Making an outdoor sound system

Forums › Home Theatre (including HTPC and EPG Collector) › Making an outdoor sound system

kiwis

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#277258 4-Oct-2020 13:52

Another idea to my bluetooth speaker thread is setting up speakers on my deck.

What are these things like? They look like it'd make a real tinny sound.

What else do you need to make it play music off my iphone?

https://www.jaycar.co.nz/4-indoor-outdoor-speakers/p/CS2475

Dunnersfella

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#2579042 4-Oct-2020 14:42

They are certainly cheap - if you only want to play background music and don't mind if they rust a bit you could be okay?

But ultimately, speakers from JayCar are never gonna rock your world.

davidcole

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#2579217 4-Oct-2020 18:39

I got some cheaper jaycar outdoor ones. They’re ok. (I think they might be the same ones) They put out noise.

Have them hooked to a 20w amp via line out from my main stereo, that sits out in a cupboard accessible from outside. Means I can have them turned off till we want them (run a smart switch on the amp to be able to remotely turn on). Might hook them up to a raspberry pi with volumio so I can airplay or internet radio (or pull media off nas). If I wanted a separate source

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richms

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#2579273 4-Oct-2020 19:39

Too get acceptable sound from small speakers requires a lot of engineering and DSP on the signal, little box speakers like that have neither so will sound like a clock radio inside a cardboard box. You would need to augment it with a subwoofer, perhaps something under the deck would be possible depending on how wet it gets?

If all you want is background music, you may be able to help it with the bass control and any superbass options on the amp they're connected to, but that means it wont go loud. How well the bass addition of the amp matches the bass defects of the speaker is purely up to luck. Dont bother trying any of the room equalization stuff on tiny speakers like that outside.

Richard rich.ms

MarkM536

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#2579322 4-Oct-2020 22:51

kiwis:

https://www.jaycar.co.nz/4-indoor-outdoor-speakers/p/CS2475

Can I recommend that Surplustronics / Sound division is cheaper in most instances than JayCar.

As for getting something going; you'll need an amplifier with these speakers and some sort of Bluetooth receiver.

You can buy an amplifier with built in Bluetooth receiver, either as a standard Hi-Fi equipment device or cheap module off Aliexpress.

rogercruse

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#2579341 5-Oct-2020 07:22

kiwis:... bluetooth speaker on my deck...

portable, bluetooth, decent sound (not cheap).

https://www.sonos.com/en-nz/shop/move.html

xpd

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#2579344 5-Oct-2020 07:45

Or use a car stereo with BT built-in connected to a bunch of marine grade speakers. Throw it through a power converter and you're away.

XPD / Gavin

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MikeAqua

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#2579385 5-Oct-2020 08:53

Have a look at WetSounds. They make marine grade regular speakers and bluetooth sound-bars.

https://www.wetsounds.com/catalog/marine-audio

This is what I'm putting on my boat (eventually).

Mike

chevrolux

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#2579433 5-Oct-2020 09:51

I've just ordered a couple of these. Plan is to hook them up to a little pre-amp and then power amp board (AliX, about $10). And then use an Echo Flex as the input device so I can cast from spotify without having to muck around with raspberry pi's - just had to get the Echo Flex's via YouShop as they are US only at the moment it seems. I would have preferred the Echo Input, but they don't seem to be a thing anymore.

davidcole

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#2579435 5-Oct-2020 10:03

chevrolux:

I've just ordered a couple of these. Plan is to hook them up to a little pre-amp and then power amp board (AliX, about $10). And then use an Echo Flex as the input device so I can cast from spotify without having to muck around with raspberry pi's - just had to get the Echo Flex's via YouShop as they are US only at the moment it seems. I would have preferred the Echo Input, but they don't seem to be a thing anymore.

With volumio (comes a premade image) you can put a spotify connect plugin on it, wich makes it very chromecast like. And has built in airplay plugin as well. The main pain in the butt part is getting an amp or soundcard on it....but could be easier than getting something from the states in the absence of a chrome cast audio.

Loismustdye

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#2579446 5-Oct-2020 10:34

xpd:

Or use a car stereo with BT built-in connected to a bunch of marine grade speakers. Throw it through a power converter and you're away.

we have this done at our workplace in order to get music playing in two seperate rooms off each head unit (we have 5 of these types of setups) and they work a treat.