Outdoor speakers buying guide

hen the weather warms up, most of us find more and more reasons to be out in the yard. Whether you're digging into yardwork, reading a book, or grilling with family, outside time is more fun with your favorite tunes on hand.

Fortunately, there are plenty of outdoor speakers that can help you take your tunes outside. This guide will show you a number of different options, so you can decide which ones will look and sound best in your unique outdoor space.

Two types of outdoor speakers

There are two types of speakers we generally expect to see in an outdoor environment. You may want to permanently mount outdoor speakers under eaves, in the yard, or around a swimming pool.

On the other hand, there are plenty of Bluetooth-enabled outdoor speakers that are also suitable for outdoor use.

Like the idea of permanently installed speakers, but want to use Bluetooth as your music source? You can power your outdoor speakers with a receiver that has Bluetooth built in.

Permanently installed outdoor speakers

If you want to enjoy detailed, immersive sound on a deck or porch, or in a small backyard, passive stereo speakers — the type that get power and signal from a home receiver — are the best option. Outdoor stereo speakers are similar to indoor speakers, with two big differences:

1. They can stand up to the elements. Many outdoor speakers are weatherproof, meaning they can withstand direct assaults of rain, sun, and cold. Other speakers are weather-resistant, so they require some protection from rain and ice.
2. They come with mounting hardware. In the shipping box with the speaker, you'll find a bracket or similar mounting hardware that attaches the speaker securely to the side of your house.

Pay attention when ordering. Some speakers, like the popular Polk Audio Atrium 4, ship in pairs. Others, like the best-selling Definitive Technology AW5500, are priced "each."

Most outdoor speakers also have paintable grilles and enclosures, so you can match them to your color scheme.

You can install outdoor speakers on your own, but don't hesitate to check in with one of our experts to help plan out your system before you start.

Outdoor speakers and Sonos

If you want to use Sonos with a multi-room amplifier to build an indoor/outdoor system, good news. The company offers Sonos by Sonance Architectural speakers for outdoor use. You can easily run speaker wire from them to a Sonos Amp, like our video team leader Tara did in her treehouse Sonos system.

If you have an existing outdoor system, the Sonos Port lets you add Sonos capability for an easy upgrade.

Whole-home audio with outdoor speakers

If you're starting from scratch and want to build a convenient whole-home audio system, you can include outdoor speakers in the mix. Our system designers can help you plan and power a flexible system that suits your unique layout.

And, if you're hoping to use wireless sources to stream music throughout your home, a multi-node mesh router system can make sure you're getting strong, fast Wi-Fi everywhere you need it.

Patio and garden speakers

If you want to listen in an area that’s farther from your house, look for speakers designed to sit on the ground or mount on in-ground stakes.

They’re weatherproof for permanent outdoor installation without any cover or protection. And they’re a better option than simply blasting music from the side of your house way out into the yard. Your neighbors might not appreciate that. And the music won't be too loud for people sitting closer to the house.

Some of these speakers are even designed to blend into their outdoor surroundings (like these "rock" speakers). Others are compact and rounded, so they don’t take visitors’ eyes away from your beautiful landscaping.

Some environmental speakers are designed to be partially buried in the soil. The Bose FreeSpace® 360P II, for example, uses a unique design to broadcast music in a 360-degree pattern from the top of the speaker, while the rest of it hides out of sight.

Stereo-input speakers

Typically, an outdoor system has two main speakers — a left and a right speaker in a stereo configuration. In some cases, you only need one speaker, say for a small breakfast nook. Or you may have the opposite issue, where your space is so large that you need a third speaker fo fill out the sound between the two main speakers.

A stereo-input speaker is what you need for these types of situations. They have have inputs for both left and right channels, and two tweeters that handle the stereo channel separation.

Use four-conductor cable for stereo-input speakers. These cables contain wires for both left- and right-channel inputs in a single casing.

70-volt speakers and amps

If you want music to play in several discrete outdoor zones, a 70-volt system is a smart choice. Designed primarily for commercial use, 70-volt systems can drive several speakers with a single amplifier. They're more efficient and often easier on the budget as a result.

Need help designing and choosing a 70-volt system? Check in with our commercial design team.

Bluetooth speakers

Convenient, portable Bluetooth speakers let you stream music wirelessly from your smartphone or tablet. Some also have built-in Wi-Fi®, so you can stream music from networked computers. If you select a speaker with Wi-Fi, be sure your home network reaches outdoors to where you’ll be using the speaker.

Not all portable speakers are weather-resistant, and none are designed to be left outdoors permanently. Be sure to read the specification on our website to determine if the speaker is water- or weather-resistant, and always bring them inside when not in use.

We can help you choose

Have questions about choosing the right outdoor speakers? Contact us today.

Our expert Advisors know the gear inside and out. Your Advisor can send specific Crutchfield pages to your screen, saving you a lot of browsing time. You'll get a shopping cart loaded up with everything you need for your new TV sound system.

Free lifetime tech support is included with your Crutchfield purchase.