Setting up a backyard home theater offers all sorts of possibilities for some great entertainment and fun nights outside with your family and friends.
However, after you have purchased your projector, you then need to decide on speakers!
The Best Outdoor Projector Speakers
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So, let’s start with some recommendations that will give you a rich sound quality at an affordable price.
Top Pick: Bose S1 Pro
The Bose S1 portable Bluetooth is a speaker system to be reckoned with for sound quality.
Bose does what Bose does best, and that’s making high-end quality speakers. Bose S1 portable will give you a rich quality and fill your backyard movie theater with theater-like sounds.
You can experience the base quality needed for action movies while still enjoying the dialogue with crystal clear sound quality being delivered.
What else makes the Bose S1 a good choice?
The S1 has Bluetooth connectivity and can be paired easily with your projector or laptop.
No trailing wires from the speakers make for a safer environment and professional-looking installation.
The speakers are complete with sensors to deliver optimal sound quality.
The lithium-ion batteries pack a punch and deliver up to 11 hours of continual use, which is enough to get your home outdoor movie setup rocking.
The speakers are black and rugged, and aesthetically pleasing.
The speakers are entirely portable and come with a handy carry backpack.
Best Portable: JBL Boombox
If you are watching action movies, then consider the JBL Boombox. This Bluetooth speaker delivers big on sound quality and is an excellent choice for the home outdoor movie theater.
Ease to pair to your projector or laptop and has a massive 24 hours of playtime between battery charges.
IPX7 means the JBL is waterproof, and if you get caught in the rain deluge, your speaker will not be damaged.
A great speaker from a well-respected audio company.
Best Budget: OontZ Angle 3
The oontz is designed and engineered by Cambridge Sound works in the US. This funky speaker delivers impressive sound quality and is designed to provide crystal clear sound across all sound frequencies.
Incredible bass is delivered, given the size of this 3-way speaker.
If you’re looking to overcome noise pollution, then look no further. The Oontz is surprisingly loud with a 10+ watt power AMP. No distortion, just crystal clear sound.
If you hate cables, you won’t be disappointed with the Oontz incredible 100 feet Bluetooth range.
The Oontz Angle 3 is well worth looking at, and it could be a top contender for delivering quality sound.
Best Mounted: Polk Audio Atrium 5 Outdoor Speakers
If you are looking for style and quality, then Polk Audio delivers on all fronts. Polk has been manufacturing quality speakers for decades.
As you would expect from Polk Audio, the Atrium 5 delivers clarity that only other speakers could aspire to.
This purpose-designed outdoor speaker has some unique features, such as the speed lock mounting system. Not to mention that this Polk speaker system is highly durable and can take some punishment.
A natural outdoor speaker that will stand the test of time.
There is only one slight negative to this outdoor speaker, and it’s not Bluetooth, so you will need to run audio cables.
The upside to that statement is that the Polk Atrium is an outdoor speaker and can be left in the elements once installed. It has won the outdoor speaker certification.
Best Hidden: Klipsch AWR-650-SM Indoor/Outdoor Speaker
If you like your speakers to blend in with the surroundings, you may consider the Klipsch AWR-SM.
These unique speakers look like they are mounted into rock. You have the choice of Granite appearance or sandstone.
It’s a wired system so consider this a more permanent solution for your speaker set up for the summer season.
The Klipsch delivers good sound quality for its price range and has some decent speakers.
The Klipsch AWR-650-SM is more than a novelty speaker, and if you have rocks in your backyard, it will fit in perfectly!
What Features to Look Out for When Choosing a Speaker?
Your outdoor projector will likely already have built-in speakers, but you can be assured they will not give you the experience you are looking for from an audio system to watch a movie when outdoors.
You will need to overcome noise pollution such as chatter and maybe some traffic noise. You may have to overcome the noise of a blower if you have an inflatable movie screen.
So your speakers will need to be of reasonable quality and specification to provide you with decent sound quality.
How to Create the Perfect Backyard Movie Theater
Everything starts with the basics, and backyard movie theaters are the same.
You will need a decent projector. Many small portable projectors are adequate, but before you buy, discuss lumens with your supplier. Lumens is how crisp the image will be on the screen at a given ambient light level.
If you wish to show movies at dusk, then Lumens will be necessary to you.
You will need a screen. You can choose a popular portable inflatable screen for convenience but remember you will have the fan’s noise to overcome with your sound system.
A video source and cables to connect to the projector. You can use a laptop or USB, whichever is best for you.
Last but not least, a decent speaker system to deliver sound to the audience. Don’t be tempted to rely on the speakers built -into your projector. They are acceptable for indoor use, but the sound quality will be away outdoors, and your experience will be lackluster.
What Speakers Can you Connect to a Projector?
If your projector has Bluetooth capability, you should be able to pair Bluetooth speakers with relative ease. Most Bluetooth speakers have a reasonable range and are suitable for backyard movie theaters.
It is possible to upgrade older projectors to Bluetooth with the use of a Bluetooth gadget!
However, if your projector is older, it is probably best to use a 3.5 mm audio cable. This will provide good results, although you have the hassle of trailing a cable.
Do Speakers for Projectors Offer Excellent Sound Quality?
Well, yes and no. It all depends on your budget and what you want to achieve. There are no natural limitations to the speakers you can use in your backyard home theater.
At this point, it’s worth saying to forget what the manufacturer of your projector says about the built-in speakers. Why? Because they are only good when viewing a movie indoors with no noise pollution and the sound can be reflected off the walls.
The wattage may be high but, they will not be brave enough for outdoor use.
There are some pretty good outdoor speakers on the market at a reasonable price to give you good sound quality and make your movie night memorable.
Why do you Need High-Quality Speakers for Projectors?
If you use anything less than high-quality speakers, you could compromise your movie night experience.
Let me explain further.
Not all speakers are made the same, and when you view a movie in your backyard, you will need to overcome certain things, such as noise pollution.
Even without noise pollution, a mediocre outdoor speaker will provide you with a mediocre movie experience.
Good quality outdoor speakers are designed to give a rich sound that is audible to all the viewers.
Your speakers will be cranked up if you are trying to overcome noise pollution, so the last thing you need is sound distortion from a mediocre speaker.
What to Look for in a Bluetooth Speaker for Outdoor Movies
You have to admit that purchasing Bluetooth speakers do sound very convenient and less hassle than running cables.
Before you go ahead and jump in with Bluetooth, you will need to check how far the Bluetooth signal will travel. In most cases, it’s not a problem for your backyard, but plot where your speakers will be located and be sure they are in the Bluetooth signal range.
Multiple speakers can be a challenge to pair, and if you’re not a tech type person, you may need to enroll in some help the first time you pair your speakers.
Consider the battery life. Bluetooth speakers are powered off batteries/ The batteries usually have a decent cycle of more than 12 hours.
However, if you have not charged the batteries after the last use, then your movie night could be a flop!
How Often Will You Be Using the Speakers and Where?
This is something you need to consider. If you use your speakers infrequently, then Bluetooth is the way to go.
Bluetooth will relieve you from the task of needing to run cables around your backyard.
You will also need to consider the security of your backyard if you decide to use permanently fixed speakers. It may seem like a great option, but are you inviting problems from opportunists?
However, don’t discount Bluetooth speakers if you use your outdoor movie theater often through the summer months.
Bluetooth speakers have a lot to offer and not so many drawbacks, the sound quality is superb, and they are well worth considering.
If you plan to be mobile with your outdoor movie projector setup, then Bluetooth is the only real option for you.
If you are sure you will be using your outdoor movie theater in one location throughout the summer, it makes sense to look at more permanent speaker solutions.
There are speakers on the market that will take a lot of abuse from the elements and can safely be left outdoors in the rain without damaging the speakers.
There are some merits to using a permanently connected speaker system, such as the setup speed for each outdoor movie night you decide to host.
What is the Right Type of Projector Speaker for you?
There are factors you need to consider, such as what you want to achieve. Do you want to entertain the kids at a party or provide movies for you and your friend to watch through the night?
The type of viewing you will be doing impacts the type of speakers you choose for your outdoor movie theater.
How large is your party going to be? If you are having a large gathering of friends, you need to consider that not everyone will be silent throughout the movie.
You need to expect chatter and will need a speaker system to overcome the background noise. For smaller parties, it’s not an issue, but you need to be aware of the problems you could face when throwing larger parties.
If budget is no object, then decide if you want portable or fixed speakers. Both provide convenience and excellent sound quality, but if you will move around to your friends for the next event, then Bluetooth is the best option.
If you need to overcome noise pollution, lower quality speakers will be compromised, and the whole experience will lose some of its impact on your guests.
What’s right for you? A lot is based on personal preferences, but outdoor movies can be a fantastic experience or a complete flop depending on sound quality.
Conclusion
Choosing the best speaker system for you can be a minefield, so buy the best speakers you can afford.
If you have a decent projector that is up to date, pairing speakers is relatively easy and can be completed with essential knowledge and an instruction manual.
Speakers and sound quality could make or break your outdoor home movie theater, so choose wisely from the vast choice on offer.
Buying online from reputable companies is a good option. The descriptions of the product are accurate, and you can get the speakers delivered to your door.