Outdoor Music

When I first got into AV at the end of the 90s, outdoor audio was basically about two big marine-grade speakers mounted under the eaves. These could potentially give a great sound, but in the ongoing battle between performance and aesthetics they were on the losing side from the very start. Few home electronics were as reviled as these two large plastic blocks that had to stick onto the back of the client’s beautiful new home.

A strange deviation, and one that I actually had great success with, was the rock speaker. Unfortunately many people’s associations with these are from the $89 versions at Best Buy that look like props from a 1960s adventure movie. Nice ones were barely detectable in a garden and gave rich and powerful performances that actually faced the house instead of the neighbor’s.

Then around 2009 my Sonance rep came by with a big demo case and proceeded to stand what looked like landscape bullet lights on little tripods around the small lawn next to my Greenwich, CT showroom. When he switched them on I knew I was listening to “The Next Big Thing!” The sound was sweet and omnipresent. The best description I’ve ever been able to muster is that these speakers put music into the air. And while they can crank if you need them to, their real value is in soft consistent coverage around large outdoor areas.

Now over a decade later I barely sell marine style speakers. The “landscape” style has truly come to dominate the category - and for good reason. And while there are plenty of versions, I’m still partial to the Sonance version. No one has seemed to be able to touch the original.

As for installation, these also have a terrific benefit. Rather than requiring speaker wires up a back wall, these can just be poked out the foundation along with other wires that already come in and out of the house and trenched to wherever they need to be. So not only are they a superior sounding option, but often they’re easier to install as well.

Whether you want to make the most of the last warm weeks of summer, or get a jump on 2022, give me a call and let’s start planning your outdoor entertainment system!