Tips For Choosing an Outdoor AV System

Imagine kicking back by your pool as crisp, clear tunes wrap around every corner of your yard, while your favorite show springs to life on a screen that rises from the deck at the touch of a button.

Welcome to the future of outdoor living, where your backyard becomes the ultimate party-proof, relaxation-ready oasis.

Below, you are going to find a few tips on how to get your dream backyard properly set up.

Learn every step you need for a backyard system that wows your guests

Preparing for the installation

When preparing to do a backyard system, we have to take a look at where the amplifiers will be housed, as they need to be in a well-ventilated area. If the customer wants a 70V system, we recommend placing the unit inside a rack specially designed to hold amplifiers. If the customer is choosing to go with a set of Sonos stereo amplifiers, then it is okay to place these on the wall in the basement, making stereo the way to go in terms of price. Although 70V systems are superior to stereo in many areas, they come with a rather large price tag. Another benefit of 70V is that the same amplifier powering your 70V speakers can often be used to power the subwoofer as well. We call this a two-channel amp, where one channel goes to the subwoofer and the other goes to the speakers. The benefit of stereo in this category is that we can put in a great system with less equipment, and less preparation, and a Sonos amp can basically be installed anywhere there is wifi and power.

What is a 70V System?

A 70V system is different than a stereo system in that it creates a wider range of coverage in the area it is installed. Normally, we use a stereo system with some rock speakers or wall speakers to pump music in different zones. The system uses mono speakers (stereo in one speaker rather than two) conveniently placed around the yard and can be controlled individually through a small adjustment knob. For instance, if you want the pool speakers to be louder than a seating area where people are talking, this can easily be done by adjusting the sound on the individual speaker rather than turning the volume down on that entire zone.

That means the music can be nice and loud in a larger area while keeping the audio to nice background music in areas where people might be having more conversation. It gives the feeling of a louder sound without bothering the neighbors.

Stereo or 70-volt?

Both stereo and 70V systems have their advantages and disadvantages, but both can be paired with massive subwoofers that can be buried underground for a rich and deep immersive experience. If the neighbors aren’t an issue, then you might be able to save yourself a few dollars on an external sub and go with some decent-sized rock speakers. These speakers are designed to look like rocks and camouflage themselves into their surroundings. Rock speakers, however, only come in stereo, and although stereo speakers are a bit cheaper, they do come with a nice quality and bass upgrade. Whereas a 70V system will almost always have to be paired with an external subwoofer to get a rich bass performance, a decent set of stereo rock or stereo wall speakers can really amplify your experience without the need for an external subwoofer.

Wiring and Speaker Placement

Another crucial step in the preparation phase is where we will be installing the speakers in your yard, as there are almost always some obstacles to overcome, such as patios, pools, and vegetation. Obstacles usually increase the length of the wire needed to be run, while vegetation is a great way to get wires ran quickly and efficiently, offering less area that needs to be trenched. A good line of trees or bushes is great for running wires to an area that will also allow the wire to stay above ground and away from the harsh conditions of the ground. Once we have determined the length and path the wires will take, we can then start mapping out the locations we will be placing the speakers. We want stereo speakers to be at the edges of the property to increase the audio coverage, adding multiple zones to immerse the area in music. With a 70V system, we are placing speakers as close to the action as possible, and this will allow the speakers to be adjusted later. 70V speakers will be placed around the perimeter of the home and close to the seating areas and places where people will be hanging out the most. Another great benefit of a 70V speaker system is that it only requires one wire for several speakers, as long as the wattage of each speaker doesn’t exceed the draw from the amplifier, several speakers can be “daisy-chained” to the next one in line. This is great because it allows customers to add speakers at any time by simply connecting to the next speaker in line. While a stereo speaker set will have to have one line run to each speaker, and we have to consider Ohm’s law when hooking up more than two speakers to a stereo amplifier, 70V shines in the category of multiple speakers.

In conclusion

No matter what type of system you choose or how many speakers you need, we can guarantee we will be there for you to make the hard decisions with your outdoor system. Now that you are more prepared, we hope that you’ll be able to take on this project with an open mind. It is important that we give our customers sound advice and products that will last for years to come. Give us a call, and we will do our best to help guide you in the right direction when it comes to outdoor landscape systems.