What makes an outdoor speaker

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. Subscribe Join our mailing list and stay up to date on the latest smart technology news and events. What Makes for a Good Outdoor Speaker? You can connect as many speakers as you like as long as you have the amplifiers to power them to spread the sound consistently through even the largest backyards.

Practically any amplifier can power these speakers, from a tiny, inexpensive stereo amp like the Lepai LPTI to a powerful multichannel amp designed for multiroom audio systems. Just as with an indoor system, more power generally gets you cleaner sound and the ability to play your system louder.

However, if the amplifier is installed indoors, it becomes more difficult to control the system from outside. There are multiroom audio controllers with keypads and remotes that you can use outdoors, but most are expensive and complicated to configure and install. An easier solution is to add a wireless audio adapter, which will let you control music playback from the backyard using a phone or tablet.

For example, you can connect a Sonos Port to your amp, or power the outdoor speakers directly with a Sonos Amp. All of these solutions rely on Wi-Fi, so range should not be a problem if your amp is located inside the house. You may be able to connect a Bluetooth receiver to your amplifier and stream audio straight from your phone or tablet, but you might get a lot of dropouts if the receiver is not located close to your patio.

Two factors must be taken into account when comparing indoor vs outdoor speakers: durability and sound quality. Most quality speakers are designed with the acoustic setting in mind. That is, indoor speakers are designed to accommodate smaller, enclosed spaces, and outdoor speakers made to project across a broad area. It goes without saying then that the sound level or volume that these speakers can reach differs drastically. Outdoor speakers are going to reach a much higher volume level compared to those of the indoor speakers which are relying on walls to bounce sound off of or be absorbed into.

This is particularly the case when it comes to bass. Bass on an outdoor speaker is usually built into the enclosure of the speaker, whereas most indoor speaker setups will have a stand alone sub woofer. This brings up a separate point which relates to the design. Outdoor speakers are designed with a much different appearance, and for good reason; durability. We will touch on durability in just a second, but the consideration to make is the aesthetic appearance.

Most would not want to mount bulky outdoor speakers on the walls of their living room as they surely do not look as sleek and sexy as their Bose counter parts. The volume of indoor speakers is much lower as it is made to hit the wall surfaces and bounce back or to absorbed by the walls. The bass also applies the same where the bass of outdoor speakers is built into the enclosure of the speaker while indoor speakers usually have a standalone woofer.

A good example indoor speaker here is the Bose SoundLink Mini. You will notice that outdoor speakers have a unique design that concentrates on durability. They are made using a hard and sturdy material considering they are large and heavier too. Many people want an aesthetic style indoors and no one would want to mount large speakers on the walls as outdoor speakers are not so good looking when placed indoors.

On the other hand, indoor speakers are designed in a cool sexy style that brings a sensation of elegance to improve the general appearance of the room. The design is an aspect considered while manufacturing the speakers and you realize that both are made to fulfill the purpose they are made for with high performance.

You will notice that outdoor speakers are made with durable water-resistant materials to prevent wearing out fast.

Sometimes rain may fall during a stage show in the outdoors, but these speakers can withstand and the show will continue without disruptions. Also, the speakers can withstand the effects of objects that may be thrown at them.

If you had been using the indoor speakers for such a show, you could be cunting a loss as they can get easily damaged. It is, therefore, recommendable to use outdoor speakers for outdoor purposes too as they are made of sturdy material that can withstand harsh weather conditions like the QSC K10 Active Powered Speaker. The material is not water-resistant and can get damaged easily in case of sharp objects land on the speakers.

Outdoor speakers can be divided into active and passive categories.