As the evenings get lighter and your outdoor spaces spring back into action, now's the time to think about your outdoor audio.
There's a few key types of outdoor speakers and, depending on your application, some are better than others.
In this guide we'll break down the main types of outdoor speakers, the key features of their design and the best use cases.
Types Of Outdoor Speakers
1. Wall Mount Outdoor Speakers
Design: Wall mounted outdoor speakers are designed to be mounted on walls, providing a space-saving and versatile solution. They are often shaped like traditional bookshelf speakers but come with mounting brackets for easy installation.
Use Cases: Ideal for patios, decking areas or any outdoor area with vertical surfaces to mount the speakers to such as a fence / pergola post.
2. Rock Speakers
Design: Outdoor rock speakers are designed to be mounted on ceilings or hang like pendants, offering a discreet and unobtrusive installation. They often have a weather-resistant casing to withstand outdoor conditions.
Use Cases: Well-suited for covered porches, verandas, or any area where ceiling mounting is preferred.
3. Landscape / Spike Outdoor Speakers
Design: Landscape or spike speakers are designed to be installed in the ground amongst your flowers, seamlessly integrating into the outdoor environment. They often come with spikes for easy placement in garden beds and borders. It's also worth noting that these type of speakers often have flexible mounting options including on-wall, in-ground and suspended on chains.
Use Cases: Suitable for larger outdoor areas, gardens, or landscapes where even sound distribution is desired with discreet speakers.
4. Pendant Outdoor Speakers
Design: Pendant speakers are designed to be suspended from above, often resembling hanging pendant lights. They are suitable for environments with high ceilings and offer a stylish and space-saving solution.
Application: Pendant speakers are commonly used in outdoor spaces with covered structures, such as pergolas, gazebos, or outdoor dining areas.
5. Weatherproof Ceiling Speakers
Design: Outdoor ceiling speakers are designed to be mounted within ceiling voids of garden structures or the eaves of your home, offering a discreet and unobtrusive installation. They often have a weather-resistant casing to withstand outdoor conditions provided they are installed into a watertight ceiling.
Use Cases: Well-suited for covered porches, garden rooms, or any area where ceiling mounting is preferred.
6. Outdoor Subwoofers
Design: Outdoors subwoofers can either be surface mounted or buried in the ground, providing low-frequency support to enhance the overall audio experience. They are paired with other types of outdoor speakers for the mid and high range and will need a powerful amplifier to run them.
Use Cases: Ideal for those looking to add depth to the bass response in larger outdoor setups.
7. Wireless Outdoor Speakers
Design: Wireless party speakers are portable, often battery-powered, and equipped with wireless connectivity options such as Bluetooth. They are designed for easy transport and can be placed anywhere for instant party-ready audio. They also often have a karaoke function with wireless microphone, I'm not sure if this is a good thing or not!!
Application: Perfect for outdoor events, picnics, or gatherings where a temporary and flexible audio solution is needed. Wireless party speakers offer convenience and versatility along with exceptional sound quality.
Conclusion
As you can see there are quite a few options for adding music into your garden.
Whether you want to add wall mounted speakers over your patio, pendant speakers in your pergola or rock speaker in your borders.
Don't forget that all passive speakers will require an amplifier in order to work.
Read More: Do Outdoor Speakers Need An Amplifier?
Choosing the best outdoor speakers for your specific application will enhance your overal audio experience in your garden so don't just opt for the cheapest solution if it doesn't properly fit your application.
