Remember my recent survey of bare-bones stereo systems? It featured several interesting alternatives to conventional “car-stereo”-style head units.
If I had known about the Milennia MR50 from Prospec Electronics, I certainly would have included it. Although it LOOKS fairly conventional, and will easily fit into dashboards configured for traditional head units, it actually has more in common with the bare-bones amplifiers I discussed in that earlier article.
For one thing, it doesn’t include a CD player at all. It’s strictly an AM/FM receiver with an auxiliary input; a standard 3.5mm “1/8th-inch” stereo headphone jack.
But hold on! It also features an SD-card slot and a USB port on the front face, allowing you to play audio files on data cards and “thumb drives”. The USB port also allows you to recharge iPods and cell phones that sport USB plugs.
All that for less than $80? Count me in!
The fact that it is actually very compact is a plus, especially on smaller boats with limited dash and instrument space. Although it occupies about the same amount of “dashboard real estate” as a conventional stereo, it’s only four inches deep, since they left off the CD player. So clever installers will find room for this unit where full-on CD-player receivers just could not fit.
I contacted Todd Allen of Prospec Electronics, asking for some photos showing the shallow depth of the Milennia MR50, and he was kind enough to snap some for me and send them along. I’ve got to say, this looks like it might be the right unit for Two Lucky Fish, my C-Dory 22.
Here’s the official press release:
No longer do outdoor enthusiasts, boaters and golfers have to go music free. Thanks to the thin Milennia MR50 from Prospec Electronics owners can mount a stereo where it was once impossible.
With a 4" depth, the compact 7-3/8" L x 2-1/4" W faceplate is simple to install anywhere, from small fishing boats to ATVs/motorcycles to golf carts. Operating at 4 x 40 watts, the innovative Milennia MR50 is a sleek AM/FM portable media receiver. It features an ergonomic, rotary-style volume knob and auxiliary, SD and USB inputs on the front panel.
A versatile PLL tuner, the advanced stereo features 18 FM and 12 AM station presets. It also offers outputs for adding an additional amp. Designed for the outdoors, an optional cover is available for further protection from the elements.
The suggested retail price of the economical Milennia MR50 stereo from Prospec Electronics is just $79.95.
Contact Prospec Electronics, 3325 S Morgans Point Rd., Mt. Pleasant, SC 29466. www.prospecelectronics.com.
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Interesting. Will it run a bus-powered hard drive and identify the iTunes library, or does it expect a dedicated thumb drive that is all music files?
I just installed a Clarion CMS1 which is a surface mount head unit with a remote mount black box. There is no CD but the remote box takes any and all outputs/inputs, provides built-in amp if you don’t need any more than it’s 60 watts, controls the ipod from the head unit, charges the ipod, AM/FM/Marine weather built-in, has input for Sirius, Ipod, other sources, etc. Requires a 3/4″ hole in the mounting location for its data cable to the remote box, thats it, works great, paid $170 online
Purchased and installed. Within 24 hours, four of the lighted buttons on the front went out. And one more is flickering on and off.
I set the clock several times to be sure. It loses about 4 to 6 hours a day.
I have to wad up a piece of paper and stuff it under the USB key, otherwise it is intermittently recognized.
The manual that came with the unit is incomplete. Some of the stuff in that manual is wrong. I downloaded the “corrected” manual and it too is wrong. It describes features that are not there.
Regrettably, I would not buy this product again.
VERY disappointing.
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