the right of the LCD screen a flush-mounted infrared target relays remote control commands to the salon DVD and VHS player. This allows full control of DVD, VHS or Satellite TV while retired to the stateroom.
Within the stateroom, below the air conditioning control and AC outlet, we installed a local speaker volume control. This allows the stereo speakers in the stateroom to be turned up, down or off. The stateroom speakers can play music sources or supplement the theater sound when watching a movie.
Within the master stateroom, a concealed toggle controls an electronic switcher that selects between the salon’s entertainment system and the output of the stateroom’s LCD TV. This way the stateroom occupants can always enjoy a full sound regardless of the source. A local volume control and two amplified 6-1/2-inch coaxials give the stateroom a substantial upgrade over the LCD speakers. And, the dual zone scheme allows the salon and stateroom to function simultaneously and independently.
The cabinet port shown conceals a TV outlet on the bridge. This fourth TV zone allows the skipper and his friends to watch a sporting event from the cockpit supported by the sound of four 6 1/2-inch coaxials and a 10-inch sub. The TV formerly occupying the stateroom becomes the perfect exterior TV. Every video source including local broadcast, Satellite TV, DVD and VHS is viewable from this exterior station.
The four overhead factory speakers in the bridge hard top were replaced with MB Quart integrals. These speakers feature an oversized midbass driver, a titanium tweeter and a separate crossover network. The difference in sound is dramatic!
Boston Acoustics Voyagers received four polymer clamshell brackets per each speaker. One group of quick-release brackets are positioned to mount the speakers horizontally on the transom rail. This is a great location when spending time on the slip or floating on a raft off the swim deck.
And to maximize the convenience a transom-mounted digital remote control was added.
Shown is the transom rail with the speakers removed and stored away. When not in use, dual two-conductor watertight plugs are sealed off with the attached screw on caps.

The other group of clamshell brackets are designated for vertically mounting the Voyagers to the bow rails.

The same watertight deck plugs allow instant hookup and disconnect on the bow deck.

Similar to the transom, the bow deck also received a wired remote control. Whether sunbathing or stargazing out on the bow deck cushions, all the main functions are conveniently accessible.
The bow shown without the speakers installed and with the cover caps in place over the deckplugs.

At the helm, a switch turns on and off the dedicated two-channel amplifier that drives both of the bow and transom speakers.

Accompanying the switch is a dual-amp-balancer that fades between the bridge’s five speaker system and the external bow and transom speakers.
Also at the helm, we custom built and installed a pocket to hold an iPod. The captain can access thousands of stored songs at his fingertips.
Via the Clarion remote control, an auxiliary port is opened to play the iPod music material throughout the motoryacht’s many speakers.
The auxiliary input is already linked to the salon’s LCD theater sound output. A switch next to the iPod allows instant selection between the iPod music or DVD and Sat TV audio/video soundtracks.
A redundant switch (far left) is added in the salon to provide the identical source selection. These two switches (cabin and cockpit) function in unison like light switches at the extremes of a long hallway.
In order for the boat owner to have Sirius satellite radio while under the metal boathouse roof, we installed a satellite radio antenna out from under the boathouse overhang.
The transom fixture was rebuilt to facilitate a second satellite radio cable with a BNC quick-disconnect system.
We added a 50-ohm A/B antenna selector to switch between the Sirius antenna atop the boat’s hardtop and the Sirius antenna that extends out from under the boathouse.
FROM MOTORYACHT TO BOWRIDER
When cruising around in their Motoryacht or their Bowrider these boaters
want the same music sources everywhere they go.
Within the Bowrider’s head and attached to the interior of the door we constructed a custom enclosure to house a Sirius tuner docking port and an iPod pocket. The iPod travels from boat to boat to car to anywhere.
While the Sirius tuner docking station is concealed, the tuner pack easily slides in and out for transportable operation in boat, car, home or office.

We expanded the Bowrider’s Sony source unit changer input to also accept Sirius satellite radio and an iPod.

All of these same provisions are available in your car. In fact, we have CD source units that will control and display both satellite radio and an iPod.

Whether for entertaining or just a private getaway, this motor yacht is equipped with all the sight and sound amenities to maximize the recreational experience.

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