We love the convenience of portable Bluetooth speakers. But for those who want a more permanent—and higher-quality—outdoor audio setup for a backyard or patio, we suggest a good pair of weatherproof outdoor speakers.
The OSD Audio AP650 speakers are your best choice because they sound good, mount easily, and are built to survive harsh weather, bugs, and dust.
Our pick
OSD Audio AP650
These speakers have a clear, full sound that works well for any type of music, and they’re sealed against water and bugs.
The OSD Audio AP650 speakers are the best value we’ve found in an outdoor pair. Their clarity beats anything we’ve heard from other models priced under $200 per pair. And they have a full, powerful sound that can easily fill an outdoor space, up to about 1,500 square feet. They have enough bass for R&B, hip-hop, and rock music, even when they’re used with a small amplifier.
Because these speakers have a fully sealed design, there’s no concern about water, dust, or bugs getting in. This pair is also more rugged than most under-$200 outdoor speakers, with a thicker enclosure and a sturdy, powder-coated mounting bracket.
Runner-up
Yamaha NS-AW294
These speakers deliver full sound, but they’re not the best choice for places that experience severe weather.
If you want to spend a little less to get decent outdoor sound, the Yamaha NS-AW294 speakers are a good choice—as long as you don’t live in a place where blustery rainstorms are common, since their ported design may allow water to get in and potentially cause damage. The NS-AW294 speakers don’t sound as clear as our top pick, but they do have a solid amount of bass and can play pretty loudly.
Upgrade pick
Dayton Audio IO8XTB
This speaker sounds clearer than our less-pricey picks, and it produces a lot more bass. It’s larger and costs a lot more, though.
The Dayton Audio IO8XTB speaker is roughly twice the price and size of our OSD and Yamaha picks, but we can safely say this speaker offers at least twice the performance. Not only does it deliver much more bass, but its sound is also clearer and smoother. Whether you listen to hip-hop, rock, folk, or classical, you’ll appreciate the improvement.
Budget pick
Dual Electronics LU53PW
This compact, affordable speaker pair is completely sealed, but it doesn’t have as much bass and doesn’t sound as good at loud volumes as our top pick.
Those who want to keep their investment to a minimum will like the Dual Electronics LU53PW speakers. Though they don’t have much bass and can have a rather blaring sound when turned up loud, they sound decent for background music, podcasts, and radio. They’re also more compact than the other non-powered models we recommend, and they are completely sealed to prevent water from seeping in.
Also great
OSD Audio BTP525
These speakers have Bluetooth and a stereo amp built in, making installation simpler. They sound good, but they won’t play as loudly as our other picks.
The OSD Audio BTP525 speakers are a good choice for someone who needs sound for a small area, as well as for those who want speakers that are very simple to install. All of our other outdoor-speaker picks require complicated installation and wiring, and a separate amplifier. With the BTP525, Bluetooth and a stereo amplifier are built in, so you just have to mount the speakers, run a wire between them, and connect the power supply to the speakers and an outdoor AC outlet. The sound quality is similar to—although not as loud or full as—that of the OSD Audio AP650 pair.
