Resale value - is the stereo that important?

[DarkSide]

Out of curiosity, what does an upgrade to a 555 (or comparable) cost?

And

What does a high-end stereo upgrade cost? (we're talking a Brewster's Millions upgrade here)

For '15 24 MXZ 555 was just over 11k

Factory stereo base system $2800

Factory sub (crappy is understatement) $820

Transom remote $235

1 pair rev 8 w/anp $2060

So you are at $6k for less than stellar factory stereo roughly the same cost as the much more common LS3 upgrade. If people went above and beyond you can see why they list it prominently.

As SD noted you can have much nicer system over factory for roughly same cost our you can also go full on stupid and spend crazy money!

Also keep in mind "normal" usage is ~50 hours a year, so there is a lot of floating going on vs. towing going on. For the floating crowd, the stereo is much more important. However some of the riding crowd also REALLY likes music while they ride, projecting 70' is not cheap! So stereo upgrade appeals to a large audience. Motor upgrade only applies to enthusiasts.

Just my $.02....

[wakebrdr94]

How important is it?

Take 5 VLX's, same year, similar options, all have 200 hours on them, all in great condition, same motors. 4 of the 5 have complete systems and the last sound pack one. Listed at the same price, which one would you buy? Probably not the boat missing the sound pack, just because you would see it as "missing" a feature. at the same price.

Reverse it, and 4 have sound pack one and 1 has a full system listed for 5k more. He's obviously trying to capture some of the money back in the stereo, which to buyers or "that guy" who wants the stereo and see's it as perceived value. If it were listed as the same as all the other boats, it would probably sell first.

[RedOwl]

For '15 24 MXZ 555 was just over 11k

Factory stereo base system $2800

Factory sub (crappy is understatement) $820

Transom remote $235

1 pair rev 8 w/anp $2060

So you are at $6k for less than stellar factory stereo roughly the same cost as the much more common LS3 upgrade. If people went above and beyond you can see why they list it prominently.

As SD noted you can have much nicer system over factory for roughly same cost our you can also go full on stupid and spend crazy money!

Also keep in mind "normal" usage is ~50 hours a year, so there is a lot of floating going on vs. towing going on. For the floating crowd, the stereo is much more important. However some of the riding crowd also REALLY likes music while they ride, projecting 70' is not cheap! So stereo upgrade appeals to a large audience. Motor upgrade only applies to enthusiasts.

Just my $.02....

And I absolutely appreciate everything you just said.

I am not knocking the stereo crowd - it's just been surprising to see it "front and center" even trumping mechanical upgrades.

I appreciate the passion people have for their audio systems - I just never realized how some would prioritize it when it comes to resale.

Thanks for your thoughtful & candid response.

R.O.

[Bill_AirJunky]

With all the problems on the stock stereos I've read about here on TMC, I wouldn't give 2 cents for any of the packages.

The boat I bought had a lot of stereo upgrades when I called the seller on it in July. I didn't really care about it at the time so I overlooked it. By October the boat was $11k cheaper & I was interested. In the end we found $4400 in receipts in the glovebox from Stereo King in Portland. The system sounded great, but over the years I've made several changes to it to make it even better (Wetsounds EQ, Exile tower speakers, etc.). When it comes time to sell, I'll make sure it is all working as it's supposed to, and I'll make sure it's listed in the ad. But it will only matter to the buyer who thinks it matters.

[dlb]

If I was in the market for a used boat, I probably would not need the engine upgrade but would definitely not pay extra for a sound system.

Granted my kids would want the sound system upgrade. But, I am paying for their tuition now so can buy their own boat and sound system later.

[Pnwrider]

I like music when I ride and when the kids aren't on the boat it's fun to let the stereo rip. If I was shopping for a used boat, I would buy one with a system over one without because it saves me money.

[shawndoggy]

A couple of thoughts from a guy who has had "nice" (but modest by the true enthusiast's definition) stereos.

I'm not "that guy" at the party cove. In fact I've never been to "the" or "a" or "any" party cove. Standing waste deep in mud getting drunk with strangers while a stereo blares country or dubstep is actually one of dante's nine circles of hell, isn't it?

But I still have a nice stereo. What for? Well #1 is I have kids (teens) out on the boat with us 99% of the time. I don't listen to their music on the reg (95% of the time in the car it's NPR, the other 5% it's XM First Wave or Lithium), but when I'm out with the kids and their friends, it's a time for me to share my music with them and them to share their music with me. Don't know about you folks, but I have some pretty distinct memories from my teen years that can instantly get rekindled by hearing a particular song. U2's with or with out you, Yaz's situation, Scorpions' Rock you like a hurricane.... each of those songs instantly transports me to a very particular time and place. Everyone has that right? Well, I've made some more of those memories with my kids rocking out to their tunes. Maybe if I'm lucky we share a few in common, and that's pretty neat.

OK but why spend the money over a factory system? We don't necessarily rawk it balls out all the time, but I find that a well powered stereo ticking over at 30% (the "mom loud" level) sounds way way better than the same volume level with a stereo that's at 90% of capacity. Some people notice that the bass has depth and the highs have range and some don't. Some people appreciate a nice set of over the ear headphones, and some people are very content with the ubiquitous apple earbuds.

Finally, I'm a DIY guy, and the install is half the fun. To others I'm sure that sounds crazy. I mean I also get real pleasure out of waxing down the boat with the orbital and seeing that deep deep shine come back. But lots of people could not ever be bothered to see the joy in that. Some people love maintaining their yard to perfection. I'm down to pave the whole friggin thing.

But to the question of "value"... I don't think I would personally every pay extra for an aftermarket system. In fact most people who tout their "$10,000.00 stereo" usually have a pretty weak or at least significantly outdated setup. I mean if you spent $12K on it 10 years ago, sorry to tell you buddy, it's prolly not worth anything on resale.

Edited September 17, 2015 by shawndoggy

[Fman]

Having sold multiple boats, the stereo did not necessarily drive value of the boat but definitely made it more attractive to potential buyers. I have found color choice and stereo systems trump engine upgrades. You don't really make much more on the sale with upgraded engines either, it may attract more potential buyers but you get little ROI on the initial upgrade cost.

I do believe there are smarter ways to install stereo systems to not take as much of a hit when you sell the boat. Obviously doing it yourself saves a lot of labor cost, using name brand components, and not putting some rediculous stereo that 99% of public won't ever even crank up full tilt. In my past experience having a nice color scheme on your boat with a higher end after market stereo system is a nice combo pack to attract buyers.

Personally if I was shopping used and saw sound pack 3, I would just consider it not having a stereo and I would have to end up installing one. The Malibu oem stereo systems imo are junk.

[catalac]

Sold my vtx last winter couple were early 30s two kids under 8 and they were really concerned that I only had a single 5 channel amp, two tower speakers, and 10 inch sub not a 12 all from custom stereo shop. What I learned after was that stereo had better sq that the crap 3 amp 13 speaker Malibu factory one in my 22vlx.

[robbennett]

So when selling a boat are you better off keeping your stereo for the next boat since it really doesn't add any value to the resale of the old one?

[saxton15]

If you took your stereo off the boat I was looking at, I am not sure I would too impressed to continue the purchase. The price would have to have some reduction or be priced excluding the stereo.

There is a difference between a factory stereo, custom stereo, and a bunch of holes where the stereo should be.

[wakerider107]

I hear more often than not that someone looking at a used boat doesn't care about an upgraded stereo, they just want to have a stereo that works.

In my experience, expensive stereo systems add little to no value to your boat.

[40oz]

Stereo is important to me.

[teamerickson]

^^^ Me too.

[robbennett]

If you took your stereo off the boat I was looking at, I am not sure I would too impressed to continue the purchase. The price would have to have some reduction or be priced excluding the stereo.

There is a difference between a factory stereo, custom stereo, and a bunch of holes where the stereo should be.

The tower speakers, amps and sub could be removed without leaving any holes. I wouldn't even consider taking out the head unit or interior speakers. They aren't worth much anyway. If used as a bargaining chip having those components for the next boat could save a decent amount.

[Lance B. Johnson]

I fall into Shawndoggy's spectrum of the 4-5K stereo and I really enjoy it. I would never go bigger....I think we might use 50 percent of what we have and it sounds excellent. We like to hear good sounding music when we ride and when we are at the beach we actually mostly use a portable blue tooth device.

I actually might pay an extra 2K for a boat that has a system that has been built well and might be worth 5K. So ya in my mind stereo is a loosing proposition, but not a complete loss.

I think what we are seeing here is that it really depends on the buyer.

[Raimie]

Stereo is important to me.

But you can always add whatever you want after the purchase...

[shawndoggy]

ICBW but there seems to be a breakdown between those who live on a lake vs those who trailer to "big water." If I lived or boated on a small lake I would be far less inclined to do tower speakers... Too easy to bug people. But I would still have a rockin interior setup and nice sub.

[robbennett]

But you can always add whatever you want after the purchase...

At a price. When I bought my boat I took mine over another identical boat with no stereo. The price was cheaper and the previous owner added 3k in stereo the season before. It was pretty much exactly what I wanted and loved the sound on the water test. Not only did I get the boat 4k cheaper than the other one I also didn't have the 3k to spend after purchase.

Stereo does matter to some buyers. In my case I was on a tight budget 2 months after graduation college working a valet parking job.

In the sellers case he definitely lost money on the stereo. Basically I got the boat for a fair price if it didn't have a stereo.

[Lance B. Johnson]

ICBW but there seems to be a breakdown between those who live on a lake vs those who trailer to "big water." If I lived or boated on a small lake I would be far less inclined to do tower speakers... Too easy to bug people. But I would still have a rockin interior setup and nice sub.

You might be right here. I know that when we are at the cabin we tend to go ride in a section of the lake that is less populated both for the noise and for the wave. When we are on the columbia all bets are off, the only thing close to us is industrial.

[RedOwl]

My initial point/surprise was at how sellers are prioritizing their stereos. If it were me, I'd be more interested in highlighting my upgraded engine than I would a stereo.

But after reading everyone's comments on here - I do understand the psychology behind the 'stereo pride'. Many people work, install and tinker with their audio systems whereas the engine is 'just there' and is rarely given a second thought.

I still won't buy a boat because of it's stereo, but I do have a better understanding of their importance to the sellers.

[robbennett]

RedOwl I think what most of the sellers are doing is highlighting what IS good about their boat. If they have a super nice stereo but not much elsewhere they are going to try to sell the buyer on the options it has. Also for someone that doesn't weight super heavy like most of us the engine would be of little value or maybe even a burden at the gas pump.

[wakerider107]

A major point that hasn't been brought up is the fact that aftermarket stereos do not increase book value of a boat. While I do not like NADA Guides as I think they are way off on their values, NADA is what banks and dealerships turn to for estimates. This is where engine size really matters.

Even if you trade in your 1 year old boat with a 10k stereo, its doubtful a dealership will give you more based on the stereo. A dealer sitting on a boat that is far above book value is risky. Again, banks look at book value only so when the new potential owner goes to finance, it will be difficult thus causing more difficulty in the dealer reselling the boat.

Of course there are exceptions to this like a personal sale or those that find great value in an upgraded stereo.

Edited September 17, 2015 by wakerider107

[saxton15]

For those who have ordered their boats from the factory. Where is the Engine option upgrade vs. sound pack upgrades on the build sheets? Engine upgrade first?

[Raimie]

At a price. When I bought my boat I took mine over another identical boat with no stereo. The price was cheaper and the previous owner added 3k in stereo the season before. It was pretty much exactly what I wanted and loved the sound on the water test. Not only did I get the boat 4k cheaper than the other one I also didn't have the 3k to spend after purchase.

Stereo does matter to some buyers. In my case I was on a tight budget 2 months after graduation college working a valet parking job.

In the sellers case he definitely lost money on the stereo. Basically I got the boat for a fair price if it didn't have a stereo.

Well, that's a no-brainer then. If the boat with the stereo was cheaper, of course that makes sense to go that route.