Best Outdoor Speakers In 2022 [Buying Guide] – Gear Hungry (2024)

GearHungry Staff

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1

Dual Electronics LU43PB Studio Monitor Outdoor Speakers

The first speakers on our list are actually the cheapest. The Dual Electronics LU43PB offer so much value for money, that we had to select them as our Best Choice product. To get a pair of high-quality monitor speakers for this price is an absolute steal. They’re designed specifically to be used outside, which is why they’re coated in a UV resistant resin and placed inside an ABS enclosure to protect them from the elements. Of course, there are some customer reviews complaining that the speakers have broken straight out the box, but we’d put this down to user fault. The bad reviews are completely overwhelmed by customers saying that these speakers have been going strong for years. One guy even called them the ‘co*ckroach of speakers’.

They’ve got 100 watts of peak power and 50 watts RMS, which is more than enough to fill your yard with sound. Inside the speaker casing, is a 4-inch woofer, a 1-inch midrange cone, and a 3/4-inch tweeter, to give you the whole range of sound. They also come with a pair of versatile swivel bracket, so you can install them on your wall or ceiling and point them exactly where you want the sound to go. They do come with a 1-year warranty, but they should last a lot longer than that.

Pros

Great quality speakers for the price

Versatile swivel bracket makes them easy to attach outside

Pretty powerful

Cons

Only get a 1-year warranty

No additional features like Bluetooth connectivity

2

Polk Audio Atrium 4 Outdoor Speakers

If you’ve got a little more money to spend on your outdoor speaker system, check out the Polk Audio Atrium 4 Outdoor Speakers. They represent a step up from the Dual Electronics speakers, but still, aren’t going to break the bank. The extra money is definitely spent on better sound quality. The speakers manage to get a wider sound dispersion and a surprisingly powerful bass, so you’ll be able to hear your tunes all around the garden. This is delivered by a 4 and a ½ inch Dynamic Balance cone and a 3/4-inch anodized aluminum dome tweeter. The sound is much clearer than you’d get from a cheaper speaker, which is why this product’s recognized as one of the best patio speakers.

It has 80W of power but doesn’t mention anything about peak power. It won’t give the same level of bass as a speaker with an active subwoofer, but it’s still powerful enough to fill your outside area. What they don’t tell you is that you’ll have to connect the speakers to an amplifier, so you are likely to have to spend a bit more money than you bargained for. But it does come with a one-click speed-lock mounting system, so at least it’s easy to attach to your wall. Make sure you also check our guide to the best bookshelf speakers.

Pros

Great sound dispersion and surprisingly powerful bass

The one-click mounting system is super easy to use

Cons

Not the most powerful speakers

No additional features like Bluetooth connectivity

3

Yamaha NS-AW150WH 2-Way Indoor/Outdoor Speakers

Yamaha has been in the audio game for a while, so they know how to make a quality pair of speakers. The Yamaha NS-AW150WH is up there with the best outdoor stereo systems and they cost less than $100. These speakers are designed to be used outside, but they’re not indestructible. As Yamaha says in their product descriptions, you shouldn’t leave them exposed on the deck of a boat, but they are water-resistant. So, we’d really recommend these if you’re putting them outside in a reasonably well-covered environment.

With 120 watts of maximum power capacity, they’re the most powerful speakers in our list so far. That’s because of the 5-inch high-compliance woofer, and the ½-inch PEI dome tweeter. The power is delivered in a clear way with a beautifully controlled bass response that gives your tunes the perfect amount of oomph. The speakers are magnetically shielded and should be able to withstand any weather, but they’re certainly not the most durable on this list. If you’re looking for sound quality over durability, these are the ones for you. Our handy guide to the best tower speakers features more great products like this.

Pros

Powerful speakers with controlled bass response

Yamaha-quality sound

Cons

Only get a 1-year warranty

No additional features like Bluetooth connectivity

4

Tic Gs3 8-Inch Omnidirectional In-Ground Speaker

Wouldn’t it be great if you could hide your speakers in the ground, so no one knows where the sound is coming from? Well, now you can with the TIC GS3 in-ground speaker. This awesome little gadget is designed to hide in your bushes or on your lawn, so you don’t have to litter your walls with unsightly speakers. It’s one of the most popular speakers amongst landscape gardeners and commercial contractors, because it offers everything you want in terms of sound-quality, without compromising on design.

The sound is provided by an 8-inch woofer and a 2-inch tweeter. That gives you 100W RMS and 200W peak power, which is amazing considering the speaker’s diminutive size. The sound quality isn’t bad either. Of course, because of the shape and placement of the speaker, it’s not going to deliver the same sound quality as a pair of speakers would. But, the advantage of this speaker is that it’s omnidirectional, so you get 360º sound. It’s housed in ABS Polypropylene, which not only makes it extremely durable, it makes it water-proof as well. We’ve selected it as our Best Value product because we think it’s a great price for this level of durability and innovation. Love this product? Check out our review of the best shower speakers for our top picks.

Pros

Great if you don’t want anyone to see your speakers

Very durable – designed to be left outside all year

Cons

Only get a 1-year warranty

No additional features like Bluetooth connectivity

5

Definitive Technology AW 6500 Outdoor Speaker

The Definitive Technology AW6500 Outdoor Speaker is another step up in terms of sound quality. You only get one speaker for nearly $200, so you would expect it to blow your socks off when you turn it on. The sound quality is provided by a 6-½ inch active driver and a 5-½ x 10-inch racetrack-shaped Planar Low Bass Radiator. This radiator is an alternative way of providing bass and actually gives you a greater bass radiating area than a 10-inch woofer. To cut a long story short, it has an amazing bass response for a speaker so small. Even with just one speaker, you’ll get a better-quality sound than all of the cheaper speakers on this list, and you can pair it with another speaker if you want to spread the sound.

It has a fully-sealed design to stop any water from getting inside. Every part of this speaker is well made, from the aluminum grilles and PolyStone enclosures to the integrated galvanized steel mounting brackets. It’s going to last you a long time, and if you don’t trust the quality, it comes with a 5-year limited warranty. Find more great products like this by checking out our guide to the best gaming speakers.

Pros

Amazing quality sound with impressive bass response

Impressive 5-year limited warranty

Cons

Some complaints about the quality of customer service

6

Bose 251 Environmental Speakers

If you’re planning to spend a lot on your outdoor speakers, you have to consider the Bose 251 Environmental Speakers. At nearly $400, they are one of the most expensive speakers on this list, but you get Bose’s famous sound-quality. Like all Bose speakers, they have a deep bass response that will give your favorite songs an amazingly rich sound. The multi-chambered enclosure design makes sure that these low frequencies still sound just as good in an outdoor setting.

Most outdoor speakers have a few sweet spots where you can hear the sound at its best. Instead, the Bose 251 speakers Articulated Array® design, which provides a wide listening area to fill your whole outdoor area with amazing quality sound.

Pros

Awesome Bose sound quality

One of the best bass responses in the business

Push the sound out to a wide area

Cons

When you add the price of the amplifier, it’s very expensive

7

Klipsch AW-650 Indoor/Outdoor Speaker

Klipsch is another really well-respected speaker company, but they’re only really well known by audiophiles. They’re a little bit cheaper than the Bose speakers, but still offer an amazing sound quality, that impresses even the most experienced audio engineers. The only real problem is that these waterproof speakers don’t really look like a high-end speaker system. The paintable UV-resistant ABS enclosure and rustproof aluminum grill are very durable, but they don’t look anywhere near as slick as the Bose products.

The sound is provided by a 90º x 90º Tractrix Horn tweeter and super-sized woofer magnets. This setup gives you really clean and clear highs and a beautiful bass response. Klipsch AW-650 Indoor/Outdoor Speakers are also designed to be more efficient than the average speaker, so you get more sound with less power. You get C-style mounting brackets and a threaded insert for options mounts. Don’t forget to also check our guide to the best soundbars.

Pros

Amazing sound quality for the money

Very durable

Cons

Not the best-looking outdoor speakers

8

Bose 151 SE Environmental Speakers

The Bose 151 SE speakers are the smaller (and cheaper) versions of our Premium Product. If you want that style and sound quality that Bose is known for, but you can’t afford to shell out on the 251 speakers, these are a great alternative. They’re slightly smaller and less powerful but will still fill your outdoor area with plenty of sounds. Inside the cabinet, there’s a 2½ full-range, glass-filled speaker cone that delivers high sound reproduction across all audio frequencies. So, instead of having separate woofers and tweeters, this speaker manages to cover all the frequencies with one cone. Plus, they have the same Articulated Array® design as the 251 speakers.

The cone is housed inside a glass-filled polypropylene cabinet, which protects it from extreme weather without compromising on the sound quality. They can withstand temperatures of -40ºC to 70ºC and have been put through 1,200 hours of salt fog testing. This is a type of corrosion testing that is designed to emulate the toughest weather conditions, and these speakers have been put through twice as much as the demanding Marine industry standard. The bottom line is that they’re one of the toughest outdoor speaker systems around. If you love listening to music while working, check out our guide to the best jobsite radios.

Pros

One of the best-looking outdoor speakers

Very durable – tested under Marine industry-standard conditions

Cons

A big step down in sound quality from the Bose 251 speakers

9

Bose Free Space 51 Speakers

If you liked the TIC GS3 speakers, but want the sound quality of Bose speakers, we’ve got the perfect solution for you. The Bose Free Space 51 Speakers use that same amazing technology but take it to the next level in terms of sound quality. Of course, they come with a much higher price tag, but that will be money well-spent when you hear your favorite songs blasting out of the bushes.

They have the same omnidirectional 360º sound coverage, which is provided by a centrally located port and a domed grill. The port enhances bass performance and helps provide a rich and full sound in any outdoor environment, whilst the domed grill reflects the high-frequencies and makes sure you can hear all the nuances of the music you’re listening to.

Pros

Looks professionally installed either above-ground or in-ground

Provides great sound quality from an unconventional design

Cons

Some reports of filling up with water if you leave them underground

10

Klipsch AWR-650-SM Sandstone Outdoor Rock Speaker

If you really want to hide your outdoor speakers, you’ve got to go with an outdoor rock speaker like the Klipsch AWR-650-SM. This is the ultimate in stealthy sound systems if you want to confuse your friends and preserve the look of your outdoor area. Of course, you’ll need to make sure you’ve got other rocks with a similar look if you really want it to blend in. Or people might be confused about why you’ve bought a large rock to put in your garden.

Underneath the clever design, it’s basically the same speaker like the Klipsch AW-650. You might remember that we thought that the speaker had one of the best sound qualities, we just had a problem with the way it looked. Well, that problem is solved now because it looks like a rock. It has a 6½-inch dual-voice coil polymer woofer and ¾-inch dual polymer tweeters, which are housed in a durable UV-resistant enclosure. It offers the same great quality sound as the Klipsch AW-650 but without the problem of having unsightly black or white speakers hanging off your wall. In our opinion, it’s one of the best speakers on this list, now you just need to decide if you want it in sandstone or granite.

Pros

The stealthiest speaker system on this list

Provides the same great quality sound as the Klipsch AW-650

Cons

You have to pay extra for the fact that it looks like a rock