Sonance SonArray SR1 Outdoor Speaker System

Sonance SonArray may forever change the way you approach outdoor entertainment.  The Sonance speaker system will change the way many integrators think about “prepackaged” solutions. The package contains everything needed for a satisfying and proper outdoor audio installation:

• Eight satellite speakers that resemble landscape lights
• One in-ground subwoofer
• Outdoor-rated wire nuts
• Clear instructions

Sonance bundled a complete speaker system solution that will deliver great dispersion while maintaining wattage and impedance numbers in keeping with traditional outdoor speaker systems.  Sonance pushed this no-guesswork approach further by including the subwoofer crossover inside the subwoofer itself.  This concept eliminates the need for a separate amp for the sub.

Elegant Design and Easy Installation

Designing an outdoor speaker system has never been this easy.  From the Sonance SonArray instructions, we find out where to place the speakers and attach each one to a left or right channel depending on the distance between them for the flawless whole-yard stereo experience.

Sonance offers a “dealer design service” that acquires landscape drawings and helps dealers design the ultimate outdoor audio experience.  Installation is a snap. The Sonance SonArray speaker system even includes outdoor-rated wire nuts filled with outdoor-rated waterproofing silicone.  Following the simple directions provided by Sonance, you run a single line of 14/4 outdoor-rated speaker wire, connecting it to each speaker.  Simply strip the wire, taking the left/right channel that is next in the alternating pattern, and wire the speakers in parallel (below).

This Sonance speaker system wiring scheme permits you to simply tie all the positives together and negatives together at their individual wire leads.  Each of the satellites has an impedance of 30 Ohms.  You will have a 7.5 Ohm load if you join four of them together.  Nonetheless all of this simplicity means you can’t change the number of speakers in the array.

Verdict

Pros
Amazing sound beyond covenantal wall-mount and rock style outdoor speakers

Covers large outdoor distance only using two channels, one zone of a distribution system or amplifier

Differs nicely from typical outdoor speakers’ appearance

Cons
May not apply to all outdoor applications in a retrofit since you need to bury, post, and trench wire

You can’t “go smaller” and only use six satellites while keeping the ohm load

Price may be a bit too expensive for some

Sonance states you can put the subwoofer anywhere in the speaker system wiring series as it takes both the right and left channels. This solution is great, as it does not meddle with the rest of the satellite speakers in the series since the crossover happens in the sub’s circuitry and not in the wiring chain. Sonance recommends the sub be positioned near the center of the speaker pattern to evenly distribute the low end.  Here’s an idea: Tack the Sonance SonArray onto the current whole-house speaker system that has an unused audio zone.

Sweet Music

When the Sonance SonArray system is connected to a recommended Sonance 275 SE amplifier and cranked up, the sound is outstanding.  You will be amazed not only at the coverage of the sound but also the striking clearness that you don’t usually get with outdoor speaker systems. Thanks to the directional arrangements of the speakers, your neighbors will barely hear a peep of the loud music from their own yards.  All of the speakers face into the listening area as opposed to being mounted to the house, facing outward.  Sonance allows you the ability to create an elegant “surround sound” result for your property in a single box.  The voices and instruments are as clear as if you were listening to a high-quality speaker system in your house. The lows are more of what you would expect from a 2.1 system operating off of a surround sound receiver with a powered sub.  This all comes from a single run of 4-conductor wire.

If you have the right-sized yard in which an eight-speaker system makes sense, there is no reason not to contemplate Sonance SonArray Outdoor Speaker System.