Simple, clear, loud garage stereo for about $250.

thickhead · Jan 24, 2018

What I bought:

-Yamaha R-S202 AM/FM 100w per channel receiver with Bluetooth
-Yamaha NS-6490 Three way 8" speaker pair (non ported)
-50ft. spool of decent speaker wire

All of the used stuff I have tried had really bad radio interference or reception problems to the point of being unusable in my garage (Bose wave & Sony mini). I also tried a 2.1 Vizio soundbar and a 2.1 Klipsch computer set up but they were not enough for my 24x24x10' - sounded good, but small sound & no radio or CD.

I finally broke down and bought this new setup that has great, big, clear sound and it is just a good old 2 channel receiver and two speakers like I had years ago. At about 70% volume I can't have a conversation without yelling, but man is it clear. Sounds really good with all different kinds of music and with the 8" woofers there is no need for a separate sub. The Bluetooth connection has worked out great so far as well. I still have tons of CD's, so I will most likely add a CD player that does mp3 & usb.

Awesome to have really good sounding music & radio that works in the garage and wouldn't change a thing so I figured I'd share. I feel like it is a smokin' good deal too.

https://usa.yamaha.com/products/audio_visual/speaker_systems/ns-6490/index.html
https://usa.yamaha.com/products/audio_visual/hifi_components/r-s202/index.html

glend123 · Jan 24, 2018

I bought a big FM antenna (similar to a TV antenna) and mounted it in my attic. I get great reception now.

jd_1138 · Jan 24, 2018

That looks like a great setup. I need to get a setup like that. Now I just connect my phone to my Ryobi external 18V speaker.

I don't really like Bluetooth's quality. Another option is to connect a Chromecast Audio dongle into the 3.5 mm input on your receiver, and then you can cast music to it over your wi-fi and get better quality than Bluetooth.

Or of course you can just plug the smart phone or CD player straight into the receiver with an audio cable.

Hilltopmasonry · Jan 24, 2018

What do you have for an fm antenna? I have a similar setup (too old for bluetooth) but desperately need an antenna since all of the stations are staticky except for the Spanish station ironically

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Colin Len · Jan 24, 2018

I may need to look into something more like you've done. I've been dealing with 2 different used receivers for a couple years now and I think my problem isn't' with bad receivers but instead the adapter/converter I'm using so that I can run my AppleTV thru them (the receivers aren't HDMI friendly so I needed to convert to RCA). Looks like the receiver you're using also doesn't have HDMI.

All I need is a receiver that can run 2 sets of speakers (A/B) and has HDMI inputs/outputs. I can even skip bluetooth since I can just run that thru my AppleTV or iMac via Airplay.

larry4406 · Jan 24, 2018

Thanks for the heads up on this!

Are there Aps for smart phones for this (I have iphone 7S)? Will the Ap turn the unit on/of, select speakers (A, B, or both)? Ap for volume control? I stream Spotify mostly.

I am renovating my attached garage and have it wired for 2 speakers in the garage ("A") and a pair of speakers on the back patio ("B"). I have been looking for a full remote setup that synchs with the bluetooth.

My current setup is an old surround sound, 1/8" mini to RCA adapter, 1/8" mini plug into i-pad headphone, but with this I have to turn everything on, fire up Spotify ap on the ipad, leave the i-pad connected, crank the volume etc.

Colin Len · Jan 24, 2018

^Interested to see if anyone chimes in with something that can do that - that'd be great. The turning everything on may be the tricky part. I think it could be achieved by using an AppleTV but think it has to be the newest one. IIRC with my new AppleTV that's in the house I can "airplay" to the AppleTV even when it's off and it'll just turn on. The AppleTV then turns on the soundbar/tv via HDMI. This doesn't work with my garage setup though since I'm using an older version of the AppleTV. With that I need to turn on all the devices separately.

thickhead · Jan 24, 2018

I just turn this receiver on and stream my music or Pandora over bluetooth.
Enjoying the am/fm too.

gtsgarage · Jan 24, 2018

I have an echo dot hooked up to an older Onkyo that does full two channel stereo with two good Polk bookshelf speakers.

It’s a great setup! Streams audio perfectly.

I also have shop lights hooked up to the echo so I can turn them on hands free.

Main lights are still powered by a switch but I have extra LED lighting hooked to the echo.

Exho is dirt cheap and then you don’t need to plug in your phone or worry about getting it dirty everything is voice controlled.

sk farmer · Jan 24, 2018

sadly in this day and age of mp3 players, headphones and bluetooth speakers good, room filling music is almost unheard of.

it doesn't have to blow your ears off but it really is different. don't tell me the sound from your bluetooth speaker fills up the room like a nice pair of speakers hooked to an amp or receiver with some power. you can feel the music from a 15 inch woofer in a 4 way speaker.......

cajunfirehawk · Jan 25, 2018

A new setup for my shop for 2018;
40 watt bluetooth amp

that drives these 6.5" outdoor speakers

Purchased both from monoprice over time and their sales, the amp was a refurb. Setup was less than $150, sound is good, still tweaking the settings, better than having a boom box in my shop or nice home stereo taking up space, just connect to it from my phone and stream amazon music, pandora, or whatever other station I choose :beer:

Is this hi end audio, no, but its perfect for back ground shop tunes, IMHO. YMMV

glend123 · Jan 25, 2018

Hilltopmasonry said:
What do you have for an fm antenna? I have a similar setup (too old for bluetooth) but desperately need an antenna since all of the stations are staticky except for the Spanish station ironically

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Winegard HD-6010 HD FM Radio Antenna
$32 on amazon. pulls in stations 50 miles from me.

cofooter · Jan 25, 2018

I have the same receiver, but went with the Polk TSi100. May have been a bit cheaper at the time but were also recommended with that receiver. I was looking for an old school style 2ch system which is hard to find new. What a great set up for my 40x23 garage. Sound and clarity are awesome.

mv213 · Jan 25, 2018

glend123 said:
I bought a big FM antenna (similar to a TV antenna) and mounted it in my attic. I get great reception now.

Same here. I use a vintage (MINT!) Pioneer SX-727 and am 49 miles from the transmitter towers. Love my garage setup for music.

thickhead · Mar 13, 2018

Never did post an installed photo. Made a floating shelf and used french cleats to hang the speakers.

jdorrough · Mar 13, 2018

I reused an older onkyo receiver and an onkyo center channel speaker and bought a couple JBL speakers to create a 5.1 surround setup. For the remote control piece I use a chromecast audio. I leave the receiver on at the volume I like and cast to it any time I'm working in the garage. I love the setup. It can get obnoxiously loud if your in to that kind of thing.

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01EYJZYQ2/?tag=atomicindus08-20

.metal. · Mar 14, 2018

I'm into that kind of thing... \m/

ItsNemo · Mar 14, 2018

I'm using some Logitech 2.1 200rms THX speakers and have a computer in the garage that it's hooked up to. Not bad for output but certainly not as good as stand alone components. That said I'm also in an 18x26 basically, so much smaller area. I'm not a fan of the radio, so typically am streaming with Spotify, so audio quality is never really a problem.

banzaitoyota · Mar 14, 2018

I have a Bluetooth karoeke loudspeaker from Sam's club. Works great

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doityerself · Mar 14, 2018

jdorrough said:
I reused an older onkyo receiver and an onkyo center channel speaker and bought a couple JBL speakers to create a 5.1 surround setup. For the remote control piece I use a chromecast audio. I leave the receiver on at the volume I like and cast to it any time I'm working in the garage. I love the setup. It can get obnoxiously loud if your in to that kind of thing.

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01EYJZYQ2/?tag=atomicindus08-20

Loud can be good... :thumbup:

matt_i · Mar 15, 2018

I was thinking about scabbing in an automotive radio which seems to "lock" FM stations a lot better (lots of messing with homebrew antennas isn't going anywhere fast) and assign the preamp outputs to the main unit. I'm going to try the antenna linked above first as it will be a cleaner install.

Baydog · Mar 15, 2018

If you have wifi out to the garage you can't go wrong with an Echo Dot and a pair of Edifier R1700BT Bluetooth Bookshelf Speakers - Active Near-field Studio Monitors. The speakers are $150 on Amazon
You can either use them blue tooth to the Echo dot or your phone, connect them via a phono plug to anything, such as a ipad, and they even have regulator stereo inputs. They are powered at kick out 66 watt RMS so they will run you out if you crank them. And they sound great, not as good as vintage Dahlquist DQ-10's, but plenty good for the shop
With the echo dot and an Amazon Unlimited Music account, you can listen to anything you want, even make playlists if that's your thing. It also streams a host of radio stations and Sirius XM

thickhead · Mar 15, 2018

Baydog,
Those Edifier do sound really good, but this setup sounds so much better. I forgot how good a regular sized receiver and speakers sound.

Good (funny) review of the Yamaha speakers:

Hollywood D · Mar 15, 2018

I just have an amazon Alexa in mine and I stream pandora through it. I would like to have something to hook my phone up to though, or play some of my old CDs. Looks like a nice system.

Schurkey · Mar 15, 2018

R-S202 spces from
https://usa.yamaha.com/products/audio_visual/hifi_components/r-s202/specs.html#product-tabs

Maximum Power(8 ohms, 1 kHz, 10% THD) 140 W + 140 W

I don't consider TEN PERCENT DISTORTION to be "clear" sounding.

Another place on the Yamaha site
https://usa.yamaha.com/products/audio_visual/hifi_components/r-s202/features.html#product-tabs

shows 100 watts at 8 ohms, 40 Hz - 20 kHz, 0.2% THD. But that's chopping off the bottom octave, likely because it cannot provide enough current (crappy weak power supply, or not enough heat-sink area, or not robust-enough output transistors, or some combination) to satisfy 20-Hz bass.

Yamaha knows how to make an adequate receiver, but they're allergic to actually doing it any more. You're MUCH better off with their older products.

Rated properly--that is, from 20 to 20kHz (not just at a single midrange frequency) and with appropriate distortion limits, I bet that thing is about a 35-watt receiver. Maybe.

I paid $12 on eBay for a 1980 35-watt receiver. 'Course, that was a decade ago.

YukonXL04 · Mar 15, 2018

I'm running a older 5.1 onkyo receiver. Use a big jbl pro audio center speaker and 2 old Bose ported bookshelfs for the front left and right. A powered Dayton 10" ported sub. And some nice Samsung for rear surround. It gets loud enough even yelling you can't hear the person next to you lol. Stays really warm and clear.

Paid $25 for the receiver 10 years ago, was nearly new. $90 for the Dayton sub, and everything else was free.

kTHREE · Mar 15, 2018

Schurkey said:
Yamaha knows how to make an adequate receiver, but they're allergic to actually doing it any more. You're MUCH better off with their older products.

No they make great stuff, but you have to pay more than the cheapest receiver they make. That's like basing your opinion of a Ford GT after test driving a fiesta.

Very few choices left. You have the whored out denon/marantz from the dm group or the cluster that is intregra/onkyo/pioneer, sprinkle in some dying sony and what else is there that isn't boutique.

ambenz · Mar 15, 2018

Cool that you found something you can live with.
My little stereo shelf unit isn't cutting the mustard in my 660 Squares of Garage Heaven.
I need to revamp my whole system and I was pondering a quadraphonic stereo so that wherever you stand in the garage, you clearly hear four channels!
Hearing BOTH the left and right channel when working on the cars engine bay, at the work bench or stocking shelves along the wall...that is NOT the case now.
So, I am still looking...I think 100 W receiver with multiple smaller speakers is a good start. How is the separation when you are working close to one channel?
There has got to be a way to adjust the balence control based on your location in the space...LOL, ya right!

unknownroad · Mar 15, 2018

About 15 years ago I bought a nice Onkyo surround sound receiver and hooked it up in the garage, but after just a couple of years in a non-insulated garage (100+ degrees and just so absurdly humid) it was fried. Same with an inexpensive all-in-one-box stereo I bought to replace it. Now I just use an Acoustic Research outdoor speaker hooked up to an obsolete Amazon Fire tablet. It's not audiophile quality, but I'm usually making noise out there anyway... To me putting high-end sound in a workshop is like putting it in a convertible.

Copymutt · Mar 15, 2018

Just updated my amp to an early Pioneer w/ center channel surround and Dolby for $20.00 from thrift store. $39.00 for an Echo dot. Already have Akai reel to reel, turntable, 5 disc changer, double deck cassette, shortwave and tv connected. Speakers are Ultralinier Disco monitors, Pioneer Omni directional end table and a twelve " woofer for center channel.
Happy camper for now.
Jim

thickhead · Mar 15, 2018

Schurkey said:
...shows 100 watts at 8 ohms, 40 Hz - 20 kHz, 0.2% THD...
...You're MUCH better off with their older products....

There is nothing wrong with this setup. I dont want to hunt down old pieces. This hipster love affair with old audio equipment drives me nuts. A lot of the old stuff is shot and in need repair or rebuild. What I picked up is loud and clear and doesnt clip and doesnt distort even at kinda of stupid volumes. It has bluetooth that is seemless. AM and FM that both work in my garage......and anyone with $250 can replicate it with a couple clicks.

Grab some beer or boubon and come on over. We can hang out and jam some really good sounding music.

bobbyjean · Mar 16, 2018

sk farmer said:
sadly in this day and age of mp3 players, headphones and bluetooth speakers good, room filling music is almost unheard of.

it doesn't have to blow your ears off but it really is different. don't tell me the sound from your bluetooth speaker fills up the room like a nice pair of speakers hooked to an amp or receiver with some power. you can feel the music from a 15 inch woofer in a 4 way speaker.......

rocker alert- i feel ya ...looking for an old school set up for my garage now- i had the old techniques rack system years ago that kicked ***-i need the power,cant have a proper party with a bluetooth speaker-i wont lie bose does make a very nice one(i own it)...but i wanna melt my tweeters :evil:

Simple, clear, loud garage stereo for about $250.

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