27 April 2016

Outdoor HiFi

High-quality outdoor HiFi is now possible with discreet solutions like Sonance’s hidden subwoofer system and Architettura Sonora’s stylish speaker sculptures, delivering great sound and design for gardens and patios.

"HiFi" and "outdoor" sound like a contradiction. After all, the persistent prejudice remains that only 'sound reinforcement' is possible outside, and that you have to choose between "big and ugly" or "small and bad." Of course, that's no longer true—quite the opposite. Numerous manufacturers now offer some very high-quality solutions that turn listening to music outdoors into a genuine outdoor pleasure. Here, we present two completely different approaches to elegantly and discreetly bringing top-quality sound into your garden or onto your terrace.

HiFi sound from the flower bed: Sonance Sonarray SR1

For speakers used outdoors, the same physical laws apply as for all loudspeakers. Among other things, this means that a small speaker simply can't provide unlimited bass. You need volume to reproduce low frequencies—there's just no way around it. However, the human ear is much less able to detect where low frequencies are coming from. This has long been taken advantage of in compact HiFi and home cinema systems for home use: the bass range is simply separated from the rest, so you have a system of satellite speakers and a subwoofer. The latter is then discreetly placed in a corner, while the compact satellites remain in their usual positions.

Subwoofer in the ground

In the garden, you actually have even better options for hiding the subwoofer—you just bury it. For example, the custom installation specialist Sonance offers several powerful outdoor subwoofers, whose sometimes enormous volume disappears almost entirely underground. Only a weather-protected sound outlet sticks out and can be easily hidden under a bush or behind a planter.

Black spherical speakers blend among purple flowers, creating a stylish and immersive outdoor audio experience in the garden. — Black speaker spheres hide in a sea of purple flowers, creating a rich outdoor sound experience. Perfectly camouflaged for stylish garden sound.

Once grass—excuse me, flowers—have grown over it, the Sonarray SR1 is practically invisible

Perfect acoustic coverage

Cozy outdoor lounge area with comfortable seating and elegant touches, perfect for relaxing and listening to music. — Cozy outdoor oasis with comfortable seating and elegant details, ideal for relaxing and listening to music. Perfect for sociable evenings outdoors.

Perfectly integrated: Sonance Sonarray SR1 in action But don't let this visual restraint fool you—the Sonarray SR1 is absolutely suitable for serious cinema applications outdoors, as well as music systems that can do everything from gentle background music to high-volume party sound. The Sonarray SR1 is designed so that the eight satellites and the subwoofer together present a load of about 8 ohms, meaning any modern amplifier can drive them. This means the system can easily be integrated into a multi-room system in the house.

Elegant sound sculptures - Architettura Sonora

There is another way to artistically design the sound in your garden or on the terrace: instead of hiding the speakers somewhere, you simply integrate them skillfully into the overall setting. This is possible, for example, with the elegant sound sculptures from Architettura Sonora. The speakers from this Italian manufacturer appear as organically curved art objects or as geometric shapes made of stone, steel, or wood. At first glance—and often even at second—you’ll mistake them for almost anything but loudspeakers.

Elegant outdoor speaker blends into a stylish garden, providing quality sound for relaxing pool days or evenings under palm trees. — An elegant outdoor speaker blends seamlessly into the stylish garden landscape and offers high-quality sound enjoyment outdoors. Ideal for relaxing days by the pool or sociable evenings under palm trees.

Too beautiful to hide: an AS Cube by the pool

Wind and weather

These AS models are available in a wide range of weather-resistant material combinations and are extremely robust. So robust, in fact, that during a party they might even be used as seating. Yet even then, the person sitting likely won’t realize they're on a speaker. It doesn’t get more discreet than that.

Stylish lounge with stunning view, ideal for luxurious relaxation and outdoor HiFi enjoyment. — Luxurious relaxation with a stylish lounge and impressive views. The perfect setting for outdoor hi-fi enjoyment.

Thanks to the many material combinations, you’ll find the right speaker for any environment Architettura Sonora speakers can also be connected to amplifiers and multi-room systems just like regular speakers, so they’re suitable for a wide variety of uses. The sounding sculptures from Architettura Sonora and the almost invisible sub/sat systems from Sonance are just two of many examples of how today you can achieve surprisingly good sound outdoors in an elegant and subtle way. Further information: For more details about Sonance Sonarray SR1, Architettura Sonora, and outdoor project consulting, feel free to ask us directly.

Sleek outdoor speakers hidden in greenery provide perfect sound for the garden. — Elegant outdoor speakers hidden in the greenery: Perfect sound for the garden.