From Portable Wireless Speakers to Dedicated Outdoor Speakers
Gaelen Andrews
The Paradigm
Stylus 470-SM outdoor speakers installed permanently on a patio.
Summer is in full swing and we want you to have the best time
while you’re outside, so we’ve put together some great sounding ways to bring
your music with you. This guide will take you on an exploration of everything
that you’ll want to consider so you can experience quality sound outside,
anywhere you’ll be this sunny season.
A speaker isn’t just a speaker, especially when we’re
outside. An outdoor speaker is significantly different than an indoor one, as a
lot goes into ensuring it is weatherproof, and making it sound good in open
air. When choosing an outdoor speaker, how much you spend dictates how
weatherproof they are, what the speakers connect to, and obviously how good
they sound. The range is from a small portable speaker with a headphone jack,
to a solar powered Bluetooth speaker you can basically take swimming, to a
multi-channel system that wirelessly integrates with your home and can
withstand a hurricane. Whatever your situation, this guide will help you find
enhanced ways to enjoy your music outside.
The most important factors in choosing an outdoor speaker:
•
How big is the space?
•
What is your music source?
•
How much exposure to the elements?
•
Permanent or portable?
Your Outdoor Space
There are unique challenges to designing a speaker to be
used in open air. The main challenge is volume. Outside, sound waves can spread
their wings and fly away, as opposed to bouncing around inside of a room. For
the same reason, bass feels especially light when you’re outside. The main rule
about volume is if you need more of it, you need more speakers. For the majority
of settings, a single speaker can provide enough volume for a small group of
people. In a bigger space, it’s best to have speakers on multiple sides of you
so one area won’t be deafening while another area is too quiet, making it
easier on your ears and your gear.
Outdoor Speaker Placement Tips
Keeping in mind how open air affects the volume and quality,
where you place the speaker(s) can have a surprising impact on their
performance. To prove this to yourself, play music straight from your phone’s
tiny speakers and then put your phone into an empty glass or bowl. See how much
louder your music gets?
The basic rules of outdoor speaker placement are to put your
speakers above you, and against something. Height is important as focusing a
speaker down, towards your listening area will give you better sound and more
volume than if the speaker is facing the sky (you can also try this with your
phone). If you’re installing speakers on a wall, they should be mounted about
10 feet high, and angled down toward the listening area. Even if you’re
listening to a portable speaker, giving it a bit of height and angle will help,
and some portable speakers have built-in straps for mounting. If you’re
mounting speakers try to do so under a roof overhang, placed close to the wall,
or best, in a corner – remember the bowl. This will help with weather
protection, sound quality, volume, and bass response. Thankfully, outdoor
subwoofers are also available. Even ones that shake the earth, literally – you
bury them.
The Music Source
Now it’s time to think about how you’ll get your music to
the speaker. If you’re listening to AM/FM radio, CDs, or the TV, you’ll likely
have to connect your outdoor speakers to your existing AV receiver. Nowadays,
most people have music stored digitally on their smart phones and tablets, so
naturally the producers of outdoor speakers have developed slick ways of
integrating with your device. Most wireless speakers available today allow you
to stream music from you device of choice through a Bluetooth or NFC (Near
Field Communication) connection. Some wireless speaker can also stream music
from your home network. With older portable speakers that don’t offer wireless
connectivity, you’ll have to connect the headphone output of your device to the
speaker using a 3.5 mm cable. Some portable speakers offer a voice-activated
noise-cancelling microphone, effectively turning the speaker into a speaker
phone. This can be very handy if someone calls your phone while you’re
listening to music.
Portable Outdoor Speakers
The Braven BRV-X
portable outdoor speaker offers an IPX7 waterproof rating
To enjoy music outside, the most cost effective option is to
use a portable speaker. While there are many portable speakers on the market,
going for one that is built for outdoor use is recommended since they will
inevitably get dropped, dirty, or wet. Portable speakers range from about $100
to over $400, with the sweet spot landing somewhere around $150. For this you
should get a decent sounding Bluetooth speaker that’ll survive being outside.
Your main consideration should be space. There are some very small and light
weight speakers available, the trade-off is sound quality and battery life.
You’ll likely come across an IPX rating, which is worth
paying attention to as it describes how resistant the device is to water and
dust. Basically, you’ll want IPX4 or higher for outdoor use. The rating goes
from 0-8 for waterproofing, and 0-6 for dustproofing
Two examples of what you can get in the $100-$250 range for
portable outdoor speakers come from Braven and Eton. Eton makes a speaker with
a sustainable design element, as their competitive advantage is that they are
solar powered. Eton makes solar powered models starting with a small and
lightweight portable model called the Rugged Rukus, ranging to the company’s
flagship model the Rukus Xtreme. Perhaps the most highly awarded outdoor
portable speaker as of this writing comes from a company called Braven. The
Braven BRV-1 and is rugged, sounds good, allows you to stream wirelessly from
your smart phone / tablet, and is light and small. The newest addition is the
BRV-X and is the big brother to the BRV-1, with drivers are twice the size and
they’ve added a subwoofer. Both are IPX5 rated, and come with a nylon strap to
mount the speaker to things. If you lead a more active lifestyle, exercise can
now usually be accompanied with your music (even while swimming). One of the
more innovative outdoor speakers is made to go in the water bottle holder of
your bicycle. The Scosche boomBottle ($149.99 CAD) will also work very well as
a speaker to take anywhere. Being light and compact with a speaker at either
end of the “bottle”, and a ported subwoofer in the middle, it pumps the volume
loud enough to keep you rockin’ out, and pedaling hard.
The Scosche
boomBottle will also work very well as a speaker to take anywhere
