Transducers or speakers

[blizzard]

Just checkin to see if anybody here has had any experiance with Spa audios and what you opinion was on speakers or transducers and which one sounds better while in a hot tub.  

[socal]

at first, i wasnt too thrilled with the transducer set up, but after hearing/experiencing it a few times, i was rather impressed.
didnt feel like i had to yell at someone across the way with a speaker in my ear. but, thats just mho

[blizzard]

Thanks for your opinion.  I know most people, or some at least advise not wasting money on a stereo.  I for my part would like to have one when hot tubbing  by myself.  I would think that the transducers wouldn't sound as good, but then again I think they last longer than speakers because of the enviourment that they are exposed to. :-/

[Brewman]

I spent the bux on the stereo for the Optima, and while it was relatively expensive, I don't regret it a bit.  
I didn't have speaker vs transducer options.  
We have speakers with a undercabinet sub woofer.
The thing sounds awsome- and I'm very picky when it comes to this type of thing.
I like the convenience of not having to tote a stereo outside, especially now that it's winter.  
The way I look at it is this spa is a total luxury item, so why not get it exactly like you want?  Stereo was maybe 10% of the cost of the spa- heck I paid almost as much in sales tax to the state as I paid for the spa stereo.   We enjoy having the audio built right in.  

[ssbraun]

I'm with you, Brewman!  We had guests over last night, and 2 of them have had a tub for about 5 years. They were blown away by not only the tub, but the stereo and sound quality.  It definitely adds something to the experience when you're having a party, and when you're not in the mood, just leave it off.  I've got the same system as Brewman...no experience with the transducer setup.

Steve

[East_TX_Spa]

The SpAudio sounds fantastic.  The sound quality is crystal clear, even with the jets running.

With that being said, I don't sell very many of them.  I don't think that they are very user friendly at the moment.  I hope that is something HS is addressing for the upcoming '06 models.

Terminator

[socal]

just another thought....why not use the money to install out door speakers? they sound good, and can add more (imo) party flair. bbq's, b-day parties, etc....of course it would depend on how far away the spa is positioned from the house. just something else to think about.

i agree with term, the clarity of sound with transducers is excelent with jets on/off.

[blizzard]

I've pretty much made up my mind that I will get a stereo.  I was kind of worried about popup speakers and their durability. I also wondered about the sound quality between the two different systems, and which one would allow you enjoy the music without bothering the neighbors since they are close. Don't live in the country here.

[Mendocino101]

We encourage and offer a full outdoor system.....using 2 pairs of outdoor speakers 1 pair for under the eves of your home and the other for your spa area...I think you just get more for your money this way and with an a/b speaker switch on your receiver you can run both pairs or one at a time.

[ssbraun]

The pop-up speakers seem fairly durable...I thought that freezing weather would be an issue, and it has not been.  I like the remote so I can change from fm to cd, volume, bass, treble from in the tub; it also operates the pumps, lighting etc. and is waterproof.  I agree with you, Term, that the HS system needs a little improvement.  The sound is supposed to be great, but I was turned off by the portable cd player / tuner thingy...it seemed a little cheap, and actually played a large part in my decision to go with SD instead (I probably would have a Vista in my backyard were it not for that!).  My $.02.

Steve

[hymbaw]

spAudio does sound great but controlling it thru HS auxillary control panel can be frustrating. I agree that the discman that comes with it is chintzy for a system that goes for $1900 (Term, get them to throw in a iPod and you'll sell a lot more!). The stereo on the SD is about half the cost, sounds as good, but probably not as durable due to speakers getting exposed to water and such.

As far as outdoor speakers go, I find that by time I can hear the music over the jets the neighbors are complaining!!! The built in systems eliminate that somewhat.

[East_TX_Spa]

hymbaw, I will say this:  I do have customers that hook up their I-Pod to the SpAudio and it is AWESOME!  Customers do have that option.  We may start giving out I-Pods with every SpAudio purchase.  Some HS dealers have been doing that with great success.

Terminator

[Brewman]

This is the third winter on our Optima's audio system, and no issues with pop up speakers.  
At the time I put in our spa, outdoor speakers weren't a solution I wanted to persue, for reasons too long to list here.  No doubt you could install a pair or two of adequate outdoor speakers and a reciever and even a CD player for less than I spent on the spa audio.
It wasn't something I wanted to do at the time, and I wasn't looking at the cost aspect.
 

[Mendocino101]

.

As far as outdoor speakers go, I find that by time I can hear the music over the jets the neighbors are complaining!!! The built in systems eliminate that somewhat.

Marquis system is similar to the Hot Springs ....the outdoor speakers are no more of an issue for sound regarding neighbors than pop ups are.

[Bonibelle]

We spend most of the morning running the speaker wire into our sun room from the tub. At first the sound was great but then it kind of died out. I think my husband's older sound system is to blame.  I just ordered a receiver and hopefully that will resolve the issue. Mendocino, 100 W per channel should drive those speakers right?  Otherwise this could be a very expensive addition!.. Thanks