Customer Reviews

Acoustic Research AW822 900 Mhz Outdoor Wireless Speaker (Single, Brown)

5 star:		(27)
4 star:		(25)
3 star:		(6)
2 star:		(4)
1 star:		(5)

 

 

The speaker sounds nice when it works, but just some scattered thoughts:

I ordered this speaker to have music on my deck. The original plan was to run music (ipod) from my living room receiver to the deck - which is 50 feet and one wall away. I wanted the same music in the living room as on the deck. The signal wasn't near powerful enough, even trying several different outputs - (and even after adjusting the ipod volume, etc, no luck) - to the point where music just wouldn't play. I do have an older home with plaster walls, so perhaps this was the problem. I wasn't expecting the advertised 250 feet, I understand that it would take a perfect scenario, but realistacally, if walls are involved, expect 20-30 feet. In order to use the speaker, I have to place the transmitter and ipod in my kitchen, which is just inside from the deck. The speaker does sound good, and the outdoor volume is adaquate. I wasn't expecting the wireless sound to be so good. There is ocasional static when someone crosses the line of the signal, or when the sliding door opens/closes. More gripes - once an album is done on the ipod, or any other source, the speaker goes to loud static - and scares everyone. It would be nice if there was an auto mute - the cure of course is to just use a very long play list. Also, there is no sound leveling. Many song files are different, so volumes can change per song. I know this is more of my problem (poor source) and it's not fair to complain of these things since they aren't advertised features, but just be aware of them. The best use for this would be if you had a huge deck, and you actually had the transmitter outside, and two of these speakers on the back corners or spread out on the deck. For $70 it's not bad. I wanted a stationary solution, but now I have to grab my ipod+ charger and move it to the kitchen to have sound outside. Just keep in mind the issues above and that the transmitter needs to be close for clear, static free sound.

This rugged outdoor speaker is perfect for listening to ball games while I'm working in my garage or for background music when I'm on the deck enjoying the pool/hot tub. The neighbors surely appreciate that I don't have to open my window and crank my stereo to get the sound to carry outside anymore. I love the fact that the wireless speaker stops the sound from coming out the main speakers, as the other reviewer points out. I find it to be an advantage, not everyone in the house wants to hear play-by-play sports commentary. Also, if you spend a couple bucks at the local Radio Shack, you could most likely get an adapter to jack into the stereo's speaker output. That is, if you're trying to add speakers to you system, rather than transmitting the signal to this wireless speaker, (which is how the product is designed to work). The setup is a cinch, I was out the box and rolling in 5 minutes flat. The auto tuner and frequency lock are great features; they really take care of the static, (900Mhz is a heavily used frequency). If these feature don't get rid of the static, completely, moving the transmitter around will. The sound quality is fair, but not astonishing. I optimized the sound quality by playing a bit with the levels on the stereo, transmitter, and the speaker itself and I'm quite satisfied with the results. Powering the speakers by batteries makes this speaker really versatile, but if your parties frequently last till three in the morning you can always plug the speaker directly into the wall, (take the batteries out first though, unless they're rechargeable). I'm thinking of adding another speaker to my arsenal, this spring, so I can party to omni directional sound in stereo.

After some research I finally ordered these speakers through Buy.com. Note that each AW822 comes as one speaker with one transmitter, so in order to get stereo you need 2 speakers. And yes, they are stereo speakers - each speaker can be set to left, right or mono operation. Each speaker has individual volume control and on/off switch.

Positive points:
good sound, and with 7.5W per speaker a good volume.
Signal transmission is good (I am using it outdoors in the patio, with transmitter in a room at the other end of the house).
Speakers appear to be weatherproof (left them outside in torrential rain and still working..)
No interference through other devices.

Negative points:
Very occasionally the signal can get lost. If this happens or the transmitter blanks out then there is an annoying static sound from the speakers.
If operating on batteries: each speakers needs 8 C batteries... so I got 16 C batteries for the two speakers. Batteries hold the charge very long, at least several hours (I got rechargeable batteries - recharge automatically whenever the speakers are plugged into the AC adapter).

Conclusion: great outdoor speakers for a reasonable price, would definitely recommend them !!

Working fine as a single outdoor speaker off my amp inside. I selected it because it could output from the tape loop, so I could listen to the same music inside and out and because it could use AC power(I have an outdoor outlet on my deck).

The transmitter is inside a cabinet. It is transmitting clearly through that cabinet and then through the wall. Occasionally it goes to static but then you hit the reset button on the speaker and it fixes itself. One time it was just pure static, and I fixed it by re-booting the transmitter

Quality of the sound itself is OK. As good as you could expect for $60-odd

Sound great for outdoor patio/balcony use, or other smaller areas. Easiest to use and work best if your stereo has a second line out. Also, if you plan to use these completely cordless, you'll probably want to invest in rechargeable batteries (speakers can recharge them, battery replacement requires a screw driver). Don't forget the cost of the batteries - good batteries can cost more than the speakers!

Just wanted to let everyone know that even though it says SPEAKERS in the ad it is actually just one speaker. Other than the confusion over wording the speaker has worked fine. It was a snap to set-up. There is also an RCA adapter included, besides the headphone jack connector that will allow you to use it as an extra speaker with your system. I only have the speaker about 30 or 40 feet from the transmitter, so I don't how well it works at a distance.

We have found that these speakers work very satisfactorily on our summer screened in porch some distance from the audio source..

I was very pleased with the product. I am using it on my balcony and it works great. The sound quality is very good.

This works great for me. I use it to listen to computer radio when I am out back (75 feet away) in my garage. the sound is really good, even though it is just mono. I had originally thought I would buy a second speaker if it worked for me, but the sound is good enough as it is.

Happy with the speaker, it works like it's supposed to. But when it's left on batteries it will make weird noises once in a while. I guess something sets it off and it makes a static noises. Not too often.