IP65 speaker: rain, beach, boat, what it can handle

Reading the IP rating

The IP rating follows the IEC 60529 standard. It has two digits. In IP65, the first digit, 6, means the device is protected against dust. The second, 5, means it is protected against water jets.

This is not protection against immersion. A water jet and a stay underwater are two different situations: IP65 covers the first, not the second. This is the point people often miss when comparing outdoor speakers. When a product sheet says “IP65”, always ask what the rating covers: the whole speaker, or only part of it. With Soundboks, it is the coating of the electronics.

What Soundboks says exactly

Here are the points to remember, as Soundboks words them:

• the IP65 rating applies to the coating of the electronics, and the battery is IPX6;
• the surface handles rain, snow and a spilled drink;
• the speaker is not waterproof, Soundboks writes, and must never be immersed, neither fully nor partially: the manufacturer cites its bass ports;
• use is not recommended in heavy rain or in a very humid environment, such as a sauna;
• the components operate from −10 to +40 °C.

In other words: a passing shower or a spilled glass is part of what the manufacturer planned for, while a whole evening under a storm is not what Soundboks recommends.

According to Soundboks, the cabinet is poplar, the frame aluminium and the grille steel, and removable. The surface handles the water that touches it; that does not mean it should be left wet. Wipe it as soon as you can.

In the rain

If rain is threatening, set the speaker up under shelter: a gazebo, an awning, a porch. Do not leave it out in the downpour, even if its surface handles it. When the rain stops, wipe it before putting it away or returning it.

Think also about where it is placed. A speaker on the ground on a soaked lawn has nothing to gain from sitting in running water. Raise it on a stable support if the ground is wet, without laying it down: it is kept upright. When storing it, avoid closing it up still damp in a trunk or a bag: let it air-dry.

At the beach

Sand and salt are the two enemies of a beach speaker. Soundboks advises wiping it with water and a cloth after sand or the seaside. A salty or humid environment can cause cosmetic wear: the mark of the stay shows on the coating, even if the speaker works.

On sand, place the speaker on a support rather than directly in the sand, which gets everywhere, and shelter it from the wind, which lifts the sand. Do not leave it where the tide or a wave can reach it either: partial immersion is ruled out, too. Keep in mind that the IPX6 battery does not change this rule.

As for rules, find out beforehand. On a beach, a riverbank or a public space, a municipal or prefectural order may regulate amplified music: the town hall can answer this question. Our article on speakers at parties, stands, cables and volume goes back over the setup and the sound level.

On a boat

On the water, the principle is the same: the speaker is never immersed. Secure it so that it does not slide at the slightest movement, and never place it at the edge, where a wave or a knock would tip it into the water. Sea spray is exposure to water and salt: wipe it afterwards with water and a cloth.

Fox Rider does not give navigation rules: ask the boat’s owner or the harbour master about music on board. The Soundboks 4 weighs 16.1 kg: that is also a weight to take into account when securing it. A boat moves, even at the dock: what stays put on a table in a garden can slide across a deck.

What this changes for the security deposit

The security deposit is paid on the spot when the speaker is handed over and returned after a check on return, if the speaker is returned in good condition. A speaker that has been wiped, with no sand in the grille, is checked quickly. Wiping the speaker before the appointment in Lyon 3 (every day from 9 am to 8 pm, by appointment) takes a minute. Remember the general rule: the less the speaker has been exposed, the faster the check on return.

A Shure SM58 microphone is available as an option and plugs straight into the speaker: €5 per microphone per rental, two at most, XLR cable supplied and microphone stand free of charge. For a bigger event, our article on sound equipment for a festival or a garden party helps you sort things out. The sound range is also on the sound page.

See speaker rental in Lyon