Decent cheap outdoor speakers?

jimmylee123

I am looking to get a decent set of outdoor speakers for my patio. I am not having the best of luck with Bluetooth speakers so, I am pretty turned off by them. Any thoughts on a good bang for the buck outdoor pair of speakers?

DaveHo

Define cheap.

rooftop59

And is the patio covered? I have a small (maybe 10x6) covered part of my patio, and I have only used indoor speakers mounted up in the corners next to the indoor wall, well protected from rain. Both were used Polks, and the first pair lasted like 5 years, and the second pair are still going strong after 3 years or so. They are Polk RT15is with tri-lam tweeters I dropped in (those came with the silk domes) with a built in mounting bracket. There are several pairs on ebay right now for about $60 shipped. I got both of mine for a little less.

steveinaz

Dayton Audio IO655. Can usually be bought on sale around $89/pr.

These are also a high value set from Yamaha: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0001VGFKW?ref_=pgi_9595jk5blfc9ld66db0iibnj37n6&tag=vzcmapper-us-20&ascsubtag=pgi-P05-V01-05-X92-LO-T1R3AT

Dabutcher

I use JBL Control 25’s. Bought two new sets(four total ) on eBay for $150. Overkill yes , replaced my old set of the same speakers. Sold my used 10 year old set for $75 on CL. They still worked great just dried out looking white from sun and environment. Lots of them on eBay for good prices used?
Good luck. D

CottageChz

I have the Klipsch CP6 outdoor speakers in my sunroom, which is sheltered from the elements, but it gets pretty hot and humid out there, so I didn't want to use indoor speakers. I have been very happy with them. They sound good to me in an environment that is not a critical-listening environment. They're on Crutchfield for $350/pair, but I was able to get them for $210. So maybe they will fit the bill for you, but it depends on how you define cheap.

CottageChz

I should also mention, I use Airplay through an Airport Express connected to the receiver to play music through the CP6s. Got the Airport Express for $30 off Craigslist. Could probably also use an AppleTV, though I haven't tried that personally. If you have a solid wifi connection in that area of the house, Airplay is a decent option instead of Bluetooth, if you're in the Apple/iOS ecosystem.

recoveryone

https://youtu.be/FYFd01ocYOc

kharp1

Bought a pair of the 650's for use at work. They've been great for the money.

https://www.outdoorspeakerdepot.com/patiospeakers.html

jimmylee123

Sorry for the delay, forgot I asked this question

The patio area, concrete pad that is, is 20x20 with a 12x14 gazebo built over a portion of it. I was thinking about hanging them from the soffit overhangs on my house. So if in the gazebo they would be covered from rain and snow, if on the soffit, they may see rain/snow from time to time. I am really looking for something cheap, as in less than 200 a pair, but preferably about half of that and easy to drive. I am looking for something that has a bit of bass, as I am a bit of a bass head. So overall sound quality isn't the issue as long as they're not shrill and have some decent bass response.

Those 650's look nice, anything you can tell me about the way they sound?

tonyb

I have the 650's on my deck and the 670's on the patio under the deck. Bass response at this price point is pretty good. Both my deck and patio area are about 24 by 12 feet each and they blast sound that can be heard by my neighbors 4 houses away.

If you use decent speaker cables to run to them, and decent electronics/power, hard to beat at their price points. I have a 200 watt amp that powers them both, a Grant fidelity tube dac and Sonos. A speaker selector switch to turn on one set, 2, or all 3 sets I have. The 3rd set being inside. I run Audioquest cables to them, pretty good for their price points too but I would have probably preferred to move higher up the chain. My runs are 50ft though to each set of outside speakers and that can get costly.

When I run both sets of outside speakers, It's like a DJ is playing in my yard. Part of the reason everyone wants to have their frickin' weddings at my house. When it's time to party and crank the music and dance, they can. Those little Bluetooth speakers just won't cut it.

jimmylee123

Sweet, I think I'll try the 650s out then. I'll be running them on an older pioneer, that I found thrifting. I picked it up and seemed built like a brick shithouse. Turns out its rated for 125 per channel and I believe it. So seems that would pair pretty nice with them. I'll be doing an a/b speaker config with my garage. Thanks for the info.

steveinaz

I had the 650's a few years ago, let me inject my opinon, as compared to the Dayton IO655 that I currently have; I found the Daytons to have more realistic, less boomy bass, and found the treble to be smoother. Just MY opinion however.

vcwatkins

Probably too late and not very helpful, but here're my experiences:

Longevity: Polk M5 - bought 3 pairs new in '89, these lasted 6 years in saltwater breeze and a hurricane under very small eaves, then in a dusty shop for several years (including destruction of shop in hurricane), then back in salty environment and a couple direct hit hurricanes over several years, and finally the easy life in garage. Had to remove the binding posts on all at some point in their lives and had to replace a pair of rusted brackets, but they still sound great. Good bass response with corner mounting, but lack flexibility in mounting direction. Can be found used for very little money.

Fuller bass and good longevity: Yamaha NS-AW350 - bought pairs in '01ish and '09, these are ridiculously BIG and UGLY (and possibly discontinued now), but 6.5" woofers and large enclosure create (IMO) better bass than all Polks, other Yamahas, DefTech (don't recall model), and Klipsch AW's (never heard CP's). The LF is a tad boxy sounding, but still pleasing with good midrange. Limited mounting options. Can usually be found <$100.

My favorite sound: Yamaha NS-AW570 with a Polk Atrium sub - 6.5 woofer, lesser bass, but less boxy sounding, dual tweeter for better dispersion. Smaller, more attractive box than the AW350. One direction mounting without additional hardware. Dunno re: longevity - bought new in '16.

Most of these have been powered with a Sonance Sonamp 1250 (12x50w@8) bought used here in 2011. Excellent amp to run multiple pairs btw. Parasound powered the Klipsch's and sound was unremarkable. M5's have sounded good with about any amplifier or receiver I threw at them.

Craig

jimmylee123

Hey, nope, not too late. Just wanting you guys' opinions on some outdoor speakers is all. I have not gotten anything yet, so I am still open to suggestions!