Rock Speakers and Planters
I think today wherever there's a human being, there's a pair of
speakers. Perhaps you can't imagine your living without your
home theater system. In the bedroom, you still want to listen to
your favorite Cd's. The shortest car ride is unbearable without
a decent stereo and a pair of speakers. Newly, this goes for
boat rides, too. The more recent wireless technology allows you
to have speakers in the garden, in the garage or wherever you
have things to do.
But loudspeaker manufacturers don't settle for this, when it
comes to outdoor use. They want speakers that black out and melt
into the environment. They want 100% weatherproof. They want
naturalistic design. And the answer to all their wishes has
materialized itself into the planter and rock
speakers.
The biggest rocks in this field are Stereostone,
Rockustics and SpeakerCraft. When it comes to
rocking and rolling stones they can make all your wishes come
true. Just try them by sending over a piece of rock from your
garden. They'll send back the design of a prototype speaker that
looks exactly like your rock.How to recognize a rock
speaker
If you are in a friend's garden, music is all around but you
don't know where it comes from, be sure that the speakers are
hiding in the form of some rocks or flower pots. These speakers
are especially designed for outdoor use, which means that they
are 100% weatherproof. They are completely sealed, using
insulating materials that are made to hold up in extreme weather
conditions.
In aspect, both Rockustics and Stereostone speakers got inspired
from mother nature. They have that grainy look, irregular shape
of natural rocks, heavy appearance heavy, but are entirely made
of light, synthetic, materials. Most buying guides recommend
looking for speakers that are made of good weatherproof
materials like: coated aluminum, stainless steel,
polypropylene.Do rock speakers really rock?
They sure do! What we like most about these speakers is how you
can use them to impress your kids. Flower pots that sing and
rocks that tell stories, this is as close as technology can get
to a fairy tale.
If you have doubts about their performance level, don't. Of
course, they can't compete by far with the audio quality of a
high performing audio system or to the home theater experience.
But they sound pretty well. Rock speakers and planters are meant
to please the ear while they don't bug the eye. The major
advantage is they come close to you, and you don't have to play
them that loud. This way you won't keep the neighbors up at
night just because you are giving a back yard party.
The major drawback? Though they are designed mostly for outdoor
use, they're all wired. But this inconvenient can be solved
through a few placement tricks.Placement tips
Unless you plan to use your rock speakers as wasp nests or rain
gauges, you should use a few tricks when mounting them:
Choose a drier place to place them.
Don't point the port upward.
Place the speaker near the place you are to sit more often; In
open air, there's less reflection and speakers may sound weaker.
Measure the area you want the speakers to cover, preferable
before you buy them. A pair usually covers 200 to 400 sq. ft.
Usually, 16- or 18-gauge wire is good; for runs over 80 feet,
choose 14-gauge wire.
No matter the brand, use direct-burial cable to connect the
speakers, because it resists the underground moisture and
oxidation.
Planter and rock speaker manufacturers
Planter and rock speakers definitely can bring a dose of
exoticism in your backyard. Here are some brands worth your
consideration:Rockustics
These are the guys that make your garden rock. Their garden
series includes both rock and planter speakers. The Rocky III
speaker looks like a stone on the back but like a Flintstones
tool on the front. The sound quality and the bass response are
good, even when compared with normal speakers. If you are
willing to give away a larger sum, in order to enjoy a real bass
experience, also buy one of the subwoofer models. Their base can
be buried in the ground and a smaller part remains visible.
All Rockustics products have a lifetime warranty (their
lifetime, not yours). All the speakers are designed for outdoor
use. As previously mentioned, Rockustics can create custom
colored-speakers, available by special request.
Stereostone
A Stereostone unit is a complete speaker on its own. Stereostone
also offers models of aboveground subwoofers. The Gibraltar Rock
is probably the most impressive rock speaker from Stereostone,
both in size and performance. With an 8-inch woofer, its bass is
quite pleasing. It can be of use in your personal garden, but
also in theme parks or other public
spaces.SpeakerCraft
It's probably even more difficult to tell which ones are rocks
and which ones are speakers if you go for the Rox speakers from
SpeakerCraft. The grille texture that hides the speaker is so
fine that you almost don't notice the difference. To build the
speaker enclosure, the company developed a special blend of
weatherproof resins. No matter how astonishing this stone
similarity is, you may want to look for a little diversity in
the garden patio. Webster the Frog is waiting for you. It is not
a real frog, but a speaker in disguise from Bahama Sounds, a
SpeakerCraft division located in Riverside, California.