Pool & Deck Audio Options

[RecurveArcher]

See the picture below for reference. We’re looking to put in a new stereo system in the pool house; I’d like to have 4 in-wall speakers, one on each side and two in front (red dots) and possibly a single speaker over on the deck attached to the corner of the house (blue dot). All speakers would need to be outdoor speakers; all would be somewhat covered by the roof eve’s, but not 100%, and the speakers would all need to be amp-powered; I don’t want to have to run any power to the speaker locations.

I’m not terribly concerned about audio quality, we’re not hosting concerts, the music is typically just playing in the background, or I turn it up a little if I’m doing outdoor work on or around the pool. I’m more interested in the ability to play music from a variety of sources.

Bluetooth is a requirement to be able to connect phones. AM/FM radio is a requirement. We also have an extra Echo Dot (Amazon Alexa) that we’d like to hook up to it (headphone input) for some voice control, etc.. We do have Amazon Music Unlimited, and the Dot can play Pandora and other sources as well.

It would be nice if it had Wi-Fi connectivity and could be controlled via app and/or Alexa.

I was thinking about something like this: Pyle PLRVST300 RV Wall Mount Bluetooth CD/DVD Receiver Bundle Combo. Main limitations are going to be the smartphone control and adding the 5^th speaker.

We do have a decent size hole (7” x 10”), on the front of the pool house, covered by a speaker face plate, for what used to be the speaker for an intercom system. So if I get a head unit, I could install it in that location as a way to re-purpose that hole. If the receiver we get can’t be controlled via app, then I definitely want the unit to be wall mounted on the pool house for easy control. I can install a little hinged cover over it to protect it from rain.

I have a Yamaha receiver for the basement entertainment system and I know it can be controlled via app, so another option would be a standard receiver, probably sitting inside the pool house somewhere, and just use smartphone control for everything. We do also have a Logitech hub inside, so if the receiver is Wi-Fi capable, I might be able to link it to the hub, and Alex a can control the hub, so that might be nice.

I’ve heard a lot of people liking the Chromecast, but I’m not sure it’d provide much additional benefit vs. the Echo Dot. Our total budget for this is about $300, so Sonos is out as well.

Any thoughts or recommendations?

 

[BattleOfYakima]

Please see the suggestions in this thread: https://www.troublefreepool.com/threads/146224-Outdoor-speakers-and-equipment-I-need.

We've been linking to various speaker options that I believe could work for you as well, be sure to check the link to the indoor/outdoor Yamaha speakers that were like $75/pair new from Amazon, so $150 for all your speakers, leaving $150 or so for wiring/receiver. There are also cheaper and more expensive options in that thread. It is active right now and current, so you can post any questions about the posts there too. You may also link to this thread in your post there, inviting them to help you too, just don't put your image there and hijack that thread completely.

 

[BattleOfYakima]

Just to check, speaker wire okay, but 120v power not okay, right?

The Yamaha suggestion requires speaker wire, but no power outlet - "bookshelf" style. Light rain/wind resistant, I'm not sure if you get heavy rains there often or not. No clue about snow, but the Amazon reviews or Q/A prob cover that.

I also loved the suggestion of the in-wall volume controls/dimmer/knob from that thread, they cost $15-30 depending on brand/source. ebay-homedepot-monoprice etc. name brand, generic.etc.

 

[Acmfl]

Are you looking to plug a receiver into a house outlet? I think the Pyle you linked to is probably 12volt.

I just did my outdoor sound. I wanted 2 pair of speakers connected in my covered porch and another pair connected on my pool shed. For my covered porch I bought this Bluetooth receiver on Amazon for $129. Yamaha R-S202BL Stereo Receiver https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01EMQI2CU/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_tai_HIvEzb2G1GMPS

And connected it to 2 pairs of these speakers for $35 pair.
Dual Electronics LU43PW 3 Way Indoor Outdoor Studio Speakers in White with Swivel Brackets https://www.amazon.com/dp/B000A5S926/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_tai_CMwEzb0YMT34Q

The speakers are under my porch roof but pointed into the porch area. the sound is really good and can get loud if I want it. This combination would be about $100 under your budget but wouldn't give you the 5th speaker option.

The above is a good stand alone system which might work for you but in my case I wanted whole house (and yard) sound without breaking the bank. I am using the Phorus DTS play-fi PR5 connected to each of my receivers and soundbars to get wifi synchronized whole house music (similar to sonos but cheaper.) The Phorus PR5 are $149 each and connect to a receiver or soundbar. Play-if will be rolling out Alexa control later this year. My pool shed area has a pair of Polk Atrium 5 speakers pointed toward the pool. They really fill the yard with sound. They were more expensive though at $189 for the pair. I have them connected to an older Pioneer receiver that I had laying around. Both the outdoor receivers are connected to the PR5s and controlled (along with the inside of the house) via an app on my phone.

 

[BattleOfYakima]

I always wondered about Dual - nice to see a trustworthy review! Thanks!

 

[RecurveArcher]

I have power at the pool house, so really I could do powered speakers there easily. The deck is going to be replaced probably early next year, so really I could add power for the speaker there as well. So speaker power isn't a huge issue, but running just speaker wire is just simpler, so I'd prefer that.

That Yamaha R-S202BL looks decent for the price; only 4 speaker output, but could get around that with speaker selection. I was going to say the main limitation is Wi-Fi connectivity, so can't use the Yamaha app; the Phorus would get around that, but at an extra $150, could just get a higher-end receiver (and lose whole-home integration).

Noticing a couple old tablets sitting on my office floor last night, I was thinking there's probably a way to mount one of those on the pool house wall and use it as the front-end controller for an audio system. Would need a stand-alone amp to power the speakers, and probably one that can be controlled via app unless there's some other way to integrate everything. Having video/web would be kind of cool, could cycle through screens with weather, clock, show what's playing, music video's, whatever. Not sure what options there are to create a system that works together seamlessly; probably could be as simple as a higher-end receiver and just having the app loaded on the tablet, but a decent receiver would take up most of the budget.

 

[Acmfl]

I was asking about power in your pool house for your head unit or receiver. I am assuming the Pyle package you linked to is 12v because it's for a car or boat.

It's true a wifi receiver will eat up your budget, but if you get cheap speakers you can always upgrade them later. This receiver would even allow multi room audio in the future if you use the musiccast system. Yamaha MusicCast R-N402 Hi-Fi Network Receiver https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01JS6OBXI/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_tai_7YJEzbDG7KKPR Slightly over budget if you go with the cheap dual speakers. Don't know much about it Musiccast but I have two Yamaha receivers and they seem ok for the money.

 

[mjlinss]

I recently purchased 2 pairs of the yamaha speakers mentioned earlier https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0001VHARE/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o00_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1 and hooked them up under the eves on my house to an old receiver that I had (can find cheap on ebay). I also purchased a chromecast and on adnroid devices it works great. It will mirror any app from a phone or tablet. IOS you'd have to use a compatible app. It's also wifi rather than bluetooth which is nice because I just have to be in range of my router which is a much larger area than I would get with bluetooth. So total with speaker wire I was under $200. I'd love to install a sonos system, but it was definitely not in the budget. For cheap speakers they are plenty loud for my needs which were similar to use, background noise and occassionally louder when no one else is out there to complain. Only thing I want to add to it is a sub at at some point because as with all budget speakers the bass is lacking, but that can come later for sure. I may also switch to a Pyle or similar amp just for space considerations, but no rush there either.