Outdoor radio/speaker options

MrCookingNurse · March 12

What y'all got? I've got the kitchen fixed up but no music outside. Thinking a job site radio might tide me over till a major porch redo

http://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B008CNX518/ref=s9_simh_awgw_d0_g23_i0/181-8241279-5341664?aid=aw_gw&apid=1353730462&arc=1201&arid=0HN3AJ02G5AKJPX81NH6&asn=center-6&pf_rd_i=aw_gw&pf_rd_m=ATVPDKIKX0DER&pf_rd_p=1353730462&pf_rd_r=0HN3AJ02G5AKJPX81NH6&pf_rd_s=center-6&pf_rd_t=1201

Mama Roneck · March 12

Sonos zone player connected to generic outdoor speakers from Costco. Nothing easier than handing the Sonos controller to guests and letting them play DJ while you cook.

U_tarded · March 12

oh get ones that look like rocks, no one will ever know where the music is coming from :)

robnybbq · March 12

Sonos! - Nothing more to say. I would go with the Polk Atriums for outdoor speakers - they sound great.

Bham_egger · March 12

sWMBO got me a Soundfreaq Soundkick for Christmas. It's a small Bluetooth speaker. Incredible sound for such a small speaker. You can hard plug your phone, iPad, or computer into it by USB, or connect through Bluetooth. I love the portability of it. I use Pandora for most of my music, and it works great. Only downfall is you can't listen to regular radio, but many stations are on iHeart Radio.

MrCookingNurse · March 12

That sonos looks fancy! I bet I can figure out how to do it with airport with my iPhone an Mac and network.

@Bham_egger
It's usually pandora for me as well. We do have a few good stations around tho

Chubbs · March 12

Wireless Bose speaker that I play my iPhone to.

Mattman3969 · March 12

I have Bose outdoor speakers that are tied into my Bose home theater and they work great. #3 on Pandora

YEMTrey · March 12

That's why I love my screened in patio so much. I bought a stereo and leave it in it. Radio, CD, iPod, computer hookup to listen to anything that I have. The screened in patio is off my TV room, so I can sit out there and see my TV from my chair. I'm thinking of adding another TV out on the patio as well. It's my favorite spot to be outside of winter time.

I have a friend that has a series of the Sonos speakers outside on their patio and around the pool. They are easy to use and sound good as well.

CSRAEgger · March 12

Logitech UE box is great. Doesn't break the bank, easy to use, portable, and sounds good for a compact radio. You can buy it cheaper through Amazon. http://ue.logitech.com/en-us/smart-radios

MrCookingNurse · March 12

@chubbs
I think I need to look a bit more this way and just integrate outdoor speakers into a full home system.

I don't have a huge music library, that's why radio and pandora are a must, Internet access to whatever is the player.

michigan_jason · March 12

What happened to just plugging your phone or laptop into a speaker bar (pick your brand) and streaming rhapsody, Pandora, I heart radio etc..? You can get a good quality speaker bar for $100 or so and just use that until you are ready to spend the big money on a nice setup. That is what I am currently doing before I invest about 3-5k on a whole house setup. Works great, and for that matter you can connect a stereo system outside as long as it has an AUX in. Cheap and decent while deciding what components you really want.

MrCookingNurse · March 12

@michigan_jason

You mean something like this??

michigan_jason · March 12

MrCookingNurse said:

@michigan_jason You mean something like this??

Precisely!

henapple · March 12

Borrow @nolaegghead huge boom box...although it might get "broke" in Salado.

Solson005 · March 12

As far as job site radios go I have a Makita one that has input jacks for a iPod. It runs off the 18 volt battery my tools take and lasts for 16 hours. I used the heck out of it on some construction projects and it is still ticking. Rather than most companies buying a radio and slapping their name on it, makita built a tough radio and put speakers in it. So it isn't the best sound but you can't beat the battery life if you already have the tools.

For my patio I use a apple airport express hooked to a small stereo and can use any iPod / iPhone connected to the network to play music using airplay. I originally got the airport express to setup a personal network while I was traveling for work and now it works great for the patio. Much better than having to leave a phone plugged in and being able to change the song from anywhere in the backyard is nice too. It also expands your wifi network if you want to do some work forum checking outside.

MrCookingNurse · March 12

@solson005
Can you play pandora through the airplay?
I'm thinking this setup might be best. I've already got a lot of the parts

michigan_jason · March 12

MrCookingNurse said:

@solson005 Can you play pandora through the airplay? I'm thinking this setup might be best. I've already got a lot of the parts

Yes, your iphone or ipod can have Pandora or and other music app installed.

Solson005 · March 12

You sure can! I do it all the time, although I don't know if you have seen but pandora only lets you listen for 40 hours free a month.. :(( so I switch it up and don't use it all the time now.

MrCookingNurse · March 12

Ah come on man, that's why you get three accounts ;)

michigan_jason · March 12

Solson005 said:

You sure can! I do it all the time, although I don't know if you have seen but pandora only lets you listen for 40 hours free a month.. :(( so I switch it up and don't use it all the time now.

The reason I bought Pandora one, and recently Rhapsody. I love being able to listen to a specific album/artist/song, when you want, not when Pandora actually plays one of them.

Solson005 · March 12

Yeah if I go back to working at home I will definitely look into paying for the songs I want @michigan_jason

Thats part of the problem when I setup a few family members phones I used the same account as mine to save time. I guess I could have my iPod, iPhone, and iPad all have different accounts and since its all streaming I could rotate them all month..

What about this from Restoration Hardware?

michigan_jason · March 12

Solson005 said:

Yeah if I go back to working at home I will definitely look into paying for the songs I want @michigan_jason

Thats part of the problem when I setup a few family members phones I used the same account as mine to save time. I guess I could have my iPod, iPhone, and iPad all have different accounts and since its all streaming I could rotate them all month..

What about this from Restoration Hardware?

The cool thing about Pandora is that you can give others the log in and password for it. The owner of the company I used to work at gave his to 50 employees and they all use it.

robnybbq · March 12

SONOS can play Pandora and allot of other music feeds. Plus free internet radio stations. Some are decent and no commercials too. I was goign to use a box radio but I will forget it outside and or if a sudden rain storm comes about that's one more thing I have to grab and bring inside. Now I just grab a cocktail, a cigar, use my iphone (or PC) and grab a seat outside and push PLAY. Done.

nolaegghead · March 12

I just built a water proof go-pro like cabinet for an old junk TV I had laying around. Dug a hole the back yard and poured some cement - it will sit out in the open on a couple of posts. I'll have to rig up a receiver and speakers since the TV speakers are kinda useless in the cabinet....

Here are some (crappy) pics of where I'm at. I got a buddy fabricating a rotating bushing that the wires will go through so I can rotate it.

michigan_jason · March 12

Nola is my idol!

FanOfFanboys · March 12

My patio is pretty small but thinking about closing in and adding some speakers. Currently I just hook phone or iPad to a cheap iHome speaker. Off topic question: what size patio do y'all have?

robnybbq · March 12

My second story deck is 14x24. We would like to add a lower level that is the height of the above ground pool as well. I just need to win the lotto or play it even.

MrCookingNurse · March 12

@nolaegghead

Pretty sweet my man!

@fanoffanboys

If your thinking of closing in your patio than it is lots bigger than mine. I think mine is 10 sq ft

dlk7 · March 12

Sonos with outdoor Klipsh speakers rocking out the neighborhood. I have sonos controllers on my computer and music center amp so I can play Pandora, free digital radio, comcast music channels, and CDs.

nolaegghead · March 12

henapple said:

Borrow @nolaegghead huge boom box...although it might get "broke" in Salado.

I'll have to chain that ghetto blaster to a tree!

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