When warm evenings beckon you outdoors, who says you need to leave your music in the house? Outdoor speakers let you bring your sounds with you, and you can enjoy high-quality audio with the convenience of a built-in system.
We present here the four of the top rated directional outdoor speakers on the market. These outdoor speakers are best suited for maximizing sound quality in a defined space, such as a porch or patio.
Most can be easily mounted on an exterior wall under an eave or overhang, which has two advantages: it offers protection from the elements, and also adds reflective surfaces near the speaker to improve sound quality.
Editor’s Note: In an upcoming article, Reactual will profile “omnidirectional” speakers that are designed to cover larger areas, such as big yards or pool settings.
Boston Acoustics Voyager 4 Outdoor Speakers
Boston Acoustics brings its legendary sound quality outdoors with its Voyager 4 speakers, the smallest of the Voyager series. Each Voyager 4 speaker is enclosed in a weather-resistant polypropylene case, and features a 4” co-polymer woofer to withstand moisture and temperature swings. A ¾” Kortec dome tweeter provides high tones, and the Voyagers are available in black or paintable white to match any outdoor décor. The wedge-shaped rear case allows installation in a corner location.
Boston Acoustics Voyager 4 specs at a glance:
Dimensions (HxWxD): 9-3/4 x 6-7/8 x 5-7/8″
Frequency Response: 80Hz-20kHz (±3dB)
Power Range: 15-100 watts
The Boston Acoustics Voyager 4 outdoor speakers are available from Amazon for $249 per pair.
Polk Audio Atrium 45 Outdoor Speakers
The Atrium 45 from Polk Audio is another high-fidelity outdoor speaker with a streamlined design, and it’s the most compact model of Polk’s Atrium series. Its 4 ½” polymer bass cone features a butyl rubber suspension surround, and a ¾” dome tweeter covers the high notes while a sculpted front baffle minimizes sound diffraction. But this performance speaker is rugged enough to hold up to the nastiest weather too: all hardware is stainless steel or brass, the brackets and grilles are aluminum, and the Atrium meets or exceeds military specs for waterproofing, salt and corrosion resistance.
Polk Audio Atrium 45 specs at a glance:
Dimensions: (HxWxD)9-1/2″ x 6-1/4″ x 7-5/8″
Frequency Response: 75Hz – 20kHz
Power Range: 10-80 watts
The Polk Audio Atrium 45 outdoor speakers are available in either black or white. You can find them at Amazon for $116.59 per pair.
Klipsch AW-400 Outdoor Speakers
The Klipsch AW-400 sets itself apart from the pack with its efficient power usage, meaning bigger sound from even relatively low-wattage inputs. There are larger models available in the AW series, but the AW-400 packs a 4” IMG woofer and 1” Tractix Horn polymer tweeter into a weather-resistant ABS housing. Non-corrosive aluminum grilles and heavy-duty zinc brackets help the AW400 stand up to the elements, and a 3/8” – 16 threaded insert adds flexibility for mounting options. The AW-400 is available with black or white finishes, which are paintable and UV-resistant.
Klipsch AW-400 specs at a glance:
Dimensions: 9.5″ H x 6.5″ W x 7.25″ D”
Frequency Response: 91Hz-20kHz +/- 3dB
Power: 50w (200 peak)
The Klipsch AW-400 outdoor speakers cost $249.99 per pair at Amazon.
Yamaha NS-AW150W Outdoor Speakers
The Yamaha NS-AW150 is the least expensive of the bunch, but still offers great sound in an efficient and weather-resistant package. The speakers utilize a 5” polypropylene mica-filled woofer and ½” PEI dome tweeter, and they are magnetically shielded so they can be used near televisions & monitors with no image distortion. They feature five-way binding posts to accommodate various cable connection types.
Yamaha NS-AW150W specs at a glance:
Dimensions: 5.41 x 10.125 x 6.16 inches (W x H x D)
Frequency Response: 80Hz to 40kHz (+/-3 dB)
Power: 35w (120 peak)
The Yamaha NS-AW150W outdoor speakers are available at Amazon for $99.95 per pair.
We present here the four of the top rated directional outdoor speakers on the market. These outdoor speakers are best suited for maximizing sound quality in a defined space, such as a porch or patio.
Most can be easily mounted on an exterior wall under an eave or overhang, which has two advantages: it offers protection from the elements, and also adds reflective surfaces near the speaker to improve sound quality.
Editor’s Note: In an upcoming article, Reactual will profile “omnidirectional” speakers that are designed to cover larger areas, such as big yards or pool settings.
Boston Acoustics Voyager 4 Outdoor Speakers
Boston Acoustics brings its legendary sound quality outdoors with its Voyager 4 speakers, the smallest of the Voyager series. Each Voyager 4 speaker is enclosed in a weather-resistant polypropylene case, and features a 4” co-polymer woofer to withstand moisture and temperature swings. A ¾” Kortec dome tweeter provides high tones, and the Voyagers are available in black or paintable white to match any outdoor décor. The wedge-shaped rear case allows installation in a corner location.
Boston Acoustics Voyager 4 specs at a glance:
Dimensions (HxWxD): 9-3/4 x 6-7/8 x 5-7/8″
Frequency Response: 80Hz-20kHz (±3dB)
Power Range: 15-100 watts
The Boston Acoustics Voyager 4 outdoor speakers are available from Amazon for $249 per pair.
Polk Audio Atrium 45 Outdoor Speakers
The Atrium 45 from Polk Audio is another high-fidelity outdoor speaker with a streamlined design, and it’s the most compact model of Polk’s Atrium series. Its 4 ½” polymer bass cone features a butyl rubber suspension surround, and a ¾” dome tweeter covers the high notes while a sculpted front baffle minimizes sound diffraction. But this performance speaker is rugged enough to hold up to the nastiest weather too: all hardware is stainless steel or brass, the brackets and grilles are aluminum, and the Atrium meets or exceeds military specs for waterproofing, salt and corrosion resistance.
Polk Audio Atrium 45 specs at a glance:
Dimensions: (HxWxD)9-1/2″ x 6-1/4″ x 7-5/8″
Frequency Response: 75Hz – 20kHz
Power Range: 10-80 watts
The Polk Audio Atrium 45 outdoor speakers are available in either black or white. You can find them at Amazon for $116.59 per pair.
Klipsch AW-400 Outdoor Speakers
The Klipsch AW-400 sets itself apart from the pack with its efficient power usage, meaning bigger sound from even relatively low-wattage inputs. There are larger models available in the AW series, but the AW-400 packs a 4” IMG woofer and 1” Tractix Horn polymer tweeter into a weather-resistant ABS housing. Non-corrosive aluminum grilles and heavy-duty zinc brackets help the AW400 stand up to the elements, and a 3/8” – 16 threaded insert adds flexibility for mounting options. The AW-400 is available with black or white finishes, which are paintable and UV-resistant.
Klipsch AW-400 specs at a glance:
Dimensions: 9.5″ H x 6.5″ W x 7.25″ D”
Frequency Response: 91Hz-20kHz +/- 3dB
Power: 50w (200 peak)
The Klipsch AW-400 outdoor speakers cost $249.99 per pair at Amazon.
Yamaha NS-AW150W Outdoor Speakers
The Yamaha NS-AW150 is the least expensive of the bunch, but still offers great sound in an efficient and weather-resistant package. The speakers utilize a 5” polypropylene mica-filled woofer and ½” PEI dome tweeter, and they are magnetically shielded so they can be used near televisions & monitors with no image distortion. They feature five-way binding posts to accommodate various cable connection types.
Yamaha NS-AW150W specs at a glance:
Dimensions: 5.41 x 10.125 x 6.16 inches (W x H x D)
Frequency Response: 80Hz to 40kHz (+/-3 dB)
Power: 35w (120 peak)
The Yamaha NS-AW150W outdoor speakers are available at Amazon for $99.95 per pair.