The Outdoor Speaker Guy

Don't punish your body to hear your music!

2010-02-17T15:34:00.000-08:00

Studies show, wearing earphones hurts! Why put your ears through the pain and agony of constantly wearing headphones and earphones around your deck, patio or yard? The answer is simple. Outdoor speakers! For the cost of a decent pair of good sounding headphones you can get and install speakers in your landscape, that can literally "blow away" the sound from your head gear. So many models and types to choose from make it very easy to get what will fit your area. Attach them to the deck or the house, stick them in the landscaping. There are even models that you can bury in the ground and have lights or toss into your pool or hot tub to set the mood. Take a look, you might be surprised at what you can do to protect your ears from those nasty earphones! Stop the pain, get outdoor speakers. The Outdoor Speaker Guy

Amusement park speakers are affordable

2010-02-15T16:26:00.000-08:00

Every time you go to the amusement park, they have great sounding music all around the park. How do they do it? Well it may not be the music you want to hear, but that's okay! You can have that same great sound in your landscape with in ground garden speakers. Some models even have lights in them to light your pathways or areas. These speakers have large woofers in them, so they produce deep base and really make your music come to life. That is why all the big parks install these everywhere. You can even bury them in the ground so they are hidden well in your garden areas. Check out how affordable they can be and how to create your own amusement park! The Outdoor Speaker Guy

Tax refund = new outdoor speakers of course!

2010-02-13T08:22:00.000-08:00

Why not take that tax refund you're getting and finally get the outdoor speakers you've been wanting! If you're like me, you always have a list of things you would love to have. If having new outdoor speakers for your deck, patio or garden is one of them, why not take some of that tax return and make your wish come true? You can have a great new sound system for you landscape for as little as $40. Just think what you could create for your guests for a few dollars out of your tax return!

The Outdoor Speaker Guy

Whats new this spring and summer?

2010-02-13T08:10:00.000-08:00

The new spring and summer models are flying in the door! Check out what makes these so popular. New wireless outdoor speakers, new patio speakers and new and improved rock speakers. These are just a few of the great products that are coming in our door every day. Outdoor Speaker Guy

Spring is coming, time to think about your outdoor music

2010-02-12T06:05:00.000-08:00

Spring time is just around the corner and you're already thinking about what to do to prepare. Don't forget that the perfect addition to your outdoor living and entertaining is the presents of music. Outdoor Speaker Guy has the latest speakers and gadgets to get your favorite tunes in your landscape. Come check out our spring line up!

Speakers in the window or outdoor speakers? A look at the pro's and con's.

2009-05-07T17:27:00.000-07:00

Okay, if this is you, raise your hand. Cold drinks are in the cooler on the patio or deck, every lawn chair you own has been pulled out from their hiding places. You have brought out your best set of plastic cups, bowls, plates and serving trays loaded with your favorite snack foods and cold beverages. The lawn games have been dusted off and set up in the yard and the kiddie pool has just been topped off. Now you need to get the finishing touch running, the tunes! You go to your living room and take your tower speakers to the window and prop them up to blast your favorite tunes out to your yard. Wow, your party is set now! So let's discuss how this situation can be much easier on you and your wallet!

First of all, I am not saying there is anything wrong with putting your speakers in the window. I've done it before myself! There is a better way and I want to tell you how and why. But are you ready to hear it?

Putting your home speakers in the window to get music to your yard is effective, to a point... The amount of power that it takes to get music to cut though the outside air to the far reaches of your yard is mind boggling, to say the least. Most of today's home amplifiers don't have the power to keep up with the high amounts of power required for this task. The distance from your speakers in the windows to your listening area can be much reduced by placing speakers in your yard or landscape closest to your listening area. This will require much less power from the amp to get the sound to your ears. Which in turn saves your amplifier and extends its life tremendously!

Now you could take your home stereo speakers out of your living room and put them down on your patio or setting them up in your yard, but is this the right thing to do? (wow, that was a long sentence!) If you don't mind letting the moisture from the ground or the night air eat away at the cabinets on your speakers. Or if you don't mind the creepy bugs crawling into them and then letting themselves loose in your house after you bring them back in. And if the idea of having a drink spilled on them, a football through the woofer or kids knocking them over doesn't bother you, then go ahead! Take your home stereo speakers outside and see just how long they last! But don't say I didn't try to warn you!

Outdoor speakers have many advantages in this respect. They are water resistant, capable of handling being left outdoors for all the seasons. They can be placed anywhere in your yard or landscape, close to your listening areas. And as I explained before, this helps save your amplifier and extend its life by not having to be cranked up just to hear the music. They are smaller in size and can be hidden or camouflaged to blend into you landscape, gardens or patio. And last but not least, once you set up your outdoor speakers, you never have to tear them down or reset them up again for the next party. And that leaves you more time to find that old lawn darts set you have hiding in the attic!

The Outdoor Speaker Guy

Schooners - Weatherproof Wireless Speakers

2009-05-07T17:00:00.000-07:00

Lets talk about the Grace Audio Schooner line of wireless outdoor speaker systems shall we?

These speakers are great for our outdoor hot tubs, pools and saunas. There is no problem in hooking them up, since there are no wires to deal with and there are no worries with the weather since the speakers are weather-resistant! just purchasing them you will eventually want to buy the aqua sounder ball too for your hot tub or pool. What makes them really exciting to use is there portability and their look. The aqua sounder actually floats in your pool or hot tub and is fun to play with with your friends or family. It has a volume control right on the ball and a cool looking blue light that looks fun underwater at night! Based on the price and the ease of set up, these are great wireless outdoor speakers for the money. You will look forward to using them as much as possible. Schooners Weatherproof Wireless Speakers, are also a great addition to your lakefront property.

This speaker system is advertised to be easy to set up and provide great sound. They really are easy to set up, just take them out of the box, place them where you want and turn them on. It really is that simple with the Schooners! One of the best bangs for the buck on the market today. You can spend many times the cost of these and still not see the advantage in sound quality. Typically the best sounding outdoor speakers are patio speakers and rock speakers. But they requre an amplifier to power them and wires to bury but if you can go wireless for a great sounding option, why do all that work?

With all the wireless outdoor speaker options on the market today, it is hard to find the best option for your needs. Hopefully you will get a chance to check out the Grace Audio Schooner line of outdoor speakers and see for yourself the ease of set up and the great sound quality that they can provide. If you want to enjoy your outdoor space with your favorite music we suggest giving these a listen and see for your self!

Why should I buy outdoor speakers?

2009-05-01T16:00:00.000-07:00

There is no better way to enhance the outdoor experience of an afternoon barbecue or pool party than with some great music! But you don't want to drag out your portable boom box or stereo system every time you have friends over do you? Outdoor speakers are a great addition to your outdoor living space. Now you can easily transform your backyard into a great entertainment spot for your friends and family. Think of this: would you rather watch a movie from your enclosed television speakers, or from home theater entertainment system? The difference is incredible! Outdoor speakers will greatly enhance your patio or backyard area and give it that extra ambiance. Words are not enough to explain the musical transformation you will experience when you turn that new system on for the first time.

There are probably a few questions you may have of course. Here are a few things that may come up when you are doing your research:

Price - A low end portable stereo from your local electronics store could cost you as low as $100. Your high end version? Anywhere from $300-$500. You still don't get surround sound! If you run to the other side of the yard to catch that football, you are still missing out on that great song everyone is jamming to. Depending on the quality of the equipment you decide to buy, a typical 4 speaker setup will cost you between $300 to $800. With a full setup including amplifier/tuner with all accessories is going to be in the neighborhood of $500-$1000 again depending on quality. Is this extra price worth the added entertainment? Those customers who have made this step certainly think so.

Weather - I am sure you are skeptical about setting up and tearing down your new investment every time the sun comes out and you crank up the tunes. That is the beauty of buying an outdoor speaker system. They are completely waterproof and sun proof. The only items usually subject to the elements are the speakers and associated wiring. These are highly durable pieces of equipment built to endure the test of time and weather. And of course you wont be inconvenienced by dragging out that portable stereo every time you want to have a party!

Installation - An outdoor speaker system is very easy to install and tailor to your specific needs. Especially with the addition of wireless speakers, moving your items around is as simple as moving those fresh steaks from the grill to your table. Installation is easy as well. All you will need is your tuner, amplifier, wiring, and speakers. It is typically as simple as a home stereo system.

Where to buy/delivery - If you do decide to make that step and purchase an outdoor speaker system, I am sure that you will want a company with a personal touch and stereo expertise to assist you in creating the perfect outdoor experience. Outdoor Speaker Guy (www.outdoorspeakerguy.com) has the perfect line up of speakers (wireless, rock, and patio) as well as amplifiers, tuners and accessories. If you are not sure exactly what you want, they will be more than happy to help to pick out perfect setup for your price range, as well as helping you create outdoor layout that works for you. If you need help with setting up your system, or have any questions about anything outdoor speaker system related, they will be more than happy to help you out. If you have any more questions, please check out a great Frequently Asked Questions page.

I hope you enjoy your enhanced outdoor experience. I know if you do decide to take this route you will not be dissapointed.

Garden & Rock speakers, are Cool!

2009-04-22T18:00:00.000-07:00

Who says you can't have speakers in your gardens? These new speakers, shaped like rocks, planters, bird baths and statues are really giving individualism to your landscapes' soundscape! Wow, that came out way more intellectual than it did in my head! Anyway, in this article we are going to discuss the reason why garden and rock speakers are so cool! In the eyes of The Outdoor Speaker Guy, anyway.

Okay so let us discuss what is considered "gardens" around your yard. "Anywhere!" You can put rock speakers anywhere a rock would look good. You can place a birdbath shaped speaker where ever you would put a birdbath. A planter shaped speaker will go great anywhere you would put a potted plant. I could go on an on, but I think you get the picture. These specially shaped sound elements are capable of producing the great sounds you have come to expect from your home speaker systems. Rock speakers are quickly becoming the best sounding outdoor speakers on the market. Capable of providing those deep and low frequency sounds you want when listening and dancing around your backyard. These custom shaped drivers can deliver tons of sound due to the fact that they can handle and devour high quantities of wattage from your amplifier. The fact that they can be placed nearly anywhere in your landscape makes them the perfect choice to bring the great sounds out of your home and into your garden.

Statues, planters and birdbaths are other great ways to bring the sounds of joy to your backyard. They also give you great choices on where your music can flow from. Look around your yard, and see where you could use a rock or a planter or maybe a statue and that would be a great place for your next set of speakers. So if you are looking for a "cool" speaker for your lifestyle and like tons of sound to flow through them, look no further. Try some of these out and see for yourself why I think these are cool speakers!

The Outdoor Speaker Guy

Patio Speakers in my Bathroom? Why not?

2009-04-22T16:44:00.000-07:00

More and more of you are spending a lot of time in your bathrooms. Who could blame you? If I could stay in the tub for a few hours without pruning every part of me, I would! But the bathroom is becoming another one of those hang out places in your home. What with all the relaxing and not so relaxing activities available. I've seen baths that are the size of my living room that have a hot tub, a weight bench, work out area, sauna, TV, couches.... Okay, well, not all of us have a bathroom this functional, but we can all benefit from having our favorite tunes there to add to the experience.

So what are the right kind of speakers to add to a bathroom? Well my first recommendation would be outdoor patio speakers. There are many sizes, shapes and colors to choose from so finding a set that would match your decor will be simple. The fact that they are water resistant really helps. This means they will hold up for many, many years in the moist environment your shower will create. Regular home stereo speakers are not manufactured to handle these harsh conditions. The structure of the cabinets and the drivers in home speakers will deteriorate quickly and the sounds will be lost with the moisture right out your vent!

Hooking up these speakers will require a little bit of thought and planning to achieve the right locations for the components. You will need to place your amplifier out of harms way of the moisture that fills your bathroom every time you take a bath or shower. This can be achieved by placing the amplifier in a cabinet or in the next room or a closet. Where ever you put your amplifier, you will need to be sure there is a power outlet near by or you will never hear any tunes! By keeping the amplifier in a location away from moisture, you will be saving it from a most certain doom! There are amps that can be used right out in the open moisture. An example can be found here.

Wiring from you amplifier to your speakers will need to be run to transmit the audio signal to them. And of course you will want to do a nice job hiding and running those wires. If you run wires through the walls, you will want to make sure you put some sealant in the holes to keep moisture out of your walls.

A majority of patio speakers come with many mounting options that will allow you to place them almost anywhere you want. Along with the options of many colors to chose from, patio speakers are a great choice for your bathroom music needs. So get ready to sit back in your tub with your rubber ducky, or enjoy your morning "newspaper" reading with your favorite tunes playing through your new bathroom speakers!

The Outdoor Speaker Guy

Wireless Speaker Popularity Is On The Rise!

2009-04-15T17:11:00.000-07:00

We are at an age of convenience. Many shoppers come to see us to view our wide selection of wireless outdoor speakers. But why are so many interested in the wireless line versus the options of: Patio speakers, Garden speakers or Rock speakers? Why are the varieties of these wireless outdoor speakers growing at a rapid rate? I have to know for myself! So join me as I narrow down the huge love affair we are now having for these “cord-free” listening devices.

So what do wireless speakers offer that all the others do not? Well to start with they actually come packaged with one less thing than all the others: Wires! Recently we are seeing a boom in the wireless speaker sales and who can blame a consumer for wanting these extremely user friendly devices! I know I like the way mine work for me, so let’s discuss the features that everyone likes about these guys.

No wires, well, what does that mean exactly? Obviously speakers cannot power themselves without some sort of amplifier. So the amplifier is actually built right into the individual speakers themselves in a wireless speaker. Technology has come a long way and the ability to get a good powered amplifier into a small space is no longer a problem. Imagine trying to get that old 70’s tube amplifier that was only putting out 15 watts into a speaker the size of large coffee cup, wow! Yet technology is now able to put amplifiers that can put out 100 watts or more into a speaker no larger than the 5 x 7 picture frame on my desk. And still have room for a power source to run them, because they are wireless!

To power these new “micro” amplifiers there needs to be a power source. This comes in the form of a battery or bank of batteries. Some wireless speakers take AAA, AA, C, D or even gel batteries to power them. Most of which, are rechargeable in these various sizes and can be replaced when they reach the end of their life. A majority of these speakers have internal rechargeable gel style batteries, the same type that you would find in battery back-up systems for your computer or in rechargeable flashlights. These are typically gel batteries that have a long life span and can take many charges before ever being replaced. But just like all batteries they will need replaced eventually. The speakers that take standard off the shelf batteries can be replaced easily just by going to the local store and buying a new pack. The only drawback to these is there life span is very low and they generally cannot be recharged. But, these types do come in handy if you have left your speakers outside for a while and they are out of charge. This gives you a way to get them going for that spur of the moment cocktail party!

Most all of the units with internal batteries come with power adapters that allow you to charge them for usage. You can also use the power adapter to run the unit off of, If the batteries are too low, but this kind of defeats the whole “wireless” concept though right? Units that take just off the shelf batteries don’t always come with power adapters so make sure you check this out before buying them.

Transmitters and receivers… let’s keep this simple for now. You get a transmitter with your wireless speaker system that takes the audio you plug into it and sends it via radio wave frequency to your wireless speaker/speakers. Most come with an 1/8” stereo plug in either in the form of a cable or a receptacle. Some have RCA/PHONO connections as well as the new high tech direct plug in for iPods. They are either powered by a wall adapter or batteries and are relatively small in size. So they are pretty easy to set up and you can put them about anywhere. They have a broadcast distance to your speakers of anywhere from 25-300 feet, check your model for details, this makes placement options great. They broadcast the signals at various frequencies and are matched to the speakers in their particular line, so to add more speakers you will have to check with the manufacturer of your make and model system to add on. Newer systems utilize higher frequency ranges to avoid interference from cell phones, cordless phones etc. so this makes them less subject to noise. This way you don’t have to hear your neighbor’s phone conversations through your back yard speakers! Or maybe you do want to hear your neighbor’s phone conversations and those are products you will have to get information on elsewhere!

Beware! Not all wireless speakers are “outdoor” rated! Make sure that if you want to use yours outside that you ensure they are wireless “outdoor” speakers. These will resist the effects of the elements, rain, snow, UV light, did I mention rain? All of which will destroy regular wireless speakers so keep this in mind when purchasing yours.

Okay, so let’s review: wireless outdoor speakers have amps in the speakers, they have batteries, the audio is transmitted to them wirelessly and they are weather resistant. So there are no wires to run or bury in my landscape. I can put them anywhere up to 300 feet away from the transmitter. I can hook my iPod or stereo up to them and they will hold up against the elements. Wow, I do understand this huge surge in their popularity now! I am actually starting to question why you would want any other kind of speaker for your outdoor living areas. And I will discuss why Patio speakers, Garden speakers and Rock speakers have their own place in your living space and the pros and cons for them as well in my upcoming issues. Stay tuned!

The Outdoor Speaker Guy

what type of wire do you use for outdoor speakers?

2009-03-14T08:40:00.000-07:00

Getting ready to install those outdoor speakers you bought in your landscape, huh? You got everything you need, right? I am guessing that your purchased the following: Outdoor speakers, check! Amplifier, check! Burial grade speaker wire...what? You mean you bought just standard speaker wire from the store? This will never do! Sure it might work for a while, but soon the elements will deteriorate it and it will crack. Soon as it does you got a short issue that can result in a blown speaker. Or worse, a blown amplifier!

So what makes burial grade speaker wire better? Lets first look at the make up, shall we? Standard speaker cable you use in your home has either two sets of wire made of either copper or aluminum or a combination of both. Obviously 100% copper is the best conductor to use for your speakers because it transfers the signal with the least amount of resistance. And of course you need to use the recommended wire gage for your speakers, so look at the specifications of yours to determine this. Speaker wires for home or car use have a plastic coating around the inner conductor to protect them from coming into contact with each other and any other exterior metal that might cause a short. This is the most common type of speaker wire. Burial grade cable has some of the same elements as standard wire, but with added weather protection. This type of cable comes in both 2 conductor and 4 conductor versions. Conductors? Okay, speaker wire has a positive (+) wire and a negative (-) wire. This is a 2 conductor cable. A 4 conductor has two sets of positive and two sets of negative wires which allows stereo hook up of both the right and left channels. Make sense? Now back to the "exciting" stuff! Burial cable usually consists of 2 or 4 conductors of copper wire, in individual plastic coating. For example, it can be one red, one black, one green and one blue. Color doesn't really matter, it just helps you to keep them distinguished when hooking them up. These 4 color coded conductors are also encapsulated in a weather resistant outer coating, usually black, that helps protect it from moisture, heat, cold and breakage. Utilizing this type of wire for your outdoor speakers not only will get the sound were you want it but it will last for many, many years to come.

Okay, so what have we learned? We have learned that standard speaker wire and burial grade speaker wire are different when it comes to use outside your home. If you choose to use standard wire for your outdoor speakers, you run the risk of wire breakage and deterioration due to the elements. The chance that the wire will short and cause damage to your speakers and amplifier is possible. So why would you take the chance? Why would you want to have to pull them out of the ground and re-install them again? If this is what you really want to do and you like the thought of having to repeat your burial work a second time, then by all means, use standard wire! But, if you are like me, and don't like doing things twice, then do them right the first time. Don't you agree?

The Outdoor Speaker Guy

How to hook up multiple outdoor speakers to one amplifier

2009-03-14T08:38:00.000-07:00

So you are sitting on your patio, with the sounds of your favorite tunes playing through your outdoor speakers. It sounds wonderful! You there relaxing, enjoying a cold beverage in your lazy chair. This is the life isn't it? You decide to get up and take a stroll through your garden, and then suddenly you realize that your wonderful music can no longer be heard! "What can I do?" you say to yourself. Well no worries again! The Outdoor Speaker Guy is here to help.

Okay, so you have experience with hooking up your outdoor stereo speakers. Now you want to add more speakers to your sound system, but you don't know how? In this session we will discuss the ins and outs of hooking up multiple speakers to an amplifier. So before you go trying to just hook up 3, 4, 5 or 6 speakers on to your amplifier, there are some things you need to know before you destroy that amplifier you spent hundreds of dollars on! You want to get the music to more areas of your landscape but you just can't go hooking up speakers all willy-nilly! There are some rules you need to follow.

Speakers are made to handle specific wattage's. This is the number that most people pay attention to when picking out their speakers. Now I know that when you see a pair of speakers advertised they always tell you how much wattage they can handle. And of course we all want the ones that will handle the most, cause we will be rockin' these babies till the neighbors call, right? Speaker wattage is not what we are most worried about when it comes to hooking up multiple sets or pairs of speakers. The real killer is the resistance that comes with added speakers. Most home speakers, whether they are for in your home or outdoor speakers, are rated for 8 ohms resistance. This can be found on the packaging or in the specifications for each individual model. Some other options available for outdoor speakers and car audio speakers are: 6, 4, 2 or even 0 ohm resistance. And most home amplifiers are rated for 8 ohms. Notice I said "most". You can get amplifiers that are rated for 6, 4, 2 and 0 ohms as well. You just need to know what to look for in you planning stages.

So let us try to explain resistance in terms the average homeowner can understand, shall we? Think of it like this: one speaker connected to your amplifier is like hooking your garden hose up to the faucet, the pressure from the waterline feeding your house is, let's say, 8 ohms. No matter how much you open the valve on the faucet, the pressure of the water coming out of the end of the hose can never get any faster. This is because the resistance of the hose is its diameter, or how big around the hole is through the hose. The pressure flowing through the hose allows the water to shoot out the end about four feet before it hits the ground. Now if we add speakers to the line, it is like taking that hose and doubling the inside hole diameter. Now when we have the water turned all the way up, the water coming out the end is the same size as the hose, but only shoots out about two feet before it hits the ground. Then half that when you add another speaker and double the size of that hose. And so on. The resistance goes down by half when you add another speaker, which requires your amplifier to work 2x harder to get the same amount of wattage to both speakers on that line. Add a third speaker, it works 3x harder. Add a fourth speaker, it works 4x harder. Get the idea?

To sum it all up; if you add speakers, you decrease the resistance on the amplifier causing it to have to produce the same amount of wattage, faster and harder. If your amplifier is not designed to work at these resistance levels, you will burn it out faster than say, trying to light a cigarette with a blow torch! Amplifiers are designed to work at certain resistance levels only. If they state that they are stable down to 4, 2, or 0 ohms, then they are made with different circuitry to handle higher loads. You will need to keep this in mind when you want to start adding more outdoor speakers to your garden or landscape.

Totally confused yet? Don't worry, most stereo home amplifiers have two sets of outputs labeled "A" and "B" which you can hook a second set of speakers up to and you don't need to worry about resistance issues. I know, I could have told you this at the beginning, but you would never have learned anything about resistance. I know, call be crazy, but I have a feeling you are reading this to make yourself more-smarter, right?

There are ways to keep the amplifier you have and still add more speakers without blowing it up from the resistance. It has to do with running speakers with different resistances in series or parallel to match your amplifiers, but that is for another time I think! So join me next time and I will take you on another amazing outdoor speaker journey!

The Outdoor Speaker Guy

Connecting your speakers to your amplifier: how to

2009-03-14T08:37:00.000-07:00

You are reading this because you purchased some outdoor speakers and you need some guidance on hook up, right? Well then this is the article you have been looking for! In this session we will discuss the tips and techniques on hooking up your stereo/amplifier in your home to your outside sound systems. We will also give you some do's and don'ts along the way to make your install go that much easier.

Step one: place your stereo/amplifier in a convenient place. When I say convenient, I mean so that it can be accessed by you and your guests so that it can be easily operated. If you wish to control it with a remote then you will need to place it somewhere that it has direct line of sight to. If you don't want it messed with, then you will want to place it in a cabinet or on a shelf. Wherever you decide to place it, just make sure it has adequate space to dissipate heat. When they are in full operation they can create a lot of heat and heat build-up can destroy an amplifier in a short amount of time.

Step two: plan out your wire routing so that your wires from your outside speakers gets to your amplifier in the most direct way. What I mean by this, is that you want to keep your wire lengths as short as possible. This keeps the strain off your amplifier and prolongs its life. But I understand that if you have a big slab of concrete between your speakers and your amp, then you will be better off running the lines around rather than trying to punch a hole through the concrete. It is always best to make your wires hidden, no one wants to see stray wires just jetting out of the wall and draped across the floor. You will also need to make sure that you seal the holes you make to the exterior of your home or building with a high quality sealant. You can find these at your local home improvement center and you have many choices in grade and color, so you should be able to find what works for your application. This is a crucial step as moisture and pests can and will get into these holes no matter how small you think they are. Don't skip this step!

Step three: hook up the wires as described by your amplifiers manufacturer. Be sure to keep your polarity correct when hooking up to your outdoor speakers. Most speaker wire is marked with a stripe or color to help you keep this straight, so utilize it. You also will want to make sure that you are not putting too much load on the amplifier by putting too many sets of speakers on one line. For the most part you will be hooking up only one speaker per channel, but if you plan to do this, then you will need to read our article on hooking up multiple sets of speakers. But for now we will just concentrate on hooking up one pair. Check the ohm resistance on the speakers you have. 95% of them will be rated at 8ohms. The same applies to your amplifiers resistance capabilities, although some amps and speakers can have multiple resistance values for more flexible installations. Be sure you check your technical information that came with yours to be sure.

Step four: once you have placed your amplifier, run your wires, concealed them and sealed out the bugs and weather and after you have hooked everything up, make sure you have connected everything right. After you have done this you are ready to sit back, relax and turn up the volume of your favorite tunes relaxing out on your deck or patio!

The Outdoor Speaker Guy

What are the right outdoor speakers for me?

2009-03-14T08:36:00.000-07:00

Okay, so you're sitting on your deck or patio, watching the neighbors mowing their lawn and you think to yourself, "do I have to listen to this orchestra of lawn mowers, weed eaters and leaf blowers?" Well, the unfortunate answer to this is yes, unless you or they move away, you are stuck with this barrage of summers sounds, constantly filling the air. But there is a way to bring yourself back to that calm and soothing place you were before this metal chopping symphony began. It is right there on your deck or patio and even in your backyard, think of it, the soothing sounds of your own music filling the landscape. Your garden areas lightly sprinkled with your favorite music. Your music, of your choice, not the sounds from the street or even next door, but the soothing tunes that you enjoy hearing. The music that takes you to another place or even back in time. Is this possible for your yard or garden-scape? The answer is, Yes!

So you want to hear your music while relaxing in your backyard, but how do you do it? It's simple, get quality outdoor speakers that will blend into your décor. Sound hard to do? Start by deciding where in your outdoor areas you would like to have music. Next sketch on paper your landscape layout and decide the places that you and your guests will be spending most of their time and concentrate on those areas first. These most likely will be the sitting areas on your deck, patio or garden. Now decide how involved you want to get. What do I mean by "involved"? How much work do you want to do? I know, I know, we all want this to be easy and to require next to no work. Some of us would like to cross our arms, close our eyes and do that "I dream of Genie head bop" and poof! The work is done! Well, you can hire out this chore if it fits your budget and that is great. Just make sure you research what you want and relay that on to your contractor. And you should be fine. But if you are like me, we would love to have the extra cash around to have someone else do it, but we don't. So we are stuck doing it ourselves. You know this is really not that hard of job to do. It can be just as easy as purchasing wireless outdoor speakers.

These gems are great! Just grab your CD or MP3 player, plug into the base unit of your wireless speakers, place the wireless speakers where you want them and let the good times roll! Wireless outdoor speakers can also have add on speakers that can expand your listening area even farther in your yard. With a range of around 150-200 feet, you should be able to get your tunes where you want and with really no extra work. Now you do have to keep the batteries charged in some units and fresh batteries on hand in others to make the system work. Some even come with power cords or adapters that can be plugged in at electrical outlets, but that defeats the whole wireless speaker thing don't you think? All "outdoor" wireless speakers are weather "resistant", which just means that if it starts to rain or you leave them out over night or even a couple days, they will be fine. They should not be used as permanent outdoor speakers though unless you have a well protected place to put them. We suggest you put them away after usage just to be safe. There are completely "waterproof" wireless speakers that float in your pool or hot tub and can be completely submerged! These are pretty cool and get the music in there where its gonna be wet! This is the easy installation way to go!

Now if you don't want the hassle of making sure your wireless speakers are charged up or have fresh batteries in them, you can opt to do a little bit more work. Patio speakers are designed to be placed/mounted in outdoor areas where the weather is going to get to them. And don't worry, they are made for this. The requirement is to find a place on your house, deck or gazebo that they can be mounted. You will need to be handy with a drill and screw drivers to do this and you will be putting holes in your mounting areas to run speaker wires. These will have to be of course sealed to keep the creepie-crawlies out, but not a big deal. You will need some basic wiring skills as well as basic wiring tools such as: wire cutters, wire strippers, pliers, screwdrivers, drill bits and a drill. All of which are likely to be in your tool box if you are even a basic handyman. Once you have found the place to mount your speakers, follow the directions that come with your particular speakers and mount them. Just make sure that at this location you have a direct way to get the speaker wires run into your house to your amplifier. Amplifier you say? We will cover that in another article, so lets get back to the speakers. After mounting run your wires to your amplifier and hook up. Poof! Done! Just turn on the tunes and your relaxing and enjoying the music. This is a medium skill level job.

Okay, so the mounted patio speakers are not enough for you and you need more from your music. Or maybe you have gardens that you want to be able to stroll though and hear your music. This is where garden speakers come into play. They come in different varieties to work with your décor. Rock speakers look just like rocks and come in many different colors, shapes and sizes. You can get animal shaped ones, birdbath shaped ones, stump shaped, planters, bowls etc. Just pick what works for you. Some can be buried in the ground so that only the tops of them are seen. Lots to choose from here, just pick what suits your skill level and needs. You will need to bury cable to get the sound to these, so you will be doing a bit of digging or hiding of the wires to these speakers so plan out your route to keep it as short as possible. You will have to get these wires back to your amplifier which will be inside your house or elsewhere, so holes will have to be most likely drilled and sealed too. This is a medium skill level job.

Keep your eyes peeled for our next edition, where we will discuss the options for hooking up your outdoor speakers to your amplifier.

The Outdoor Speaker Guy