Outdoor speakers
Discussion
I'm in the process of planning an outdoor porch area with seating and dining table.
The covered area will be about 10m x 5m and will be open on one side onto a deck and then out onto an area of grass.
I have a spare Yamaha MusicCast amp so am looking for a pair of speakers to mount in the porch. Hoping to spend no more than ~£500 but am looking for something that sounds half decent and will go properly loud.
Any suggestions?
The covered area will be about 10m x 5m and will be open on one side onto a deck and then out onto an area of grass.
I have a spare Yamaha MusicCast amp so am looking for a pair of speakers to mount in the porch. Hoping to spend no more than ~£500 but am looking for something that sounds half decent and will go properly loud.
Any suggestions?
The last time we had a thread about outdoor speakers we established it is the equivalent of giving your neighbour thrush.
But, my recommendation is the bury them. I have a couple of these
Only the top few inches from about the black mesh are exposed. They are bigger than you may expect and sound fantastic.
I have TIC brand but you can splash out on Bose.
But, my recommendation is the bury them. I have a couple of these
Only the top few inches from about the black mesh are exposed. They are bigger than you may expect and sound fantastic.
I have TIC brand but you can splash out on Bose.
Ah, I get the headphones suggestion now!
We're in the middle of a forest with no neighbours for a considerable distance - not everyone lives in claustrophobic suburbia.
Those look interesting, not a big fan of bose in general but will do some research.
I see B&W do the AM-1 which look nice and seem well regarded but they're definitely at the top end of what I was hoping to spend.
We're in the middle of a forest with no neighbours for a considerable distance - not everyone lives in claustrophobic suburbia.
Those look interesting, not a big fan of bose in general but will do some research.
I see B&W do the AM-1 which look nice and seem well regarded but they're definitely at the top end of what I was hoping to spend.
just done mine, we are in a bungalow so mounted ceiling speakers in the sofit boards
nothing greatly expensive
https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B00005T3BD/ref...
nothing greatly expensive
https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B00005T3BD/ref...
https://www.currys.co.uk/gbuk/audio-and-headphones...
Why the need for a perm setup, when you can just connect via BT and have something like this sitting nearby.
Why the need for a perm setup, when you can just connect via BT and have something like this sitting nearby.
bunchofkeys said:
https://www.currys.co.uk/gbuk/audio-and-headphones...
Why the need for a perm setup, when you can just connect via BT and have something like this sitting nearby.
The step in performance and convenience is considerable. I have mine as part of a sonos system so can have the same music in the house at different volumesWhy the need for a perm setup, when you can just connect via BT and have something like this sitting nearby.
These are hard to beat at that price point, they are our default outdoor good quality speaker without going crazy.
https://www.bowerswilkins.com/en-gb/custom-install...
Not sure they will go "properly" loud though.
https://www.bowerswilkins.com/en-gb/custom-install...
Not sure they will go "properly" loud though.
Edited by TheRainMaker on Wednesday 16th September 12:49
snowandrocks said:
Those look interesting, not a big fan of bose in general but will do some research.
I see B&W do the AM-1 which look nice and seem well regarded but they're definitely at the top end of what I was hoping to spend.
Just replied about these without reading this post I see B&W do the AM-1 which look nice and seem well regarded but they're definitely at the top end of what I was hoping to spend.
Always worth a quick phone call to suppliers to see if they could do a discount
snowandrocks said:
Ah, I get the headphones suggestion now!
Those look interesting, not a big fan of bose in general but will do some research.
I should have been clearer, I have TIC speakers and not Bose. They are a fraction of the price and the sound quality rates as good. I did not want to have speakers mounted on the walls because they would stand out and I could not get the wires to them. That is why the buried speakers were perfect.They also benefit from 8' drivers.Those look interesting, not a big fan of bose in general but will do some research.
If you can get the cables where you need them then traditional speakers may be a better fit.
Right, I've got 3 outdoors systems (all linked to SONOS) so I feel I'm qualified to answer. This is by far and away the best...
https://www.crutchfield.com/S-qEGSQHuOlNa/p_981AS4...
Now, I've no idea about buying one in the UK but you can probably get it shipped. Luckily I put a wanted add out on AV-Forums for anything out door related and someone said they were sticking one of these, unused on eBay. I think I paid £400.
It is stunningly good quality though.
Second best is Mariners by Sonance. These are actually sold as SONOS Outdoors in the UK but again they come up cheap on eBay all the time as they're used on fancy boats apparently. Really good but nothing like the Acoustascape which is as close as proper HiFi you can get (IMHO).
https://www.crutchfield.com/S-qEGSQHuOlNa/p_981AS4...
Now, I've no idea about buying one in the UK but you can probably get it shipped. Luckily I put a wanted add out on AV-Forums for anything out door related and someone said they were sticking one of these, unused on eBay. I think I paid £400.
It is stunningly good quality though.
Second best is Mariners by Sonance. These are actually sold as SONOS Outdoors in the UK but again they come up cheap on eBay all the time as they're used on fancy boats apparently. Really good but nothing like the Acoustascape which is as close as proper HiFi you can get (IMHO).
Thanks everyone, much appreciated.
The Crutchfield system does look impressive but is a bit too far over budget I think. Will keep an eye on ebay for any bargains though!
Tempted to just go for the B&W Am-1 option, they look quite nice and I like the sound of other B&W speakers elsewhere in the house.
Interested in the idea of adding another couple of speakers if one pair don't cut it. Will the yamaha amp be happy driving four speakers? Guessing I just wire up using the A and B? I'm not at home to check but I think it's the model linked.
https://uk.yamaha.com/en/products/audio_visual/hif...
The Crutchfield system does look impressive but is a bit too far over budget I think. Will keep an eye on ebay for any bargains though!
Tempted to just go for the B&W Am-1 option, they look quite nice and I like the sound of other B&W speakers elsewhere in the house.
Interested in the idea of adding another couple of speakers if one pair don't cut it. Will the yamaha amp be happy driving four speakers? Guessing I just wire up using the A and B? I'm not at home to check but I think it's the model linked.
https://uk.yamaha.com/en/products/audio_visual/hif...
Edited by snowandrocks on Wednesday 16th September 23:38
AM 1s are expensive for what they are.
As per a previous post the best option (if possible) is mounting conventional in-ceilings in the sofits.
The other advantage is that they are usually easy to drive.
Your MusicCast amp has outputs for two sets of speakers with the option to switch either on/off from the picture.
As per a previous post the best option (if possible) is mounting conventional in-ceilings in the sofits.
The other advantage is that they are usually easy to drive.
Your MusicCast amp has outputs for two sets of speakers with the option to switch either on/off from the picture.
snowandrocks said:
Thanks everyone, much appreciated.
The Crutchfield system does look impressive but is a bit too far over budget I think. Will keep an eye on ebay for any bargains though!
Tempted to just go for the B&W Am-1 option, they look quite nice and I like the sound of other B&W speakers elsewhere in the house.
Interested in the idea of adding another couple of speakers if one pair don't cut it. Will the yamaha amp be happy driving four speakers? Guessing I just wire up using the A and B? I'm not at home to check but I think it's the model linked.
https://uk.yamaha.com/en/products/audio_visual/hif...
Your amp looks like it's stable down to 4 ohms so it should be able to drive two sets of 8 ohm speakers connected to the A and B speaker terminals but to drive them to "properly loud" levels make sure it has plenty of ventilation, don't put anything on top of it. It will be working hard to power four speakers but should give great results.The Crutchfield system does look impressive but is a bit too far over budget I think. Will keep an eye on ebay for any bargains though!
Tempted to just go for the B&W Am-1 option, they look quite nice and I like the sound of other B&W speakers elsewhere in the house.
Interested in the idea of adding another couple of speakers if one pair don't cut it. Will the yamaha amp be happy driving four speakers? Guessing I just wire up using the A and B? I'm not at home to check but I think it's the model linked.
https://uk.yamaha.com/en/products/audio_visual/hif...
Edited by snowandrocks on Wednesday 16th September 23:38
I have a pair of Monitor Audio Climate 50's on my roof terrace which are similar to AM1's. They powered by a 2 X 55W Sonos Connect Amp. To drive them to decent levels the volume slider has to be cranked up a lot more than a similar setup with conventional speakers inside the house. Because the speakers are in free space there's nothing for the sound to reflect off, you lose a lot of it. They have stood up well to seven years of British weather and are not showing any signs of ageing.
https://www.monitoraudio.com/en/product-ranges/cli...
Don't listen to anyone that tells you their portable Bluetooth speaker sounds as good as dedicated outdoor speakers being driven by a mains powered amplifier. I have an old Bose Sound Link (not mini) and it sounds nowhere near as good as the Climate 50's if I put it on the table outside.
Thanks again everyone.
I think I'll initially go for a pair of the Am-1s but will run another set of speaker cables for another set further out into the garden just in case.
I did experiment this afternoon with the amp and an old pair of B&W 601 s3s that seem to be of similar spec to the Am-1s and they sounded great even without the enclosure of the porch. As mentioned, I did have to crank the amp up pretty high but definitely loud enough for a party unlike the rather pathetic bose minilink we currently use out there!
I think I'll initially go for a pair of the Am-1s but will run another set of speaker cables for another set further out into the garden just in case.
I did experiment this afternoon with the amp and an old pair of B&W 601 s3s that seem to be of similar spec to the Am-1s and they sounded great even without the enclosure of the porch. As mentioned, I did have to crank the amp up pretty high but definitely loud enough for a party unlike the rather pathetic bose minilink we currently use out there!
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