Niles Audio Outdoor GeoRealistic and Discrete Garden Speakers

It seems as though Niles Audio is trying to get in touch with nature with the release of a wide range of new outdoor rock and planter speakers, as well as a more discrete garden speaker and subwoofer. Niles is a leader in the customer install industry, and there are a lot of features in these new speakers that installers and their clients will certainly appreciate.                                

Lifetime Warranty

First, all of Niles’ speakers now carry a lifetime warranty. Normally that doesn’t really mean much, but when the speakers are going to be sitting outside, shoved in the dirt, or buried under ground (such as their GSS10 in-ground subwoofer), a lifetime warranty makes a lot of sense. The warranty is not transferable, so it only applies to the original owner. Additionally, it doesn’t cover normal wear and tear, so if you send in a pair of rock speakers that have been beaten by rain, sleet, snow, and hail for 20 years, we are not so sure they will be covered. Still, the lifetime warranty instills confidence that Niles stands behind its products and designs products to last.

GeoRealistic Pro Series Rock and Planter Speakers

Niles’ engineers blurred the normally clear lines between engineer and archaeologist when designing their new GeoRealistic Pro Rock Loudspeakers. They traveled the country in search of 100% all-natural rocks (not that hard to find) and had custom handcrafted molds made to match the rocks they found. In order to make sure the speakers still look like rocks after years of UV Rays, they also developed a new NoFade Protective Finish and four-layer fiberglass weave. In their quest to make their new speakers as resilient as an actual rock, they also coated the crossover boards inside the speakers to protect against, moisture, dust, and chemicals. Maybe you live in a ridiculously cold place like North Dakota (trust me, I lived there a long time, it is truly frigid) and are worried about extreme cold. No need to worry, the speakers and planters are rated for temperatures from -50°F to 185°F (-45° to 85° Celsius). If you still aren't convinced that these speakers are made to last, Niles also subjected them to 5 years worth of temperature cycling and then verified the integrity of the seals with a 24-hour submersion test. Make no mistake; these are some serious speakers with a lot of thought put into their design.

The rock speakers are available in sandstone, shale brown, coral, granite, and speckled granite. There are a number of different models, including a few single stereo speaker options. The RS5 incorporates a ½” fluid-cooled Kaladex tweeter and 5-1/4” polypropylene woofer with butyl rubber surround. Every speaker in this series uses the same tweeter and woofer materials. The RS6 bumps up to a 1” tweeter and 6-1/2” woofer. Niles also offers an RS6Si, which adds a second 1” tweeter so the speaker can run in stereo mode in installations where it isn’t possible to place two speakers outside. The biggest rock speaker in the line is the RS8Si, which includes two 1” tweeters and one 8” woofer. Both the RS6Si and RS8Si can be ran in 8 Ohm one-speaker stereo mode or 4 Ohm two-speaker stereo mode.

 PB6Si TerraCotta Planter                        PS6Si Weathered Concrete Planter

The PB6Si and PS6Si planters are designed similarly to the rock speakers with the same temperature ratings and driver materials. They are available in terracotta or weathered concrete. The PB6Si features two 6.5” woofers and two 1” tweeters, while the PS6Si features one 6.5” woofer and two 1” tweeters. Both can be ran in 8 Ohm one-speaker stereo mode or 4 Ohm two-speaker stereo mode. They are also built to actually house live plants, not just look pretty.

Discrete Garden Series GS4 and GSS10

 GSS10 In-Ground Subwoofer                            GS4 Satellite Speaker             

Niles has released the GS4 satellite speaker and GSS10 in-ground subwoofer for those looking for a more discrete option than rock or planter speakers. The GS4 is a small satellite loudspeaker with a 4” woofer. It can either be stake mounted in the ground or wall mounted with the included bracket. The GSS10 sports a 10” polypropylene woofer and has a rated frequency response of 25Hz to 110Hz with a max SPL of 100dB. If you want more bass, and who doesn’t, the recommended Niles SWA-500M amplifier can power up to two GSS10 subwoofers. Both the GS4 and GSS10 are fully weather-proof but cannot handle the extreme temperatures that the rock speakers and planters can. They are only rated from -15°F to 160°F, so installers must be more careful about where they are installed.

Conclusion

We aren’t typically too excited about new outdoor speakers, but Niles Audio seems to have put a lot of research into designing their new outdoor speaker lines. We are sure that custom installers and their clients will appreciate the lifetime warranty and color/size options.  With an entire line of rock speakers, planters, a small satellite speaker and an in-ground subwoofer, almost anyone should be able to find a combination of speakers that works well for their own unique setup. 

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