[cody69]

Can I use the A/V-1 on my newly built screened porch? They would be mounted up high and would not have any chance of direct moisture -- but would be exposed to the ambient humidity we have up here in the northeast (New Jersey).

[kingdeezie]

I wouldn't.

I have a pretty large screened in porch area that houses my weights and strongman specific training equipment.

Regardless of direct moisture, the plates and the equipment shows signs of wear from moisture (discoloring, etc).

Now, I could careless what my weight equipment looks like, its a means to an end. However, speakers are a different story.

They sell speakers that can be used outside; perhaps those would be more appropriate.

Good luck either way. 

[Danny Richie]

The woofers are a treated paper that will withstand moister pretty well. At least as well as a painted MDF cabinet. No issues at all with the tweeters.

[persisting1]

I'm sure the paper cones wouldn't do well in direct sunlight over time.  If there's any of course.

[Cheeseboy]

I was looking at these for the back porch.  Easy to build, paint the MDF enclosures same color as the house.  I thought about doing a vinyl wrap or kitchen type of laminate on them.  Done dirt cheap.

This is from the GR Reasearch Headers

Original X-LS mini-monitor: $109 per pair.

These were reviewed by Audioholics, Affordable Audio, Home Theater and High Fidelity, GoodSound, Tone Audio, Consumer Guide, Prillaman.net, and several others. They received two Product of the Year awards, Best Buy award, Budget Speaker of the Year, and seems like there might have been one or two more that I can't remember. An upgrade for that model offered by the Skiing Ninja was also reviewed by Tone Audio.

[cody69]

The woofers are a treated paper that will withstand moister pretty well. At least as well as a painted MDF cabinet. No issues at all with the tweeters.

Danny,if this is the case, then I'll proceed forward and build a pair. I auditioned a number of outdoor speakers last weekend and left disappointed with sound quality, materials and construction.

The application where these will be used is shown below -- essentially an intimate seating area that is 12ft X 12ft. I plan to mount the speakers up high near the ceiling as you can see in the second picture. For this application, should  the A/V-1RS be considered? Given the seating arrangements, I'm thinking the indirect sound might be better than direct speakers... obviously this is not for critical listening. And outdoors the non-ported design will keep humidity out of the speaker internals.

[Poultrygeist]

A porch requires an outdoor speaker just as it requires a wet area ceiling fan. I have a pair of Axiom Algonquins on my porch and in free air with no room reflections they sound amazing. The Algonquins are said to be able to withstand a fall into the pool. They also have a critter proof port.




http://www.axiomaudio.com/outdoor_speakers.html

[Danny Richie]

It doesn't look like you have a place for the A/V-1RS. It needs a wall and a ceiling to balance out the bottom end.

I have a pair of Axiom Algonquins on my porch

Isn't that the model that they produce where the metal cone woofer plays full range (no crossover) and the tweeters uses a single electrolytic cap on it?

From what he has stated I think that is the performance range (or lack there of) that he is trying to avoid.

I auditioned a number of outdoor speakers last weekend and left disappointed with sound quality, materials and construction.

[Poultrygeist]

On stands at ear level the Algonquins are worthy of critical listening so they may not be what you're looking for. I probably get as much pleasure from them as I do from my Zu's.

[cody69]

A porch requires an outdoor speaker just as it requires a wet area ceiling fan.

I agree a true outdoor speaker is desirable to cope with the elements and the best solution for this application. Thank you for the recommendation for the Algonquins.

It doesn't look like you have a place for the A/V-1RS. It needs a wall and a ceiling to balance out the bottom end.

OK, I understand. Can I build the AV-1 in a sealed configuration with out the port? My interests here is to keep humidity out of the internals.

[Danny Richie]

OK, I understand. Can I build the AV-1 in a sealed configuration with out the port? My interests here is to keep humidity out of the internals.

Yes, to protect its internals then it does need to be sealed.

You might also consider the X-LS or X-LS Encore kits listed here in my circle on AC. They are in a sticky at the top of the main page. They will work well in a sealed box.

[Danny Richie]

Oh yeah, those Algonquins are the speakers that I was thinking of.

Here is a picture of the crossover.


 
With that metal cone woofer running full range and allowed to ring in all its glory, I would image them to be very hard to listen to for more than a few seconds.

The Algonquins are said to be able to withstand a fall into the pool.

Something tells me that this ported speaker wouldn't fair too well in a pool. That raw MDF on the inside would turn to card board pretty quickly. The woofer wouldn't fair too well soaked either. In fact, having seen the insides of these speakers I would imagine them to do to well in high humidity either.

[Poultrygeist]

I use this Marcato outdoor sub with the Algonquins.

[Poultrygeist]

Except for the resin enclosure the Algonquins are identical to the well reviewed Axiom M3v2.

[Danny Richie]

Except for the resin enclosure the Algonquins are identical to the well reviewed Axiom M3v2.

I resin enclosure? That would help. Having seen the insides though, I wouldn't call them water proof.

As per a review of them, the reviewer said:

The crossover is mounted to the terminal cup and has no protective casing over the electronics. Although Axiom claims these speakers are fully weatherproof and waterproof, I beg to differ on their definition of what that means. In Florida where it rains pretty much daily during the summertime, I'd hate to see what happens if someone mounts these speakers in an open area and gets hit with a fierce storm of blowing rain-filled wind. My definition of waterproof is a speaker that can be submerged in a pool for a week and still play after you take it out. There are very few speakers on the market that can do this, so I categorize all others such as these as weather "resistant". My advice here is to place them under a covered lanai.

And having measured and tested several of the Axiom speakers, and knowing the issues with them, I really couldn't recommend their consideration to anyone.

[Poultrygeist]

Danny,

Here's a double blind comparison of your "not-recommended" Axiom M3 vs the B&W 805.

http://www.ecoustics.com/electronics/products/articles/659474.html

[Poultrygeist]

Danny, you're the first person to dis an Axiom on any forum I've read. Here are more M3 reviews from the Axiom site.

http://www.axiomaudio.com/m3.html

[Danny Richie]

Danny,

Here's a double blind comparison of your "not-recommended" Axiom M3 vs the B&W 805.

http://www.ecoustics.com/electronics/products/articles/659474.html

That is an in house comparison at Axiom in an untreated listening room using budget gear that would mask real differences. It's just a marketing stunt and I don't give it much weight. And trying to be "similarly good" to brand XYZ is an odd way to market.

As per the comparison:

However in the B&W 805 vs. Axiom M3 listening test, I did not write "similarly good" because I clearly had a preference for one over the other and that was expressed in the individual scores and in my written comments. If, in any blind tests in the future, you find yourself undecided between two loudspeakers, sometimes preferring one speaker on some music and then the other speaker on other selections and ranking the two with the same scores, then you can confidently note that the two are "similarly good."

Having heard the 805's I wouldn't classify them as "good" either. To me they might be similarly bad.

[Danny Richie]

Danny, you're the first person to dis an Axiom on any forum I've read. Here are more M3 reviews from the Axiom site.

http://www.axiomaudio.com/m3.html

I have actually seen them dis'ed a lot on forums.

They are a well marketed company and do quite well. They kind of remind me a little of Bose but on a smaller scale. I have spoken with the company owner as well so I know exactly what their goals are. They are not interested in going after an audiophile market, and you'll never see them at a show or any other place that their speakers might be heard in a comparative way. They are content with where they are and building product to meet a low price point.

The models that I measured showed a pretty long list of problems and limitations that I feel are beyond most other similar products in those same price ranges.

I am not trying to beat up on them. I just don't recommend them, especially not in my own circle.

[jeffh]

...I just don't recommend them, especially not in my own circle.

Exactly what I was thinking