ProductReview MSE Audio Cherry Bomb and OS-440 Outdoor Audio System BY JOHN SCIACCA As I write this, summer is in full swing. Days are lasting longer, the weather is nice, and people are spending more time outside either catching rays by 855-663-5600 the pool, grilling on the deck, or just chilling and enjoying the great wide mseaudio.com open. And what improves outdoor living better than having some tunes Kudos either filling in the background during a quiet hang-out or taking center stage Amp seems truly weather- during a party? proof; wide dispersion of I’ve been in this industry more than 20 years, One of the biggest improvements for outdoor audio with impressive bass and it has been interesting to follow the slow audio in recent years has been the landscape performance evolution of “outdoor audio” during that time. audio systems pioneered by companies like James For a while, rock speakers were all the rage. Get Loudspeaker and Sonance, and now available in Concerns one of the colors — brown, grey, sandstone — some form by just about everyone. These systems MSE OS-App control can that most closely matched the environment, adopt the commercial model of using 70-volt be a little fussy; speakers and then strategically place as many rocks as the amplification to drive lots of speakers at lower have a bit of strain at higher budget would allow around the listening area(s). overall volumes, but delivering far more even volumes Or you’d just hang some “all weather” speakers coverage across large areas. Plus, they include a off an eave, wall, fence, or post and aim them subwoofer (or several) to produce some true low- towards the main areas. frequency bass information that delivers a far more impressive listening experience. Product Specs But one of the challenges all these systems Rockustics Cherry Bomb face is wiring; all of them require getting some (CB5) amount speaker wiring back to a weatherized 4 3-way design featuring 5.25-inch double- location where you have an amplifier and source chamber, bandpass components. During construction, sure, it’s no subwoofer, 4-inch mid/ problem, but in an existing home this could be bass driver, and .75-inch a Sisyphean task, leading many homeowners to Titanium dome tweeter just bag it and go with some wireless or Bluetooth 4 8-ohm or 70-volt speaker they set on a counter. operation with included Fortunately, MSE Audio has developed an internal 64-watt tap 4 50 Hz–20 kHz (±3 dB) ideal solution to this problem in the form of the frequency response new OS-440, billed as the industry’s first outdoor Phase Technology OS-440 4 2/4-channel operation; 4x40 watts, bridgeable to 2x80 watts 4 Google Chromecast built- in with DLNA server 4 Bluetooth and WiFi Direct modes 4 RCA analog and Toslink optical digital audio inputs 4 Includes Outdoor Weatherize Kit to achieve IP55 rating 34 RESIDENTIAL SYSTEMS | AUGUST 2019 | residentialsystems.com ProductReview by sister-brand Rockustics. Rockustics pioneered to the speaker’s 64-watt transformer. There are the rock speaker, so they know a thing or three also oddly four wires for 8-ohm operation; a about outdoor audio, and these new speakers are green-and-red pair and a white-and-black pair. a three-way design, featuring a 5-inch double- The green is used for positive and the white chamber bandpass subwoofer, a 4-inch woofer, for negative, with the red and black unused. and .75-inch titanium tweeter all in one housing. Why Rockustics would veer from the industry It also features a distinctive bright red base, thus accepted color codes — or include an extra set of the “Cherry Bomb” moniker. Sold as singles unused wires — is an answer I don’t have. (rather than in pairs), the CB5 can operate in Since the OS-440 uses Chromecast, there are either 8-ohm or 70-volt applications. a variety of options for streaming music to it. Opening the OS-440’s box reveals a daunting App-wise, Chromecast supports the majority of number of accessories, as well as three separate biggies, including Pandora, Google Play Music, installation manuals: a set-up guide, a water- Spotify, Tidal, iHeartRadio, Napster, and TuneIn. resistant parts guide, and an app guide. These Similar to how AirPlay and Spotify Connect manuals definitely come in handy as they explain work, you open the streaming app you’d like to how to correctly use all the miscellaneous use, then select the speaker you want to Cast to. connectors and weather kit to achieve the OS-440’s I have a pretty robust Luxul WiFi network, and IP55 rating that allows it to survive the elements. I never had any streaming issues. For services Connection-wise, the OS-440 can power four not supported by Chromecast (or when no WiFi speakers at 40 watts/channel, or be bridged to network is available), a customer could connect drive a pair of speakers at 80 watts/channel. to the OS-440 via Bluetooth. As I had only two CB5’s, I ran it in bridged The OS-440 definitely acquitted itself of any mode. There are also two Tri-band antennas concerns about its durability and capability of for Bluetooth and WiFi reception as well as the withstanding the elements from the get go. Not aforementioned analog and digital inputs. The five minutes after I installed it, my wife watered amp has a source selection button and some LED some plants directly above where I installed the indicators; however, these will likely rarely see amp and it got soaked. The amp shrugged it off. use in practice as they are inaccessible once the Myrtle Beach, SC in the summer can be a ruthless weatherized kit has been attached and that is not location for people, let alone electronics, but the something you will want to just pull on and off. amp has handled months’ worth of weather that The amp can be wall-mounted or simply placed has included afternoon thunderstorms, brutal on a flat surface. humidity, and 100-plus-degree temps like a boss. Once everything is connected and the I’ve had it playing long hours in baking temps with smart amplifier. While MSE Audio might not be a weatherized seals are installed, you download the nary a hiccup or blip in performance. (For the familiar name to you, you’ll definitely have heard MSE OS-App (Android and iOS versions available) record, the OS-440 is rated for –20–150-degree of a number of the companies that fall under its to complete setup. This allows you to name the Fahrenheit operating temps.) ownership umbrella, including dARTS, Induction connected speakers, connect the OS-440 to an Audio performance from the Cherry Bomb’s Dynamics, Phase Technology, Rockustics, and available WiFi (2.4 or 5 GHz) network, adjust bass was likewise impressive, with sound quality more more. (My review of the dARTS 535 audio system and treble, select 4-channel or Bridge mode, and resembling a quality, full-range traditional tower can be found online at ResidentialSystems.com.) so on. The app can also be used to switch sources loudspeaker than any outdoor model. I listened to The OS-440 is manufactured by Phase between RCA, Optical, and Bluetooth, select hours’ worth of music over the months I had the Technology and is a fully-contained amplifier Local Content for playback, or browse content CB5’s installed, and they consistently delivered and audio streamer with built-in Google from a DLNA server on the local network, and is the goods on all genres. Bass from the bandpass Chromecast that is meant to live outside. Simply used to group multiple OS-440’s together in large subwoofer was not only deep, but textured, pick a convenient location where there is power, installations. letting you appreciate Geddy Lee’s complex bass the ability to run speaker wiring, and a decent The lower half of each Cherry Bomb speaker work on “YYZ.” “Flight of the Cosmic Hippo” WiFi signal, and you’re in business. And, while is meant for in ground burial for permanent from Bela Fleck and the Flecktones is another definitely preferred, the WiFi part is technically installs. This would conceal its striking red base great bass test track, and the CB5’s showed it was optional as the OS-440 supports Bluetooth and greatly reduce the overall size and formfactor up to the task, delivering all the layers of the deep streaming, offers a WiFi direct mode, and has of the speaker, making for a more “landscape synth bass line. The speakers are rated to play both analog RCA and Toslink digital audio inputs friendly” look. However, Rockustics said the –10 dB at 42 Hz, and The Crystal Method’s “High for connecting a separate source such as an speaker performs equally well freestanding, so Roller” showed that, while they play the big bass outdoor TV. that’s the route I took. notes, they didn’t have the kick of a system that As the perfect complement to this amplifier, The Cherry Bombs do have a bit of idiosyncrasy includes a true powered subwoofer. Still, they MSE also sent a pair of Cherry Bomb (CB5) in their wiring connections. There are blue and were able to generate bass notes that you could speakers that were unveiled at this past CEDIA yellow wires for 70-volt operation, connecting (continued on page 41) 36 RESIDENTIAL SYSTEMS | AUGUST 2019 | residentialsystems.com Residential ProductReview Systems (continued from page 36) Vol.