Recommend small speakers for a friend's cafe?

Question

hi. my friend started a breakfast/lunch place and his speakers are awful! i'd like to buy him new (or used) speakers; max = $400. the smaller the speakers the better. i'll probably mount them on the wall in the corners. the place is small and kids eat there too with their parents so floor speakers are just a disaster waiting to happen. wireless would be cool if that works cuz seeing cords is ugly, right? so i'd like to get advice on what specific brand and model to look for and any other suggestions. e.g., is wireless a bad idea? thanks!

Answer 1

Right now..... "Bose"  speaker systems  have the edge on quality sound designed to fill a room and not have to play your music loud to do so.  it should also be noted that  these and other recommended speakers can be applied to a regular home system because there normal  "Impedance's"  rating is  8 Ohms.  So a simple shop for similar speakers  ie. 8"  speaker  w/ full range and/ or   a  8" speaker   with  a "Horn"  will  also do the trick and

this would probably stay within your budget.

Bose*

JBL

MACKE

YAMAHA

Pee Vee

Answer 2

I would suggest this:

http://www.ascendacoustics.com/pages/pro...

They are audiophile quality bookshelf speakers for $368 (including shipping). I would very much recommend them. In contrast to most of the cheap speakers that you can buy at electronics stores, these should be pretty awesome.

WARNING: do not buy Bose. Their products, for the price, are quite terrible. Do not listen to people who suggest them. Bose is generally laughed at by audiophiles, and is even thought of as a scam by many. I've listened to one of their headphones recently... *shivers*

Answer 3

get some BOSE! you can get some on ebay! if you cant find speakers, you get get the BOSE wave clock for $400.00 and its worth every penny!

Answer 4

if its a commercial place so aesthetically and functional speaking you should be better with in-ceiling speakers, that will  sound great in a background music way and will look good.

check out this page it has many different

http://www.partsexpress.com/pe/showdetl....

Answer 5

I think $400 is a great budget, you should be able to find something that works perfectly for this particular application.

I have some ideas for you to consider, though:

Do not get the tiny cubes.  Those are intended for use with a subwoofer and without the sub the sound will be very tinty.  Try turning the bass ALL the way down in your car and that's what it will sound like.  You will have no warmth or depth to the music.

You have to consider an amp.  If you plan on using only two speakers (fine) you still want people to hear music no matter where they are sitting (i.e., fill the whole room).  Even though you said at low levels, the amp is most important to fill a room with sound and I can imagine a cafe is probably larger than most living rooms.  It would be easiest to get a two-channel stereo receiver.  This will allow you to listen to the radio, plug in a CD player and even plug in an iPod!

My choices for speakers are these:  Boston, Polk, Klipsch.  They make speakers for multi-purpose applications - like what you are dealing with.  They come with a mounting bracket that makes it easy to install in a variety of locations.  You can usually find a pair of good ones for <$200-$250, which leaves plenty of money for that amp!

You could go wireless, but good quality is hard to find.  Some multi-purpose speakers have built in amps, but those are more expensive and more rare.

As far as the unsightly wires...you can get some conduit from Lowe's or Home Depot, run the wires inside, and then paint them to match the wall color.

Let me know if I can be of more help.  Good luck!