And those are the folks that will need the hearing aids.
There is quality audio and there is rock concert loud audio...
At home I enjoy and old school set of tower EPI Magnus speakers with a Pioneer amp.
High Fidelity does not have to be ear shattering.
I upgraded the OEM Clarion to a Fusion RA205 I picked up used for $100 and an NRX200 remote for the helm which gives me NMEA 2000 integration.
Just 50 watts of built in power and the five OEM speakers and it can be to loud to carry on a conversation.
I will likely add a sub and upgrade the cockpit speakers eventually to improve the quality a bit.
But just cant see the need for 200 watts of power.
True, it's quite easy to equate MOAR POWRRRRR with Quality Sound.
Sadly, I have a hard time appreciating Quality Sound these days since I do actually wear hearing aids. Quite strange going to the occasional show these days. I tend to wear ear plugs so my ears don't ring for days, but then I can't wear the hearing aids to improve the sound quality. Genetics plus lotsa years of running equipment sans hearing protection. Now I make my kids wear it when they mow the lawn.
Anyway, @SeaNile, seems like you're getting some good suggestions for alternatives to that high quote. If you want to pay the man to do the work so you can go boating, maybe talk to him about options? I'm also curious if the cost is due to shortages.