Help with Outdoor Music

[Desert Girl]

Hi. first time posting. I have a patio and want to install speakers to use with Spotify or other streaming service. My patio has 8" ceiling speakers now that are about 20 years old and not hooked up to anything. I would like to use the existing holes/cutouts if possible and find some 8" speakers that can be controlled with my iphone. It was suggested I get new speakers and hard wire them through the ceiling and down to a Sonos amp. Any suggestions on speaker brand? Does the amp have to be outside of a cabinet or can it be hidden away? Any thoughts or responses appreciated. THANKS

 

[WaynePflughaupt]

The Sonos amp would have to be located somewhere that your phone could control it. It’s virtually impossible for anyone on a forum to determine that for you. As far as speaker brand recommendations, might want to post a thread specifically about that in the Speakers section. Be sure and mention your budget.

Regards,
Wayne A. Pflughaupt

 

[tmurnin]

The amp can be hidden away but you said this is a patio. Those amps are not weatherproof so it needs to be someplace where it will not get wet and you’ll have to bring it inside during very hot/cold days. The Sonos Amp isn’t large or heavy, so it’s easy enough to move if you need to. Also, even if it’s outside, if it’s playing during a hot day, I’d recommend some kind of cooling fan be directed at it so it doesn’t overheat.

 

[flyboylr45]

I assume that those speakers aren’t wireless, being 20 years old. Can you use the wire that is existing there. Where is the wire ran to? Inside the home?

 

[highfigh]

Sonos doesn't make anything for outdoor installations, although there are ways to do it. The trick is in preventing moisture getting to it and making sure it doesn't overheat.

If the wires are fed to the house, the only thing you really need to make sure of is that the insulation isn't cracked, pinched & shorting, that there are no bad splices in the wires and they didn't feed one wire and split it between four speakers. Once this is done, use whatever speakers you like and put the amplifier/streaming device in a location that's safe for it and allows it to connect to the network. I always recommend hard wiring network devices because they work much better than if using WiFi.