Advice for Setting Up Garage Audio System

[moparfreak]

Exciting, got the electrician coming in a week to light up and power the new shop. Now, I got to thinking, what type of audio system / equipment I'd like to bring in and set up in the shop for while I work. I'm very inexperienced / ignorant when it comes to what's out there and available and appropriate for audio equipment so I'd like to get some advice:

Basically, I'd like the audio in the shop for:

- Decent clear sound that can fill a 1350 sqft shop. Doesn't need to blow anyone away, just not sound tinny and flat when turning the volume up a bit

- Have a AM/FM radio

- Able to interface w/ my phone and/or tablet to be able to play streamed music (probably 97% of what I would use for it)

- Able to interface with a nice set of headphones (bluetooth wireless set would be great) for when it's late and I don't want to disturb the house or neighbors. Right now I walk around w/ earbuds and phone in my pocket but I've already damaged the phone, had it fall out of my pocket a bunch while working, so I'd like to go wireless.

So, this purpose maybe could be filled with just a jobsite radio (not sure if that would do the trick, I've got Milwaukee M18 and Ryobi One+ lines, don't want to buy another just for this), or maybe a cheap set of speakers, a receiver, I don't know. I am just not familiar with audio equipment...

How should I begin?

Thanks,
Adam

 

[1940_dodge]

I love this stuff, do you want long term flexibility our just something that works?

If you want long term, get in wall speaker wire run to all 4 corners of your garage. Have all of that come back to a single panel where you can hook up a receiver.

If you want something that just works, get a standalone stereo like the old two tape kind.


For streaming from your phone your best bet is to either buy a Logitech squeezebox duet second hand or get a chromecast and run it off a tv using its service or plex.

 

[Frank Dukes]

i have no experience with this one but milwaukee makes a bluetooth radio

http://www.toolbarn.com/milwaukee-2792-20.html

 

[moparfreak]

Yeah, my walls are closed up (d'oh!) so speaker wire behind the drywall is out the window. I could run it through the attic if need be and hang speakers at the corners where the wire wouldn't be seen.

I'm alright w/ standalone unit, but could I get that to work w/ phone and wireless headphone?

 

[Jay Sco]

1350 is a decent size space. I'd go with 1940's reccomendation on speakers placed throughout the shop. If you just have everything in one location it will be super loud there and muffled in the rest of the shop.
I've got an old receiver with a couple 12" floor speakers bolted to the wall, but that's in a standard garage.
Most newer equipment is dropping in price and is Bluetooth capable. I just got a BT ready sound bar with sub for the living room on sale for a couple hundred.

 

[Frank Dukes]

Yeah, my walls are closed up (d'oh!) so speaker wire behind the drywall is out the window. I could run it through the attic if need be and hang speakers at the corners where the wire wouldn't be seen.

I'm alright w/ standalone unit, but could I get that to work w/ phone and wireless headphone?

phone yes wireless headphones i have no idea.

 

[1940_dodge]

Yeah, my walls are closed up (d'oh!) so speaker wire behind the drywall is out the window. I could run it through the attic if need be and hang speakers at the corners where the wire wouldn't be seen.

I'm alright w/ standalone unit, but could I get that to work w/ phone and wireless headphone?

Run it through the attic if you want it to look clean. If you want to stream it, I'd recommend either the Logitech duet or chromecast with a tv. If you go the tv route you can run the audio to a separate receiver or to your bluetooth headphones.

 

[moparfreak]

The logitech squeezebox thing looks really nice but holy moly $$$. I'm thinking budget-wise:

- $100 or so for BT headphones
- $200 for stereo + speakers

Is that unreasonable? I'm not opposed to searching for used deals, but not sure what I should be looking for.

 

[1940_dodge]

The logitech squeezebox thing looks really nice but holy moly $$$. I'm thinking budget-wise:

- $100 or so for BT headphones
- $200 for stereo + speakers

Is that unreasonable? I'm not opposed to searching for used deals, but not sure what I should be looking for.

Look on eBay, they go for around 100-150 bucks. You can do it for that price, you're just not going to have everything you want. Unless you just get something like that Milwaukee.

 

[pickardracing]

I have an old Sony receiver, hooked up to a couple 8x12-ish Bookshelf speaker boxes that I put some second-hand Pioneer car component speakers into. These are at the front corners of the garage, and I have some off-brand junk in the back corners. One speaker at every corner. It's a mismatched hodge-podge of junk, but it slams pretty good. Could use a bit more bass, but I live in the city where that type of thing wouldn't be much tolerated. It works well for me, and best of all, all of it was free.

I also have a computer in the garage which is hooked up to the stereo, and I use Spotify internet radio through in the garage. The computer is plugged into the stereo with a cheap 3.5mm-to-AV cord from Radioshack. Again, all free **** picked up from friends or Craigslist. I have a total of about 35 bucks in the whole mess for the roll of wire, and the AV cord.

Good enough for the girls I date.

 

[Stevie-Ray]

1350 is almost 200 SF bigger than what I have, so I'd go with a receiver and at least 4 good sized speakers. I had my stuff on hand already, so it cost me nothing, but it is not too much for my 1152 SF at all. 100W per channel old Pioneer with Cerwin Vega SW-12B and D3A speaker system at front, along with Pioneer 10" 3 ways in rear. Run your speaker wire through the attic-mine's simply in plastic guard over the trusses. Mine looks slightly different now, as the garage is now insulated, but nothing's changed in the audio, other than I've added outdoor Bose B speakers that swivel to my two open windows, for when I'm at the firepit. I keep the volume low, generally, in the garage for working or working out, but if I want to blast it, it will certainly do the job. Sounds fantastic.

 

[pickardracing]

^^^^This is great, and the Lightning ain't half bad either.

 

[moparfreak]

Stevie-ray,

That looks fantastic, I might want to model off that concept. The shop is sort of a weird shape, 64' by 24 ' wide, and the work areas are mostly middle and rear. The front is 2-car storage for the daily drivers, so I suppose I could concentrate the audio towards the working portion to avoid overdoing it on cost.

After thinking about it, probably any old receiver would work, run the phone or tablet with 3.5mm audio jack into the receiver then the BT headphones would sync to the phone.

Thanks,
Adam

 

[ironman70]

So many sweet options you could with that space. No joke...bought a bunch of audio stuff for my garage off craigslist. Good, used recievers are dirt cheap around here...

 

[TLCObsession]

The logitech squeezebox thing looks really nice but holy moly $$$. I'm thinking budget-wise:

- $100 or so for BT headphones
- $200 for stereo + speakers

Is that unreasonable? I'm not opposed to searching for used deals, but not sure what I should be looking for.

I have the 3M AM/FM noise protection headphones. it has a 1/8" input for a phone or...

I have added a rechargeable BT receiver - attached it with velcro to the headband - that way my phone can transmit to my headphones and stay somewhere safe and my hearing is protected.

 

[over40pirate]

I also run an old quality receiver in my shop. $20 at a yard sale with speakers. Hard to go wrong. No remote but I don't miss one in the shop.

 

[Jere]

If you want some cheap BT headphones these work well for 10 bucks. At the price if you break a set its no big deal. Just don't let the battery run all the way down for long periods of time. Recharge them once every couple of weeks if you aren't using them.

I use an old receiver and some waist height stereo speakers from the 70s some one was selling for 20 bucks. Then plug mp3 player, tablet, or laptop into that via the audio plug. The speakers hang at opposing ends of the garage. The setup gets louder than needed, I put in ear plugs and turn it up when using loud tools.

http://www.ebay.com/itm/For-Samsung-iPhone-Sports-Wireless-Stereo-Bluetooth-Headset-Earphone-Headphone-/261522481352?pt=Bluetooth_Wireless_Products&var=&hash=item3ce3f460c8

 

[Costner]

Go to Monoprice and get yourself a couple sets of in-ceiling speakers. Wire them up to the A/B channels of a cheap receiver (either an old one you have lying around, or one you find on Craigslist or a yard sale for $20), and then feed your other devices (iPod / phone / whatever) into the receiver.

The only thing about in-ceiling speakers is if your ceiling isn't already insulated, you'll want to add a fiberglass batt above each speaker to ensure it produces the best possible sound. If the ceiling is insulated with blown-in - scrape some away before cutting the hole and then cover the speaker with a batt when done. That prevents the blown-in from getting into the backside of the speaker. They make special baffles you can use, and some people go so far as to build boxes for the speakers... but they are overkill.

Here is what I'd buy: http://www.monoprice.com/Product?c_id=108&cp_id=10837&cs_id=1083703&p_id=4104

Four speakers should be plenty for that size space, and with them down-firing you'll get good equal sound all around with no concern over shop dust or the need to mount something on the wall.

 

[GuyllFyre]

I did in-wall 8" 2-way and a Lepai T-Amp for my smaller garage.
Fills it more than well enough.

 

[plow]

^^^^^Tell your wife she needs to clean her garage up^^^^^^^

 

[Vegaman_Dan]

I'd be tempted to use a car stereo for this since it has all the functionality you're talking about built in for around $100. Add a small amp if you need and those speakers placed around the room should be fine.

 

[oilslick]

^^^^^Tell your wife she needs to clean her garage up^^^^^^^

good one!

 

[Hobbit]

I use an Ultimate Ears Boom Bluetooth speaker & my smart phone. Sounds good enough at a loud volume to me. Love the smart phone features, tune-in radio or my downloaded music, plus it all mutes when a call comes in. The only problem I have is range. My garage is large enough that I need to leave the phone within a reasonable proximity to the speaker.

 

[fnieto]

Vintage SAE stereo equipment and a Pair of Klipch Cornwalls.
The sound quality is impecable and transforms 3200 sf shop into a sound stage.:thumb up: I've only pushed 50 watts max so far out of respect for neighbors.

The speakers are 1982. They where given to me in rough shape. resurfaced the cabinet, soldered in new capacitors (crossovers) and replaced the grill fabric for a total of $120.00 The stereo system was a labor trade for building a custom AR platform 5.56. About 16 hours of my labor.

 

[fnieto]

Check out the Onkyo (audio) receivers with usb and streaming capabilities for your requirements. They have some decent quality stuff. Your speakers will be key for efficiency.

 

[Troutsqueezer]

I'd be tempted to use a car stereo for this since it has all the functionality you're talking about built in for around $100. Add a small amp if you need and those speakers placed around the room should be fine.

For that you would require extra equipment, like a robust 12VDC supply. The cost goes up.

 

[JDishong]

Sound bar w/ wireless Sub; < $300. Dock your phone and play. Simple and good sound.

 

[Texsun]

I use one of these multichannel amps from outdoor speaker depot(Multi-Zone 12-Channel Bridgeable Stereo Amplifier OSD-MX1260);

The best thing about them besides good sound is they turn on/off automatically with the sound source.
I have these outdoor speakers in the corners (OSD Audio AP840)

and one of these subs (Polk Audio PSW505 12-Inch Powered Subwoofer).

And for tunes, can't say enough good things about Sonos - can play all my own music, access just about any streaming music source as well as local/remote radio stations and run it from my phone or computer.
(Sonos Connect)

 

[LEVE]

I'm in a radio hell.... few signals get to where I live. I used a computer and Pandora and IHeart Radio to get my tunes, talk radio and the news. But now I find the computer is just too big. It's taking up valuable workbench space, I've updated to the 21st Century with a 7" tablet and a set of powered speakers. It holds all my FSM's, tool/equipment manuals, tunes, what I need from the Internet and it's far more mobile than the desktop computer.

My system won't garner any audio bragging rights, I'm a simple kind of guy. Yeah, I'm no audiophile; the system works for me in a fairly simple square 2 car garage.

 

[Notgrownup]

Look on Craigslist , you will be surprised what you find...

 

[KariFS]

How about a portable radio with a dock or plug for your phone? Just carry it around to where you are working, no need to have it blasting, and no need for headphones either.

If you go for a stereo set and multiple speakers, you could use active speakers with Bluetooth connection. No wires except the power cord, and you can turn the extra speakers on and off as necessary. If your stereo has a remote control with speaker selection, you can even "mute" the main speakers and just listen to the bluetooths nearest to you.

There are also multi-room systems, where you have a Master unit with the receiver, mp3 storage etc and one or more slave units that get the signal from the Master. Nice setups, but pricey.

 

[moparfreak]

A lot of good suggestions. A couple interesting ones:

- The in-ceiling speakers. Those would be super slick. ~$130 for 4 speakers, ~$20 for a used receiver and then the BT headphones. Might be the way to go. My attic is insulated w/ batting so they'd be covered from the top. They would look really nice in the finished white metal ceiling I just put in.

- Sound bar - Did some quick research as I'd never heard of these. Might also be a nice and simple solution. Now that I think of it, I think my Dad might have an older set, so I'll see if he has it still, and I can test out the sound.

Also going to do a quick search and see what's out there on CL, since so many have suggested it. For BT headphones I was thinking of LG Tone Ultra headphones, cause I like the earbuds a little better for comfort reasons.

Thanks,
Adam

 

[hachi-roku_fan]

I wish I could run in ceiling but I have no drywall so that wouldn't work for me. Subscribed for the awesome tips and links

 

[hachi-roku_fan]

This is an interesting concept.... I wonder how well they light
http://sengledplus.com/collections/all

 

[Wanna Ride]

I bought an inexpensive receiver with a gift card, somewhere several years ago on clearance when the new models were coming out. I can't remember if it was at Radio Shack, or Best Buy, or wherever. But it was under $100. I have the tv piped into the CD player inlets, and bought a cord and adapter to pipe in my iPod or phone.

With the same giftcard, I also bought a pair of inexpensive bookshelf speakers. I have those set up in two corners, and hung them with some cheap L-brackets. Around the same time, a friend gave me a great pair of compact speakers from Kicker. They sound great, and came with multi-position brackets. I mounted these in the other two corners of the garage. All of the speakers are mounted about eight feet high, and sound good. For all the speaker wire, I ran that up to the ceiling, and through the rafters. So it's all concealed except for the one foot drops down to the speakers.

The system looks clean, was inexpensive, and sounds pretty good. I tied in the tv, because sometimes I don't feel like listening to local radio, and will just turn on the tv or my iphone for background noise while I'm working.

 

[joshgn]

2 sets of these - http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B008NCD2LG/?tag=atomicindus08-20

Got them for $59.90 a set

1 of these - http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B008NCD2PC/?tag=atomicindus08-20

got it for $79.99

and a cheap receiver...it'll be plenty loud...

The price on these drop frequently on amazon, just watch them...

 

[Lbcwanabe]

Cool