CE Pro April 2021 - 70

EXCLUSIVE RESEARCH
OUTDOOR TECHNOLOGY DEEP DIVE STUDY

▷ Sound/loudspeaker placement
▷ Hiding wires
▷ Finding the right product.

FREQUENCY INSTALLING
OUTDOOR WIRELESS
ACCESS POINTS

MISSING FEATURES

As always, CE pros are not shy about
expressing their desires from an equipment standpoint for outdoor technology
projects. Among the features that integrators says they would like to see are:
▷ All-weather speakers that can connect
via Wi-Fi
▷ Simplified exterior amps and controls
▷ More powerful outdoor amplifiers
▷ Improved communication between
the manufacturers and dealers
▷ Anti-theft features for outdoor speakers and TVs
▷ A ll-in-one outdoor packages that
include lighting, TVs and speakers
▷ More outdoor wireless audio solutions
to avoid needing the trench for cable
▷ Slimmer form factors for speakers,
with network distribution using PoE+
▷ Improved heat displacement
▷ Bollard speakers with lights built-in
▷ IP-addressable PoE speakers
▷ More durable speakers
▷ Better water-sealing systems
▷ O utdoor video teleconferencing
equipment
▷ More soundbar options
▷ More attractive weatherproof enclosures for TVs with improved wire
routing
▷ Solar-powered landscaped lighting
with battery storage capability for
standalone independence
▷ Bluetooth speakers with outdoor
amplification
▷ Easier installation and better amplification options for multiple zones
▷ Full range of speakers with high SPL
horns
▷ LED lighting in speakers
▷ 360-degree speakers
▷ More robust construction of equipment for northern climates
▷ Motorized insect/bug screens
▷ Horn-loaded two-way speakers
▷ Improved insect-proofing
▷ Outdoor surround-sound options for
home theater.
70	

TOP REASONS CLIENTS WANT
LANDSCAPE EXTERIOR LIGHTING
They are not asking
about landscape lighting
They want
enhanced security

Seldom

16%

Occasionally

32%

Very
frequently

24%

Fairly
frequently

28%

Demand for outdoor wireless access
points has likely been spurred by
COVID-19.

They want
improved aesthetics
They have no existing
exterior lighting

17%

67%

38%
33%
29%

They are replacing
inadequate existing lighting

Although landscape lighting is growing
as a category, integrators report that
two out of every three clients still don't
ask about it at all.

Creating That Live Concert Outdoor
Experience at Home
Many homeowners are looking to create
a high-end outdoor concert experience in
their own backyards, especially those who
entertain. Typical small landscape solutions just do not have the output or performance desired, especially when competing
against ambient noise like pools with water
features. The Wet Sounds Venue Series is
a completely new category for high output
audio products designed to create that live
concert venue experience at home. Until now, the only option custom installers had
was large pro audio concert speakers. The size and aesthetics of those products often
left installers the task of hiding them away.
We at Wet Sounds are proud of our history as award-winning audio manufacturers
and have been a leader in high-performance marine audio products since 2005. Wet
Sounds has extensive knowledge in pro audio style compression drivers in smaller
form factors built for the harshest conditions. Combining our unique engineering
expertise into the home outdoor market delivers products that are built to withstand
the elements.
The Venue Series speakers, the VS-8 Pro and the VS-69 Pro, both feature Wet
Sounds' horn-loaded compression drivers in surface-mount enclosures available in
white and black. The Venue line also features the VS-12, a 12-inch in-ground band
pass subwoofer, and the VS Amplifier System, which includes a 4-channel high-output
amplifier within an exterior-mounted weather-resistant enclosure. With the Venue Series, installers can design and install a combination of surface-mount and landscape
speakers to provide superior coverage. For details, please visit wetsounds.com.
-Tim White, President, Wet Sounds

CE Pro 	 APRIL 2021	www.cepro.com

C2104 pp56-72 Outdoor Tech Deep Dive.indd 70

3/10/21 3:13 PM
http://www.wetsounds.com http://www.cepro.com
CE Pro April 2021

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of CE Pro April 2021
