Tips for buying outdoor speakers

When you have a barbecue party in the backyard, adding some music is smart. I will give some tips on setting up speakers in your backyard.

When setting speakers outdoors, the first consideration is to ensure that your speakers can weather the elements without damage. Of course, for a temporary setup, you are good at using any type of speaker. Use water-repellent or waterproof speakers for peace of mind. This is especially true if you plan to leave your speakers outdoors overnight or if you set up speakers permanently.

Depending on the size of your space, you will want to carefully consider the speaker effect. Outdoor space requires higher speaker power than indoor space, as the sound spreads fairly easily in an open area, while limited if your speakers are indoors. When looking at the speaker effect, it is best to pay attention to the RMS wattage. The RMS indicates how much power your speaker can handle continuously.

Peak effect can be misleading as it is often exaggerated. Thus, stick to the RMS power when comparing speakers. Another parameter is called sound pressure level or SPL. This parameter shows how loud your speaker becomes when powered by 1 watt power. Having a speaker with a high wattage is not very helpful if the speaker is not producing much volume.

Setting up speakers outdoors is difficult as you have to run a lot of speaker cable. An alternative is wireless speakers that, apart from the power connection, remove the root of the speaker cable. Some wireless models are battery powered and are therefore a smart choice for temporary installations. However, be aware that the batteries need to be recharged and also replaced as often. Battery-powered models usually do not offer the same amount of watts as mains-powered models. Depending on the layout of your backyard, you may only want one or more speakers. Some wireless speakers can be set to broadcast a mono mix or alternatively either broadcast the left or right music channel.

If you choose a wireless outdoor speaker model, make sure the transmitter offers sufficient range. There may be a significant distance between the place where your music is and the area where you configure your speakers. If there are walls or other obstructions between the transmitter and your speaker, the transmission operating range is reduced. Typically, wireless speaker manufacturers will display a maximum range in case of line of sight, meaning that there is nothing between the transmitter and the speaker and also a typical range if the wireless signal is to run across walls or ceilings.