Elipson Rain 8: the perfect speakers for music in the sun

12 August 2022

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Mis à jour le 10 March 2023.

Flagship of the French manufacturer’s outdoor speakers, the Elipson Rain 8 is a model designed specifically to be installed in the garden, under a patio roof or around a deck. Robust and waterproof, it is resistant to bad weather so that you can enjoy music outdoors all year long. Thanks to its 2-way design with an 8” driver, the Elispon Rain 8 speaker promises hi-fi sound outside. Is it the perfect solution to enjoy your music in the sun?

*The Elipson Rain 8 speaker is a waterproof and robust model designed to stay outside in the garden all year.*

Elipson Rain 8: packaging & accessories

The Elipson Rain 8 outdoor speakers come with two angled wall brackets so they can be mounted on a wall, a wooden post on the patio or under a roof. A quick start guide is also included to help the user correctly position and connect the speakers.

The Elipson Rain 8 outdoor speaker comes with a rotating bracket that allows it to be mounted vertically or horizontally on a wall, roof overhang or patio beam, for example.

Elipson Rain 8: presentation

Design

The Elipson Rain 8 speaker is at the top of the manufacturer’s Elipson Rain outdoor speaker range, which also includes the Elipson Rain 6 and Elipson Rain 4 models. Like the latter, the Elipson Rain 8 has a polymer chassis that is completely weather and dustproof. The front grille has been treated to resist corrosion and rust so that its color doesn’t change, even after long exposure to the sun and moon. Fully protected inside this solid casing, the Elipson Rain 8’s various components can resist extreme temperatures and are able to function from -25°C to +70°C. The speaker can therefore be left in the garden all year long in temperate climates.

The Elipson Rain 8 is the most powerful speaker in the Elipson Rain line, but is also the largest. 24cm wide, 35cm high and 23cm deep, it is one of the biggest outdoor speakers on the market. This imposing size can make it difficult to conceal on a façade or around a deck. Once in place, the Elipson Rain 8 is more eye-catching than smaller and less-powerful models such as the Elipson Rain 4. That said, it is still very elegant and doesn’t spoil the look of the wall or facade it is installed on. Moreover, its larger size is an advantage for maximizing bass reproduction. The latter gains more impact and power, allowing the Elipson Rain 8 speakers to be used without a subwoofer. A real advantage for outdoor use!

*Despite its large size, the Elipson Rain 8 outdoor speaker is very discreet once installed and effectively decorates the wall.*

The Elipson Rain 8 outdoor speaker can be installed on any wall or beam, or mounted under a roof thanks to its metal mounting bracket. The latter lets you install the speaker vertically or horizontally, making it more discreet when installed on a patio beam, for example. Once in place, the bracket allows the speaker to be tilted up or down by 180° when installed horizontally, or to the left and right when installed vertically. This ensures that you always get the best possible radiation angle!

*The Elipson Rain 8 speaker has an ingenious rotatable bracket to ensure the best possible radiation angle.*

Acoustic design

With the Elipson Rain 8 outdoor speaker, the French manufacturer promises excellent acoustic performance in any environment. To do so, the brand has opted for a very classic 2-way design and sealed enclosure. The strength of the Elipson Rain 8 lies in its very large midbass driver, measuring 8” in diameter. The cone ideally combines rigidity and lightness, whilst being treated to be very resistant to extreme weather conditions. It is mounted on a long-throw surround to optimize air displacement. Combined with the significant load volume, this driver can deliver excellent bass while maintaining a completely sealed design to resist rain and humidity. Finally, the tweeter used is a 1” dome model offering soaring highs. It is paired with a waveguide to guarantee uniform sound distribution.

*Thanks to its dome tweeter and waveguide, as well as a large, 8” midbass driver, the Elipson Rain 8 speaker provides a consistently uniform and balanced sound.*

Thanks to a well thought-out acoustic design, the Elipson Rain 8 promises linear sound from 70Hz to 20kHz. It has an impressive power handling capacity of 150 watts RMS, allowing it to deliver music effectively throughout large areas so you can party anywhere in the garden. Moreover, its high sensitivity of 90dB and impedance of 8 ohms makes it easy to combine with even a moderately powerful amp.

*With a power handling capacity of 150 watts RMS, the Elipson Rain 8 outdoor speaker is perfect for large patios and gardens.*

Elipson Rain 8: key specifications

2-way design
Splash-resistant (IPX4)
UV-resistant
Temperature: -25°C to +75°C
180° mounting system
1 x 1” dome tweeter
1 x 8” midbass driver
Output power: 150 watts
Frequency response: 70Hz to 20kHz
Dimensions without wall-mount (WxHxD): 244 x 355 x 230mm
Dimensions with wall-mount (WxHxD): 244 x 355 x 250mm

Elipson Rain 8: configuration

Thanks to its tiltable wall-mount, the Elipson Rain 8 outdoor speaker is very easy to install. It is possible to screw this mount onto a wall, a roof overhang or a partition made of wood, metal, plasterboard or materials such as brick or breeze block. However, care should be taken to choose dowels and screws that are suitable for the wall or ceiling material. These accessories aren’t included as the appropriate model depends on the type of surface you wish to mount the speakers on. Once the mount is in place, the Elipson Rain 8 is attached using the two knobs on either end of the speaker. They secure the speakers and lock their position in place. The installation takes less than 10 minutes and is accessible to anyone, even those who are not DIY enthusiasts.

*The wall-mount of the Elipson Rain 8 speaker can be easily installed on a wall or under a roof overhang.*

You then have to connect the speakers to the amplifier. To do so, each Elipson Rain 8 speaker features a pair of screw terminals on the rear panel. They are compatible with wide gauge cables and banana plugs. However, if you use banana plugs you cannot close the polymer cover that protects the terminals from rain, so it is best to opt for a stripped cable or spade connectors.

*The Elipson Rain 8 speaker features screw terminals that are protected from the weather by a removable cover.*

For this review, we installed the Elipson Rain 8 speakers vertically on a patio wall. We connected them to the Denon DRA-800H amplifier (2 x 100W into 8 ohms) using 2 x 50m of Norstone CL250 cable. Because it isn’t waterproof, the amp was placed inside the house. It was therefore necessary to use a network connection to control playback outside using a smartphone. Moreover, the amplifier automatically comes out of standby mode when music is streamed via WiFi or Bluetooth. As a result, we were able to enjoy music in the garden whenever we wanted without going back into the house.

*Thanks to the included tiltable wall mount, the Elipson Rain 8 speakers can be easily mounted on any surface. Here, they are installed vertically on the walls of a patio.*

Elipson Rain 8: listening impressions

The Elipson Rain 8 speakers provided a genuine hi-fi experience in the garden. Once they were positioned correctly, they offered a wide soundstage, allowing the music to cover a very large area of the garden. The stereo image was excellently handled, with effects that moved smoothly from one channel to the other. Vocals were very natural and pronounced. They were perfectly reproduced at the center of the soundstage and at the speakers’ sweet spot. Moving away from this precise area, the various frequencies were just as clear, allowing us to fully enjoy the music in every corner of the garden.

*The Elipson Rain 8 provided a wide soundstage.*

Thanks to its 8” driver, the Elipson Rain 8 speaker provided powerful and intense lows. The sealed design inevitably resulted in a cutoff frequency of 70Hz. This is rather high for an 8” driver. That said, it still allowed the speaker to deliver bass at low volume, which was good for background music. This high cutoff frequency also maximized power handling while keeping the bass under control. The lows were always clear-cut, without any bloating. The bass was energetic and robust, even without turning the volume up high. It was responsive and tight. The lows were vigorous and were reproduced without any lag or feeling of heaviness. They added nice texture and substance to the music.

*The Elipson Rain 8 speaker delivered vigorous and intense bass: a feat for an outdoor speaker.*

The Elipson Rain 8 outdoor speaker delivered a lively, dynamic and perfectly rhythmed reproduction. We enjoyed a clear sound, which imparted an appealing sense of freshness to the music. The speaker showed great willingness, especially during attacks. The tonal balance was highly accurate and provided excellent overall consistency. The lows were tight, the mids robust and the highs smooth and bright. The latter soared with ease throughout the space and were reproduced without any harshness. No matter what we listened to, the Elipson Rain 8 speakers managed to bring emotion to the garden.

*The Elipson Rain 8 speaker provided great tonal balance and reproduced every frequency naturally.*

Elipson Rain 8: compared to…

B&W AM1: available for €799 per pair, the B&W AM1 speaker is also designed to be resistant to rain, wind, UV rays and extreme temperatures. It has a 2-way design using a 5” midbass driver. Although it is smaller, it can go deeper thanks to a rear passive radiator that gives the lows a good sense of scale. However, the sound delivered by the Elipson Rain 8 has more substance. The latter is also more powerful (150W compared to 100W for the English speaker) and is suitable for large gardens.

The B&W AM1 outdoor speaker delivers deeper bass, but the Elipson Rain 8 offers a sound with more substance and impact. However, the B&W AM1 is more appealing thanks to a very well designed bracket that contains the connectors.

Klipsch AW-650: sold for €699, the Klipsch AW-650 speaker is more compact thanks to its 6.5” driver. While it cannot compete with the impact and power of the Elipson Rain 8’s bass, the Klipsch AW-650 offers generous lows thanks to a bass-reflex enclosure with a double front-firing port. Consequently, the bass is slightly rounder. Thanks to its horn-loaded tweeter, the Klipsch AW-650 offers more directional highs, improving perception at low volume. That said, the extreme highs can sometimes lack softness and be less pleasant to listen to at high volume.

Elipson Rain 8: who is it for?

The Elipson Rain 8 speaker is designed for music lovers who want to enjoy a sound quality similar to that of their indoor system in their garden. It is also an excellent alternative to portable Bluetooth speakers as it doesn’t need to be charged or carried around. When set up in the stereo configuration and paired with a connected amplifier, the Elipson Rain 8 speakers let you play music anytime, without even having to get out of the pool or hot tub to go back into the house. Thanks to their high output power and consistently balanced reproduction, the Elipson Rain 8 speakers are suitable for both playing background music to relax by the pool, and for listening to loud music during a summer party. However, they should be installed quite high for a more uniform sound distribution and to avoid any obstacles.

*The Elipson Rain 8 speaker is ideal if you want to enjoy a powerful and natural reproduction in the garden, on the patio or by the pool.*

Elipson Rain 8: conclusion

With the Elipson Rain 8 outdoor speakers, the French manufacturer offers a reliable and powerful solution for enjoying music in a garden. The brand’s expertise is evident in the high quality acoustic elements that ensure a balanced and natural reproduction. The 8” midbass driver and the very high power handling capacity of 150 watts are the main assets of this pair of speakers, allowing them to deliver energetic and intense bass outdoors without a subwoofer. Lastly, the Elipson Rain 8 speakers are easy to install thanks to a tiltable wall mount. It is best to pair the speakers with a connected amplifier such as the Denon DRA-800H or Sonos Amp so you can control playback outside using a tablet or smartphone.

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