Five of the Best Outdoor Speakers
Warm weather means now is a great time to go outside, fire up the grill, chat with friends, and maybe listen to some music while everyone is hanging out outside. To do this, however, you need sturdy outdoor, weather-resistant speakers. This week we’ll be taking a look at the top 5 based on your nominations.
Earlier this week, we asked you to pick the best outdoor speakers , whether it’s portable speakers that can handle the elements but still have to go inside from time to time, or permanent speakers that you install in your home or leave in your backyard that can withstand beating all year round. You came up with tons of great options, but here are five that rose above the crowd, in no particular order:
Tic GS3 Pro external omnidirectional speaker
Tic’s GS3 Pro Outdoor Omnidirectional Speakers won’t win any beauty pageants – they’re essentially big green inverted cups that you bury halfway in the ground (or leave off the ground, whichever you prefer!), Plugged into a sound system (using weather-resistant wiring and, of course, the sheaths of the wires), and leave it alone. They sound great and are weather-resistant, which means you don’t have to pull them out of the ground when winter comes or they’re covered in snow, and you don’t have to worry about spring rain keeping them wet. They offer full 360-degree audio so you don’t need to position them in any particular direction. In fact, green is created on purpose – in addition to blending beautifully with shrubbery or other garden periphery, it is designed to be low profile and provide great omnidirectional sound in your backyard or garden without being obvious where that sound is coming from. from. There are different models available depending on the size and power of the speakers you want, but these specific ones will set you back $ 80 on Amazon .
Those of you who have nominated the GS3 Omnis commented that they fit well in your backyard garden or around your backyard, sound great, and certainly don’t cost a ton of money like the wireless or Bluetooth models. Some of you also pointed out that these speakers have survived harsh winters, rainy springs and summers without blinking and still sound great, and that many of you have two or four in your yard. Read more in the nomination thread here .
JBL Control 25
If you’re looking for a pair of speakers that will withstand the elements but still look good mounted in your backyard or side of your house, the JBL Control 25 Series will do the trick. They’re directional, so you’ll need more than one, but they come in pairs, come with editing hardware, and sound great when plugged into a music source. These are also wired speakers, so you will need to run the speaker cable from another audio source to them and make sure they are connected with waterproof cables and connectors. They come in black and white, sound great and are not so intrusive that they look uncomfortable, whether they are attached to the wall or on small stands in the backyard or back of the house. On Amazon, they’ll set you back $ 270 per pair .
Those of you who have nominated the Control 25 series commented that it’s nice that you can get them in black or white, and praised their sound as well. You mentioned that there is a spring loaded connector where the speaker wires connect to them, so it’s important to either protect it from the elements with weatherproof connectors, or install the speakers under a canopy, or protect them. Some of the more expensive JBL models have a built-in hood or shroud. You also noted that while they can withstand some punishment, you should try to keep them as good as possible, as direct sunlight will diminish their life, as will excessive rain or water. Among other things, they sound amazing for their price, can withstand most weather conditions and are affordable. Read more in the nomination thread here .
Yamaha NS-AW350W High Performance 2-Way Outdoor Speakers
The Yamaha NS-AW350 outdoor speakers are designed to work in any weather, save space, mount on a wall or fence, and have enough power to sound good in a small open space. This is a bookshelf style speaker that includes the mounting hardware you need to mount it to a wall or any other fixture. They are wired speakers, so the standard warnings apply to them, and while not the most powerful speakers in the review, they are capable of producing great sound, built for all weather conditions, and tough enough to handle them. occasionally wind and rain, heat and intense cold. Yamaha suggests you bring them in during the coldest months, and that they shouldn’t be exposed to constant exposure to bad weather (like the deck of a boat or whatever), but for most people installing them under an overhang or patio should be fine. A couple of these will set you back $ 95 per pair on Amazon .
Those of you who have nominated Yamahas commented that they can withstand even Boston winters, are reasonably affordable and weather-resistant. Perfect for indoor or outdoor use, they are loved and well-reviewed in many places, including Amazon. One of you said you keep them under a permanent canopy on your patio to make sure you get the most life out of them, and another remarked that you use them in classrooms because they sound great for the money. You can read more in their nominations thread here .
Regiment Atrium4
Polk’s Atrium4 indoor / outdoor speakers are a beautiful, weather-resistant and great-sounding pair, built to withstand outdoor life at any time of the year. They are built to exceed MIL-STD-810 durability standards, which means they can withstand reasonable penalties all year round. The Atrium4s includes mounting hardware that is easy to mount and remove with one hand in case you need to move the speakers to another location. The brackets and grille are made of aluminum and are designed to be anti-wear and rust-free, and are fitted with stainless steel and brass fittings. They’re available in white or black, wired, and like many others here, you’ll need to bring your own amp to the party – a party that should be able to extend to the back of your yard or garden. thanks to how loud these speakers can be without distortion and damping. You can pick up a pair for $ 100 on Amazon .
Those of you who have nominated the Atrium4s have noted that they offer Polk sound and quality at a surprisingly good price and often go on sale for even less than the hundred bucks they have right now. You praised them for being able to provide an outdoor party at high volume, or sound great at low, private, quiet volumes, both without distortion and for their solid build quality. One of you pointed out that you have a pair of these connected to an AirPlay receiver inside, so you can control tunes from your iPhone while you fiddle with the grill. This is such a life. You can read more in their nominations thread here .
Klipsch AW-500 Outdoor speakers
The Klipsch AW-500 outdoor speakers are technically discontinued, but that doesn’t mean they’re not widely available, and they’re not the best option if you want speakers that can sound in your backyard when you have a large meeting, or play soft tunes. in the background when you have a little melody. They’re sturdy and their mounting bracket is attached to the back of the speaker so they’re easy to install or remove and move inward if you want, and have a built-in groove for connecting speaker cables to keep them out of the way. Their sealed ABS enclosure isn’t as shiny or attractive as other models, but they’ll stand up to year-round, all-weather punishments attached to your wall or any other fixture in your backyard or garden. and they will sound great all year round. They’re also some of the most powerful in the review, and use binding messages for secure audio connections. You can buy a pair on Amazon for $ 280 .
Those of you who have nominated them have praised the Klipsch models for their amazing power and ability to cope with any weather in your area. Again, you noted that this is a traditional speaker setup that requires an amplifier (just like everyone else in the review here) and isn’t wireless or anything, but for the money you get the great-sounding speakers you put on. No need to scrape or move when it is raining or snowing. You also praise them for their 90 to 90 degree coverage, which means you get great sound over a large area with just a few speakers. You can read more in their nominations thread here .
Now that you’ve seen the top 5, it’s time to put them to a vote to determine the community favorite:
Honorable mentions
An honorable mention this week goes to the Bowers & Wilkins AM-1 Outdoor Speakers , which look great in both black and white, are easy to wall-mount and deliver superior sound – everything you’d expect from a Bowers & Wilkins Speaker Kit … This is also a premium set and they look like that. They have an aluminum stainless steel grille, be it black or white, and the body is made of durable plastic. If you need a pair, you can pick them up at Best Buy for $ 600 .
Do you have anything to say about one of the applicants? Want to substantiate your personal favorite even if it wasn’t on the list? Remember, the Top 5 is based on your most popular nominations from the Call for Applicants thread earlier this week . Don’t just complain about the top 5, let us know which option you prefer and justify it in the discussions below.