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Question: I need some help on outdoor wireless
landscape speakers. In my back yard I’m landscaping with natural
stone, and want to add sound. I’ve looked at some outdoor
wireless speakers but want to incorporate sound in the landscape
and not blasting away on the patio. Are the landscaping speakers
which look like rocks any good? Jason, Kentucky
Answer: Just like you I enjoy music
when working outside or just relaxing on the patio. Why not experience
high quality outdoor sound from a speaker system which looks like
a rock? It may not be the old “rock” we listened to
in the 60’s or 70’s but it’s your music.
There are a couple of things to keep in mind. Most
outdoor wireless speakers will be placed outdoors on the patio area,
Bose outdoor speakers and Niles are top picks. The rock-like speakers
you’re asking about are different. Being wireless they can
be placed directly outdoors in the landscape where the speakers
combine relatively good sound quality, and inconspicuous appearance.
You
mentioned that you’re landscaping with natural stone, make
sure you take into account that the look of these artificial rock
speakers – they may not match or have the same look as the
natural stone in the landscape. You may want to add some stones,
rocks or boulders which hold similar looks and size to the outdoor
rock speakers you’re considering.
Landscape Speaker Selection
When selecting any speaker for use in the landscape
try to find one that blends in and is natural looking - this makes
rock type speakers a perfect choice. Make sure the speaker is sealed
and the components are weather resistant to keep out water and protect
them from any outdoor environmental conditions. This should insure
years of trouble free performance. The engineering built into outside
speakers should protect them against rain, freezing, and the sun's
heat.
Most rock speakers are constructed of hi-impact polyurethane
resin materials to look like granite rock with a slate gray finish
blending with a garden or landscaped background. They are reliable
enough for home and commercial installations or any one requiring
reliable, quality outdoor sound.
Installations Where Landscape Speakers Are Used
 In
fact, here are just a few places you’ll find outdoor speaker
used extensively: theme parks, zoos, amusement centers, civic centers,
hotels, golf courses, parks, campgrounds, patio, backyards/front
yards, pools, landscape gardens, porches, decks, outdoors/indoors,
background music, public address and leisure areas.
To pump out the sound and make your audio more enjoyable
in the garden, patio, water feature or backyard throughout the year
most rock speakers can handle simple back ground music or a full
rock performance since they can handle 100-watts of power. They
should be acoustically matched to provide clear vibrant sound with
good bass characteristics and come with a 2 year warranty. Stay
away from any landscape speaker only offering a 1 year warranty,
generally the speakers don't last very long.
Easy Installation
Installation is easy and straight forward. Just like
the audio system in your home you’ll need to determine the
area and where you plan to install the speaker and run wires. Place
the rock speaker firmly on the ground or bury the speaker base a
little. The worst part is digging a trench to the audio source.
Dig a trench approximately 5 inches deep and place the audio cable
in the trench and cover it back up with soil. Now connect the speaker
wire to the audio source. Use speaker cable that complies with the
national electrical code for outdoor and in-wall installation
Keep in mind future landscape projects! Make sure
you dig the trench where you do not plan on digging holes for plants
later on. You may want to consider running PVC to hold the speaker
cables in also.
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