Speakers for a 4 Car Garage

[HouseCookie]

Hey All,

First time poster, longtime reader.

I'm looking to purchase some speakers for my father's garage. Bluetooth capabilities are required and budget is probably around $500.

My first thought was to get some active speakers. I was thinking Audioengine HD4 or A5+, Klispch R50-PM or some similarly price elacs.

Prior to pulling the trigger though, I was wonder if it would make more sense to get some passive speakers and a cheap amp/receiver and a cheap bluetooth puck.

Would the quality of what I am able to put together on the budget be significantly different? Does anyone have a suggestion for the specific setup?

Thank you,
HC

 

[JayGilb]

You might want to check out the offerings available on Parts Express. I personally would go for a multichannel amplifier and passive speakers.
Are you looking to rock the place with high volume or just some background music while working on cars or projects ?

 

[HouseCookie]

It would mostly be background music, nothing too crazy. I'm trying to get him into a setup that can listen to more than just the FM radio. I was chatting with Crutchfield before, where I got the list of active speakers. Are there any brands you'd suggest I pay attention to or ones I should stay away from?

 

[blueone]

I've never been in a garage with anything but horrible acoustics, so if you're really concerned with sound quality I'd pick wireless headphones or earbuds. If you're just looking for background music the Audioengine A5+ speakers are pretty good, play loud enough for 70db or so in a large space, and are cheap, but you'll need a sub for satisfying balanced sound. I use the A5+ on my desktop, and they sound (and measure) good for the price.

 

[Multicore]

How will your dad play music, from his phone?

And what sort of mood/aesthetic do you think would be most appealing? The modest sound of a portable radio can be delightful in that context, and much easier to organize than trying to do HiFi in a four-car garage.

 

[ZolaIII]

Well try with Kali LP 6 V2's for the budget (about 400 $ pair and enough for close to mid field listening) and WiiM Pro+ as a network streamer (as DAC, streamer and BT around 200 $ or a little more). Promote Internet radios to your dad.

 

[Multicore]

Well try with Kali LP 6 V2's for the budget (about 400 $ pair and enough for close to mid field listening) and WiiM Pro+ as a network streamer (as DAC, streamer and BT around 200 $ or a little more). Promote Internet radios to your dad.

WiiM is strictly for nerds. I have one and it's great but I wouldn't recommend that app without getting signatures on a lot of caveats.

 

[ZolaIII]

WiiM is strictly for nerds. I have one and it's great but I wouldn't recommend that app without getting signatures on a lot of caveats.

Well there is no mature and very appealing app for any streamer and among rest that are rated best (Musicast and Sonos) they all very look alike. Having 10 band GEQ and 4 PEQ's all do not much is much appreciated especially for low budget and in the garage. I don't have one (WiiM) and I don't use Musicast anymore (or streaming as such, switched to JRiver wired long time ago).
Best regards and have fun.

 

[beefkabob]

The Nines were $750 not long ago. They might hit that price again. They're in my garage, but I did add a sub.

For just radio, I prefer headphones.

 

[Multicore]

Well there is no mature and very appealing app for any streamer and among rest that are rated best

That's true and it infuriates me just thinking about it. Wiim is actually better than bluos. I bought a blue node a few years ago and took the restocking fee hit because the app was so bad.

Anyway, this is why I asked OP how Dad will use it. If he's used to using Spotify or Apple then we should get something that adds no more complexity to operate since those apps should be enough.

 

[Chrispy]

For my garage I use some older speakers/subs and an avr.....and if I was doing it from scratch I'd probably look for a used receiver and passive speakers on craigslist....is space for gear/mounting speakers limited? If I did go to actives I'd think about JBL LSR305/306/308 series, and have run 305s just off an audio chromecast....

 

[HouseCookie]

The old man doesn't have a cell phone so I bought him a cheap android tablet to play from. My idea was spotify, but I'm open to suggestions on a streaming service as well. He's capable of making it work so it doesn't need to be super simple but a clean easy to use app would be ideal.

 

[Timcognito]

Bought my wife one of these. Very good sound with bass and she takes it everywhere around the house. The BluOS allows for streaming, internet radio, stored music, and stored radio presets and favorite songs and albums. Very easy and intuitive to learn, on any used tablet or phone. As an older guy a tablet is better. The pulse is bigger than the pulse mini which is also good too

Bluesound PULSE 2i Speaker

Bluesound PULSE 2i Premium Wireless Multi-Room Music Streaming Speaker The most complete high-fidelity streaming speaker available, the PULSE 2i fills large spaces with rich, clear audio. When it comes to your music, don’t settle for anything less than high-fidelity. No matter where you place...

theaudiofactory.com

 

[HouseCookie]

I'm guessing this might not be the most effective solution but considering space constraints and my interest in new tech, I'm considering the WiiM amp and a pair of passive speakers. Is there a pair that I could get for 200-250 (hoping on sale or open box) that would be better than the active speakers I listed?

I also understand that it's a garage and I'm probably wasting money here as the acoustics will be trash regardless.

 

[Multicore]

I'm guessing this might not be the most effective solution but considering space constraints and my interest in new tech, I'm considering the WiiM amp and a pair of passive speakers.

A couple of years ago my friend bought an 1980s stereo system for his 15-year old daughter as an xmas gift. He was so proud. And she put on a great show of loving it being a good sport and understanding her parents very well. I, otoh, was a bit annoyed that dad was indulging his hobby for xmas and the girl's job was to accessorize it (not the other way around) and to validate his love for the kind of gear he grew up with. Clearly she'd be better served by a good portable bluetooth speaker.

 

[beefkabob]

My kids want headphones.

 

[Multicore]

My kids want headphones.

everybody wins

 

[beefkabob]

everybody wins

Indeed.