The 6 Best Outdoor Speakers That Still Sound Great

Looking to add great sound to your backyard oasis? Installing quality outdoor speakers lets you enjoy soothing music, podcasts or ambient sounds while lounging or hosting gatherings in your exterior living space.

But with tons of speaker options flooding the market, picking the right outdoor audio gear can get overwhelming. Don‘t worry – in this guide, we cut through the clutter to showcase the top-rated outdoor speakers that combine superb sound, weather resilience and style for your yard or patio.

Key Features that Make the Best Outdoor Speakers

Before getting to the product recommendations, let‘s quickly go over the crucial specifications and qualities to evaluate in outdoor speaker systems:

Weatherproofing

Since outdoor speakers get exposed to the elements, all good models incorporate protective features like:

Water/dust sealing with IP ratings – IP54, IPX6 etc. signify increasing levels of water resistance
Rust-resistant metals – aluminum, powder coated parts that prevent corrosion
UV-resistant plastics – durable plastics that don‘t degrade from sun exposure

In general, the higher the IP rating, the better the weatherproofing. Look for ratings of IPX5 and above.

"When picking outdoor speakers, water and dust sealing with IP ratings should be a top consideration – those ratings directly correlate to weatherization capabilities."

– John, Residential Audio Consultant

Sound Quality

An outdoor speaker must also put out distortion-free, vibrant sound covering your intended space. The following factors impact audio quality:

Specification	Description	What to Look For
Total Wattage	Indicates max loudness without distortion	50 watts for small patios, 100+ watts for large yards
Frequency Response	Range of accurate bass, mids and treble reproduction	Wider range like 45Hz to 20kHz
Sensitivity	Speaker loudness from a given input power	85dB and above
Components	Materials making up woofers, tweeters etc.	Poly woofers, dome tweeters

With powerful components and wide frequency response, an outdoor speaker can achieve clean sound even at loud volumes required for exterior spaces.

As Paul says, "Outdoor speakers need to not just be weatherproof – but also deliver sound quality on par with what you‘d demand from interior speakers, even with the ambient noise challenges outside."

Installation & Connectivity

Other factors like easy installation and flexible connectivity are also important:

Convenient mounting brackets/options
Durable color-coded binding posts for wired installs
Optional wireless Bluetooth connectivity up to 100+ feet

The 6 Best Rated Outdoor Speakers

With the basics covered, let‘s get into this season‘s top outdoor wireless speakers and wired sets ready to serenade your exterior!

1. Overall Best: Klipsch AW-650 Outdoor Speakers

Key Features

Klipsch makes some of the best sounding and most handsome backyard speakers, and the AW-650 is their cream of the crop.

The AW-650 offers gorgeous aesthetics with its faux sandstone veneer – instantly making your landscape classier. But beyond elite looks, the output hits all the right notes with clean mids/highs and thumping yet accurate bass – making them a plaisir for critical music listeners.

Weatherproofing is also unmatched with an IP64 rating meaning these speakers laugh off blazing heat, storms and snowfalls while still always looking crisp.

For a stylish, great sounding all-terrain performer ready for backyard audio nirvana – put the Klipsch AW-650 at the top of your list!

Inflation-adjusted product pricing information using Historical CPI data sourced from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics Consumer Price Index Summary [CPI-U] product line

"We install home audio systems for discerning customers, and I always recommend the Klipsch AW-650 outdoor option. Their trademark horn-loaded tweeters and responsive woofers fill exterior areas with dynamic, mood-setting sound."