Stereo systems in your garage

[Bucklin]

Hey all,

I am looking into a 5 or 6 speaker system I can hang from the ceiling corners of the garage for general jamming while working and also for entertainment when company is in back yard. Just wanted to see what others were using. I have heard that due to dust and temperature changes in garage it is a good idea to get outdoor speakers. My garage will be approximately 600+ sq ft, Thoughts?

 

[PelicanPines]

I have a few Echo Dots... from Amazon... they work together... or separately.

 

[GinOttawa]

I have an older Yamaha 5.1 system in my garage for over 5 yrs (the system is probably over 10urs old) with zero problems due to temperature fluctuations or dust. No need for outdoor speakers IMHO. It is usually on for around 10hrs a day every day.

I also recently added a Google home (again, an indoor speaker) that I have run with no issues for over a year.

Nothing like tunes in the garage.

 

[Bucklin]

That's cool but for me I am thinking much louder, I lost some hearing already in Navy, lol.

 

[Bucklin]

Dots have a speaker jack on them to run attached speakers.

I have a nakamichi sound bar hooked to one.

I have the console in the picture hooked to another not quite dot. It's hooked to the dot which doesn't have an internal speaker. They were on sale for $11.

Another dot is hidden in the table top radio in the picture. You can see the blue ring through the radios grille. Radio is still intact. All I did was destroy its speaker and use it as a frame to mount the dot.

Another is inside a 1964 full stereo console TV record player. (no picture.)

A few others, all hidden.

Do dots. They also work as an intercom to the house or to anywhere in the world.

Nakamichi is very nice!

 

[Bucklin]

I have an older Yamaha 5.1 system in my garage for over 5 yrs (the system is probably over 10urs old) with zero problems due to temperature fluctuations or dust. No need for outdoor speakers IMHO. It is usually on for around 10hrs a day every day.

I also recently added a Google home (again, an indoor speaker) that I have run with no issues for over a year.

Nothing like tunes in the garage.

That's sounds like what I am after. Thanks for sharing.

 

[PugetDude]

I've got a ~1966 Philco transistor desk radio with a single telescoping aerial antenna. Can't hear it when I have any machinery running which is fine, I forget to turn it on 90% of the time and then only for background noise...meanwhile I have a Bose 3-2-1 system I bought for the shop in a box somewhere.

Sorry I couldn't help you with your selection...

 

[Bucklin]

I hear ya Duckface, this garage is my car/wood shop, mancave and office. So there will be times I entertain in there and would like to have the tunes.

 

[NorthNjWK]

I use https://www.amazon.com/dp/B071H8MJ99/?tag=atomicindus08-20

 

[chrisp123]

I just installed 4 6.5" mtx in ceiling speakers and ran them to a wall mounted plate. they sound pretty decent for the price I paid, its nice they're flush mounted and don't take up any room. The only "problem" with them is that because my soffits are vented, you can hear the music outside if its too loud.

 

[scooterbum46]

That's cool but for me I am thinking much louder, I lost some hearing already in Navy, lol.

At home, I use a pair of JBL EON515's (450 watt continuous ,900 watt peak) driven by a Sony Mp3 player - I can hear over the Dewalt planer if I want, actually my neighbor 450 feet away can hear them over HIS planer ..

Here in FL, I use a pair of older Yamaha powered stage monitors (200 Watt ) driven by the same Mp3 player.. (in a RV park, gotta keep it quiet )

 

[ScaldedDog]

I don't know that you'll get a lot of benefit from a 5.1 system in a garage where you are moving around all the time, and a stereo one is much easier to setup. I use speakers I bought in the mid '90s and a Yamaha receiver and sub I bought off CL for next to nothing. I play the TV sound through them, and can play music through Pandora, or whatever other source is convenient. This same equipment was in my last garage for 12 years with zero issues, and I'm expecting it to work well in the new place, but with a bigger TV. Assuming sports are ever on TV again, I like to have races on when working out there.

Mark

 

[PelicanPines]

Dots have a speaker jack on them to run attached speakers or send them through an amp.

Snip

Do dots. They also work as an intercom to the house or to anywhere in the world.

Yes dots do intercom, weather, radio, playlists, jokes, podcasts, audible books, answer questions...

As for the Jack, yes but don't get hung up with that... they play loud enough, where you can NOT even talk in the garage...

5 is perfect volume, 6 is loud... 8 is ridiculous... anything more... the dot couldn't hear your commands.

Want more... there is a subwoofer unit you can wirelessly add in... holly frijoles the beat... the beat...

 

[Bucklin]

At home, I use a pair of JBL EON515's (450 watt continuous ,900 watt peak) driven by a Sony Mp3 player - I can hear over the Dewalt planer if I want, actually my neighbor 450 feet away can hear them over HIS planer ..

Here in FL, I use a pair of older Yamaha powered stage monitors (200 Watt ) driven by the same Mp3 player.. (in a RV park, gotta keep it quiet )

That's what I'm talking about! LOL.

 

[Bucklin]

Yes dots do intercom, weather, radio, playlists, jokes, podcasts, audible books, answer questions...

As for the Jack, yes but don't get hung up with that... they play loud enough, where you can NOT even talk in the garage...

5 is perfect volume, 6 is loud... 8 is ridiculous... anything more... the dot couldn't hear your commands.

Want more... there is a subwoofer unit you can wirelessly add in... holly frijoles the beat... the beat...

Alright, I'll look more into these dots.

 

[Bucklin]

I don't know that you'll get a lot of benefit from a 5.1 system in a garage where you are moving around all the time, and a stereo one is much easier to setup. I use speakers I bought in the mid '90s and a Yamaha receiver and sub I bought off CL for next to nothing. I play the TV sound through them, and can play music through Pandora, or whatever other source is convenient. This same equipment was in my last garage for 12 years with zero issues, and I'm expecting it to work well in the new place, but with a bigger TV. Assuming sports are ever on TV again, I like to have races on when working out there.

Mark

Sweet setup. It would be nice to get the phone connected so we can ask those annoying questions to the google every once in awhile.

 

[rok_hunter]

I've got a simple car radio in a wooden box, wired to a power transformer to allow it to run on 110v, with a couple old "boom box" style speakers in the corners. Works just fine!

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[bts]

I have 4 separate amps and speaker setups around the shed. Feed from a tuner or computer goes to the main one then feeds of to the others. It gives control over the volume for wherever I am working at the time.
Its a lot better than the old days when it was ear bleeding volume at one end while working at he other.

Tony

 

[PelicanPines]

Alright, I'll look more into these dots.

With subwoofer add on...

 

[sweetk30]

shop computer + youtube = my music channel in the shop .

2 sets of 30-40 buck amplified computer speakers 1 set at each end . Y-spliter and a 50ft ext cord to reach the 1 end off he spliter .

lots of people wounder how i can do so good on my shop music with no real system .

shop is 28ft deep x 50ft wide . 18ft wide is 12ft tall and the rest is 9ft 6in tall .

 

[PhantomEB]

While I did the cupboard build along the head wall of my garage, I brought some old 80s speakers and a new receiver to put satellite into. Built the cupboards around a cubby hole designed for such speakers. Everyone loves how I ‘built in’ big *** speakers into my garage.

All this bein said....my garage is half parking for my DD and half workshop with a 72 Bronco, lots of dusty work done there!

 

[nadogail]

IMHO, there is "Good Stuff" on Craig's List that can be had for hauling it away. Those older vacuum tube systems have a sound quality of their own.

 

[theundermount]

not pretty, but you could easily install it in a nice enclosure. I used a computer power supply to power a Sony explode deck, plans are to pick up a nice amp and run some 6x9s as well as a sub,

 

[Shiftless]

Estate sale stuff

I run an old Sony receiver STR D315 and four Advent 3 way speakers mounted high in the corners of my garage. (20x20) I just have it for the local jazz station. Background music for my late night garage work sessions. 1990’s technology but it works great. 80 watts per channel feeding efficient speakers. It’s painfully loud with the big knob half way up.

Keep your eyes open at estate sales and you can pick up decent gear for next to nothing. Receiver, 4 speakers, 100 feet of speaker wire I had to buy new...all in for $100

You can get Bluetooth adapters if you want to link your phone’s playlist or Sirius.


.

 

[Troyman]

I have a Onkyo receiver running thru the TV with 6 speakers. I can listen to music FM or DIRECTV music channel and if I am watching sports (i.e. Nascar, Football, Baseball) it sounds great. Went thru the TV because I have no tolerance for commercials.

 

[crewchief888]

I had this system in the garage for a while, moved it to my reloading room quite a few years ago.

I have a set of JBL studio series speakers and a JBL powered sub connect to a bookshelf unit that one of the kids broke the CD player on. only play a local radio staion when i'm outside anyway.

 

[Trapps]

I went the old car stereo route and I have been super happy with the outcome. My space is considerably smaller than OP, but one could always add on more amps/speakers. There are great bargains in the used arena.

If I had it to do over, I might change speaker location by embedding them into the ceiling in the interest of saving space.

Garage Tunes for me are a requirement as it's not just a shop, its a place to hang out, party, home office, etc.

God luck with whatever route you go.

 

[Lassen Forge]

I have a pair of Bose Soundlink Revolve's that sit in the top of the toolbox - since it follows me, it works for what I need, and they're (so far) rugged enough to take the abuse and dusty, dirty conditions to which they're sometime subjected...

But if I wanted a full set of speakers throughout the shop, I'd go with a Sonos system. We have one in our house, It can crank hard enough to vibrate windows, all the speakers are interlinked , you have absolute control over how loud what is where and even the balance of the speakers... it wasn't cheap, but I'm lovin' ours... even better, they interface with our TV, so having something like a game or race on one TV, we can hear it everywhere.

 

[sweetk30]

I have a Onkyo receiver running thru the TV with 6 speakers. I can listen to music FM or DIRECTV music channel and if I am watching sports (i.e. Nascar, Football, Baseball) it sounds great. Went thru the TV because I have no tolerance for commercials.

ad blocker plus does wonders for that problem on youtube

 

[Brent T]

I picked up a Yamaha 5.1 receiver, a Boston Acoustics Sub and 2 Infinity satellite speakers at Goodwill all for $60 last fall. I have the receiver on a shelf above the workbench, Sub under the bench and ran speaker wire and hdmi through the attic. Speakers are mounted to the garage door track brackets up near the ceiling. Sounds pretty good. Planning to mount a flat screen on a ceiling mount in the middle of the garage soon. I'm planning to set it up so the TV can swivel in any direction.

 

[Shiftless]

Brent:
That’s the kind of deal I was talking about.

 

[Kevkx125]

Here is mine, a basic fm receiver and a 5 disc changer and a basic pair of speakers.

 

[DYNO-DAVE]

I set mine up with a 7.1 surround sound system with a 500 watt subwoofer(12 inch) and a 65 inch flat screen 4k. Plus when I feel like turning it up a notch I have a separate stereo sound system with 800 watts and a set of sonic DJ speakers with 18 inch woofers that literally rocks the walls. I love music and I spend a lot of time in the barn .(retired) Haven't gotten any complaints yet. Key word yet. lol I also have a night owl security system in the barn that goes straight to my phone. I have a lot of equipment and a couple of hotrods in there.

 

[kc2hqv]

Have a little sony dual speaker setup connected to a computer with internet access. Can't work without tunes ya know!

 

[kc2hqv]

Computer setup:

 

[jonshonda]

Imaging is important imho, and should be setup for where you are usually working in the garage. My setup is up high on a shelf and I have to stand fairly far back in the garage before the bass is noticeable. Not ideal when I spend a fair amount of time working at the front of the garage at my work bench.

If you want to also entertain from outside, you would need a remote that you can use that doesn't require line of site. You don't want to have to run back and forth to adjust sound levels, mute, or change the station.

 

[wes73]

I have a 18 yr old JVC receiver with a sub and 4 Bose speakers. Scored the Bose speakers and plasma TV free from a friend. in a 1,200 sq foot garage. Definitely fills the space. I have a 10x9 OHD facing my yard and pool and music in that area is no problem with only the indoor speakers. I use a chromecast device connected to the TV to stream music to the receiver from my phone. All speaker and HDMI cables are ran through the wall. Easy to replace components if needed.

 

[jpcjguy]

I have a pair of Bose Soundlink Revolve's that sit in the top of the toolbox - since it follows me, it works for what I need, and they're (so far) rugged enough to take the abuse and dusty, dirty conditions to which they're sometime subjected...

But if I wanted a full set of speakers throughout the shop, I'd go with a Sonos system. We have one in our house, It can crank hard enough to vibrate windows, all the speakers are interlinked , you have absolute control over how loud what is where and even the balance of the speakers... it wasn't cheap, but I'm lovin' ours... even better, they interface with our TV, so having something like a game or race on one TV, we can hear it everywhere.

I have to second the Sonos solution - have them in the house and will add to the newly built shop (when I am at that point). I also like the announcement feature of Alexa, being that I am 160 feet from the house. I can "talk" to anyone in the house at any time. Even under a vehicle or hands full.

 

[wes73]

+1 on the Alexa as use as an intercom. Have one in the garage as well and two in the house.

 

[lively1]

I have my older Yamaha receiver, DVD player and a Bluetooth receiver hooked up to the stereo to receive my phone’s Spotify. I have four bookshelf speakers mounted on brackets on the wall - 2 JBL’s and 2 infinity’s. Also have two little surround speakers and my center channel and sub out there. It really rocks! Love having my stereo on while I am out there. Planning on installing a projector and screen to watch movies out there with the kids. Will be booking it up to the stereo. I pre-wired speakers wires and cat 6 through out the barn to make it easy in the future.


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