There’s no better way to set the scene for a backyard get together than with outdoor speakers and a solid playlist. From pool parties to dinner parties, there’s no shortage of occasions in which your speakers should be performing their best. The key to getting the most out of your outdoor stereo system lies within proper placement, a task that’s easier to pull off than you may think.
Don’t be One-Directional
One of the biggest and most common mistakes made when setting up speakers is placing multiple speakers in a cluster on one side of the space. Crowding these together makes it impossible for sound fill the area while simultaneously blasting anyone sitting next to them with a harsh wall of sound.
Instead, audio experts recommend placing speakers opposite each other, angled towards the center of your chosen area. There should be 10 to 12 feet of space between each speaker with around 12 feet of distance from the speaker to the center of the areas.
Plan Ahead, Way Ahead
If you’re looking to make the most of your outdoor speakers, having a strong plan to work from is crucial. In the weeks leading up to your warm weather get togethers, pull off the chair covers and sit down to dream up the most strategic way to implement speakers into your backyard lifestyle area.
Believe it or not, size actually does matter when it comes to optimal speaker placement. When drawing up your master plans, take the zones of entertainment as well as the overall acreage of your backyard into consideration. One or two speakers will not provide the sound coverage you need for a backyard with both an eating area and a pool. Then you’ll need a multi-speaker setup so everyone gets to enjoy your carefully crafted playlists.
As far as large backyards are concerned, a helpful way of ensuring that your speakers have full sound coverage is by dividing your yard into “zones”. Each of these individual areas, from the living room to the dining area will need to have their own speaker setup tailored to the specific dimensions of the space.
All About That Bass
A huge factor in what separates weak audio output from a strong sound is a good level of bass. One of the simplest ways to amp up bass levels is having surfaces around for sound to bounce off of, such as walls, ceilings, and floors. But in an outdoor setting, finding appropriate surfaces among the chair covers and sectional covers may prove to be somewhat of a challenge.
Thankfully, this is a challenge that’s easily rectified. Mounting speakers under eaves or awnings not only provides an opportunity for bass levels to bloom, but also provides an overhang that can protect your audio accessories from rain, hail, and debris. This protection, much like canopy covers, will give you the peace of mind that your speakers are safe.
Before you decide upon the final placement of each of your speakers, it’s important to do a quick test run. Keep in mind that the higher you mount your speakers, the further distance the sound will reach. Larger areas may benefit from speakers placed higher up for maximum reach.
The trade off, however, is that an increased range will come with a diminished, thinner sounding output. You can strike a balance by mounting speakers at an optimal 10 feet from the ground. This will allow sound to travel a decent distance without having to sacrifice precious audio quality.
Amp It Up
One accessory that’s essential when it comes to utilizing multiple outdoor speakers is a multi-channel amplifier. For every speaker that is added to a circuit, the amplifier is doubly taxed and is put under pressure. For both safety and sound quality, a multi-channel amp designed for audio distribution will be your best choice.
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