Contributor I

Will Play:1 be loud enough for the backyard?

7 replies
4259 views

Let's ignore the fact that Play:1, like all Sonos products, is not designed or rated for outdoor use. Let's just assume that I am going to usually keep the product indoors, except on nice days, but that when I have a nice day, maybe I want some music in the backyard, and maybe I want it for a small party (up to 25 people).

My question is, does a single Play:1 have enough power to be useful in a backyard setting? The dimensions of the backyard are around 25' across and around 60' deep, but the sound doesn't need to reach all the way to the back - I'd be happy if people could comfortably hear it only as far as 30' away.

If a single Play:1 won't get the job done, what's the cheapest Sonos product(s) I need (from a cost perspective, ignoring the benefits of true stereo sound) to do it?

Thanks!

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Airgetlam

Do you currently have a PLAY:1? Nothing better than taking it outside and testing for yourself. There's so many variables that it is hard for the rest of us to know for certain what kind of music or what kind of environmental aspects you have in your yard.

As a guess, I'd say for ambient music, you'd be fine, but for a dance party, it's another thing.....but that's entirely a guess.

The key things I'd also be on watch for is 1) Power in the location you want to have the speaker, and 2) Wifi coverage so the speaker isn't dropping out with 25 bags of water (people) wandering around it.

Bruce

W

wds0001

Prodigy I

I put my play ONE in the backyard often when I have guests over, or just grilling out. It works quite well for my 1/2 acre backyard.

M

moz104Author

Contributor I

Do you currently have a PLAY:1? Nothing better than taking it outside and testing for yourself. There's so many variables that it is hard for the rest of us to know for certain what kind of music or what kind of environmental aspects you have in your yard.

As a guess, I'd say for ambient music, you'd be fine, but for a dance party, it's another thing.....but that's entirely a guess.

The key things I'd also be on watch for is 1) Power in the location you want to have the speaker, and 2) Wifi coverage so the speaker isn't dropping out with 25 bags of water (people) wandering around it.

Thanks! Unfortunately, I don't have a Play:1 (or any speakers) now - we just bought the house, and the prior owners left a pair of outdoor speakers, but when we started to figure out the cost of a receiver and a Chromecast audio, we figured we might as well look at alternatives like Sonos, especially since we didn't even know if the leftover speakers would work once we got them hooked up.

Our goal is ambient music, so that's encouraging. We've got an outdoor outlet in the right spot, and I've got a strong WiFi signal nearby. If needed, I can run an ethernet cord for the day.

Airgetlam

Well, if you purchase directly from Sonos, you have a 90 day guaranty, so if you find the PLAY:1 not to be loud enough for your garden, you could return it for something bigger.

Bruce

Stanley_4

Grand Maestro

The Play 1 or One will be a bit too little if folks are making any kind of noise and 30 feet in open air is probably asking too much. A Play 3 probably wouldn't do so well either but a Play 5 would be pretty decent. You would have the issue of blasting folks close to the speaker and not reaching more distant ones with any single point setup.

Have you considered a Connect and external amplifier that you can set to mono-mode and power multiple outdoor speakers with? That would be my choice in your situation.

H

HiZ

Trending Lyricist I

If you have speakers in position already, why not pick up a new or used Connect Amp. You get the benefit of proper outdoor speakers and Sonos. Problem solved!

melvimbe

I would definitely look to utilize those existing speakers if it were me. You can try out using a play:1 (or pair) but I don't think you're going to be satisfied long term. Getting the play:1 won't be a waste though, you'll find plenty of uses for it indoors.

Danny

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