Control4 is now shipping its new Triad Garden Array outdoor speakers, a family of all-weather, landscape speakers that include satellite speakers (GA4 SAT) and subwoofers (GA10 SUB) designed to be placed throughout flower beds or around the yard. This is the first Triad new product introduction since Control4 purchased the brand in February 2017, but it is very similar to what the company showcased at CEDIA last September, according to Triad founder Larry Pexton.
“It’s very similar to what we showed at CEDIA,” said Pexton, who now serves as director of channel evangelism for Control4. “It’s a ‘clean piece of paper’ Triad design, but Control4 has a beta test process that we couldn’t afford at Triad that helped us fine-tune ease-of-installation features of the products. And plus, this company has the ‘quaint notion’ that you should have products ready to ship when you announce them, so we ordered a lot more than we could have in the past.”
Each of the GA4 SAT speakers includes a Triad-exclusive 4.5-inch Ultra-Broad Dispersion (UBD) driver. This broad sound coverage, Control4 said, is rare in today’s landscape speakers and increases flexibility in speaker placement and greatly improves the listening experience. Through a 150-degree field of coverage, the GA4 SAT delivers a more even sound, minimizing areas where the music is too soft or too loud as the listener moves between speakers, according to the company.
“Traditional outdoor speakers are often mounted on the eaves of the house to direct music into the yard, patio, deck or pool,” said Paul Williams, VP of product management for Control4. “To fill the space with music you have to turn it up, making the music too loud for those near the speakers (and even for the neighbors). The Triad Garden Array speakers are designed to be spread throughout the yard and enjoyed without needing to crank them up.”
Purposefully built for outdoor installations, Garden Array speakers feature an all-weather exterior to withstand hot or cold, rain and snow, dry or humid conditions; the sealed enclosure resists dust, bugs, and animals. With a high-end, low-profile design, the GA4 SAT is shaped to resemble landscape lighting and blend into flower beds and gardens.
“The Garden Array was thoughtfully designed to complement discerning architectural landscapes without compromising sound quality,” Williams said. “Meeting the growing appetite for audio entertainment among homeowners, the Garden Array expands the Triad family from home theater, family room, and multi-room solutions to outdoor spaces with an innovative product family that brings the high-performance audio heritage of Triad throughout the property.”
The Triad GA10 Subwoofer is engineered to produce full, dynamic bass that reaches deep, precise notes and can be installed freestanding or concealed underground. The sub has been designed to be buried in the yard using Triad’s optional underground kit, which only shows its discreet mushroom port above ground, or it can be installed on a porch or deck as a free-standing, down-firing subwoofer using the optional foot kit. Powered by the Triad RackAmp 300 dedicated amplifier, the GA10’s high-performance 10-inch driver provides full, deep base exactly where you want it.
The Garden Array is scalable for every outdoor space. By including additional satellite speakers and subwoofers, a single system can size for a small patio or an estate garden. The GA4 SAT can be staked into the lawn or garden, mounted on walls or trees, or installed on decks or eaves. Attached to the mounting post via a spherical knuckle, the GA4 SAT can maintain a full range of motion for less-than-optimal locations. The GA4 SAT comes with 18-inch mounting posts, ground stakes, and silicone wire nuts, while a standard 3/4-inch conduit makes installation and maintenance more convenient with a variety of off-the-shelf landscape components. The GA4 SAT is compatible with 8-ohm, 70-volt, or 100-volt systems.
The Triad Garden Array series is available now in both the U.S. and internationally through Control4 and Triad dealers worldwide. The GA4 SAT is available for $300 U.S. MSRP each. The GA4 SAT is also packaged as a set of eight. The GA10 Sub is available for $1,000 U.S. MSRP each. The GA10 Sub Underground Kit is $300 U.S. MSRP, while the GA10 Sub Foot Kit is $40 U.S. MSRP. The system comes with a three-year warranty.
