Outdoor speaker suggestions

[GhostOfTomJoad]

Finally pulled a couple of circuits out on the deck & pulled cable for some outdoor speakers while I was at it. The speakers will feed off of an old Pioneer receiver I've got sitting in the garage. I'm going to throw a cheap 5 disc changer up there as well but my plans for the outdoor speakers are basic things--music for entertaining & listening to the games while grilling.

Any good suggestions? Looking for something durable with decent sonic performance (not expecting great sound given the front end and the environment).

 

[NickDanger]

This will be called blasphemous, but I have two sets of outdoor speakers. One set is a high dollar waterproof Bose set and the other is a $15 pair of KLH. Buy the KLH. They sound just as good and can be thrown away annually if they don't hold up. I have had a pair out on the patio at the Ranch for 5 years and they sound great. I also have two pairs mounted in the bed of my custom safari-style scrambler that spends its time at the ranch and the beach.

If you want an audiophile experience, outdoors is not the place for it. Save the money.

 

[ths71]

I auditioned a bunch of outdoor speakers when I bought the ones for my patio. I went with the Cambridge Soundworks. They are Henry Kloss(KLH/Advent/CSW founder) designed and go for 249 a pair but you can usually get some from their outlet for under 200.

Good sound, durable and able to handle some good WPC if you want to annoy your neighbors. Mine have been hanging outside in a relatively unprotected area for 8 years now and still sound great.

Cambridge

 

[Swiffert]

The Link

 

[hullabelew]

I have been very happy with these on my deck. Mirage
I think I paid $200 4 years ago.

One thing I would suggest, especially if it is a long way from the source to where you will be listening. Put in a volume control near the speakers. I put an electrical box and installed some speaker jacks so I could plug in the speakers instead of wiring the directly. I am going to add another box next to it to install a volume control for the deck. I did this in my kitchen as well and the volume control comes in very handy (since the stereo is in the front of the house). They are SIMPLE to install (speaker wire to volume control and speaker wire to speaker) and not very much money. I think mine are made by
Niles Audio. They are weatherproof.

 

[hlaustin]

Take a listen to all speakers first to find what best fits your situation. My opinion would be Paradigm Stylus 150, they run 250.00 a pair and have a very good full range to them.

 

[hullabelew]

I used something like this:

Inside of a covered, in-wall receptical like this.

That way I could unplug the speakers and move them to another location or take them inside during ice storms or when I am on vacation. Like I mentioned above, the only mistake I made was not putting in a volume control on the deck.

I also put in the speaker connection boxes in my work room and the garage. That way, if I am working there (or hiding out from my wife and kids), I can move speakers around. Ultimately, I want to buy speakers for every location, but for now, moving them works.

Niles also makes other equipment that helps with this task. The speaker selection boxes are VERY handy. Someday, I am going to put remote sensors in all the rooms so I can control the stereo from anywhere. Someday.

 

[GhostOfTomJoad]

Thanks for the great suggestions everybody. I'm gonna rig up a system similar to hullabelew's w/ the cabling going to binding posts so the speakers will be detachable & I can take them inside if the weather gets really nasty. I've got the existing cables in a standard single-gang box which has another single-gang attached directly above it for the power outlets. I guess I could attach the volume control box on the side of the cable box should I go that way.

As far as the speakers go, I followed Nick Danger's advice (and the wife's urgings) and went the cheap-o route. I was close to buying a pair of $100 KLHs' but went bargain basement & picked up some HiFi Works (never heard of 'em before) planter speakers for $50. Maybe y'all have seen 'em before...

Anyway, I'm not expecting them to do much but they fill a need, they don't require me to hang them (they're going on the deck which is an uncovered octagon built around two mammoth live oaks so freestanding was preferred to hanging), and I won't get the "honey, why do we have ugly speakers hanging in the treees" bit from Mrs. GOTJ. Plus she can put some flowers in them & they'll liven up the deck.

I'm not expecting much out of a 5 1/4" speaker w/ a couple of 5/8" tweeters, but they'll serve the purpose of getting sound out to the deck. And they're cheap enough to be disposable. Hopefully they'll work well enough to encourage higher quality speakers in the future, but for now it's just about taking small steps.

I spent last night wrapping the oak branches w/ white christmas lights. I sat back under the canopy of those great trees, had a beer, felt the cool breeze coming in....it was a damn good night.