Adept Audio LSCAPESYS-8 Audio Satellite Speakers User Guide
- June 4, 2024
- Adept Audio
Table of Contents
Adept Audio LSCAPESYS-8 Audio Satellite Speakers
Instructions
Adept Stands Up in Broad Tests Across an Outdoor Sound Field
We created Adept SoundScape™ because we wanted a better outdoor sound
system. One that sounded just as good as the stereo systems in our living
rooms…but from across an entire outdoor space and not just focused on one
area. A system that would give us the kind of powerful, satisfying sound we
hear in our home theaters…but that would do it without needing to crank it so
loud that our neighbors or nearby businesses would complain.
Our idea was that by using 4 or 8 separate satellite speakers, we could spread
the sound evenly across an outdoor space, so everywhere you walk, you’d get
enveloping, clear sound. We made the satellite speakers small, so you can tuck
them unseen into a garden, under eaves, or even in the trees. We routed all
the bass into a powerful subwoofer that can sit on the ground or be buried so
just the top few inches stick out. We powered it all with a 200-watt-per-
channel stereo amp equipped with digital signal processing to smooth the sound
to perfection.
And our engineers designed the whole system to be plug-and-play. They spent
many days fine-tuning the sound of the satellites and the subwoofer, and
integrating them perfectly with the included amplifier. Just place the
speakers, hook them up and hit the power switch—no configuration required.
The exceptional sound quality is built right in.
Of course, we knew we had to make the system rugged enough to survive any kind
of punishment that any climate could dish out, so we built the satellite
speakers and subwoofer from tough polymers designed to withstand heavy
downpours, fierce heat, bitter cold…and even badly thrown footballs. Once we
had a system ready, we installed it in a real backyard and put it through its
paces with the most demanding music cuts we could find.
Note: Our engineers designed the whole system to be plug-and-play…fine-
tuning the sound of the satellites and the subwoofer.
8-Sat System
Tracy Chapman’s “Fast Car” is a longtime favorite of audio engineers for
judging the sound quality of high-end speakers, because of the beautiful,
natural recording of the acoustic guitar and vocals. From the first few notes,
it was clear that this system sounded a lot more like a good indoor stereo
system than like a typical set of outdoor
speakers. The voice and guitar were incredibly clear, whether we were seated
or walking around. Outdoor speaker systems can sound dull because they don’t
have four walls and a ceiling to reflect off of, so Adept’s engineering team
added just a little extra energy in the low treble, which made Tracy Chapman’s
voice sound a little clearer but didn’t make the system sound bright. When we
put on Lil Nas X’s “Old Town Road,” a country-style hip-hop recording with
super-low bass, the system got every last note right and tight, playing much
deeper than a typical set of outdoor stereo speakers can. And the bass from
the subwoofer was loud enough to be heard … and felt … all the way across the
yard.
We found the bass was plenty enough for us in the EQ2 position on the amp,
which is the standard setting for the 8-speaker system, but we know a lot of
people like some extra bass kick, so we added a few decibels more bottom end
in the EQ4 position—all easily accessed via a knob on the back of the amp.
Note: The best thing about the performance…it delivers an enveloping
stereo effect all around the entire yard, no matter where we walked.
But we found the best thing about the performance of this system is that it delivers an enveloping stereo effect all around the entire yard, no matter where we walked. Unless you get right up on one of the speakers, only a couple of feet away, it sounds like the music’s just magically coming from all around you, and you get a stereo effect everywhere, not just in one seat. You could say it’s the world’s biggest sweet spot. It was also nice that we could get a good volume from the system all around the yard without playing the system especially loud, because the sound was so broadly dispersed. Even with AC/DC’s classic “Back In Black” playing loud enough that we couldn’t resist a little headbanging, when we walked around the corner to another side of the house, the sound was a good deal quieter; we knew we could play this system all day long at a reasonable volume without bothering the neighbors.
Summary
- Outstanding coverage that creates enveloping stereo sound across an outdoor sound field without being played loud enough to bother neighboring homes and businesses.
- Smooth sound, hand-tuned to sound like a good bookshelf speaker.
- Excellent balance of bass to midrange to treble, with plenty of deep bass
- Powerful enough to cover typical commercial installations or large backyard areas with a single system and amplifier.
4-Sat System
This system uses the same subwoofer and satellites as the 8-satellite system,
so the sound is pretty much the same—and our engineering team added two EQ
settings to the amp just for the 4-satellite system, to make sure the sound
would be consistent no matter how many satellites you use. The 8-satellite
system’s great balance of bass to midrange and treble carries over into the
4-satellite system, so Tracy Chapman’s wonderfully warm and full voice sounded
just as great on both. And because the subwoofer’s the same, the 4-satellite
system breezes through the teeth-rattling deep bass in Lil Nas X’s “Old Town
Road” just as easily. As with the 8-satellite system, the 4-system has two
dedicated DSP modes. EQ1 is the standard setting, and EQ3 gives you an extra
boost in the bass when you really want to get your guests’ toes tapping.
The difference between the two systems boils down to coverage. When we set up
the 4-satellite speaker system to cover just half the backyard, we got pretty
much the same big sense of space and giant sweet spot we heard with the
8-satellite system—so we could hear all the little electronic effects in
Beyoncé’s “Single Ladies” with the clarity of a great stereo system, and the
envelopment of a surround-sound system.
So if you just want to cover a large patio or, say, a 30-by-30-foot backyard behind a garden home, the 4-satellite system will work perfectly. The sound will start to fall off, though, once you walk to the parts of the yard that aren’t covered by the Adept SoundScape™ system—it’ll probably be about 6 decibels quieter, which means you’d probably have to turn up the sound more. So you want to cover 100% of a normal-sized backyard, get the 8-satellite system. The moment you hear the first notes of music through it, you’ll be glad you did!
Summary
- Used within a smaller area, such as a 20′ by 20′ patio, can create the same enveloping stereo images and huge sweet spot as the 8- satellite system.
- Basically the same smooth sound as the 8- satellite system, comparable to a good small bookshelf speaker.
- Can easily cover smaller commercial installations, like most restaurants and outdoor patios, with a single system.
- Can cover a large patio or a small backyard without being played super-loud; provides more consistent sound across a patio than two speakers can.
Technical Review
The listening test setup
We tested the Adept SoundScape™ system in two different versions: one with
four satellites and one with eight satellites. Testing was done in a 30′ by
70′ backyard, with the subwoofer placed about two feet from the exterior back
wall of the house, and the satellites positioned at roughly 10′ intervals
around the backyard. Music was sourced from an MPOW BH259 Bluetooth receiver
connected to a Samsung Galaxy S10 phone, playing stored 256 kbps MP3 files and
downloaded 320 kbps Ogg Vorbis files from Spotify.
For every tune we listened from a chair placed in the middle of the yard, then
got up and walked around to see what it sounded like in the rest of the yard.
Taking it further:
16, 24, even 32 satellites!
If you have a really big yard, or a major commercial installation, you can
double or even triple up on Adept SoundScape™ systems! Because each system
comes with an amp and subwoofer, you don’t have to sacrifice sound quality
when you add more speakers. The amplifier is rack-mountable and only half the
width of a standard amp, so you can mount two of them side-by-side in a rack,
using only as much space as one standard amp.
So if you have an outdoor space that measures, say, 80 by 80 feet, you can put
in dual subs and 16 satellites, and get the same amazing, enveloping sound
quality you’d get in smaller spaces with our 4-SAT and 8-SAT systems. And if
your space is even larger, just add more Adept SoundScape™ systems as you need
them.
It’s all the fidelity you’d expect from a great indoor sound system, spread
all over the grounds. If hosting big parties and special events is your
thing—or you just want to hear your music everywhere you wander outdoors — the
Adept SoundScape™ system can easily meet your needs.
It All Comes Down to This…
We designed Adept SoundScape™ to be everything we ever wanted in an outdoor
sound system. The pure, clear fidelity of the best audiophile stereo systems —
with the exciting envelopment and powerful bass of a surround-sound system.
But instead of doing this in just one or a few seats, like indoor systems do,
this landscape system does it across an entire backyard!
Whether you want to cover a patio for weekend barbecues and outdoor dining, or
an entire backyard, or a commercial installation of any size, it’s easy to
scale Adept SoundScape™ to fit your needs. And no matter how many satellites
you use, you’ll get great sound absolutely everywhere, whether you’re cooking
up burgers, hosting a gathering, spending time by the pool or relaxing in your
favorite chaise lounge.