Quad in the Garden/Yard?

[HomerJAU]

Anyone got a quad or surround setup for their garden (or 'yard' for the North Americans)? Please post your setup.

Summer is coming up down under and I've been doing some landscaping out the back and wondering if I could incorporate surround music outside (I have a BBQ area and small heated pool, 6 x 3m, which gets a fair thrashing for about 6 months).

I have a spare surround amp (Pioneer LX series) with HDMI inputs and I currently use an Intel NUC as a media player in my main system (which has two HDMI outputs, currently one used for my existing main 5.1 system with 2nd HDMI a spare) with all my surround media digitised. So It should not be too expensive to add new outdoor speakers, including el cheapo cabling.

Any recommendations for outdoor speakers?

Does anyone make a small weather proof multichannel receiver that handles high res FLAC? (Then I could maybe set up the amp outside, just run an HDMI cable).

I'd appreciate any input from anyone with experience doing something similar.

 

[par4ken]

I've thought about this for some time, Parts Express had some good deals on outdoor "rock" speakers, I considered purchasing one or two pairs. The speaker reviews were somewhat mixed so I wouldn't expect really fantastic sound. I would of took the plunge but for the fact that the shipping was more than the cost of the speakers and the US exchange rate became very unfavourable. I was going use a vintage Quad amp indoors, I have some cable that can be run outdoors and buried. It would be nice to hear from others who have tried an outdoor setup especially with surround audio.

 

[quadsearcher]

Oh yeah! I've been meaning to post pictures for a long time. I have a workbench in the garage with a Denon from a thrift store, I gave away the tiny speakers that came with it. It runs hot so there are a few computer fans on top. JVC DVDA changer, also from a thrift although that started flaking out after been left in the Midwest heat/cool cycle for three years so I bring out the Oppo 980. Wires run underground just where it goes under a walkway and garden, then loose under the deck and stapled up the sides to electrical boxes with 1/4" jacks. Jensen TF-4 slim bookshelf speakers are 8" deep and sit on the top rail of the deck which is also 8". I just pull them out for parties (or just my wife and I). The quad field is really enjoyable outside. We keep it low so it is not louder than any neighbor's boom box, but it sounds loud in the middle of them. Surprisingly enjoyable from the pool even though from that point all the speakers are front speakers. The speakers evolved over 20 years, used to be a mismatched pair of hi-fi, Jensen and Altec. Those got to be too heavy to move around and started using the TF-4s then went quad with some smaller Jensens, eventually found another matching pair. Pool and deck are both 34' x 18'. The pool is not heated so its rare to have more than 5 good swimming weeks with our climate. I rarely miss the center speaker due to listening to mostly older stuff. Using Neo for stereo-to-surround but saving for a Surround Master. Sure, its a bit of work to lug them out every time, but the price was right. I have about $250 into the whole thing but it did take 25 years to evolve, a lot of patience. I had an Akai CR80 out there at one time. Length of speaker wires really matters here, the first two I used 14ga. then later the second pair is using 18ga. The furthest of the second pair needs to be set 2-3 dB higher than the closest of the first pair.