Outdoor Stereo

[WAID]

I must be overthinking this because there really must be a simple answer but maybe somebody here can set me straight...

My wife and I fairly recently installed an entire backyard: grading, patio, plants, etc. We did think through running water and electric lines before pouring concrete so that the pergola over the patio table has a misting system overhead and an electrical outlet on one of the posts.

But for stereo, we ran out of money and didn't think through either running wires to the retaining wall or anywhere else. So now I've bought a couple of rock speakers which don't look bad and I can manage to run wires without a big eyesore, but the question is...

What is the best way to keep a receiver and CD player protected from the elements? I have an area picked out for where I'd like it to go and it has some protection under the roof overhang but I don't want it just sitting on the ground and I'd like some sort of basic weather-proofing cabinet to store it in. I've thought about super low-tech/college dorm by using cinder blocks or PVC but even then I don't know what to use for shelves and an overall cover from dust and rain. I also thought about looking for some sort of kiddie plastic storage bin or playhouse, gutting it, and putting shelves inside but that sounds really stupid and would look terrible (not that blocks or PVC would look great either).

My latest thought is some sort of small plastic workbench, maybe made out of some sort of TREX-like material. On the ground, beneath the shelves, I might keep a cooler for ice, etc. that could just roll out when needed (this space is also near the BBQ). Then I could use a BBQ cover over the whole thing.

Any ideas on alternatives? I've tried looking for something pre-made online and unless I'm using bad search keywords, I'm finding nothing. I tried Home Depot and again, nothing (BTW, they sell sheets of plexiglass and they are really expensive). I'd prefer not to re-invent the wheel and since these rock speakers aren't rare, other people must have solved this problem before me?

Thanks!

[firestorm]

I would probably build something myself, if there's no logical location indoors, whether in the house, garage or other out-building. It doesn't have to be very large; you just may have to get a little creative with ventilation, considering the outdoor elements.

I'm not sure what you have in mind, so the options are endless. Right off the top of my head, I'm picturing a small box with a sloped roof on top and asphalt shingles. Perhaps a sheet of copper or aluminum instead of shingles. If you leave a slot open under the backside of the "roof" and another slot at the bottom, that would promote convection. You could check into vent cover options as well. There is ridge vent foam that you could place over the slots from the inside, to keep debris and horizontal rain from getting in. There are also round louvered vents at most hardware stores as an alternative, and you could use a few 3 or 4 inch in size, again placed at the top and bottom.

If you go for something modest in size, it shouldn't be all that expensive to have built by a cabinet maker. What might be costly is to have it built out of a naturally rot resistant wood, like ceder or redwood. Anything else will either have to be maintained by way of sealer or paint.

I *swear* I saw a stainless steel cabinet at Sam's Club that would probably be sufficient. It was a roll-around cart with a butcher block top though; not sure how that top would fair outside, but it may simply require sealing or painting.

...or you could consider an outdoor heatunit, which are available for automotive or marine use. They're compact, so location shouldn't be an issue.

My last suggestion is what I would most likely do myself. Slimdevices (long now owned by Logitech) has several models of the Squeezebox. It's a music streamer and does require a PC to serve the music. The Squeezebox Duet is the model you would want.


The player itself has no controls or display; the remote does all that. They players are all WiFi, so you can put the receiver and player just about anywhere you please. Then you are free to use the remote wherever you please. I've never seen one myself, but I believe the remote uses WiFi to talk to the base station, so you are only limited by the range of Wifi.

It is *not* cheap at $399, especially once you factor in a computer. You can run it on a computer you use in general, but I prefer a dedicated computer. Otherwise, you can use something like an Asus EBox, which is also very compact and low power. But it also costs about $300. Slimserver does run on Linux though, if you're savy, and the Linux Ebox is obviously cheaper. I use an old spare computer myself.

One bonus is, if you have a dual zone receiver, you could also wire up in the kitchen or garage and have tunes there as well. It also frees you from CDs. It is a big chore to rip all those CDs - I recommend using a lossless format like FLAC BTW, not "lossy" like MP3 - but it is worth it.

You can install slimserver and test drive the players. They have emulators that faithfully recreate the experience. I did that and let it find my existing music collection and played around for quite a while before my purchase. I really can't recommend it enough.

[WAID]

Wow! Thanks for all of the info Firestorm. I used to be the dorm stereo guy but that was in the 80's. Today I've somehow fallen out of touch with all of the new technology.

The butcher block top of the cart you described would almost certainly mildew, even if covered and protected. That's one of the reasons I thought about using a TREX-like top, to protect and to use as a surface space for stuff for the BBQ and the very low-tech tiki bar next to it. The tiki bar shelves aren't deep enough to hold the receiver, plus the wires would be a hazard/hassle.

I was actually thinking about using redwood because it really holds up well in weather and I really don't think I'd need very much of it. It would also look nicer than PVC. I have some more homework to do on this but yours and any other suggestions are great help.