Outdoor Sound Systems

[kevip6]

Hello All, 

I need to setup a sound system in my garden that will be used for music and also an outdoor cinema setup.  Anyone on here have any experience with outdoor speakers and systems? 

It's about 25m from the house and will have power plus I can probably get a network connection via a powerline adapter if this helps?

Needs to be capable rather than budget as I want it to be able to play at good volumes and I know the great outdoors saps a lot of the volume from speakers. I don't have to worry about neighbors as I don't have any!

Thanks!

[MrPoseidon]

Crazy but great idea, lol.

I'm in AV systems but no idea about outside one . 

 

Try this forum which I find very helpful - https://www.avforums.com/forums/ .

 

 Good luck and share your project when you finish it!

 

 

[Kevin (Mr T)]

Bose do an SE range of outdoor speakers.

No experience of these in particular, but a big fan of their products and have various Bose items dotted around the house.

[Kevin (Mr T)]

https://www.bose.co.uk/en_gb/products/speakers/stereo_speakers/251-environmental-speakers.html#v=251_black

 

[kevip6]

Thanks to both Mr's 

I will take a look at the forum and those Bose speakers (I'm also a big fan) I'm currently looking at some PSB CS1000's as well

http://www.psbspeakers.com/products/outdoor-speakers/CS1000-Universal-In-Outdoor-Speakers

The logistics are interesting as well, do I run an Amp outside in a waterproof area or bring it inside when not in use, or are there other options??

[Dave Eastwood (Gadgetman) - Club Chairman]

Depends on the distances from amp to speakers. The more the distance, the heavier the gauge speaker cable I'd suggest. Though I still don't really like running speaker cable much beyond twenty five/thirty metres for anything purporting to be a sit down listen to, primary zone. Once getting into the bigger distances, I tend to split amps and preamps if necessary.

I do home automation/audio/video distribution, have done a lot of outdoor set ups over the years; everything from eaves mounted "pod" type speakers, to having custom planters made with false chambers in the bases and speakers mounted inside, firing out through intricate etched brass grills on the front.

Outdoor use eats amplifier "power" like nothing else, without room modes to reinforce it, it also sucks the bass out. For purely music, we tend to use the largest pod type speakers we can, so that at leat the drivers have a decent cabinet to work against. A larger physical speaker - typically an 8" bass/bass-mid driver, depending on brand or model will help fill in the lower mid frequencies better, though usually does need a touch of eq'ing, still. For anything like the sort of low end that we've come to expect from higher end av, you're going to need some serious subwoofers though! (Note the plural!!)

 

 

[MrPoseidon]

41 minutes ago, kevip6 said:

Thanks to both Mr's 

I will take a look at the forum and those Bose speakers (I'm also a big fan) I'm currently looking at some PSB CS1000's as well

http://www.psbspeakers.com/products/outdoor-speakers/CS1000-Universal-In-Outdoor-Speakers

The logistics are interesting as well, do I run an Amp outside in a waterproof area or bring it inside when not in use, or are there other options??

Depends on how waterproof your waterproof area is I guess!

 

As for Bose speakers, there are much better ones out there for less money. I have a Bose system in my bedroom and it's dreadfull to be candid. However, I have it as it looks good,lol. It's a lifestyle system not a quality one. Drivers are dreadful on them!  

[kevip6]

Thanks Dave,  I wasn't planing on running speaker cables from the house, more like a HDMI Balun type system but it's not a problem to run an Amp either outside or take one out when needed. The projector won't be outside permanently.

I'm not looking for it to match my AV setup indoors as it would be too expensive to even try and get close.  I just want something that can get to a good volume and sound good (not exceptional) I'm not setting up surround sound, just stereo by the screen.  If that helps

 

 

[Kevin (Mr T)]

30 minutes ago, MrPoseidon said:

As for Bose speakers, there are much better ones out there for less money. I have a Bose system in my bedroom and it's dreadfull to be candid. However, I have it as it looks good,lol. It's a lifestyle system not a quality one. Drivers are dreadful on them!  

Never really thought of myself as either a "lifestyle shopper" or someone overly influenced by looks. If I was, I may have bought a shiny FW, rather than my old pre-lit!

[kevip6]

Ok, So I think I am set on the PSB CS1000 Speakers, 1 pair to start either side of the screen and in a good position for general BBQ and entertainment. 

This is still a fair way from the house so I may need another pair at a later date halfway down the garden that I can rotate either towards the house for general coverage or back towards the firepit/cinema for specific sound in that area.  (this could become surround sound later on)

Given this, what should I be looking at in an Amp?  The projector takes a HDMI input so I can either feed to that from the Amp or I can feed direct to that and the Amp from the source (PS4, BluRay, Laptop, Switch, etc...) I also want to be able to connect my phone/ipad for spotify and the like, which would ideally be through Bluetooth but I could slum it with a 3.5mm jack cable if necessary

I'm not too clued up on this field field so any advise would be appreciated. 

Also, I'm booking an electrician to run power to the end of the garden so I will most likely get a few Cat6 cables laid at the same time, is there anything else I can do at this point for future proofing

Thanks

 

[kevip6]

To throw a spanner in the works a friend has suggests a PA DJ system for better volume outdoors. 

 

Any thoughts?

[John K]

17 hours ago, kevip6 said:

Given this, what should I be looking at in an Amp?  The projector takes a HDMI input so I can either feed to that from the Amp or I can feed direct to that and the Amp from the source (PS4, BluRay, Laptop, Switch, etc...) I also want to be able to connect my phone/ipad for spotify and the like, which would ideally be through Bluetooth but I could slum it with a 3.5mm jack cable if necessary

I'm not too clued up on this field field so any advise would be appreciated.

I'm a little hesitant to comment because when it comes to AV I'm a little minnow swimming in a pond full of AV Pikes, but for what its worth...

Looking at Kevip6 (guessing there is an IT background here) list of requirements for the amp, I have just bought a Denon AVR-x2300w and it might fit.

It has all the features including on board Spotify and shed loads of HDMI ports. And at its current £350 price point I dont see similar VFM anywhere else.

But for outdoors at 125w per channel its probably a bit Peugeot diesel when you need Ferrari power. Denon do do 3300 and 4300 models but then the price climbs into a place with loads more choice.

What ever you do, it sounds like an epic project and can we hold the 2018 Stoneleigh dry run at your place..?

[kevip6]

Ha Ha thanks for the input John, funnily enough I was looking at the Denon - 2300 as the perfect choice Amp for the project as I could then run 2 sets of speakers at a later date with effectively all 4 @ 120W might be ok.  But its the unknown. I'd be annoyed if i spent all the money and it wasn't quite loud enough

You guessed correctly! In a previous life I was a C++ programmer, I've been Kevip6 online since the late 90's!

 

[John K]

8 minutes ago, kevip6 said:

I was a C++ programmer,

Youngster... First coding I did was on FORTRAN 77

And any language that comes with a click and drag programming interface isn't "real" programming..!

Those days are long gone, nowadays can't even program my Harmony remote control

The 2300 is nice for my small TV room - remote feels a bit cheap, but that's the only criticism so far

It can run two subs and those will be powered so you could make up the power shortcomings there.

As for your concern over "what if it is isn't beefy enough", very much agreed, but the 2nd hand market for AV seems really strong and the 2300 is such a popular amp, I don't think you would have any trouble flipping it if needed (sure hassle you don't need but...)

[kevip6]

1 minute ago, John K said:

Youngster... First coding I did was on FORTRAN 77

And any language that comes with a click and drag programming interface isn't "real" programming..!

 

Mine was all Unix based coding so using 'vi' editor and all fully shell based so no fancy mouse interface for me! 

I never learned FORTRAN but I have a friend that still uses this for Weather Forecasting Computations