Outdoor wireless (rock) speakers

[gfxguru]

So, I have read through a few posts and was looking for more thoughts/opinions on wireless speakers where I can connect my iDevice to them. I am partial to the rock designs as they would blend in more nicely with an already rock backyard.

The in-ground look pretty slick too but I am assume those are wired connections only?

I do have an outlet in the far corner of the yard with the pool equipment but really would like the complete setup to be wireless (outside of the transmitter to plug in my iDevice). I have read that using the 2.4GHz technology is better than the 900MHz that most come in. Much less interference. Is this a very valid concern considering most devices that might interfere would be in the house and not out in the back yard?

Not looking for anything fancy or top-of-the-line. Doesn't have to rattle the block walls, just some decent sound! Budget is pretty important right now and I am hoping 2-4 speakers would be plenty to cover the yard with plenty of sound, even while in the pool. I see a lot of the rock speakers that come in sets of 2 for around $150-200.

Really appreciate any views you have on what to look at when making a decision on the purchase of these. I'm hoping to come across some deals on Amazon still being in the off-season.

Thanks everyone!

 

[Flippy]

When I was looking for speakers what drove me away from wireless was that they either needed to be plugged in or use batteries. I didn't have any outlets close by and didn't want to be changing batteries. So I ended up buying two Boston Acoustic rock wired speakers and running about 50 dollars worth of low voltage cable. Are you trying to stay away from wired speakers for a reason? Also I bought mine on Amazon early in the year and got them for 1/3 of the normal price. 77 bucks instead of 249. Not sure why they were marked so low, but they sound great!

 

[CombatYoga]

I would avoid wireless speakers if possible.
I have yet to hear any model that has acceptable fidelity.

This is just my opinion!

SF

 

[Brentr]

When I was looking for speakers what drove me away from wireless was that they either needed to be plugged in or use batteries. I didn't have any outlets close by and didn't want to be changing batteries. So I ended up buying two Boston Acoustic rock wired speakers and running about 50 dollars worth of low voltage cable. Are you trying to stay away from wired speakers for a reason? Also I bought mine on Amazon early in the year and got them for 1/3 of the normal price. 77 bucks instead of 249. Not sure why they were marked so low, but they sound great!

I second that. We have wired rock speakers from Best buy and they really sound great. Look at this thread outdoor-rock-speakers-t25771.html
Hope this helps

 

[gfxguru]

So I ended up buying two Boston Acoustic rock wired speakers and running about 50 dollars worth of low voltage cable. Are you trying to stay away from wired speakers for a reason?/quote]

So I can run these speakers off the same low voltage wire I have the landscape lighting hooked up to? If so, I have no issues with using wired speakers. My biggest reason was the laziness of digging and running all kinds of wires.

Do they also use some kind of wireless transmitter? What I would like to do is plug in/dock my iPhone from a location near the back of the house. Running wires to the back of the house would not be an option with all the concrete unless I ran them up the side of the house and under the roofline and then back down again to where the outlet is.

I would gladly go wired as the difference in sound quality would be substantial.

 

[Flippy]

Yes, you can use the same type of wire. However, just to be clear, you can't use wire that is being used currently by your landscape lighting. It must be a separate low voltage wire from the landscape lighting. In my opinion if you plan on using the speakers a lot and plan on listening to them at any decent level I would go with a wired speaker. I installed my speakers over a year ago and haven't had to touch them since. I just turn the receiver on and enjoy the tunes around the pool. Good luck.

 

[Shane1]

I like your pool area, looks inviting. With all the portable docking devices out there I bet you could find a descently priced one that could be utilized for the pool area. I dont think wireless is up to par yet when it comes to this type of stuff. Even if it had quality sound it probably wouldnt last very long especially with our summer weather.

 

[ABQ_Pool]

I had the same questions about 6 months ago. I wasn't happy with the wireless speakers (although I think they will improve over time) that I saw reviewed, but didn't quite trust that I could piece together and install a system for my backyard. After reading about a lot of other TFPers setups and asking some questions, I jumped in with both feet. I couldn't decide how I wanted my music to output, so I PM'd user "Shakenbake" on his setup and this is what he sent back: iPhone -(via WiFi)--> Airport Express-->Amp-->Speakers

I ended up running the low voltage wire to two speakers (TIC GS-3 models). The wire is then hooked up to a small amp (Pyle Mini 2x75), then an Airport Express is hooked up to the amp.

It isn't the cheapest option, as it was about $400 for the speakers and amp, $100 for the airport express, and about $75 for the speaker wire (16AWG or 14AWG CL-2 rated 2 conductor from Monoprice), but I wanted to buy quality items that I wouldn't have to replace in 2 years. I'm also not an audiophile, but I'm very happy with the results (way more sound then I expected) and it's something that I can disconnect and bring in during the winter season. It also gives some flexibility in that I can give my guests our wifi passwords and have them be the DJ that day when I'm too busy bartending, or even play from a playlist off our computer.

Since your landscaping is already completed, it will be a bigger task - I laid all my stuff in PVC out before the concrete was poured, but once it's done, you won't have to worry about it.

 

[spillmar]

Look at Bose Freespace 51; although not rock speakers they can be partially buried; provide nice bass and each one provides a very clean wide area stereo zone. Just my two cents.