Nice sound for its size & and it is a very attractive fixture (built-in 40-watt candelabra-base bulb <not included>).
With controls on bottom and mounting bracket on back, this works best when mounted on a wall light electrical box (preferably a metal one). With hardware and great instructions provided, I was able to permanently mount it where there was a wall light fixture on my back porch. It took less than an hour.
Inside the house, my music source is the commercial-free Sirius channels on the TV. Audiovox Acoustic Research AW850 Mission Style Wireless Speaker and Light (Bronze)
Very nice looking and sturdy fixture. Easy install into existing J-box, good instructions, everything included. Sound is fine for what it is. Wireless connection is very good even with tons of other wireless things in operation in the house.
Two Negatives: the rubber seal on the bottom that protects the controls is not very snug. It won't last long at all. Takes Type B light bulbs, 40W max. Pretty useless for a light, but ok for just ambiance.
i purchased this for a convenient way to have sound on my deck, without drilling holes through my walls and running speaker wire through my house.... that being said, when the speaker worked, it worked well. Getting the unit to acknowledge that it was a speaker, however, is a greater challenge. Rarely would the little blue light illuminate, indicating it was ready to receive a signal, and more rarely would it actually connect and produce sounds.
I have yet to determine how the unit decides to connect to the antenna and function as intended... in addition, the limitation on the lightbulb makes it doubly ineffective as a light source, so it doesn't live up to both its claims. I would therefore recommend any shopper move on to the next item in the hope that a truly wireless outdoor speaker exists.
I was a bit concerned after reading these reviews, but I took a chance and bought it. It installed very easily, just as easy as installing a light fixture. Once installed, I just plugged in my Ipod to the Transmitter and plugged the transmitter into the wall outlet, and that was it. I had no hiss, no dropped sound, or other issues. The sound quality is very good. And the ability to change the volume on both the speaker and on the Ipod (or other audio device), makes it convenient to change volume from the source too. The only minor complaint would be that the controls are located on the bottom of the speaker where you have to bend down to see them.
A lot of speakers designed for outdoor use, well, look like speakers. They're rectangular, rigid and too box-like. If you're like me, then you don't want to clutter your beautiful backyard with ugly wires and more importantly an ugly sound system. That's why I love the AW850 outdoor speaker. This speaker set-up is very elegant and stylish and fits in with most any decor. The speaker itself is small enough to be light-wight and portable, but big enough to produce enough sound. The construction of the speaker is beautiful, as the speaker casing is all metal, making it look very classy and well-built. I love that fact that you can hang it up or have it set somewhere. As far as the sound quality goes, it has a very good sound for a less-expensive speaker system, and the quality is quite clear and crisp. Of course it's not the same as Bose, or another more expensive system, but the sound is still very good. This speaker (I only have one set on the "mono" setting) gets plenty loud even with other background noise. The wireless range is excellent reaching about 125 ft. at my house, even through walls and other obstacles.
Now as far as the durability in bad weather goes, this speaker does work perfectly fine in light rain and other poor conditions, just don't leave it outside in poor weather overnight or for extended periods. It's not completely weather resistant but still holds up well. Other notable aspects of this system include the fact that you can hook up another one of these speakers to have a left and right speaker system for fuller, louder sound. I just have one and it works perfectly for me and I have a decent sized 1.5 acre yard. Some people have reported slight sound quality issues with certain audio sources like iPods, but I have hooked this speaker up to virtually every audio source available and have had great sound every time.
All in all this is an excellent outdoor speaker and a great value. I highly recommend this system to anyone looking for a high quality, stylish outdoor audio solution. This a great product and would certainly consider buying a second speaker to add on the one I have. Excellent job Acoustic Research.
Outdoor speaker are great but it's hard when it comes to wiring. I bought these for my parents for their patio off the back of their house. I hooked it up to their stereo inside which is about 30 feet away. Simple installation. Replaced an existing light with the speaker light combo. Pumps great music to the backyard and the lights are very nice. Not to bright but more of a decorative lighting. They couldn't be more happy. I wwould recommend this product.
I bought this as a gift recently and intended to allow the gift recipient to play music outside on their porch from the stereo or iPod inside the house. I have an Acoustic Research wireless speaker that I personally use that I bought in 2006, and it has worked great for me for years, allowing wireless transmission through multiple walls, while being 30+ feet away from the transmitter. This device, however, was not at all what I had hoped for. Here are the major drawbacks:
1) HORRIBLE WIRELESS SIGNAL: There was literally 2 feet and only a glass door between the transmitter and the speaker, and the audio was still cutting in and out every 5-10 seconds. The only fix for this was to place the wireless transmitter outside with the speaker, and only about 5-10 feet away from the speaker.
2) NO PORTABILITY: I thought this device was like the wireless speaker I bought in 2006, allowing for both battery powered operation as well as plugging into a wall outlet via an AC Adapter. This is absolutely not the case. This device MUST be mounted as a light fixture through in-house wiring in order for it to work. We had no choice but to take one of the outside light fixtures off and replace it with this in order to get it to work. If you're looking for portability, this is the furthest thing from it!
Acoustic Research used to be a company that was respectable, provided great products, and was worth the premium that we paid for it. This is definitely not the case. Acoustic Research, you have lost a dedicated customer with this device. To anyone reading this, please don't make the same mistake I did. Buy another brand's wireless speaker product.
On a positive note, Amazon was great a fulfilling the order, and extremely timely with shipping. I will never buy Acoustic Research again, but I will use Amazon again. - Great Speakers'
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