At TDNW, striking a balance between beautiful sound quality and aesthetics using the considerable palette of excellent high end speaker form factors is a continuing quest, and of course we can take it outdoors! For years basically every speaker manufacturer from JBL to KEF has had some form of outdoor IP65 rated speaker that you could bolt on to your house for outdoor audio. But that form factor…….. no thanks for most of our projects!
The first good-sounding landscape speakers in a sub/sat configuration with an underground sub I heard were Sonance and they are a pleasant listen for outdoor speakers. Martin Logan has taken this idea to a high performance level with a great lineup of outdoor landscape speakers and accessories to broaden the possibilities for designers of outdoor living music setups. Martin Logan’s Outdoor Living Series paired with their outdoor-rated Installer Series speakers allow us some great design options in hardscape and even furnishings to deliver cleverly concealed, kicking outdoor sound.
In the Lake Washington pic with the firepit above, we have Martin Logan IC3-AW installed in the concrete foundation of the firepit and running in mono to minimize phase issues paired with a BIG buried Martin Logan sub listeners can’t even see, but can certainly hear and feel. Additional thoughtfulness of design includes the neighbors; the install location of the firepit speakers in the recessed seating area ensures that the fire-worshippers can bang it loud, but the loud stays in the firepit, not the neighbors yard!
The next pic of the beautiful Coachella Valley home with the pool; Theater Design Northwest used our acoustics knowledge to the same end. To deliver wonderfully satisfying outdoor music everywhere the client wants it, but not to the neighbors ears! This LaQuinta home uses a nice pair of Totem Acoustic IC-8 flush ceiling speakers in the covered patio ceiling for outdoor TV sound or outdoor music that localizes audio nicely by aiming down and being contained in the portico. Then we use the amazing JBL CBT-70J1 line array speaker with its long throw and also controlled directivity running in mono to cover the whole pool area and tanning patio with a single speaker.
