Does This Exist - Outdoor Speaker Quality

[psychoacoustic]

Looking for high end audio quality for the pool area.

Any experience or opinions would be appreciated.

* The current indoor arrangement: Martin Logans Summits, JL Sub, Perreaux 750's etc.

Please recommend for the following:

- Outdoor application hazards

- Quality but volume is nice - No Neighbors for ~ 1/2 mile

- $ Budget, not too shabby ~$5k {But I can only do this once}

- Primary Use: Party... i.e Bar and marble dance floor in front of the bar area

Power will be made available
- a 100 amp service is being installed at the pool area tomorrow
- trench lines are being cut to all corners {100x100 fenced} for wires, (trench is open around pool until we decide if speakers on the edge is a good ideal}

Speakers
- Which is the best sounding that you have heard- is there such a thing as good sounding outdoor speakers when used to the Summits?

- should I use powered speakers & run AC or non-powered speakers and long speaker runs

- Run the speakers to corners and face in toward the center or just concentrate in one area - point at the preferred direction

Amps - some initial guesses

- Outdoor amplifier at the bar area{make some kind of enclosure for rainy days) & long speaker runs

- Run speaker and source from the house, I have an extra Perreaux 3150 & 2150 but the speaker runs would be from the house to the pool {what would be the longest cable run advisable?}. BiAmp the 2150 for a subwoofer power source

Outdoor Signal Source ??: <no Mp3's please>
A CD Player?
Wireless?
DirecTv Sirius channels. {trench a line for cable of some sort}
Maybe a squeezebox??

Subwoofer
Please recommend if you know of one

Thanks all

 

[Wardsweb]

Big question: how much space do you have for speakers? Are you looking for something smaller than a book shelf speaker? Can you use large floor standing or pole mount?

 

[psychoacoustic]

+80 acres of space but prefer the blend in approach. Quality is primary. Thanks for taking the time

 

[twich54]

+80 acres of space but prefer the blend in approach.

hire a band

Quality is primary.

Hire a VERY GOOD band !


On the serious side, have you exhausted your search of the know weather resistent speakers currently on the market ?

 

[Wardsweb]

In general terms you want at least an 8" woofer to get any decent bass outdoors unless you plan to run a subwoofer. I find a horn does better for outdoor clarity and penetration over distance. Typically called patio speakers and not the outdoor speaker rocks.

 

[psychoacoustic]

A band would be nice but I have strange hours.

I have pretty much exhausted the internet...

Mostly sales ads for JBL, Bose and some Polk but I was hoping someone had a decent outdoor system and I would trust in that.

Thanks though.

 

[Satch]

Ha, ha... Most musicians have strange hours.

Just a thought. What about a good P.A. system?

Satch

 

[gordonmenninger]

i think the key here is lots of (unpowered) speakers scattered around the whole area that you want to be able to hear your tunes... you really don't want a couple of large speakers trying to cover your whole area... that will just make it too loud close to the speakers and not loud enough further away. I have a couple of good quality rock speakers on my deck and am getting ready to have a custom outdoor subwoofer built for under my deck! I have neighbors somewhat close by so I am facing my speakers toward the house... The key for outdoors it I think is also good equalization and plenty of power! you really are not concerned with soundstage outdoors, so you really want good clarity and some nice dynamic range that you will get when you pair the smaller speakers with some good subs You may want to look into a stack of professional rack mounted amps (crown) to get plenty of juice out there...I would definitely get several subs out there and corner load them somewhere for good output to really make it sound good!
Nothing better than having good tunes outdoors that is for sure! Also you may want to look into getting a Squeezebox to stream your tunes outdoors but that is already covered in another thread.


there is a thread over here as well:
http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?t=1029899

Anyway, this will be a fun rewarding project! have fun

 

[psychoacoustic]

$ spend started

Thanks !

The Squeezebox Duet arrived yesterday and a set of Cambridge audio ES30 speakers is ordered and on the way. ( ~$600 for the speakers)

* Ripping to Lossless is time consuming, i have a couple laptops set up and about 1k cds to go.

Its interesting what I found though... currently ripping "Night Ranger - Dawn Patrol" ! Where the heck did that come from

The pool & set up should be complete in a few weeks {Michigan} if you are in the neighborhood let me know

{or anyone that has helped with my questions}

Respect