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We tested two new models from OSD Audio and Dual Electronics, and added the Dual LU53PW as a budget pick.
We love the convenience of portable Bluetooth speakers. But for those who want a more permanent—and higher-quality—outdoor audio solution 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 tolerate harsh weather and ward off invasion by bugs and dust.
Figuring that most people don’t want to spend much on backyard sound, we focused on models costing less than $300 per pair.
We listened to these speakers in a real backyard, the same way you’d be likely to use them at home.
Many outdoor speaker brands are sold only through audio/video installers. We tested only models you can purchase online.
All of the models we recommend are designed to withstand several seasons of rain, snow, heat, and errant hose blasts.
The AP650 speakers have a clear, full sound that works well for any type of music. And they don't have any ports that allow in water or 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 a pair. And they have a full, powerful sound that can easily fill an outdoor space, up to about 1,500 square feet. The AP650 speakers have enough bass for R&B, hip-hop, and rock music. And they don’t need a lot of power to deliver loud volumes, so you can pair them with a small amplifier. Because they have a fully sealed design, there’s no concern about water, dust, or bugs getting in. This pair is also better made than most under-$200 outdoor speakers, with a thicker enclosure and a sturdy, powder-coated mounting bracket.
The NS-AW294 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, causing 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.
The IO8XTB speaker sounds clearer than our less-pricey picks, and it produces a lot more bass.
*At the time of publishing, the price was $170.
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 clearer and smoother in the midrange and treble. Whether you listen to hip-hop, rock, folk, or classical, you’ll appreciate the improvement.
The LU53PW is a compact, affordable choice that is completely sealed, but this pair doesn’t have as much bass and doesn’t sound as good at very loud volumes.
Those who just want to listen to light music in the backyard, and 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 internet 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.
The BTP525 speakers have Bluetooth and a stereo amp built in, making installation much simpler. They sound good, but they won’t fill as large an area as our other picks.
The OSD Audio BTP525 speakers are a good choice for someone who needs sound only for, say, a small patio, and for someone who wants speakers that are very simple to install. All of our other outdoor-speaker picks are of the conventional, non-amplified type—they can fill a yard with full, robust sound, but they require complicated installation and wiring. With the BTP525, the amplifiers are built in, and the power supply is waterproof. 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 built-in Bluetooth receiver allows you to wirelessly stream audio from smartphones and tablets, and the sound quality is similar to—although not as loud or full as—that of the OSD Audio AP650 pair.
The AP650 speakers have a clear, full sound that works well for any type of music. And they don't have any ports that allow in water or bugs.
The NS-AW294 speakers deliver full sound, but they’re not the best choice for places that experience severe weather.
The IO8XTB speaker sounds clearer than our less-pricey picks, and it produces a lot more bass.
*At the time of publishing, the price was $170.
The LU53PW is a compact, affordable choice that is completely sealed, but this pair doesn’t have as much bass and doesn’t sound as good at very loud volumes.
The BTP525 speakers have Bluetooth and a stereo amp built in, making installation much simpler. They sound good, but they won’t fill as large an area as our other picks.
I can confidently state that I’ve reviewed more passive (that is, non-amplified and non-Bluetooth) outdoor speakers than all other audio journalists in the world combined—a fact that says much less about me than it does about the almost total lack of attention these speakers get from audio publications. My outdoor-speaker testing experience includes numerous single-product reviews and seven multi-product shootouts: one for Home Theater magazine, one for Home Entertainment magazine, one for Sound & Vision, and four for Wirecutter. I custom-built an audio switcher specifically to do brand-concealed testing. And, perhaps most important, I have a backyard—and I’m not afraid to use it.
In addition to performing my own brand-concealed listening tests, I’ve also recruited help from several other listeners during the years-long evolution of this article. They include Lauren Dragan, Wirecutter senior staff writer and headphones expert (who has also written audio reviews for Sound & Vision magazine and has a bachelor’s degree in both music performance and audio production from Ithaca College), and writer Daniel Varghese.
These speakers are for people who are fortunate enough to have an outdoor space to call their own—be it a small patio or a full backyard—and who like to listen to music or podcasts. The speakers are weather-resistant, so in most cases you can leave them mounted outside for years without having to worry about them malfunctioning due to water damage. (They may not survive severe weather like hurricanes, and a few models will admit water under certain conditions.) These speakers have metal grilles and fairly rugged plastic enclosures. So they’ll usually survive any impact from errant volleyballs, and bugs will find it difficult or impossible to nest inside them. And most of them are powered off of a separate amplifier, so they don’t need to be plugged in or recharged—but you will need to run speaker wire.
Outdoor speakers rarely sound as good as a decent set of bookshelf speakers designed for indoor use. The plastic enclosures of outdoor speakers tend to vibrate and produce a boomy sound, and the perforated metal grilles tend to block or reflect some of the sound waves coming from the speaker drivers. I also suspect that since manufacturers know their outdoor speakers are unlikely to undergo heavy scrutiny, they don’t put as much work into these designs as they do into their indoor models.
Because you have to run speaker cable from an amplifier to the speaker, setting up a traditional pair of passive (non-amplified) outdoor speakers does require more skill and effort than just plopping a portable Bluetooth speaker on your patio table. You can power the speakers off of an existing home-theater receiver, if you have a couple of unused amplifier channels. Most stereo receivers have a “speakers A/B” button that lets you route the sound to a second set of speakers, or you can use an inexpensive speaker switcher. You can also use an inexpensive stereo mini amplifier from a brand such as Fosi Audio or Loxjie. Add a Bluetooth adapter (or buy an amp with Bluetooth built in), and you can easily source digital music files, online streaming audio services, and podcasts from a smartphone, tablet, or Bluetooth-equipped computer (as long as you keep the Bluetooth adapter close to where you’re sitting outdoors—typically 15 to 30 feet max).
You will have to keep the amplifier indoors and run the wires through your walls or attic to the outside of the house. Obviously, this operation requires a certain amount of skill and experience. Most localities allow running low-voltage (namely, audio, video, and networking) cables through walls without a permit, but you should check your local building codes to confirm. Be sure to use CL2- or CL3-rated cables, which are fire-rated for safety.
The Sony STR-DH190 stereo receiver is a great way to start an affordable traditional stereo system, especially if you’re into vinyl.
If you’re looking to build a compact, affordable stereo system, we like the Fosi Audio BT20A mini stereo amplifier for its combination of power and features.
An alternative to all that complexity would be to get a set of outdoor speakers with amplifiers and Bluetooth built in. With this option, the only wires you have to run are the cable between the two speakers and the connection to the power supply. You’ll need a nearby outdoor AC outlet, and you’ll probably prefer to unplug the power supply when the speakers aren’t in use.
Another alternative is having a waterproof portable Bluetooth speaker large enough to fill your backyard (or at least your patio) with sound. You can find these in our best portable Bluetooth speakers guide.
The outdoor-speaker industry moves a lot slower than most of the audio industry—it’s common for a model to stay on sale for many years. In fact, many speakers we tested years ago for this guide are still available. However, the growth of highly price-competitive vendors—such as Dayton Audio, OSD, and Monoprice—has greatly expanded the number of models.
Here are the criteria we kept in mind when deciding which models to test:
I started the testing process by breaking in every speaker with music played at a moderately loud volume for 10 hours. I then listened to all of them in my backyard over a couple of days. If any speaker exhibited severe anomalies—such as distortion in deep bass notes or harsh treble that made voices sound grating—I eliminated it, knowing it would have no chance of becoming a top pick.
Next, we conducted some brand-concealed tests with three speakers at a time, using an Audio by Van Alstine AVA ABX remote-controlled switcher and Outlaw Audio Model 2200 amplifiers. We mounted the speakers side by side on large wood panels attached to the walls of the house, covered the speakers with thin black fabric, and used the AVA ABX to match the levels of the speakers to within about ±0.3 decibels and select among them.
The AP650 speakers have a clear, full sound that works well for any type of music. And they don't have any ports that allow in water or bugs.
The OSD Audio AP650 speakers are the best outdoor pair because they’re rugged and fully sealed against weather and insects, they sound good, and they’re reasonably priced. This pair has a 6½-inch woofer for bass and midrange frequencies and a 1-inch silk-dome tweeter for the treble. The mounting bracket is powder-coated for durability and offers more range of adjustment than those of most competitors. You can hang a pair (or several pairs) of these speakers outdoors and play whatever music you like, and they’ll sound pretty good.
Our listening-test panelists Lauren Dragan and Daniel Varghese both picked the AP650 speakers as the clear favorite of all the ones we tested, largely because they delivered a more even balance of bass, midrange, and treble than the other speakers. Bass and kick drum, sax and vocals, and cymbals and acoustic guitars all came across about even, and no instrument drowned out the others. Daniel said, “It’s the only one that had a mix of all the things I wanted to hear.” Lauren agreed: “In general, every range of audio is at least represented in some way.”
That balance wasn’t perfect, though. We all found the midrange and treble to be a little boosted and coarse-sounding, which Daniel aptly described as making voices sound “scratchy.” But for an affordable outdoor speaker pair, these are pretty great. In fact, the only outdoor speakers we’ve encountered that clearly sound better than the AP650 set are our upgrade pick, the Dayton Audio IO8XTB, and the NHT O2-ARC, discussed in the Competition section.
The AP650 speakers are built to the quality standards of more-costly models. The mounting bracket is curved and made with folded edges, which should make it stiffer, and it’s powder-coated, so the finish shouldn’t flake off (as happens on some inexpensive outdoor speakers). These speakers swivel back and forth, and they can also tilt up or down, plus or minus 25 degrees, thanks to a series of holes drilled in the brackets. This feature will come in handy if you have to mount your AP650 speakers high on an exterior wall.
The binding posts for the speaker cables are what I consider to be the best type for outdoor speakers: heavy-duty, spring-loaded, push-button binding posts. In my experience, this type provides a more reliable connection than the five-way binding posts found on many outdoor speakers (and most indoor speakers). OSD also provides a snap-on cover to help prevent water from dripping into the speaker connections. A 70-volt version of the AP650 is available for an extra $10 to $15 a pair; this option is useful if you want to string perhaps a dozen AP650 speakers around your yard, but it requires a special 70-volt amplifier.
Because the AP650 speakers are a sealed design, you don’t need to worry about water, dust, or bugs getting inside. Severe rainstorms are a once-a-decade occurrence at my Southern California home. But I did try blasting an AP650 speaker with a hose, and the speaker survived just fine. Unlike most outdoor speakers, the AP650 carries an IP (Ingress Protection) rating of IPX6, which means it can withstand powerful jets of water.
The NS-AW294 speakers deliver full sound, but they’re not the best choice for places that experience severe weather.
The Yamaha NS-AW294 speakers are not built as well as the OSD AP650 pair, but they usually cost about $20 to $30 less and sound almost as good. Our panelists all considered the NS-AW294 pair to be a good deal compared with most of the other speakers we tested. Their styling is arguably a little nicer and less generic-looking than that of many competitors—right down to the swiveling logo, which can adapt to horizontal or vertical positioning.
Compared with that of the AP650 pair, the NS-AW294 speakers’ sound was nice, but not as robust in our tests. The NS-AW294 speakers had a decent amount of bass, and the fidelity of the bass was pretty good. “The lows have an actual pitch to them, not just a boom,” Lauren noted. The NS-AW294 put a mild emphasis on the treble, which added emphasis to cymbals, violins, and acoustic guitar and also made voices sound slightly thin. But that same character also seemed to give the speakers a more spacious sound, something Lauren and I both noted.
Even though the NS-AW294 speakers are about 38% bigger than our top pick, they’re 34% lighter, largely because their plastic cabinet walls are much thinner. The speaker’s bracket has a powder-coated finish that should survive longer outdoors than the painted finish found on many inexpensive models. These NS-AW294 speakers can’t tilt vertically like the AP650 speakers can, but that feature is an advantage only in a few relatively rare situations. The NS-AW294 speakers have spring-loaded speaker cable terminals, but they’re of the cheap plastic variety and require a very firm push to open all the way.
The only major downside to the NS-AW294 speaker is it’s a ported design, which means water might get in and damage the speaker—though the small grille at the end of the port should prevent anything larger than a few millimeters across from getting in. I tried blasting the speaker’s front grille with a garden hose for about 6 seconds, and when I shook the speaker around, I could hear that a couple ounces of water had gotten in. However, a direct hose blast is a worst-case scenario for most outdoor speaker installations, and small amounts of water will eventually evaporate. Still, if you live in a climate where heavy, windy thunderstorms are frequent, you might want to spend the extra money for our top pick. If you do choose the NS-AW294 pair for this type of climate, be sure to mount them under eaves where they won’t be subjected to the direct force of thunderstorms.
Also, we noticed a couple of complaints on Amazon about the grilles on the white version rusting, so it might be wiser to choose the black speakers for harsher climates.
The IO8XTB speaker sounds clearer than our less-pricey picks, and it produces a lot more bass.
*At the time of publishing, the price was $170.
Listening tests of outdoor speakers are usually like taste tests of under-$3 wine—one hopes for transcendence but is wise to keep expectations low. That’s why it was such a delight to find the Dayton Audio IO8XTB. The IO8XTB speaker has the same smooth, natural sound with voices that you can expect from a good indoor bookshelf speaker, but that almost no outdoor speaker can deliver. This model also has a lot more bass than most outdoor speakers, and the bass blends well with the rest of the speaker’s sound. The only downside is that the IO8XTB is big, at 15 inches high and twice the physical volume of the OSD AP650. (If you prefer a white finish, look for model number IO8XTW.)
The IO8XTB’s quality comes largely from its 8-inch woofer, compared with 6½-inch woofers used in the OSD AP650 and Yamaha NS-AW294 speakers. On the back of the IO8XTB speaker there’s a bass-boosting passive radiator, which is essentially a woofer that just resonates instead of being powered by an amplifier. There’s also a 1-inch tweeter for high frequencies, and the speaker drivers work together flawlessly, so the IO8XTB exhibits none of the sibilance (hissiness) or rough sound on voices that’s typical of outdoor speakers. And, also unlike most outdoor models, the IO8XTB can play loud, deep bass notes from hip-hop and EDM tunes without distorting. I found that a pair of them could easily fill my 1,800-square-foot suburban backyard with loud, clear sound.
The use of a passive radiator instead of a bass port allows the speaker to be completely sealed, so there’s no worry about water getting in. In fact, the IO8XTB is IP66-rated, which means it’s dustproof and can tolerate direct blasts from a hose. A switch, concealed by a plastic panel, lets you use the IO8XTB with a 70- or 100-volt audio system. So you can drive large groups of speakers with a single amplifier, but this requires an amp designed for that purpose.
The IO8XTB uses a standard mounting bracket, so it attaches easily to a wall or under eaves. The bracket doesn’t seem as sturdy as the one that comes with the OSD AP650, and we worry that it might sag a little after a few years. But that’s no disaster—it has happened with some other outdoor models we’ve used over the years. The spring-loaded binding posts are sturdy and secure, but they are placed in a way that makes attaching the speaker cables difficult. However, that’s likely a one-time task.
The IO8XTB is also a huge speaker, measuring 15 inches high (or long, depending how you mount it) and weighing 10.8 pounds, so it may look obtrusive in some settings. It’s available in black or white, which may help it blend in better. There’s one real downside, but it’s aesthetic rather than functional: This speaker’s grille dents fairly easily, which is true of most outdoor speakers’ grilles. But unlike most speakers’ grilles, the IO8XTB’s can’t be removed easily. So if you try to pull the grille to pop a dent out, you may end up putting more dents in it.
The LU53PW is a compact, affordable choice that is completely sealed, but this pair doesn’t have as much bass and doesn’t sound as good at very loud volumes.
Oftentimes when people are entertaining outdoors, they’re focused on something other than music—so it’s understandable if they want to spend the bare minimum on a set of outdoor speakers. The Dual Electronics LU53PW speakers seem designed specifically to meet that need. They’re compact and fairly well built for the price, and they have no ports that might allow water and bugs to enter. They don’t sound as full and satisfying as our top pick, the OSD Audio AP650, and they emphasize voices too much. But for casual backyard listening, this set is a good buy.
Like the Dayton Audio B652—the budget pick in our Best Bookshelf Speakers guide and a longtime favorite of price-conscious audio enthusiasts—the LU53PW won’t amaze anyone with its sound quality. But it’s better than anything else we’ve tried in the mid-double-digits price range, and its flaws aren’t readily apparent when it’s used for background music. It has a 5¼-inch woofer that produces scant deep bass; as a result, the sound can be a bit thin. It can also sound harsh if you crank it up because the speaker emphasizes midrange (i.e., voices) too much; even a smooth-voiced singer like James Taylor may sound like they have a cold. However, in our tests, the speaker didn’t distort when asked to play hip-hop and heavy rock, which is something few cheap speakers can claim. And at lower volumes the differences in our brand-concealed tests between the Dayton AP650 and the LU53PW weren’t that apparent except in the bass. So as long as the volume doesn’t get too much above background-listening level, the LU53PW works fine. Yet those wanting to create more of a party atmosphere out back would be better off with the OSD AP650 or the Dayton Audio IO8XTB.
The Amazon page for the LU53PW says it has a 1.6-inch midrange driver and a ¾-inch tweeter. However, the one we ordered from Amazon has what appears to be a 1-inch tweeter with a ½-inch “supertweeter” that covers super-high frequencies of sound beyond the range in which the human ear is most sensitive. We haven’t heard the version with the midrange driver, so it’s best that we don’t speculate on its sound quality.
Despite the low price, the LU53PW speakers seem pretty rugged. There are no ports that might permit water or bugs to enter, and the powder-coated, stamped-metal mounting brackets seem plenty strong enough to support a speaker of this size and weight. Soaking an LU53PW with a garden hose seemed to have no effect on its performance. The back panel has two ¼-20 threaded sockets for use with gimbal mounts.
A standard set of metal binding posts is provided to connect the speaker cables. A version with a black cabinet and grille, the LU53PB, is also available; inexplicably it cost about $10 more than the white version as of this writing. Unlike most other outdoor speakers, the LU53PW has tiny feet on the bottom that allow it to rest on a shelf or stand if you choose not to mount it.
The BTP525 speakers have Bluetooth and a stereo amp built in, making installation much simpler. They sound good, but they won’t fill as large an area as our other picks.
Many people would probably be more willing to eat live crickets than they would be to drill a hole in the side of their house. Yet that’s exactly what most installations of passive outdoor speakers require. And it’s what you’ll have to do if you want powerful, yard-filling sound. But if you’re just looking to do some light listening on the patio, the OSD Audio BTP525 speakers can give you that, without the need for surgical alterations to your home’s exterior. The BTP525 speakers have a Bluetooth receiver and amplifiers built in, and they include a waterproof power supply. In most cases, each should take only about 15 minutes to install. These speakers won’t play as loudly or sound as full as most of our other picks, but they will sound more robust than most portable Bluetooth speakers. And they deliver true stereo sound.
The BTP525 speakers have a pretty smooth sound, especially for the price. Their sound is actually better than that of computer speakers we’ve listened to in this price range. The response of the 5¼-inch woofer and 1-inch tweeter is tailored so there are none of the peaks and dips in response that make voices sound harsh, sibilant, or boomy. The BTP525 is a small speaker with a smaller woofer than on our other picks, and we did find ourselves pining for more bass sometimes (weirdly, Led Zeppelin sounded thin, but Aerosmith didn’t). However, when we played hip-hop tunes at full blast, the bass didn’t distort, and voices still sounded clear—which is not the case with many speakers we’ve tested that use 5¼-inch or smaller woofers.
A larger version, the BTP650, is also available; this speaker is basically a Bluetooth version of our top pick, the OSD AP650. The BTP650 speakers have a fuller, bassier sound, but they’re larger and (the last time we looked) cost nearly 60% more than the BTP525, which is a big price jump. We’re guessing that those looking for a quick, simple solution to outdoor sound for a small patio would probably want the less-expensive solution. But if you’re going to play your system loud, and you like R&B, rock and hip-hop, go for the BTP650 pair.
Installation is simple. Just screw the brackets into the wall (easy with wood siding, eaves, or a fence post; masonry requires special drill bits and screws), connect the power supply, connect the supplied cable between the two speakers, and plug in the system.
Bluetooth mating was easy with my Samsung phone. When I got a phone call, I put in my Jabra earbuds, and the phone switched over automatically; it automatically switched back to the speakers when I was done. The Bluetooth connection is always available, as long as the speakers are powered on. I got about 80 feet of range through one window—the same method we use to test Bluetooth range on portable speakers. Perhaps more to the point, I had to go all the way to the other end of the house, with at least four walls separating my phone and the speakers, before I heard dropouts.
The power supply is IP67-rated, so there should be no danger if it gets wet. However, when you plug it into an AC outlet, that connection will be vulnerable if it’s exposed to the elements. So you can’t leave this system plugged in all the time if there’s a chance the AC outlet could get splashed or hit with rain. The speaker itself does not carry an IP rating, but it’s a sealed design and should be about as water-resistant as a typical passive outdoor speaker.
The Amazon page for the BTP525 also lists rock- and planter-shaped Bluetooth outdoor speakers. And the Amazon reviews show numerous complaints about the Bluetooth range and manufacturing quality of those models. We have not experienced these problems with the BTP650 or the BTP525. In fact, the BTP650 has been in continuous use in the backyard of a Wirecutter staffer for more than a year, and it’s still running perfectly—but they’re located in Los Angeles. Like all outdoor speakers, these may not last as long in harsher climates.
If you want outdoor speakers that can be hung overhead or staked into the ground: Consider a set of pendant-style outdoor speakers. They’re designed either to hang from a cable (in which case they point downward) or to be staked into the ground (in which case they point forward, presumably at the listener). We tested the Dayton Audio WP65BT and the OSD Audio Forza5 and Forza6, and we found that the WP65BT and the Forza6 looked and sounded the same. Both sounded good when they were hanging from my eaves, and they have enough bass that they don’t really need a subwoofer. They seem to emphasize midrange sounds, such as voices. The Forza5 didn’t sound as good; it seemed to cover up the sounds of voices to some extent, and it made them sound coarse.
When I tried mounting these speakers near the ground, facing me, the sound was somewhat glaring. However, OSD sent along the Forza10 passive subwoofer, which connects between an amplifier and the speakers. With the subwoofer connected to the forward-facing Forza6 or WP65BT, the subwoofer’s deep bass better balanced out the sound. And I got a big, yard-filling sound that would be perfect for parties—although at a total cost of close to $400.
So if you find the pendant style appealing, and the speakers will hang down, the Dayton WP65BT and the OSD Forza6 are both recommended. If you want speakers you can stake to the ground and hide in the landscaping, we recommend adding the Forza10 subwoofer (or the Dayton Audio IOSUB, which appears to be identical).
We have evaluated numerous outdoor speakers in the course of several comparison tests conducted for Wirecutter and other publications. Although many of them fell far short of our top picks in performance, some of them are viable options. Here are the outdoor speakers we’ve tried (plus a few more that we researched but decided against testing), with brief explanations about why we didn’t pick them.
BIC Adatto DV52si: These little indoor/outdoor speakers offered clear-sounding reproduction of voices and most instruments, but our panel deemed their bass output inadequate.
Dayton Audio IO65XT: This is the smaller version of our upgrade pick, the IO8XTB. Although it’s only about half the price of the IO8XTB it’s just an average performer in its price range; the bass sounds somewhat bloated, and voices can sound a little rough.
Definitive Technology AW5500: We generally liked the AW5500, but we found its midrange-heavy sound rather unengaging.
Klipsch AW-525: We found the treble of the AW-525 pair exceptionally clear, but we thought it overpowered the midrange and the bass, making the sound somewhat thin.
Klipsch CP-6: The CP-6 speakers didn’t make the final testing round; I thought their bass sounded bloated and boomy, and their treble came across too sizzly and harsh.
MartinLogan ML45WH: These little speakers offered wonderfully clear reproduction of voices and most instruments, but their bass distorted.
Monitor Audio Climate 60: Although the Climate 60 is a beautifully designed speaker, its midrange didn’t sound very smooth, and it needed more bass.
Monoprice 13614: We found these speakers to have an extremely bright and blaring sound.
NHT O2-ARC: We think the O2-ARC is one of the few expensive outdoor speakers that deliver a clear advantage over budget models. It’s very well made, and in our tests it sounded like a good indoor speaker. It’s comparable to our upgrade pick, but its availability is inconsistent.
NXG NX-WRW-6W: On Amazon, this inexpensive weatherproof Bluetooth system has too many complaints about the quality.
OSD Audio AP450: This model is extremely compact and one of the least expensive outdoor speakers we’ve found, but its sound is harsh, and it has very little bass.
OSD Audio AP640: This inexpensive model didn’t fare well in our panel tests—it didn’t produce enough bass, and the balance of bass to midrange to treble sounded skewed.
OSD Audio AP670: This is a former top pick, but our panelists decided that the AP650 outperformed it and was much more well made.
OSD Audio AP840: I liked the AP840 for its big, powerful sound, but two of our panelists thought the bass obscured voices.
OSD Audio AP850: This big speaker sounded way too bassy to most of our panelists.
Polk Audio Atrium4: The Atrium4 sounded too midrange-heavy to our panelists, making voices and many instruments sound blaring.
Polk Audio Patio 200: This compact speaker didn’t deliver enough bass to please our panelists; they thought it made voices sound somewhat shrill.
Pyle PDWR54BT: This Bluetooth stereo system has some complaints about quality on Amazon, and we think it’s a bad idea for a Bluetooth model with internal electronics to use a ported cabinet that could let water in.
Yamaha NS-AW390: This former top pick is good, and it’s still for sale even though it’s been replaced by new models. But our current picks (and our previous top pick, the Dayton Audio IO655) sounded better in tests.
Brent Butterworth is a senior staff writer covering audio and musical instruments at Wirecutter. Since 1989, he has served as an editor or writer on audio-focused websites and magazines such as Home Theater, Sound & Vision, SoundStage, and JazzTimes. He regularly gigs on double bass (and occasionally ukulele) with Los Angeles–area jazz groups.
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