There is a large amount of difference in terms of functionality between the two and while both of them can share similar features, they in fact very different. If you want to play your music out loud and have a great time then you need to stay clear from anything that describes itself as a marine radio.
Marine radios are a lot more basic and you can see this with their radio function. They both are able to recognize radio frequencies which can either be used for radio broadcasts, weather reports or communication.
Marine radios generally have an antenna that catches radio waves between 168 and 174 MHz which is used for practical purposes and some of them won’t have the ability to focus their antenna on the reception on AM or FM waves.
With a marine stereo, they are less practical in terms of weather reports and communication but are able to find those radio stations in order to play the music that you love. As we can see, they have two very different functions which can also be seen in how they receive and send out a radio signal. Both of the two types are able to receive a radio signal but only a marine radio will be able to send a radio message out as they are needed for communication.
The biggest difference in terms of these products though is the functionality to play music. With marine radios, they might be able to play music if it is being broadcast on radio stations but that’s about it. With marine stereos, they have all the levels of functionality that we have seen already which makes them a lot more appealing to anyone who loves music.
There is also a big difference in the way they look. Most marine stereos could actually be placed into a car and used in various different settings but marine radios are a lot bulkier and are designed for being used solely on a boat.
Clearly, there are a lot of differences between the two systems so never blindly buy a marine radio thinking that you’re going to be getting something that will be able to play your music. If you want to be able to playback your music throughout a boat, then make sure you’re getting a marine stereo.