What Makes for a Good Outdoor Speaker?

Now that the spring months are approaching, it’s the perfect weather to enjoy your favorite music outside. Before you go out and buy portable Bluetooth speakers, why not upgrade to a professional outdoor sound system that will offer more powerful, reliable sound? Enhance the listening experience in your Frisco, TX home with speakers designed to brave the elements, fill large areas, and blend in with the landscaping. In this blog we discuss what you need to look for when investing in outdoor speakers.

SEE MORE: 5 Tips for Designing an Outdoor Sound System

Weather-Resistant

Gear for your outdoor sound system needs to first and foremost be able to stand the test of time. As you look for the right speakers, make sure they are designed to withstand extreme temperatures, water, and dust. They should also be able to withstand physical contact (so they don't break down the first time they’re hit by a ball flying through the backyard).

Directional Speakers

How you install your speakers also matters. The ideal sound system should have speakers placed close to your home and on the periphery of your yard or pool facing inward. For this layout to work, you need to have directional speakers. This means they are designed to send audio signals towards a particular area. With direct control of where your sound goes, you can enhance its quality (by bouncing it off your exterior walls) and keep it from seeping into your neighbor's yard.

Underground Subwoofers

If you want to get high-quality bass out of your outdoor sound system, you should also add a few subwoofers to your layout. Many audio manufacturers like Sonance and Episode offer speakers with built-in subwoofers that go underground. Underground subwoofers can help enhance your bass capabilities without getting in the way of your outdoor décor or landscaping.

Upgrade to 70-Volt Power

One of the challenges of an outdoor system is making sure your audio is powerful enough to fill large spaces. For this reason, it’s recommended that you use speakers within a 70-volt system. Not only should you focus on speakers with big power output capabilities, but you need to link them to amplifiers and cables designed to withstand the same voltage.

Stylistic Choices

Many homeowners expect outdoor speakers to be large and bulky to withstand the elements. But there's as much stylistic diversity for outdoor applications as there is for indoor ones. You can have satellite speakers that blend into your landscaping or rock monitors that look like additional garden decorations. There are also ones that look like ceramic animals or flower pots. For patio applications, you can use wall-mount speakers, subtle in-ceiling ones, or ones that fit into your roof eaves.

When designing your outdoor AV system we can help you find the speakers that make the most sense for your space. To get started, contact us online to set up a consultation.