O
utdoor speakers have a tough
ti
me
mee
ti
ng the demands of cri
ti
cal listeners
largely because the listening environment
can be unpredictable. In addi
ti
on, outdoor
speakers require a robust design to survive
the e
ff
ects of the sun, varying humidity, and
in many cases extreme temperature changes.
The folks at Phase Technology have introduced
the Solaris SPF-35 outdoor speakers that are
designed to not only survive the elements,
but also sound great. The speakers use an
SPF high-density resin enclosure that is a
paintable, UV-resistant, composite enclosure
which can be matched to any decor. The
speakers are available in either black or
white for those whose prefer a factory color.
The design includes water-
ti
ght
fi
tti
ngs, a
polypropylene woofer and a powder-coated
aluminum grille, enabling the speakers to
withstand nature’s fury. The exposed hardware is stainless steel or brass and the binding posts have gold over brass to
prevent corrosion. All this leads to a product that is designed to last.
Moun
ti
ng
The SPF-35 speakers come with a set of C-clamps that are designed to mount to a
fl
at
surface and a
tt
ach at both ends of the speaker with adjustable knobs. This allows the
speaker to pivot on the moun
ti
ng axis for an op
ti
mal listening angle directed towards
the listener. The speakers also include a set of pre-threaded inserts imbedded in the
housing that make them compa
ti
ble with a wide variety of standard swivel mounts.
For our installa
ti
on, we used the C-clamps that came with the speakers and mounted
them under the eaves of our roof to minimize direct exposure to rain and the sun.
Wiring
Our speakers were wired using a pair of 14-gauge Tributaries speaker cables coming
directly from our Sonos ZP100 Zone Player. The ZP100 is capable of 50 wa
tt
s per
channel and in this applica
ti
on these speakers were a nice match. The SPF-35
terminals include 5-way binding posts with great build quality and gives the user
fl
exible wiring op
ti
ons. When possible, I like to use banana plugs instead of stripped
wire for a solid connec
ti
on that is easy to disconnect when needed. The terminals on
these speakers allowed me to do this. The screw-down knobs are made of metal
instead of cheap plas
ti
c.
Product Review
By Kevin Nakano of
LA
Audio File
Reprinted May 2008
Phase Technology
SPF-35 Outdoor Speakers
“These new outdoor speakers are the best we have heard in
our pa
ti
o and they are here to stay.”
R
