Outdoor audio question

[ishium 80439]

I've been out of the loop for a bit and have a question regarding exterior speakers and iPod/ Phone docking stations.

I have a customer that has and existing sound system in their home. On one of their decks they have some surface mounted speakers and a speaker control. I'm going off of what I've been told as I've not been out there yet but I believe the existing wires come from a central location, through the control and to the speakers- pretty standard.

They want to replace the speakers with flush mount and put a docking station in where the current controller is. They are not audiophiles but would like a solid mid-range product. My questions:

- Any suggestions on speaker suppliers, manufacturers etc?

- What are my options for a docking station? Would an "i***" specific product be proprietary or could other manufacturers products be utilized? I wouldn't imagine that the mp3 player of choice would have enough "push" to power the speakers (at least not for long)- would I need power at the dock to feed an amp?

I know these are pretty entry level but this wasn't my strong suit when I was in the swing of things and technology has kind of eclipsed me since I've been away. Any help would be appreciated. Thanks in advance.

 

[Fulthrotl]

I've been out of the loop for a bit and have a question regarding exterior speakers and iPod/ Phone docking stations.

I have a customer that has and existing sound system in their home. On one of their decks they have some surface mounted speakers and a speaker control. I'm going off of what I've been told as I've not been out there yet but I believe the existing wires come from a central location, through the control and to the speakers- pretty standard.

They want to replace the speakers with flush mount and put a docking station in where the current controller is. They are not audiophiles but would like a solid mid-range product. My questions:

- Any suggestions on speaker suppliers, manufacturers etc?

- What are my options for a docking station? Would an "i***" specific product be proprietary or could other manufacturers products be utilized? I wouldn't imagine that the mp3 player of choice would have enough "push" to power the speakers (at least not for long)- would I need power at the dock to feed an amp?

I know these are pretty entry level but this wasn't my strong suit when I was in the swing of things and technology has kind of eclipsed me since I've been away. Any help would be appreciated. Thanks in advance.

there's a couple things you can do.... include plug in an apple airport wall wart, and stream the sound to it, controlling selection just like you would with your i***** device.
docking stations really aren't a good solution imho, see what they are using for wifi, and if it were my dollars, i'd get an airport extreme, and a few wall warts, bridge
them all together, and then you can stream content from anywhere, to anywhere.

you could also upsell them on a flat screen in a weatherproof housing, and apple TV, and then they can stream anything they want to it......

as for amp and speakers.... you can go from dirt cheap to something they would use in heaven to play angels singing, if god could afford it.

i do stereo systems by the percentage method. determine your total system cost, installed.

back off the labor to install and configure.
whats left, spend 40% on speakers, 60% on everything else.

one of my customers, and friend for that matter, is the alpine guy for huntington beach.
does a ton of installs in boats...weatherproof installs... PM me your customers magic
hardware number if you like, and i'll ask tom what he'd do for speakers, etc. in that price range.

my personal preference is dynaudio speakers, you can pump 150 watts into a 6" with a tweeter,
and it doesn't flinch. sounds awesome.

problem is, they cost like hell. a less expensive solution would be more appropriate.
a lower end still sounding good deal might be $1,500~$1,800 with the wifi, etc.

between bluetooth and wifi, docking stations aren't worth a lot any more.

 

[GoldDigger]

between bluetooth and wifi, docking stations aren't worth a lot any more.

You will even find wireless speakers with built-in bluetooth or WiFi. All you have to do is supply them with power (low voltage DC is probably enough) and then pair them with computer, tablet, or phone, selecting them as the audio output device.

 

[ishium 80439]

Thanks for the replies.

Essentially you are saying to abandon the existing hard wiring entirely? I certainly like upsells but don't want to scare these people off when they're asking for sound on their deck and I tell start talking about a whole home solution. I'm not quite sure that is what they're looking for.

Is there a more "scaled down" solution?