What to Look For in an Outdoor Speaker
When looking for outdoor speakers, it’s important to find ones that can handle different types of weather, especially if you live somewhere with particularly wet, cold, or hot times of year. Ensure they have an IPX rating of at least IPX4 to withstand rain and direct splashes with this entry-level water-resistant standard.
If you’re looking for speakers you can install permanently, you’ll want something rated at a weatherproof IPX7. You could also consider speakers with weather-proof covers.
Since outdoor spaces are (usually) larger than indoor ones, you’ll need speakers that can produce enough sound to fill the area. Look for speakers with high wattage output and a medium- to far-field sound stage. Remember to check the RMS rating instead of the PMPO rating for a more accurate measure of the speaker’s true output power.
Outdoor speakers should also deliver clear, crisp audio with a balanced frequency response. If you want to boost the low-end response, consider features like bass radiators or built-in subwoofers, which are often key to getting great sound from these small speaker units.
Outdoor speakers may get bumped or knocked around, so choose models made from tough materials like heavy-duty plastics or metals.
Larger outdoor areas may require bigger speakers or multiple speakers, while smaller areas may only need a few smaller speakers. Consider whether you’ll be mounting or using freestanding speakers, and pay attention to how complicated the mounting system may be for a given speaker model.
Finally, these speakers don’t usually come with amplifiers, so remember to budget for an amp that can drive the number of speakers you want to install or buy a kit that includes an amp.
1. The Best For Your Beach House: Polk Audio Atrium 4
If you’re looking for wired speakers to bring audio to your outdoor space, the Polk Audio Atrium 4 speakers are an excellent choice. They produce impressive sound for their size, are relatively easy to install, and can be mounted anywhere from lawns to patios. The speed-lock mechanism makes it easy to mount them anywhere, and you can even tilt the speakers up to 180 degrees. This range of motion allows you to make the speakers face your audience and adds some flexibility to venues where folks might gather in different spots depending on the type of event. The Polk Audio Atrium 4 speakers have several features that make them a great choice for outdoor use. They are compact and have a more rounded design than many bookshelf-style speakers. The speakers have a 4.5-inch driver and a 0.75-inch tweeter. Regarding weather resistance, they meet ASTM D5894-UV Salt Fog, Mil Standard 810 Immersion, and Mil Standard 883 for salt and corrosion standards. Perfect for seaside venues!
2. Great All-Round Sound and Value: Bose 251 Environmental Outdoor Speakers
The speakers are beautifully designed to suit any outdoor space. By all accounts, they impress both acoustically and aesthetically. Thanks to its multi-chamber bass enclosure, the speaker cabinet is designed to reproduce low frequencies with minimal audio distortion. They have an extremely wide sound field for larger outdoor areas. Be mindful when buying a pair of these speakers since a basic pair doesn’t come with an amplifier. You’ll either have to use an amplifier you already own or buy one to drive these units. You can buy a complete kit with two speakers, an amp, and a speaker wire.
3. Premium Sound, Premium Price: Sonos Outdoor Speakers
The Sonos Outdoor Architectural Speakers By Sonance is a great choice for anyone looking to install speakers where you expect harsh weather and need your audio to work year-round without constantly installing and uninstalling hardware.
These speakers were created through a collaboration between Sonos and Sonance, one of the largest and most respected outdoor speaker manufacturers in the US. They’re built to withstand humidity, water, salt spray, heat, UV rays, and even freezing temperatures. They have a unique look that sets them apart from other outdoor speakers if you’re feeling a little adventurous and want to draw attention to the speaker system rather than hide it.
Regarding sound quality, these speakers deliver a slightly fuller sound than other outdoor speakers, more in line with traditional bookshelf speakers. If you want outdoor speakers that are tough, stylish, and sound great, then these are worth checking out, albeit at a slightly premium price. Bear in mind that you’ll need to provide an amp for these. The recommended Sonos amp can power up to six of these speakers.
4. The Big Boys: Klipsch AW-650
The Klipsch AW-650 speakers are some of the most powerful non-commercial grade outdoor speakers we’ve seen. They deliver a bigger sound than smaller wired outdoor speakers, with much more bass and a wider sound field. They also deliver better detail than most outdoor speakers based on what customer reviewers say. Regarding ruggedness, Klipsch says these speakers are “all-weather” but doesn’t provide an IP rating to support that claim. However, they do have a UV-resistant enclosure and a rust-proof grill. Even the zinc clamp has a weather-resistant powder coating. To top things off, the speaker is paintable so you can blend them in anywhere. One thing to note is that these speakers are unexpectedly large compared to most outdoor speakers, with a height of 15 inches, a width of 9.5 inches, and a depth of 11 inches. As such, permanent placement outdoors may be an issue if you don’t have enough space under your roof to mount them. Measure twice, as they say!
5. Best Compact Outdoor Speakers: JBL Professional Control 23
The JBL Professional Control 23 speakers are a great choice for compact and lightweight outdoor speakers. Despite their small size, they deliver good sound quality and can get surprisingly loud. One of the standout features of these speakers is their InvisiBall mounting system, which allows you to mount them without any unsightly brackets.
The Control 23 is the most compact of JBL Professional’s Control Contractor Series. So it’s a perfect choice for those who want to hide their outdoor speakers so they don’t have any negative impact on your decorations. They have weather-resistant enclosures and transducers, so you don’t have to worry about them getting damaged by the elements.
The enclosure is paintable to match your decor. Regarding sound quality, the Control 23 speakers feature a 3-inch woven fiberglass woofer. According to user reviews, these speakers offer a pleasant sound stage with plenty of travel.
6. Ultra Value Champion: Yamaha NS-AW150BL
If you’re looking for a bang for your buck, the Yamaha NS-AW150BL speakers might be just what you need. These indoor/outdoor speakers are a popular choice from Yamaha, even though they’re an older line. While they may be a bit bigger and pricier than some other options, they deliver in terms of sound quality with very good bass performance based on what customer reviews are saying. Many customers have left positive reviews for these speakers. However, they may not handle extreme weather and some other outdoor speakers based on some of the more negative reviews. Also, while they offer good sound quality for their price range, these aren’t audiophile grade by a long shot. If you just want some background music for a restaurant’s outdoor tables or for your pool party area, that’s fine, but not for a dedicated music listening space.
7. The Dark Horse: Dual Electronics LU43PB 3-Way High Performance Outdoor/Indoor Speakers
These Dual Electronics speakers are among the most popular outdoor speakers sold online, with thousands of user reviews. It’s no surprise, given their specs, positive reviews, and very reasonable price.
With a 4-inch woofer and 1.6-inch midrange polypropylene cone, and the three-quarter-inch dome tweeter, you’re getting a well-rounded sound out of these puppies.
The best part is that these speakers can be used indoors and outdoors. Their sound quality and design make them suitable for indoor spaces, so you can just buy the same speakers for the indoor and outdoor sections of your building. They’re weather-resistant with a UV-resistant coating to protect against the elements. And their compact design means you can place them just about anywhere.
The swivel brackets that allow for a 120-degree range of motion make installing and adjusting these speakers relatively easy. You can mount them on walls or ceilings to get that perfect angle for optimal sound projection.
The Dual Electronics LU43PB speakers are great value for their price. They deliver high-quality sound in a compact, durable design that can withstand outdoor conditions. It may not be from a widely-known brand, but if you’re not a label snob, there’s no reason to avoid them.
8. Portable Power in Any Weather: JBL Boombox 2
The JBL Boombox 2 Bluetooth speaker is a portable jack of all trades, unlike the more permanent or semi-permanent outdoor speakers we’ve looked at so far. Its mid and treble ranges are fairly well balanced, so it can reproduce vocals and lead instruments clearly. However, it lacks a bit of low bass, so you may not feel the deep thump of bass-heavy genres like EDM. Still, that’s to be expected in a portable outdoor speaker system of this size. There’s a graphic EQ in its companion app, which you can use to tweak its sound to your liking. The Boombox 2’s design is similar to the original. It feels fairly modern, and this design makes it easy to take with you, just like classic boomboxes from the 80s and 90s. Like any speaker, the Boombox 2 has its tipping point, and distortion eventually sets in. But according to customer reviews the speaker is already plenty loud before ever getting to that point. This is a full-on IPX7 speaker system, so you can accidentally dunk it in the pool or take it to the beach without any worries, as long as you remember to have all the port plugs in place! The claimed battery life is 24 hours, but as with any battery-powered portable Bluetooth speaker, that will vary depending on the volume as well as the type of music you’re playing.
Get Some Fresh Air (by Bach)
Taking your audio outside doesn’t have to be complicated, and the speakers we’ve highlighted above all have something special about them, making it a great shortlist of speakers that might fit your needs exactly. If you’re looking for something more computer-related, check out our best PC speaker roundup.
