Good Stereo Speakers for outside use during BBQs, evening pot luck dinners etc


I want to purchase (preferably used) a pair of good speakers to place in our back yard for get togethers with friends. I would like speakers that resolve well with clean highs and decent bass but nothing on the level of very high end. I will probably be running around 40 ft of speaker wire from a Pass X250.8

I'm just looking to have quality music in the back yard to enjoy with food, drink and non-audiophile friends. Easy set up and take down is desired as I really don't want to schlep my Vandersteen's in and out of the house every time I want music outside. Any suggestions for speakers and wire would be appreciated.

Bruce

brskie
About a year ago I had a back patio built with BBQ, etc.  I needed to replace some old speakers mounted on the wall of my house.  I agonized over reviews of the Klipsch AW-650, Proficient Audio AW-830, Polk Audio Atrium 8, and PSB CS-1000.  Unfortunately, I couldn't listen to all of them.  I ordered the Polk and PSB CS-1000.  I returned the Polks.  I am very satisfied with the PSB CS-1000s.  Good build quality, and they're tuned very well for outdoor sound.  I'd buy them again in a heartbeat.  They are not as common as the Klipsch or Proficients, but they are worth a comparison.
I have a pair of JBL outdoor speakers on the back patio, not sure of the model (about 7 years old, didn't see anything current that looks like them)

And, I have a JBL l16 that I drag out on the front porch. Again, about 7 years old and couldn't find anything like it. Fortunately I have great neighbors and can turn it up (but never after hours). They never complain, just laugh at me if I have a few drinks and start singing along.

I do also have an older JBL charge and it is nice, but a bit weak. I imagine what I see JBL calling a boom box now would be pretty nice.

Yeah, I bought a lot of JBL, used to work for a division of Harman so I got some great deals.
Paradigm has great Outdoor Speakers and are on sale through August 31st 2020.

https://www.paradigm.com/en/outdoor-speakers/stylus-270

https://www.paradigm.com/en/outdoor-speakers/stylus-370

https://www.paradigm.com/en/outdoor-speakers/stylus-470

The Stylus are conventional, mountable outdoor speakers (in black or white) that are similar in shape and size to what you are presently looking at with Episode, but we also have Rocks, and Landscape style speakers that can cover any type of outdoor environment to suit your needs and/or lifestyle.

A lot depends on whether you want your speakers to be portable or more permanent and how you like to entertain, how big the area of space is - many considerations...

Typically for Outdoor Listening, think of the area like how you’d light it up at night. You can slap a big flood light on the back of the house and light up everything, just like you could with a big pair of horns, or it can be much more subdued with landscape speakers that are placed every 6-10ft sprinkled around the area where you entertain which allows for not having to turn up the music for everyone to enjoy and not disturbing the neighbors.

Good quality sound and placement will play a particular role in how your yard affects others. Running 70volt mono vs 8ohm stereo would be determined by how big an area of space is you’d like to cover.

But, maybe you want it portable...

Look at Soundcast:
https://www.gosoundcast.com/

or the SONOS Move:
https://www.sonos.com/en-us/shop/move.html?gclsrc=aw.ds&&utm_campaign=GGL_US_EN_SONOS_B_MOVE_EXACT_360i&utm_medium=cpc&utm_source=google&utm_content=GGL_US_EN_SONOS_B_MOVE_EXACT_360i&utm_term=sonos%20move&gclid=Cj0KCQjwupD4BRD4ARIsABJMmZ9x8OML5Vv1p9kfDfNQlgtONS6HmTi8vO7nLZHAUF8FKOButCACxnsaAte2EALw_wcB&gclsrc=aw.ds

Thanks,
Chris