outside speaker (its time!)

  • 12 February 2018
  • 2 replies
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Would like to see Sonos come out with an outdoor speaker. It would be great to have music in my courtyard. I think everyone that has a Sonos system would like to see one

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2 replies

I don't want one but having nothing against the idea for those who do. I have just never really understood what folks are asking for when they say "outdoor speaker". I use Connect Amps indoors and they feed outdoor speakers on my porch which works just fine. I guess if there was a weatherproof version of a Play speaker I could use that but then I would have to supply a weatherproof AC outlet to connect them to which is a lot harder to install than the speaker wiring was. Or I guess it could be a rechargeable portable but then it runs the risk of not being ready when you need it if the charge is low or you just don't want to interrupt what you are doing to go fetch the speakers from the charger and bring them outside and set them up.

It seems like the arrangement I have is the best option even if there was a purpose built Play speaker available. My system is always available at the push of a button and was a lot easier to wire than an AC powered unit would be. What advantages would a dedicated outdoor Play speaker bring to the table?
I had an amp + Bose outdoor speakers on hand when I bought into Sonos back in 2011, so it was a no brainer to just add a Connect for sound in the balcony.

If I was doing this today, I would not bother with Sonos even if there was a speaker in the line up for what it still would not be able to do. Using a cheap, even obsolete Android as a music source for Apple Music as one example of a good music service, with one of the many quite decent bluetooth portable speakers for the other end - job done. If it is necessary to double up the use case for these away from home to on the beach or even in the pool, these speakers are now also available with excellent battery life and waterproof capability at price points of the One and lower. Plus the feature of storing music for offline listening that streaming services offer, eliminates the need for Wifi, Internet and mains power.