A Complete Guide to In-ground Speakers

You've taken the time, energy, and money to spruce up your backyard space to turn it into an oasis for you and your family, but it needs something more. To fully enjoy your backyard, consider adding a sound system, complete with in-ground speakers. A sound system will allow you to sit and chill or turn it up and have some fun, all from the comfort of your own backyard. Here's everything you need to know about in-ground speakers.

What Are In-ground Speakers?

Simply put, in-ground speakers are speakers you'll place in or on the ground around your backyard oasis to create the perfect sound system around the patio or pool. They are built to be weather resistant and durable enough to be left outside regardless of the elements. Another appealing feature of inground speakers is that they often require very little in the means of installation. Many options come with a spike that is pushed into the ground for easy installation, while others simply sit on top of the ground.

To improve your sound experience, consider adding a subwoofer system designed for in-ground use. A subwoofer will greatly enhance the overall quality of your sound system, making a bigger difference than even upgrading your system would.

What Kind of Outdoor In-ground Speaker Is Right For You?

Image via Unsplash by Jennifer Marcus

There are several factors to consider when planning out your backyard sound system and placement of speakers. Everything from budget to space to quality, as well as your plan for using the sound system, should play a part in designing the sound system that's perfect for your backyard.

Budget

Consider adding a sound system to your backyard similar to a home improvement project when it comes to setting a budget. You'll need to take into account your wants and needs and weigh those against the budget you have available for this project. Keep in mind that while it may be faster to go with a cheaper option because anything more would require waiting and saving, you may end up replacing a cheaper system sooner rather than later.

Replacing a system would be counterproductive to your reason for purchasing it in the first place, which is to fit within your allowable budget. Instead, it may be better to plan out everything you want to include and then start saving. You could either purchase pieces of your sound system as you can afford or wait until you have enough for everything and then go all in.

Space

You will want to consider the size of the backyard area where you're planning on having the sound system installed, as well as the proximity of any neighbors. You don't want to have a sound system that isn't loud enough to fill your backyard or one that is so loud that it brings complaints from the neighborhood.

A large backyard would benefit from outdoor in-ground speakers that provide a good low-frequency response. You'll also want to make sure that you have enough bass to maximize sound quality. Larger wattage also provides the potential for not only louder volumes but also higher sound quality at the lower volumes as well. A smaller backyard will want to consider lower wattages because the larger wattage, which usually comes with a larger price point, simply isn't necessary.

A general rule of thumb is that a yard that is less than 300 square feet would need a pair of 60-watt outdoor in-ground speakers. If your yard is 300 to 500 square feet, you'll want to look at 80- to 100-watt speakers, while you'd need 150 to 175 watts for a backyard space between 600 and 8080 square feet. Finally, if your backyard oasis is over 1000 square feet, you should be looking at speakers with 250 watts or more. Outdoor speakers tend to range from 60 watts up to 300 watts, so there should be plenty of options to fit your space needs.

Quality

The quality of your speakers may go hand-in-hand with your budget. You want to get high-quality outdoor in-ground speakers that have been tested against the elements and come out on top. Your outdoor speakers will be subjected to rain, hail, possibly snow, and heat, as well as the noise from lawnmowers, traffic, and nearby barking dogs. Selecting a high-quality product will ensure that it will last for years to come. In order to get a high-quality outdoor speaker, you may need to increase your budget, but it will be well worth it in the long run.

Usage

Another aspect to consider is how you plan to use the outdoor sound system. Will it be used to provide background music, lightly playing as you chill in an outdoor patio area? Do you plan to host the neighborhood barbecue that goes well into the night with food, fun, and dancing? Do you have a pool area you want to enhance with music? Would you like to be able to do all of these things? Any of these could alter the number of outdoor in-ground speakers required to get the job done.

Installing Your In-ground Speakers

Before you purchase your in-ground speakers, be sure to check for compatibility with your other electronic devices. You don't want to spend time and money on speakers that won't work with the devices you use, whether Bluetooth or wired. Speakers are only one component of a backyard audio system, so you want to be sure they will work with any receiver or amp you plan to utilize as well. You'll also want to read the instructions to help you understand the process, making installation easier for you.

Before installing the inground speakers, map out where you'd like to place them in your backyard area. Typically, these speakers are placed around the perimeter of a patio or pool area to maximize the enjoyment of use. If your speakers require any electrical wiring or cables, you'll want to make sure you have enough by measuring the distance before installation. This wiring will also need to be buried underground, leaving a little slack when measuring to account for any unseen obstacles. Another consideration is the power source, whether that's electric or battery, and how to provide your speakers with power.

In-ground speakers are a great way to add sound to your backyard area, quickly and easily, without creating an eyesore for you or your neighbors. They can be a great addition to existing outdoor speakers or a complete system all on their own.