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ncarter124

Member
Joined
Jul 7, 2019
Messages
20
Location
Tennessee
Need some advice/ideas again. :)

I am somewhat dumb when it comes to stereo equipment so I am curious what you guys are running for tunes in your shop/garage. My building is going to be a tad challenging as it is a 30x50 with a 20' peak, so a good amount of area to cover with metal walls, meaning it'll most likely be an echo chamber. My ideas are:

1) Get a larger 'shelf system' and call it a day.
2) Get a preamp, a cd player and 4 outdoor speakers - one in each corner
3) High end Bluetooth speaker.
4) Finding a large rack stereo (used)

I really like the idea of having mid-grade outdoor speakers (Polk Audio, Def Tech, Focal, Klipsch and the like) but I am unsure what to hook them to. I think I need a preamp to power them and then I'd still need to figure out how to get audio (CD player, etc) through that.

Sorry if this all sounds dumb, just trying to figure out how to best handle this without spending an arm and a leg. :beer:
 
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ncarter124

Member
Joined
Jul 7, 2019
Messages
20
Location
Tennessee
Another question I have is for to cover sound refraction would it be best to have 2 or 4 speakers and if 4 should they be in each corner all facing the center? Or some other configuration?
 
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cvairwerks

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Joined
Aug 12, 2016
Messages
7,195
Location
Within hearing distance of Texas Motor Speedway
Bluetooth headset. Our hangars are 80’x80’ with 28’ walls. Got a few people that run speakers on occasion in a couple of them. Anything above about 5k Hz washes out real quick and anything under about 600 Hz reverberates badly. Voice range is highly variable as to how the hangar is stacked and where you are in it at the time.

When we have all crew meetings, even with several hundred watts of p.a. system, if you aren’t sitting directly in line with one of the speakers, you’ll hear about half of what is being put out if you are lucky.
 
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cybrdyke

Well-known member
Joined
Sep 9, 2014
Messages
3,442
Location
USA
smart phone, sonos speakers. thats all you need.
I use my CDs as coasters... or targets.
 
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SGKent

Banned
Joined
Feb 12, 2010
Messages
1,959
Location
Citrus Heights CA
some home stereos have additional output channels. That is how I have mine set up. All that is needed is speakers. Don't like headsets etc when I am working on things. Space is always a premium too in a workshop so using the stereo in the house with an extra channel (zone) run to the garage is nice too. Saves space. Just stick it on Pandora, Spotify etc and let it run.
 
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Showkey

"MEMBER EMERITUS"
Joined
Aug 9, 2014
Messages
8,638
Location
Wausau WI
X10 on the Sonos.............ditched all the old stuff amps, speakers, subs........all gone.:beer:
 
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omb

Member
Joined
Feb 13, 2017
Messages
24
Location
DFW, TX
I love my Sonos.
Not cheap, but EASY, and works great for me!
When I cook outside, just plug a Sonos on the patio for tunes.
Unplug and take back to my garage when done.....

Sent from my SM-G935F using Tapatalk
 
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woodee

Well-known member
Joined
Jan 19, 2019
Messages
86
Location
Illinois
I plan to use an pair of MTX home speakers I've had for 20 years. Used them in the garage at the last house with an old receiver that finally crapped out, but they sounded just fine. Now I plan in buying one of these mini amps and connecting an Echo Input I just picked up for $15.
 
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ncarter124

Member
Joined
Jul 7, 2019
Messages
20
Location
Tennessee
Perfect, I'll check out the old treads (I did a search but a LOT of threads came up and it was kind of a mountain of info) but I think the Sonos sounds like a good idea.
 
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hobie1dog

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Joined
Nov 21, 2007
Messages
2,833
Location
Cornelius,NC
I always suggest getting a home theater receiver at a Goodwill that has 6.1 capabilities and select the All Channel Stereo soundfield. That way you can pick up at Goodwill various pairs of floorstanders or larger bookshelf speakers. Starting out with one pair, then the second pair (one in each corner), for surround sound throughout the big area you have. If you are a true music lover you want to be immersed in sound. A third pair can be added on the sides all being run off the six channels of amplification in the receiver. But if music really is just some added noise, get a small boom box to mount on the workbench.
 
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justinthurn

Active member
Joined
Jan 11, 2018
Messages
33
Depends on your budget, I have multiple purposes for my shop speakers so I just upgraded to two electro voice 12" speakers and 15" off brand subs. All powered. In my 50x60 and the 125x250 at work, the best sound comes when I place the all speakers near the center of the end wall as high as I can get them pointing through the room. Hope that makes sense. These also work awesome to point out the shop doors when doing yard work, they throw the sound a long ways!

Sent from my SM-G960U using The Garage Journal mobile app
 
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Krmnnghia

Well-known member
Joined
Jul 28, 2017
Messages
84
Location
Mid Michigan
hobie1dog said:
I always suggest getting a home theater receiver at a Goodwill that has 6.1 capabilities and select the All Channel Stereo soundfield. That way you can pick up at Goodwill various pairs of floorstanders or larger bookshelf speakers. Starting out with one pair, then the second pair (one in each corner), for surround sound throughout the big area you have. If you are a true music lover you want to be immersed in sound. A third pair can be added on the sides all being run off the six channels of amplification in the receiver. But if music really is just some added noise, get a small boom box to mount on the workbench.
Click to expand...

THIS! I am using an old Sony 5.1 Receiver with a powered 10" Sub, old Sony rear surround speakers and a pair Sweet Technics SB-CR77 Speakers I scored at a garage sale for $5. With an adapter I can play from my iPhone wired and call it a day...at least until my wife texts me to turn it down.
 
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Falcon67

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Joined
Jun 11, 2009
Messages
18,371
Location
Merkel, TX
Old 1981 vintage 4 channel Radio Shack tuner, old Radio Shack speakers, cable from TV headphone jack to AUX input, Dish Network, 70s on 7.
 
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firebirdparts

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Joined
Jun 8, 2016
Messages
10,584
Location
Kingsport, TN
teenager-grade stereos are incredibly cheap now, like all electronics, so you could just grab some sort of receiver/speaker combo at the store. That is what I am using.
 
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CoogarXR

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Joined
Jan 11, 2016
Messages
6,846
Location
Ohio
I just use the shop PC connected to an amplifier and 4 Pioneer 15" speakers hanging the corners. It'll jump-start your heart if you need it to.

I have a switchbox on the workbench to select which speakers play. I have the 4x big ones, and I have two small cerwin vegas directly above the workbench that I use when I am out there late at night so I don't earthquake the neighbors.
 
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aggie113

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Joined
Jul 22, 2015
Messages
470
Location
San Antonio, TX
I have some old nice Polk speakers from my previous surround sound setup I plan on using. I bought a Wyred4sound 500watt stereo amp (used on ebay) as well as a Bluesound streaming player. The plan is to either wire up the two big floor standing speakers or possibly wire in those with the two surround sound speakers if I think it's needed to "fill out" the 1200sqft space. All told I'm out about 1200 for the components and free fifty for the speakers. Neighbors are about 200 yards away in any direction and I suspect this setup will still be able to annoy them :)
f75749.jpeg
 
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PhantomEB

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Joined
Feb 6, 2006
Messages
6,697
Location
Medicine Hat, AB, Canuckistan
Sirius now has an app out that you can use with your plan, it may be useable without a plan?

I need to upgrade my wifi so it covers the garage too then change my receiver to one that accepts Bluetooth and I am set.
 
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