[Nightfall]

Hello again,


My boss recently bought a new house, and came to me for a recommendation (as he does for all things audio) of what outdoor speakers to purchase and install for his deck. This will be for a large area where he intends to spend a lot of time in the spring, summer and fall.
The only obvious ones that I am aware of are the Bose (yes, I cringe at even the thought) and the Niles speakers that look like boulders. The Bose sell for about $450.00, and the Niles for $250-400.00 depending on size/number of drivers etc.
I've read some very positive reviews of the Niles, but typically cant trust anything about Bose. I admit that I know virtually nothing about outdoor speakers. I would appreciate any comments, expertise or recommendations for his best options, and any brand/model suggestions.
Thanks, as always.


JV

 

[Der Wolf]

Hi,

I haven't heard them, but they are from B&W so I suppose they are at least decent.

http://www.bwspeakers.com/index.cfm/...nge%20Monitors

They have 3 models, the WM2, WM4 and WM6. In a german magazin I read a small review wich said they sounded great for the type of application...

cheers


lukas

 

[soundboy]

See this thread.

The Advents are not just $39.99/pair!!

 

[ipodstudio]

BOSE have several different outdoor options.

 

[BlindTiger]

If you can still find them, The NHT Super One's XU series.
oops, sorry seems they aren't really outdoors but for wall mount.

 

[soundboy]

Here you go, NHT Outdoor One.

NHT Outdoor One

 

[BlindTiger]

thanks, SB
that looks like a very nice speaker, coming from a NHT owner.
My superzero's are in white too.

 

[soundboy]

Blindtiger,

Funny you mentioned the SuperOne Xu because over at the NHT forum, there's a discussion on the differences between the Outdoor One and the SuperOne Xu.

Off topic, I remember SuperZero coming in a wood enclosure as well.

 

[ooheadsoo]

The original superzero came in wood, but the new XU is plastic. If possible, try to get the original (for indoor use) because there are crossover replacements available that have been developed. The outdoor one would be pretty cool for outdoor use.

 

[gerG]

I had the NHT and they were not bad at all. I used them with a pair of 12" subwoofers, of course. I am not sure if anyone makes outdoor subs, but they are mandatory for any serious listening.

Klipsch also has a couple of outdoor speakers that do a great job. They have the advantage of a narrower radiation pattern, which is good if you don't want to bother the neighbors.

There have been a couple of companies that tried more serious outdoor systems, but the names escape me. I will try to see if they are still around.

The best approach is DIY, of course. For whatever reason manufacturers and consumers alike consider outdoor speakers as a minor accessory.

Another approach is to buy some serious indoor speakers, and just drag them outside whenever needed. I do this with a pair of Definitive Tech Pro Tower 400. They are awesome outdoor speakers, and no particle board to soak up moisture. They still need a subwoofer, of course. The promonitor 200 would also work great.

ProTower


gerG

 

[soundboy]

You want outdoor sub??

The Boston Acoustics Voyager Sub 12

 

[JeffL]

Would that work well outdoors? I mean really...

 

[Nightfall]

Thanks for all of the suggestions guys. He would like these to be as unnoticeable as possible. Has ANYONE heard the Niles RS6 "boulder like" speakers?



JC

 

[gerG]

That Boston sub does look interesting. Unfortunately they have little information about it on their site. It should work fine, but remember that outdoors there is no room gain. It takes a pair of very strong subs to get the job done.

Nightfall, sorry, but I have never taken any of the fake rock speakers seriously enough to bother listening. It always seemed like a silly idea to me, but then, I am not exactly the mainstream consumer. There is a company called Roksan that claims to make speakers that look like rocks, but sound good. I still don't get it.

A couple of guidelines: avoid foam surrounds. They are a poor choice indoors, but outdoors they go away very quickly. I had some of the Advents, but they didn't last long for that very reason. Also look for a real 1" dome tweeter (or high quality horn). Many manufacturers (e.g. Advent) use those "hybrid" drivers that are a small center dome with a surrounding cone. They are cheap and durable, but they sound terrible and have very nonuniform dispersion as a function of frequency.

btw, it looks like Cambridge has outdoor speakers as well.

Another option that I have seen used is to go with in-wall speakers mounted high enough to be out of the direct sun or rain. Many options there, and almost invisible!


gerG

 

[gerG]

Uh oh, wallet damage imminent....

Techmad

gerG