What's the Difference?
What makes a weatherproof speaker different from conventional fare? Well actually, a lot of things. The average loudspeaker is made of many components (metal, wood, and cloth) that can rust, rot, and mildew. To make a speaker weatherproof requires a number of different materials that will hold up under the elements.

To seal the cabinet from water, dirt, and air-borne particles, many manufacturers use plastic or aluminum housings with rubber gasket seals. This protects the speaker's interior from exposure, and the cabinet itself will stand up to mother nature's abuse. The driver cones themselves must also be waterproof, and different manufacturers take different routes. The most popular cone material is polypropylene. Conventional indoor speakers use this material as well, so it's not surprising that its properties are conducive to good sound. Since polypropylene is a plastic, it will resist water damage. Other materials used in driver cones are polycarbonate plastic, urethane foam-laminated cloth, and aluminum.

Outdoor speaker grilles are often made from plastic or powder-coated aluminum, to resist rust, and hardware such as the speaker wire binding posts, are made of stainless steel, brass, or gold plated metal.

Placement
Like conventional indoor speakers, proper placement of weatherproof models is important, but not always possible. The standard 2 feet from a wall and 6-8 feet apart isn't always a realistic approach. Fortunately, many manufacturers supply mounting brackets for this purpose or offer them as an inexpensive option.

No matter where you put them, weatherproof speakers will never perform as well as an indoor speaker. This isn't a reflection on the speakers themselves, but rather on the environment in which they are operating. Without walls or furniture to reflect the sound, the musical signal is compromised -- i.e., bass is greatly reduced and the stereo image is degraded. However, you can partially correct the bass problem by placing the speakers against a wall for bass reinforcement. If you are more interested in a good stereo image you can place the speakers in front of you.

Wiring
Wiring a weatherproof speaker is fairly simple as long as you take some precautions. Any plastic-coated speaker cable can be used, but because there is always a chance that a staple might accidentally pierce the plastic coating of the cable, you are better off using weather-tape rather than a staple-gun to hold the cable in place. Always run the cables as close as possible to the house, and leave extra cable at the speaker end in case the cable becomes damaged. To ensure that the leads won't corrode, tin them with a soldering gun, as copper corrodes much more quickly than lead. Then attach the cable securely to the terminals on the speaker. Then, for extra protection, place some electrical or plastic tape on top of the terminals.

Finally, because the speaker will be placed in an environment where background noise and a lack of reflective surfaces will come into play, you should pay close attention to the sound pressure level (SPL) specification of the speaker. The higher the number, the more efficient the speaker is and the louder it can play. So if you want to hear Mozart over the clatter of I-95, garbage trucks, or crickets, make sure the model you select can compete.

Niles Audio PS6Si Planter Speaker ($399 ea.) www.nilesaudio.com
The Niles PS6Si Stereo Input Indoor/Outdoor Planter speaker is a 2-way weatherproof, stereo speaker system disguised as a terra cotta outdoor planter. The planter/speaker enclosure is made of a lightweight fiberglass composite and is fully functional as a planter. It can be placed on a wood deck or a concrete/stone patio. The speaker features a 6.5" dual voice coil injection-molded TCC- (talc, carbon, and ceramic) filled polypropylene woofer with butyl rubber surround, and dual 1" fluid-cooled tri-laminate Teteron tweeters mounted at a custom angle for optimum dispersion. Separate left and right channel inputs provide stereo sound in a single loudspeaker.

NHT Outdoor One ($249 ea.) www.nhthifi.com
NHT's venerable Outdoor One's are bulletproof when it comes to defeating the elements, and to top it off, they have amazing bass. Featuring a 6.5" long-throw polypropylene woofer and a 1" fluid-cooled soft dome tweeter, this 2-way speaker is a personal favorite.

Niles Audio RS8Si Granite Rock Speaker ($449 ea.) www.nilesaudio.com
Because it has two independent tweeters and inputs for two sets of speaker wires, this rock-speaker can produce a stereo image and take the place of two separate speakers. The 8" woofer and dual 1" tweeter design can be operated in three modes: monaural, traditional two-speaker stereo, or single speaker stereo input. It's not inexpensive, but Niles' rock speakers sound great.

Brookstone Indoor/Outdoor Wireless Speaker ($150 ea.) www.brookstone.com
If you don't have any wiring in place for traditional wired speakers, then why not go wireless? There are a number of wireless brands and models available, however if you're going for excellent sound, this model from Brookstone will make your ears very happy. It has a range of 150 feet and since it uses 900 MHz technology, it won't interfere with your wireless network. Uses AC adapters (included) or 8 D batteries (not included).