Review: OutCast Outdoor Speaker

Soundcast recently demoed its OutCast Outdoor Speaker, a wireless outdoor audio system, at Easy Access Distribution's 9th Annual Technology Expo in Waltham, Mass.

Malcolm Hollombe, Soundcast president, said OutCast is the perfect outdoor speaker for homeowners who want great sound in the backyard but not a full outdoor installation.

OutCast, at first glance, looks like an air purifier or maybe a vacuum (it's heavier than both). But as soon as Hollombe let loose the sound, I knew what I was looking at.

The cylinder-shaped OutCast has four 3-inch high-frequency drivers in an "omni-directional" array at the top of the unit and a single 8-inch downward firing sub on the bottom.

Hollombe said the omni-directional array isn't ideal for indoor use (although its power is evident in any environment). It's particularly impressive outside, he said, as its 100-watt digital amp radiates powerful sound throughout an open space.

Keeping it Simple

OutCast is as simple as they come. Suffice it to say the biggest challenge was sliding the packed Styrofoam out of the cardboard box.

After charging the built-in, rechargeable battery, I docked an iPod Nano onto the included iCast Transmitter, which uses a proprietary 2.4GHz frequency, in my living room and lugged the OutCast to my backyard.

It's getting cold here in New England (it's just 54 degrees at noontime as I write this). But my family and I have had fun playing music outside the last couple weeks.

My cousin hijacked the speaker, taking control of the Nano docked inside the house. He could skip songs we didn't like (most of them belonging to my girlfriend) with OutCast's remote control technology and raise the volume on those we did enjoy.

The pause, play and volume buttons remotely control a docked iPod with a slight delay. When you wander 200 feet from the house and are still able to skip and pause songs as the sound remains strong enough to drown out Moose the chocolate lab, that's when you recognize OutCast is quite powerful. (Specs say the range is up to 350 feet.)

It's a pretty tough piece of equipment, too. The company has a couple amusing videos (watch below) where OutCast takes a licking, but keeps on ticking.

"The Fire Test" involves a few Soundcast guys setting the product ablaze as it plays music. "The Car Wash Test" documents the product's first trip through a car wash.

We didn't drop the speaker from a building or drive over it with a car, but it was inadvertently whacked by a soccer ball. Yes, the music played on with no disturbance.

OutCast is heavier (40 lbs.) than I imagined. I saw this as a weakness early on, imagining some homeowners would consider it a chore to lug around. But after drilling it with a soccer ball, I realized the weight prevents it from toppling over.

Great Sound, Long-term Durability

The OutCast Speaker from Soundcast is a solid product. It sounded great, was completely reliable and has that feel of long-term durability.

The remote iPod control features on the OutCast are not as immediate as the iPod's local controls, but the delay is minimal. The OutCast controlled our docked iPod just fine.

The subtle features were cool, like purple lights and a hefty handle, but what I liked most about OutCast was its sound. For a single omni-directional unit, I was very impressed not only by the power, but also the sharpness. I expected something a little more dull-sounding.

Not every client will jump at the outdoor space as an area to integrate with technology. For those holdouts, Soundcast's OutCast Outdoor Speaker is the perfect offering.

All the client has to do is charge it up, turn it on and rock out — it can't get any simpler.

MSRP: $799.99

The Fire Test


The Car Wash Test