Outdoor speaker recommendations

[Brett S]

I’d love to get some outdoor speakers for my patio and deck. I would like something that’s permanently installed and can connect to my phone through Bluetooth or airplay as a music source. I can easily access the attic space above the porch, so installing speakers in the porch ceiling or at the roofline pointing toward the deck and running the wires through the attic would not be a problem. I’m looking for suggestions that will sound reasonably good, but not be incredibly expensive. Thanks

 

[jimim]

If u can hardwire. Proficient speakers r my choice. All different prices ranges. They have 6.5 inch rounds. Typical size. Flush mount. Very easy to install if u have access. U can then hook them up to whatever source u want. Sonos player. Simple receiver. The grills are magnetic and look very nice. Check out my build. My pool house has 4 installed.

 

[PoolGate]

Well, I just got a pair of JBL EON612s for my pool area. They sound super good (1000 watts each - powered). I use them with a bluetooth receiver. Probably physically too big for you but you only need 1 actually and bridge the l/r channels. Also they are not outdoor speakers per se they'd need to be protected from the elements. Under $300 on eBay. They are professional studio and concert monitors and really have the "punchy" sound even at low volumes.

 

[markayash]

Well, I just got a pair of JBL EON612s for my pool area. They sound super good (1000 watts each - powered). I use them with a bluetooth receiver. Probably physically too big for you but you only need 1 actually and bridge the l/r channels. Also they are not outdoor speakers per se they'd need to be protected from the elements. Under $300 on eBay. They are professional studio and concert monitors and really have the "punchy" sound even at low volumes.

Those things are huge, bet they sound great!

 

[markayash]

I got these on amazon "used" which really means refurbished or returns for $65 a pair..They sound great
Yamaha NS-AW350B

 

[Arizonarob]

Those things are huge, bet they sound great!

@PoolGate likes to practice his karaoke when no one is home. You should hear his rendition of Bohemian Rhapsody!

 

[Brett S]

Thanks for the replies everyone. I really like the idea of the Sonos amp. I already have a Sonos system for my home theater, so staying with the Sonos line makes some sense. If I did that (or even if I went with something else) I’m thinking that I might need two sets of speakers. Two under the roof by the house for the covered area and two under the eve pointed toward the pool.

Unfortunately the Sonos amp and speakers is really more than I was hoping to pay right now, so I might just continue using my little portable bluetooth speaker for the immediate future and get something better a little further down the road.

 

[PoolGate]

Mine are sitting in my office at the moment. I don't think you could do much better for the price if you don't mind bringing them in and out when you need them. They are light and you only need 1.

 

[Brett S]

Mine are sitting in my office at the moment. I don't think you could do much better for the price if you don't mind bringing them in and out when you need them. They are light and you only need 1.

It’s a good idea, but tbh bringing them in and out every time I need them is exactly what I’m trying to avoid. I want something that’s permanently installed so I can just play music when I want without worrying about extra setup work. Maybe I’m just lazy, but I’m OK with that I also really don’t have a good place to store them in the house when they aren’t in use outside.

 

[markayash]

JBL makes some decent sounding portable speakers. I use it more then my receiver and outdoor speakers.
Most of the time it’s easier when it’s just me

 

[Katodude]

If you like the Sonos amp idea, you might want to try the Echo Amp. Its a lot cheaper and basically the same idea. You can also do multiroom with other echo devices. Poor mans Sonos.

 

[Brett S]

If you like the Sonos amp idea, you might want to try the Echo Amp. Its a lot cheaper and basically the same idea. You can also do multiroom with other echo devices. Poor mans Sonos.

Wow, I didn’t even know that was a thing, but that looks like a great solution for me. I’m already pretty heavily invested in the echo infrastructure... I’ve got an echo device in nearly every room of my house as it is, since I use it for automation and some music.

 

[Brett S]

I went ahead and placed my orders. I got the Echo Amp from Best Buy because I had some credit there that needed to be used and I got a great deal on four Sonance Mariner 64’s on eBay (good enough of a deal that I’m slightly concerned that they may be counterfeit, but I guess we’ll see when they get here).

I still wound up spending a bit more than I was really hoping for, but I feel like the sonance speakers are very good and weren’t much more than a cheap pair of generic outdoor speakers. I’m also really happy about the echo amp, since I’m already an echo household it should fit in well. I can sync my echos and play the same music outside and in the house if I want to. Another big plus is that it has the option of streaming music from a number of sources that I already listen to without using my phone to drive it, or I can still use bluetooth if I really want to.

Thanks for mentioning that echo amp, @Katodude

 

[PoolGate]

I went ahead and placed my orders. I got the Echo Amp from Best Buy because I had some credit there that needed to be used and I got a great deal on four Sonance Mariner 64’s on eBay (good enough of a deal that I’m slightly concerned that they may be counterfeit, but I guess we’ll see when they get here).

I still wound up spending a bit more than I was really hoping for, but I feel like the sonance speakers are very good and weren’t much more than a cheap pair of generic outdoor speakers. I’m also really happy about the echo amp, since I’m already an echo household it should fit in well. I can sync my echos and play the same music outside and in the house if I want to. Another big plus is that it has the option of streaming music from a number of sources that I already listen to without using my phone to drive it, or I can still use bluetooth if I really want to.

Thanks for mentioning that echo amp, @Katodude

Some counterfeits are "genuine" counterfeits. This happens when the 2 regular shifts in the factory end for the day and the 3rd crew is the counterfeit crew. These are very hard to tell the difference from the genuine ones. I got a Bose bt speaker that was one of these.

 

[Brett S]

Well, my Echo Amp should be arriving today and the speakers are set to arrive tomorrow, so I’ll be doing this install soon. Any thoughts on speaker placement? I’m thinking that I put two under the covered porch and two under the eves of the house for the pool and the deck. Originally I was thinking I would just put the two for the pool under the eves in front of the porch because I have easy access to that attic, but now I’m thinking it would make more sense to spread them out a bit more and put one in front of the porch and the other under the eve of the other part of the house on the left in the picture. The only problem is that I do not have easy access to that part of the attic, so if I do put a speaker there I will need to run the wire on the outside of the house. But I think that could be done without too much trouble.

 

[PoolGate]

Sound does not carry well outdoors I think unless those are powerful amps you are going to have them at full volume just to hear them in the pool area without them physically facing the pool. We used that bt Bose speaker and had to crank it all the way and could barely hear it 1/2 way in the pool and it was right on the deck facing us. Do those hang down and are directional or will they recess into the eve? If the former I think you will be ok under the eves.

And ha ha not to beat a dead horse but I noticed those EONs are all on sale right now. No I don't get a cut and really am not obsessed with them but I am a fan!

Pro Series SKUs

JBL brand

www.jbl.com

 

[Brett S]

They do hang down and are directional. Think a bookshelf speaker with a mounting bracket that will attach to the wall under the eve.

And frankly, I don’t really want a lot of power because the houses are fairly close together in this neighborhood and one of my concerns is that I don’t want to blast the neighbors behind me with whatever music I choose to listen to. Obviously I want enough volume to be able to hear what I’m listening to in the pool, but I’m not looking for a lot of power here.

 

[Brett S]

Well, good news, bad news, and good news on the speaker front. The speakers arrived today, so that’s good. Unfortunately one pair had been damaged, so that was bad. However, I got the non damaged pair installed and I’m not sure that I actually even need the other speakers.

I installed the two undamaged speakers under the eves of the house pointed toward the pool, because my goal for right now was to have music while I was exercising in the pool. And after I connected the echo amp and turned everything on I discovered that I can still hear the music very well even under the covered porch. In fact, I’m afraid that if I install another pair of speakers under the porch it will wind up unbalanced with the music too loud under the porch and not loud enough at the pool. I know I could solve that with a second amp so I could adjust the volume of each pair of speakers independently, but that’s more money that I don’t want to spend and frankly I think it’s working pretty well with just the two speakers.

So I’m just going to return the damaged speakers for a refund and leave it like this for a while. If I change my mind about speakers under the covered porch I can always add more speakers and possibly another amp at that time.

 

[Arizonarob]

Well, good news, bad news, and good news on the speaker front. The speakers arrived today, so that’s good. Unfortunately one pair had been damaged, so that was bad. However, I got the non damaged pair installed and I’m not sure that I actually even need the other speakers.

I installed the two undamaged speakers under the eves of the house pointed toward the pool, because my goal for right now was to have music while I was exercising in the pool. And after I connected the echo amp and turned everything on I discovered that I can still hear the music very well even under the covered porch. In fact, I’m afraid that if I install another pair of speakers under the porch it will wind up unbalanced with the music too loud under the porch and not loud enough at the pool. I know I could solve that with a second amp so I could adjust the volume of each pair of speakers independently, but that’s more money that I don’t want to spend and frankly I think it’s working pretty well with just the two speakers.

So I’m just going to return the damaged speakers for a refund and leave it like this for a while. If I change my mind about speakers under the covered porch I can always add more speakers and possibly another amp at that time.

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You don’t need a separate amp for the second set of speakers. Just wire them to your existing amp, then to THIS then to your 2nd set of speakers.

 

[Brett S]

You don’t need a separate amp for the second set of speakers. Just wire them to your existing amp, then to THIS then to your 2nd set of speakers.

That would work too, although the fact that the speakers are outdoors might make things a little more complicated. But like I said, I’m happy with it the way it is and I’m happy not having to spend money on a second set of speakers anyway