Not sure where you live but Allboats in Kingsley have a good ranger on display and in demo mode. I have a lowrance but not colour and happy with it.

if you have the money otherwise a 620 will do i have both the furuno and the lowrance and for finding fish the furuno is far superior!

https://www.whitworths.com.au/main_itemdetail.asp?item=32454

http://www.biasboating.com.au/product_p/6005x.htm

i have attached two links so you can see the units!

but if you see the site sponsors im sure they will do you a great deal

Get it right the first time!

Furuno mainly do commercial stuff but there lower end units are the higher end of the recreation range.

The professionals use them so he'll be stoked to feel like one.

make sure you match it with a 1kw transducer so he'll always be happy.

Stay away from split screen units ie gps/sounders.

Its all budget permitting though and you may not pay much less than 3000 for a average set up.

Good on you for keeping hubby happy and actually buying him something he wants!

There are many, many sounders and many, many prices accordingly.  If hubby is like me, he will have a particular brand, model or price in mind and buying him something as a surprise, even with the best intentions, might not end up being what he is after.  I would suggest making sure that whoever you buy from is happy for the unit to be returned and swapped for something else if hubby want's to change models or upgrade further.  Or buy a gift voucher instead.  I would also try to buy from a retailer who sells more than one brand (Lowrance & Furuno are two good brands).  The last thing you want is to end up with a store credit for $2000 at retailer A and and then having to go to retailer B to buy the sounder hubby actually wants!

To avoid all of the above complications, how about just giving him a card with a message from you saying he can buy himself a new sounder?  I'd be rapt if my wife gave me one of those this Xmas!!

Cheers,  Pete

furuno is the best, not sure on your budget, but do it together and see the smile on his face sharing the experience together.

Great Christmas present!

into the jellery store to buy him a new watch (he didn't know, took him on a pretext for me a dress ring) , he looked at the watch he would have liked surprise, its your Xmas/birthday pressie (b/d at the end of Dec.), water proof and of course a Seiko.  Try taking him to one of the shops mention or site sponser, say just on a whim, guide him over to the sounders and let him go for it, drooling on  sounder that he would love, surprise surprise, here is your Xmas pressie hahaha  Furuno would be the best, if the pro's use Furuno you know its good, old fart has had his for about 20yrs with no problems.