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- Acoustic
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The good weather is here and you feel like leaving the house to take advantage of the sun, the pleasant temperatures and, why not, take a dip in the pool. These summer and spring activities do not force us to give up enjoying high quality sound, no matter how much we do them outdoors.
En Concerto Audio is also a loudspeaker store, and with this post we want to show you all the current options for installing speakers outdoors. A valid guide both for the installation of professional sound and for the installation of a domestic equipment in your home.
How to install loudspeakers outside?
The first step to know what type of sound reinforcement is the most suitable for our purpose, we must know the different types of loudspeakers suitable for this purpose.
It is necessary to analyze the type of elements to which it will be exposed. An outdoor speaker will have to be more resistant than one installed on a covered terrace.
If you opt for outdoor sound without works or with works, which will limit or will open different options. If you prefer portable, active, passive speakers...
In this guide we are going to review the most versatile and common options when it comes to bringing sound to the garden, pool, terrace or porch.
Speakers for outdoors or covered places
The most suitable speakers for terraces will not be the same if the area is covered or uncovered.
Sound devices installed in a covered place will be protected from rain and sun. At best, they may suffer from humidity and temperatures. However, devices that are placed outdoors must have a suitable IP certificate. For example, some speakers certified with the IP68 standard, even withstand hailstorms.
The system of IP certification has numerous codes that offer very valuable information to the user. If you are going to buy speakers to be used outdoors, you need to check if their certification guarantees their resistance to the use you want to give them.
Sound installation in gardens and swimming pools
For the most exposed installations, the ideal is to work with passive speakers. These will receive the amplification and sound by cable, being able to leave the electronics safely in a covered place. The installation can be done by acquiring speaker cable by the meter and burying it in the ground inside a gutter or tube that protects it.
The rock-shaped speakers by Martin Logan or speaker systems such as Nearscapes IG44.1 DSP of the Near brand.
To sound open, large and possibly wet areas, such as swimming pools or gardens, the square meters to be covered must be well calculated. It is recommended that there be approximately one loudspeaker for every 20 to 30 m2. If you want to improve sound quality, you should insert a passive subwoofer for outdoors every 40 or 50 m2. Both the loudspeakers and subwoofers will be powered by a specific power amplifier, installed inside the house or in a watertightmoisture-free place.
Installing speakers on covered terraces and porches
The best way to install sound on a covered terrace is to use passive boxes placed on a wall bracket for speakers. Recessed ceiling speakers are also a good option. By placing the stereos on the wall, they are not in awkward places and there is no danger of tripping over cables.
A winning bet is to use speakers suitable for use in boats and yachts, since they are very resistant to humid environments. In addition, they usually include the speaker bracket as standard, so their installation is simple. Models like Near LB5, Cambridge Audio ES20 o Artsound ASW 652.
Once the speaker stand is installed, and the speaker is placed on it, it will be necessary to wire so that the amplified sound arrives from electronics safely in a covered area. Both PowerNode 2i from Bluesound like any other AV receiver with speaker output for a secondary area is perfect, avoiding having to have specific electronics for outdoor installation.
The advantage of leaving the electronics indoors is that more devices can be included, such as tuners FM/AM radio, CD player, or even send it sound from your home AV setup. All this, without worrying that the conditions outside may spoil them.
Outdoor sound installation with wireless speakers
If you already have a Multiroom system in your home, such as Sonos or Bluesound, it is possible expand it with outdoor speakers, and make the sound sound everywhere as if it were musical threads.
Brands specializing in multiroom usually have portable speakers, which can have some resistance to water and the elements. Since they have a battery, they can be placed anywhere as appropriate.
Sonos portable speakers that are used to extend the sound system to the garden, pool or terrace Multiroom son Sonos Roam or Sonos Move. If the home multiroom system is from Bluesound, the best speakers to expand it to the outside are the Pulse Flex 2i.
Another option for covered areas is to use active boxes. Self-powered boxes may need power if they don't have a battery, but they are usually compatible with wireless technologies such as Bluetooth or WiFi.
Since they are more delicate than portable speakers, if the covered outdoor area does not have very adverse conditions (high humidity, sun impact, dust storms...) active monitors could be used that are left installed on the porch or terrace during good weather. To send them sound, you could simply use the phone or a tablet, from where they are also controlled, although they often also have a remote control.
Sound outdoors without installation
There are those who want to enjoy a sound system with good audio quality outdoors, but without the need for installations or works. For those cases, the solution is, without a doubt, portable speakers.
In addition to being self-powered, portable speakers have a battery. This allows them to be placed in one place or another as convenient, to play them for hours without the need for power cables, and today everyone can receive audio wirelessly. In addition, they usually have a USB port for charging, so that the phone or the device from which the sound is sent never runs out of battery.
The best of They are that they can not only be used outside the home, but can also be taken to the beach , on vacation, camping, or to where they may be needed. Also inside the house!
Currently, there are multiple options to enjoy sound outside. In general, you can choose speakers for personal use or speakers designed for use outdoors. The Sonos Roam, without going any further, also fits into the first category.
Another example is DALI Katch , a speaker for personal use. Suitable for filling small or medium-sized outdoor areas, as it has 18 W RMS Class D amplification to drive the double tweeter and the two 3.5” woofers. Katch has a autonomy of up to 24 hours at medium volume, two playback modes, a carrying handle and Bluetooth aptX 4.0 technology. And in addition to the black finish, it has a diverse and attractive range of finishes.
If you are looking for a portable speaker made specifically for outdoors, the solution is the specialized brand Soundcast. The massive < strong>VG7 speaker brings sound to gardens, swimming pools, terraces, beaches... With a large size, omnidirectional audio and Bluetooth aptX and AAC. It has Class D amplification and a 7” subwoofer for breathtaking audio no matter the environment. In addition, you can make a pair of VG7 speakers sound in sync thanks to the True Wireless Stereo (TWS), achieving a very powerful sound system.
If you still have doubts, you can consult us. Concerto Audio is your store for speakers, headphones, HiFi and everything you need. We are located in Playa de San Juan (Alicante) but we ship to all of Spain.