It has been ten years since the advent of garden speakers, but if you ask anyone about garden sound, they are likely to imagine weather-proof speakers hanging around the patio, or, if they are a bit more clued-up, rock speakers buried in the shrubbery.
But believe me, there is cash in every manicured border, and the custom install industry is in the best position to exploit it.
If you are wielding powerful technologies to deliver brilliant utility and invisible integration inside a property, the client will almost certainly be ready and willing to expand outside, where the motivation to enjoy, socialise and impress is just as strong. You are pushing at an open door - the client simply needs to be introduced to the possibilities.
The Greatest Sound on Earth
Today, with the right technology, the sound in the garden can be every bit as dynamic and frequency-rich as the sound inside, and as luxuriously discreet. And yes, the client can control and play the system on a tablet as easily from shrub to shrub as they do from room to room.
Above the convenience of smart screen control, which is a ubiquitous commodity these days, we are finding that it is the quality of the system that provides the exclusivity that the user wants. We have found that through better integration, sound quality is once again a rising priority for customers, and a well-designed garden sound system is another great way to deliver the enhanced value that they are looking for.
Once the client sees the garden as an extension of home design, they will find the money to realise its potential, even though the final figure may be five or ten times the sum they were thinking of spending.
Sonance Outdoor
Our work with the highly-evolved Sonance Outdoor range demonstrates that the versatility and quality of the options you offer will prove to be a decisive component of your success. Developed in the US, where all-weather options are mandatory, the
Sonance range is strong in providing great build quality, innovative technology and consistent high performance across in-wall, surface mount, and buried garden elements.
The choice will inspire your design. For instance, around the pool or patio areas, the VP Extreme range of in-wall all-weather models offers the beautifully discreet character and excellent sound quality of the interior VP speakers, but is engineered with samarium cobalt magnets and 316L stainless steel to withstand the rigours of fresh and salt water environments at temperatures ranging from minus 34 to plus 79 Celsius.
From on-wall positions the durable Mariner range offers a wide degree of pivot from any exterior surface using a patented FastMount push-and-lock bracket system, which eliminates clumsy threaded knobs, and which guards against theft.
In the garden proper, the excellent SonArray package has the form-factor of the high-end Landscape models at a more accessible price. It is an easy-to-install sat/sub system, designed for uniform sound coverage and, to keep the neighbours happy, minimal sonic overspill.
Beyond SonArray, the Landscape Series High Output (HO) models are designed for large residential installations. Following the same sat/sub configuration but with upscaled audio potential, the 4/6/8-inch diameter satellites and 10/12/15-inch underground subs combine in three compatible 70V systems of multiple speaker arrays, daisy-chained for ease of installation and scalability. There is also a 10-inch ‘Hardscape’ subwoofer, designed to be integrated with patio furniture or planter boxes.
Top Dollar Installations
The systems are unashamedly top dollar, but when your richest clients place the look and functionality of their gardens on a par with their interior spaces, the Landscape series offers you the chance to capitalise. Recently we have worked with our integrators to design and complete a GBP£250,000 garden installation using buried Landscape elements, and a swanky Kensington roof terrace using the Hardscape sub and surface-mount adaptors for the Landscape satellites.
Conclusion
Long gone are the days of patchy audio coverage and the risk of overspill to adjacent properties. Garden speaker technology has improved to the point where the sound outside can be as seamless, engaging and accessible as anywhere on the property - it’s the magic that motivates exponential spending power and gives you free reign over the last reserve of untapped potential in home entertainment.
Jonathan Pengilley is the Managing Director of Habitech, a value added distributor of home entertainment and home automation products.
www.habitech.co.uk