Hot Tub Tip: Turn Up The Music!

When it comes to soaking in a hot tub or swimming in a swim spa, we all have different needs. Some people are looking to simply relax and enjoy the peace and quiet. Others are looking to train for their next IronMan. Others still use their hot tub as the place to reconnect with family or friends. Whatever the reason for your backyard leisure product, there is no shortage of ways to make it work for you. While most modern day hot tubs and swim spas come equipped with a variety of options, older models or soft tubs are limited in their functionality. Thus the reason for the ever-growing hot tub accessories market.

Bring on the Music!

If you've recently visited Costco Canada or shopped at Amazon.ca, you will have noticed a growing list of floating, waterproof speakers or directional speakers. [caption id="attachment_2820" align="alignright" width="450"] Monster Bluetooth SuperStar BackFloat Speaker[/caption] Floating, waterproof speakers are designed to float on the surface of water. While early variants of these buoyant speakers generated "tinny" or "sub-quality" sound, new products have hit the market. The improvements in connectivity (Bluetooth), durability and overall sound quality have made for a wider selection of options. Floating speakers are handy and travel-friendly, as they can easily be used in a bathtub, a swimming pool, a spa - heck, even at the lake! Not sure where to start your search? The teams at TechSounded.com and at GearPatrol regularly updates their Best Waterproof Bluetooth Speaker guides, so they are the perfect spot to start your research. [caption id="attachment_2821" align="alignleft" width="300"] Mini Omni-Directional In-Ground/Outdoor Speakers[/caption] Next up, we have directional speakers. Directional sound systems and audio speakers provide isolated and focused audio for use in home and business environments. Rather than try to explain the science behind directional audio, we wanted to share this excerpt from ExplainThatStuff.com

Directional speakers work in an entirely different way from conventional loudspeakers. The biggest difference is that they don't produce ordinary, audible sound waves with a single, moving electromagnetic coil and cone. Instead, they generate ultrasound (high-frequency sound) waves that are too high pitched for our ears to hear using an array of electrical devices called piezoelectric transducers. These are simply crystals, such as quartz, that vibrate back and forth tens of thousands of times a second when you feed electric currents through them, producing very high frequencies of sound. Ultrasound is used because its higher-frequency waves have a correspondingly shorter wavelength and diffract (spread out) less as they travel, which means they stay together in a beam for longer than ordinary sound would. Also, having an array of many, small transducers makes sound diffract less than it would do from a single, large transducer (for reasons briefly explained in this article on directional sound).

What makes directional audio unique is that you can point the speakers towards your hot tub, so only those soaking in the hot tub can hear the sounds. Leave the tub? No more music! While directional audio systems are a little more costly, they could prove very popular for hot tub owners who like to host parties and don't want to disturb their neighbours with loud music.