tic corporation outdoor speakers, frequently asked questions

Below are a number of the most Frequently Asked Questions by new owners of TIC Corporation outdoor speaker products.

outdoor speaker, outdoor lighting and accessories general questions

Q - "I have seen your TIC outdoor speaker products at Hotels, Resorts, Theme Parks and Disneyland^© can I install these outdoor speakers myself?"

Q - "How soon could I receive my TIC outdoor speakers order?"

Q - "Do you recommend WIRELESS outdoor speakers?"

Q - "Can I connect my TIC outdoor speakers to my receiver in the house?"

Q - "How do I connect to the TIC outside speakers?"

Q - "Can I really get these TIC outdoor speakers wet? What about the sprinklers hitting them or being splashed from the pool?"

Q - "I have a _____ space, how many TIC outdoor speakers do I need?"

Q - "How far should my TIC outdoor speakers be apart?"

Q - "How long can I run the TIC outdoor speakers to or what TIC cable should I use?"

Q - "Do your TIC outdoor speakers have left and right channels?"

Q - "You say the TIC burial cable only needs to be 4" below ground cover; Could animals chew the TIC burial cable or some insects infest it?"

Q - "Are there any special precautions I should take to protect my TIC outside speakers in Snow or Winter? "

Q - "I hear a tiny rattling in the outdoor speaker housing sometimes as I shake it or turn it on its side?"

Q - "What do you mean TIC speakers are 70v switch-able on some TIC outdoor speaker models?"

Q - "What is the TIC outdoor speaker Warranty?"

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Q - "What is the replacement speaker for the TIC OmniSpeaker^®?"

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Q - "What colors do the Rock Speakers come in?"

Q - "What are the Outdoor Rock Speakers (TIC Terra-Forms^® Series) made of?"

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Q - "What is the difference between a TIC outdoor woofer and a TIC outdoor sub woofer?"

Q - "What is the difference between your TIC passive outdoor sub woofer and the powered (active) sub woofer on my indoor home theatre system?"

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Q - "On your TIC outside lighting, what does "LV" mean?"

Q - "What is the difference between the "MR-16" and a "PAR-36" bulbs you use on your TIC outdoor lighting?"

Q - "I have seen your TIC outdoor speaker products at Hotels, Resorts & Disneyland^©. Can I install these outdoor speakers myself?
Answer - Yes, while we are most renowned for our professional commercial installations world wide, TIC outdoor speaker products are designed with ease of use in mind. Even professional systems integrators like a product easy to install and many thousands of normal consumers and enthusiasts have installed our products themselves with no difficulties. For further information first read our model specific Installation Instructions under our main menu item Technical Resources and then for further information consult our Audio Installation Basics under the same heading.

Q - "How soon could I receive my TIC outdoor speaker order?"
Answer - Orders received by 3pm PST ship the same day. We have a 98% success rate in providing this level of shipping efficiency. The rare occasions we don't obtain this target or have backorders are usually for reasons beyond our control. TIC Corporation keeps large JIT inventory stocks to satisfy the requirements of our large professional customer base.

Q - "Do you recommend WIRELESS outdoor speakers?"
Answer - TIC researches and studies the developments in wireless speaker technology constantly. With the new developments in 1Ghz+ transmission technology there is some hope in the future. Unfortunately and at present we must conclude that wireless speaker technology for exterior use is below our minimum acceptable standard for exterior speaker performance. Also note, that according to consumerreports.org wireless models were tested and are not recommended;

"Among the wireless sets we tested, they were prone to interference from devices such as cordless phones, microwaves, resulting in static, hissing or clicking". They have high failure rate for a frequency transmitter, their sound quality is AM radio comparable and made of fragile plastics which can easily break."

Q - "Can I connect my TIC outdoor speakers to my receiver in the house?"
Answer - Yes! While many configurations are possible including the use of booster amps etc. TIC exterior speaker units are commonly connected to household amplification. Please refer to your amplifier for correct connection procedures.

Q - "How do I connect to my TIC outside speakers?"
Answer - While there are many methods of connecting exterior speakers, most are decided by the personal preference of the installer involved and we have heard of them all; from barely sufficient silicone filled screw-on wire caps to the most simple caulking and duck tape methods. What we recommend is to use our SP CN1 weatherproof cable connector which is, as far as we know, the only specifically designed and weatherproof connector made for outdoor speaker applications. You may review these on the Accessories products page of this TIC Corporation website.

Q - "Can I really get these TIC outdoor speakers wet? What about the sprinklers hitting them or being splashed from the pool?"
Answer - TIC exterior speaker products are in use from the frigid wastes of Alaska or Norway down to the baking sun of South Africa or Australia. In all these outdoor speaker installations TIC products have stood the tests of time and weather. TIC products are specifically designed to withstand water and while there are many stories of actual accidental submersion TIC outdoor speaker products continue to perform as designed. TIC exterior speakers are not underwater speakers and in that regard, technically, all such outdoor speakers must be referred to as "water-resistant" and not "water-proof".

TIC exterior products are also proof against the intermittent water wash of modern garden sprinkler systems. While we do not recommend you place your outdoor speakers in the direct spray of garden sprinklers, intermittent or accidental exposure poses no problems either by design or historically. Some consideration should be made when considering prolonged exposure to pool or spa waters. These waters contain harsh chlorinated solvents particularly harmful to modern plastics and advanced materials. Again TIC engineers have considered this in their designs and while prolonged or continual exposure could be harmful, intermittent or occasional exposure poses no problems. Many TIC products are used regularly in marine applications.

Q - "I have a _____ space, how many TIC outdoor speakers do I need?"
Answer - Outdoor Speaker quantity decisions based upon coverage space for exterior installation are difficult because each exterior space being a garden type setting has idiosyncrasies of design. In that, exterior gardens typically have garden walls, trees, foliage and architectural features all of which contribute to complicate the standards of audio systems design. Beyond the normal speaker installation considerations, some attention must be made to the landscaping and features of an exterior installation. Without knowing those existing conditions in advance it would be difficult or irrelevant if not impossible for TIC staff or anyone else to offer any "boilerplate" design specifications or recommendations. Be wary of those who do. They are selling you and not offering an Outdoor Sound Solution.

In general it would be best to calculate any exterior speaker coverage areas against any existing features that may apply. Typically sound "broadcast" spread from the outdoor speaker is calculated at between 30' - 60' speaker dependent. This is a simple calculation for TIC's famous outdoor Omni Speakerswhich will cover the whole radius, however many exterior speakers are mono-directional and as such require placement to best receive their more limited "cone" of operation. Ambient conditions and background noise would lean towards using corners or solid architectural features for sound promotion while ignoring any promontories or surrounding foliage would lead to detrimental outdoor sound decay. Consider the use or avoidance of all exterior garden features before deciding on final garden speaker speaker layout.

Q - "How far should the TIC outdoor speakers be apart?"
Answer - Typically, the ratio for outdoor speaker sound broadcast range based upon the SPL of the speakers used and average ambient background noise, is 30 - 60 ft. It is generally accepted that speakers of less than 88db or more generally (full range) under 100 watts are typically expected to perform satisfactorily in the 30 foot broadcast range while outdoor speakers above these ratings should adequately reach and even begin to exceed the 60 - 100 foot separation stage. The actual outdoor speaker type as well as configuration also plays an important part of outdoor system design; mono-directional vs. omni-directional, stereo vs. mono etc.

Q - "How long can I run the TIC outdoor speakers to or what TIC burial cable should I use?"
Answer - Speaker separation or spread was answered in an earlier question but basically amounts to 30' to 60' feet of separation, individual speaker performance dependent. Exceeding these averages creates "dead zones" where a difference in sound quality or eroding speaker performance is noticed. Please study our Audio Installation Basics I under our Technical Resources section to obtain guides for outdoor speaker cable usage.

Q - "Do your TIC outdoor speakers have left and right channels?"
Answer - TIC full range outdoor speakers may be connected to either the left or right single channel individually, not both at once. (*exception are specialty speakers like our TIC outdoor sub woofers or individual stereo speakers) In a typical (*some amplifiers are excepted) situation an amplifier provides connections for two to four speakers connected to the "A" and / or the "B" channel. Each TIC speaker would be connected to the left or the right connection of those channels and not the left and the right or both.

Outdoor Speakers with left and right channels contained in one unit are usually dual voice coil and dual tweeter units. TIC, due solely to lack of market demand for these units, does not currently produce an individual "stereo" speaker unit. TIC does monitor this situation constantly and may produce such a unit at an opportune time. Most outdoor speakers we produce operate on one channel.

Q - "You say the TIC outdoor speaker burial cable only needs to be 4" below ground cover; Could animals chew the burial cable or some insects infest it?"
Answer - TIC has recommended as a "standard", 4 - 6" of cover for its exterior speaker cable for many years. In all that time we have never had one single report of wild animals chewing or piercing the outdoor speaker cable nor any type of insect infestation.

Q - "Are there any special precautions I should take to protect my TIC outside speakers in Snow or Winter?"
Answer - While no special precautions are absolutely necessary, some may be beneficial or even prudent considering the range of exterior conditions seasonally and world wide. A trick learned many years ago from the many theme parks who use TIC products is to cover the units with a plastic bag while outside in winter or under severe weather conditions. This acts much as "lagging" a pipe in preventing components from absolute freezing and complete saturation during the long winter months.

Q - "I hear a tiny rattling in the outdoor speaker housing sometimes as I shake it or turn it on its side?
Answer - During the post manufacturing period the housings are ground internally prior to the application of the Teflon^© seal. This sometimes produces small particles or inert "swarf" which will settle at the base of the unit and have no effect whatsoever on the outdoor speakers performance.

Q - "What do you mean 70v switch-able on some TIC outdoor speaker models?"
Answer - TIC "Pro" products are equipped with an "on the fly" 70v switch assembly. This allows an installer to rapidly switch to the correct 70v wattage tap each installation may require without soldering, tapping or disassembly and reassembly which normally complicates such installations.

Q - "What is the TIC outdoor speaker Warranty?"
Answer - The standard TIC outdoor speaker product Warranty is a "no-hassle" one year comprehensive warranty covering parts and labor. TIC also offers a five year warranty under certain purchase conditions. TIC does not offer limited, unworkable or misleading "lifetime" warranties.

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Q -"What is the replacement outdoor speaker for the TIC OmniSpeaker^®
Answer - The standard outdoor speaker / driver replacement for the OmniSpeaker^®, GS3, GS3A, GS3T and all older iterations of this Pro Omni Speaker model is the SP8 2150, 8" Co-Axial driver. This unit is replaced by first removing (stretching) the black, blown foam infestation grill cover. Then undoing the three screws at the bottom of the grill which hold the anodized aluminum impact screen to the base of the unit. Lifting off the lid carefully reveals the mounted speaker. Undo the four speaker mounting screws and replace with the new unit accordingly. Re-assemble in reverse order.

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Q - "What colors do the Outdoor Rock Speakers, Terra-Forms^®, come in?"
Answer - The Terra-Forms^® Outdoor Speaker Stones are available in CN: Canyon. SL: Slate and WG: White Granite finishes. Each one is hand finished to create the most realistic and aesthetically pleasing natural stone look and feel. The Canyon finish emulates many of the natural stones found in the southwestern United States while the Slate finish recreates natural stone found throughout continental North America. The White Granite finish matches many of those stones found throughout the southern states.