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When the weather starts warming up and friends start showing up, it’s time for music to be turned up. Hosting an outdoor gathering with pure and crisp sound coming from well-placed outdoor speakers creates a fun, comfortable atmosphere for all your guests.
No more straining your ears to hear crinkly laptop speakers, or doing the old “iPhone-in-a-cup” trick to slightly increase the volume. The best patio speakers will deliver all the intricacies of your favorite tracks so everyone can enjoy them.
The best patio speakers let you take your music outside, no matter the weather conditions, with enough power to fill your yard with clear, loud sound that lasts all day long. Here’s what else to know about buying patio speakers.
Weather-Resistance: Make sure your speakers are weatherproof, since they’ll be outside and exposed to the elements. Weatherized casing, or housing, is a necessity for a speaker that lives outdoors. Same goes for UV-resistance, rust-proof grilles, and the ability to withstand severe temperatures. Speakers are an investment, and it doesn’t hurt to be a little extra cautious to protect them from the damage nature can quickly deal out.
Sound Quality: A good woofer inside is what brings the bass, but don’t forget about the rest of the sound spectrum. A strong tweeter is what dishes out the detailed mids and highs, and can be just as important for balancing a full, rich sound. Dual tweeters can also give it the option of outputting in both mono or stereo signal too.
For “passive” speakers, meaning ones that don’t have their own driving power source for sound, both Bluetooth and wires are acceptable options to connect to an amplifier or receiver. Some can be “daisy-chained” and hooked up to bigger amps to get an even larger sound. But be sure your speaker wire is waterproof too, especially if you’re partying poolside.
Design: Finally, choose an aesthetic and design that’s not only functional but also fits in with your surroundings. Some speakers can blend in so well, guests won’t even guess where the music is coming from.
Bring on the extreme temperatures – these speakers were designed for the outdoors. From patio to poolside to porch, Polk’s Atrium 4 offers up a nice full sound and booming bass, without taking up much space. Eighty watts of power per channel allow this pair to cut right through the backyard background noise, ensuring everyone can hear your playlist.
They’re extremely easy to mount as well, either vertically or horizontally, with the one-click mounting bracket. Everything here is built to last, with gold-plated, five-way binding posts, aluminum grilles and brackets, and stainless steel and brass hardware. The weatherproofing on the components means nothing rusts – even in the rain.
Amazon
Optimal Speaker Design lives up to their name with this pair of high-quality outdoor speakers. They’re solidly constructed with aerospace-grade, multi-layer composite cabinets, and built to hold up even in the worst weather.
Keep the bass booming and the highs shimmering, as the OSDs effortlessly span the entire scale of sound. Mounting them is a snap (literally, just snap it in), and the included brackets allow for for 180° swivel and 60° tilt, covering an area up to 800 square feet.
These are passive speakers, so be sure to have an amplifier or receiver to hook up to, then let the party get started.
Amazon
This set of two speakers features a built-in, four-inch woofer that cranks out thick bass and accurately disperses a wide range of acoustics. But getting the best sound out of these depends on what’s driving them. A weaker amp or Bluetooth connection may not bring out its full effect, so be sure to have a strong device acting as a driver to ensure these reach their potential.
They’re also tough as nails, and users report they’ve survived everything from hurricanes and blizzards to intense heat. Mount them outside, then easily pop them off for use indoors to increase your surround sound setup, and return it to the outside bracket just as easily.
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Made with a durable outer casing, these speakers are designed to handle humidity, water, salt spray, heat, UV rays, and freezing temperatures with ease, according to Sonos. The company’s hardware is known for durability in general, so this is unsurprising. Another one of Sonos’ greatest strengths is audio quality, and these large speakers deliver full, wide-ranging sound — more than enough to soundtrack a backyard barbecue or pool party.
You’ll want to power these wired speakers with the Sonos Amp to enjoy the full Sonos experience. Everything can be controlled easily via the Sonos app, and you can pair the outdoor speakers with your indoor Sonos speakers too, create a whole-home audio experience.
This set includes two outdoor speakers, two sets of speaker grilles, quick mounting brackets, wiring terminal covers and an instruction manual.
Amazon
In This Article: outdoor speakers, RS Recommends, speakers
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