The great outdoors presents a different listening environment than your typical room. Inside your home, there are walls to reinforce low-frequency response and reflect and contain sound. Outside, of course, it's wide open, and there's usually much more background noise ? wind, traffic, barking dogs, and even crickets. Below, we'll discuss a few things to take into consideration when shopping for outdoor speakers.

Do they provide enough bass?

The difficult sonic conditions of the outdoors can make music sound thin and diluted. To keep a warm, full-bodied sound, choose outdoor speakers with good low-frequency response that produce enough bass for a satisfying listening experience.

Can they stand up to the elements?

It's also important to consider the durability of a pair of outdoor speakers. All of the outdoor speakers we carry are weather resistant, but some are rigorously tested under extremely difficult environmental conditions. Most manufacturers recommend placing or mounting them in a protected location under cover for best results and a longer life. Beneath a porch roof or an eave works well.

Some models, however, are built extra tough for placement in exposed outdoor locations. To be sure you're getting speakers that can handle a direct assault from the elements, check the detailed product information on Crutchfield.com or give us a call.

Placement tips

Here are a few placement tips that should increase the performance of any outdoor speaker you buy:

• The higher you mount your speakers, the greater the sound projection, and the farther away you will get good sound.
• Placing your speakers near a wall or other solid surface improves bass output.
• If it is necessary to mount one or both speakers in an exposed location, make sure you choose speakers that are rated for extreme conditions. Also, when mounting the speakers, tilt the speakers so the cones face slightly down for drainage.

Experiment with placement before permanently mounting the speakers. Place the speakers in a likely location, and walk around to determine how well the sound travels throughout the listening area. Once you are satisfied, it's time to mount the speakers.

Mounting your outdoor speakers

After determining the ideal spot for your speakers (hopefully with some overhead protection from the elements), it's time to mount them. Most of the outdoor speakers we carry include mounting brackets, and you'll want to follow the included instructions to make sure they are properly secured.

We've found that it is best to mount your speakers to a solid wood or masonry surface. We do not recommend attaching your speakers directly to aluminum or cedar sidings; they may not be strong enough to support the weight of your speakers.

For a closer look at mounting outdoor speakers, check out our Outdoor Speakers Installation Video.

Speaker wire

You will need to run speaker wire through your walls to get the sound from your stereo to your outdoor speakers. Here are a few recommendations for running wire to your outdoor speakers that should simplify the installation process and save you maintenance time down the road:

• Speaker wire should be run through your walls and not sent out through a door or window jamb, as it is possible to crimp the cable and cause a short.
• Determine the cable's path, especially wall entry and exit points, and measure the path as precisely as you can. Add 10-15% of that length to your total measurement to give you some play when you install the cables.
• We recommend that you use speaker cable that complies with the national electrical code for in-wall installation. These types of wire come with a smooth casing that makes it easy to run through walls and other tight places. Plus, the casing stands up well against climate changes.
• Bring the speaker cable through the exterior wall very close to each speaker location. The less speaker wire you use outside your house, the better.
• No matter where your speaker wire will exit your house, the hole will need to be sealed with silicone or another appropriate sealant for insulation and as an insect barrier.
• If your speakers have binding posts that accept spade connectors, pins or banana plugs, we recommend them over bare wire connections. You'll find that Crutchfield has a good selection of high-quality speaker cable connectors.