Boston Acoustics Voyager Outdoor Speakers Preview

Earlier this year we did a video review of the Boston Acoustics Voyager 7 Outdoor Speakers and found them to be excellent in both sound and design. The company didn't waste any time in releasing 5 brand new models in the Voyager Series and these are also geared towards the Indoor/Outdoor/Marine crowd/ The new speakers weren't part of our recent 2011 CEDIA Expo Show Coverage, but that's because nobody from D&M was there that we could find (Denon, Marantz, Boston Acoustics, etc). The good news is that these new speakers will be ready for release in September and include the same great products as before, but with updated model numbers. Included in the product lineup are the following:

Voyager 70 Outdoor Speakers

• Type: 2-way 7" High Performance Outdoor Speakers
• 7" co-polymer DCD woofer
• 1" Kortec soft dome tweeter
• Enclosures, grilles, hardware, cones, surrounds, and gaskets stand up to weather and temperature extremes
• $749.99/pair
  

Voyager 60 Outdoor Speakers

• Type: 2-way 6-1/2" High Performance Outdoor Speakers
• 6-1/2" co-polymer DCD woofer
• 1" Kortec soft dome tweeter
• Enclosures, grilles, hardware, cones, surrounds, and gaskets stand up to weather and temperature extremes
• MSRP: $499.99/pair
  

Voyager 50 Outdoor Speakers

• Type: 2-way 5-1/4" High Performance Outdoor Speakers
• 5-1/4" co-polymer DCD woofer
• 3/4" Kortec soft dome tweeter
• Enclosures, grilles, hardware, cones, surrounds, and gaskets stand up to weather and temperature extremes
• MSRP: $399.99/pair
  

Voyager 40 Outdoor Speakers

• Type: 2-way 4-1/2" High Performance Outdoor Speakers
• 4-1/2" co-polymer DCD woofer
• 3/4" Kortec soft dome tweeter
• Enclosures, grilles, hardware, cones, surrounds, and gaskets stand up to weather and temperature extremes
• MSRP: $279.99/pair
  

Voyager Metro II Outdoor Speaker

• Type: Stereo 6-1/2" High Performance Stereo Outdoor Speaker
• Dual voice coil 6-1/2" co-polymer woofer with butyl rubber surround
• Dual 1" Kortec dome tweeters
• Plays stereo signal from a single location
• Enclosures, grilles, hardware, cones, surrounds, and gaskets stand up to weather and temperature extremes
• MSRP: $279.99/each

All of the speakers feature a water resistant design and are, in fact, built to IEC 60529 IPX5 standards. When yu break it down, this is accomplished through the use of rust resistant hardware and connectors, powder-coated aluminum grilles, and the use of black or white polypropylene cabinets which are UV-resistant. Billing these as marine-grade, Boston Acoustics is absolutely serious about these speakers standing up to the test of time in even harsh environments. All models come with basic hardware to mount them under eaves, to the side of a home, on a deck or porch, poolside, or even on a boat. We could even see them being used indoors where sound reinforcement is necessary, like a restaurant, workout room, or other commercial location.

Voyager Smart features:

• Special acoustical voicing
  The Voyager line is particularly voiced for outdoor and high ambient-noise environments. In this way, they are particularly suited to produce clear vocals, and even resonant bass where that is typically a tall order
  
• Kortec dome tweeters
  These tweeters are a polyester woven dome that uses a stiffening agent to deliver the accuracy and push of a metal dome, but with the smoothness of a fabric - all while being able to handle the potential moisture and humidity of an outdoor environment
  
• Deep Channel (DCD) driver design
  This raises the efficiency of the system by using a deeply grooved pole plate to give the driver a longer throw. The result is a greater potential for output before the woofer bottoms out.
  
• Heavy-duty, aluminum C-brackets
  The convenient and easy-to-locate wedge shape combines with simple-to-use hardware, making this a particularly easy speaker to install. It also looks good when mounted - and indeed the Voyager 7s that we've installed in the past still look new.
  

Outdoor living seems to be a growing trend in the consumer electronics market, particularly as installers look to modern trends to optimize space and take advantage of exterior areas of the home which can benefit form sound reinforcement. The new line of Voyager from Boston Acoustics seems to combine ease-of-installation with great aesthetics and gorgeous sound.

For more information please visit BostonAcoustics.com.

Unless otherwise indicated, this is a preview article for the featured product. A formal review may or may not follow in the future.