Rock speakers are a reliable choice if you want to add music to your garden. What makes these speakers unique is their discreet, camouflage design that allows them to blend in with your garden. However, with many low-quality models on the market, it’s important to pick the right one. That’s why we’ve put together this list highlighting the models you can trust to give you quality sound and lasting use.
Key Takeaways:
- Brand Reputation: Opt for trusted brands with strong reputations, I recommend the Klipsch AWR-650-SM , OSD RS850 or Theatre Solutions 2R8G as passive options, or the Sound Pro SPS-2000-SL for an active alternative.
- Active vs. Passive: Decide whether you prefer built-in amplification (active) or external amplification (passive).
- Sound Quality: Consider the level of sound quality you want. Higher-quality rock speakers will cost more. 2-way rock speakers with a separate tweeter tend to give better results.
- Placement: Choose locations that provide optimal sound coverage minimize interference, and ensure you have enough speakers to cover the areas you want.
- Wiring: If using passive speakers, carefully plan the wiring route to avoid damage and ensure proper connectivity. Also, make sure you’re using the correct gauge of wire.
- Amplification: Ensure your amplifier is compatible with the speakers and provides sufficient power.
- Maintenance: Regularly check for damage and clean the speakers to maintain performance.
Can You Trust Rock Speaker Brands?
We’ve found a lot of customers looking for rock speakers aren’t completely sold on the idea. That’s because rock speakers are not typically produced by large household brands like JBL or Sony, leaving many to feel like they’re taking risks on unknown brands. This is a valid concern and another reason why it’s vital to pick the best rock speakers and not go for the first option you see.
Klipsch, OSD, and Theatre Solutions are among the most popular and offer some of the best quality, especially in their sound quality. Although they cost a bit more, you’ll be rewarded with world-class engineering than generic alternatives and ultimately end up with a longer-lasting speaker setup.
These are our top picks, from trustworthy brands:
Model | Drivers | Power Handling | Impedance | Sensitivity | Frequency Response | Weight |
Klipsch AWR-650-SM | 6.5" Woofer, 0.75" Tweeter | 200W | 8 Ohms | 94 dB | 66Hz - 20kHz | 13 lbs |
Theater Solutions 2R8G | 8" Woofer | 10-250W | 8 Ohms | 97 dB | 50Hz - 20kHz | 16 lbs |
OSD RS850 | 8" Woofer | 200W | 8 Ohms | 88 dB | 28Hz - 20kHz | 16 lbs |
Do You Need An Amp? (Active vs. Passive Rock Speakers)
Speakers are often categorized into two types, active and passive. Portable Bluetooth speakers are an example of active speakers, they have a built-in amp that powers them. Passive designs are more common in home theatre and they don’t have a built-in amp and need to be paired together with a separate amplifier that provides them power through a wired installation.
Rock speakers are closer to traditional stereo speakers than Bluetooth speakers, mainly because of their passive design. More recently, active variations have been made available, but are less popular because of the inherent drawbacks of running on a battery. Recharging speakers makes sense for Bluetooth speakers, but when you have multiple outdoor rock speakers that you need to frequently charge, it can be a nuisance.
Some new releases also have built-in solar panels, which can reduce the amount of manual charging required. However, due to the limited solar panel size, this typically only adds a little more passive battery power to your speaker and doesn’t guarantee a consistently reliable charge.
Ultimately, you have the flexibility to choose between an active or passive rock speaker but keep in mind that the performance is typically better on those that use a separate amplifier, especially as it allows them to reach higher volume levels than battery-powered alternatives.
If you want to go with an active rock speaker, I recommend the Sound Pro SPS-2000-SL:
Don’t have the time to read everything? This infographic sums up the discussion.
Bluetooth & Wi-Fi (Is It Worth Going Wireless?)
Most of us nowadays control media playback with our phones, so having a speaker that facilitates that process is important. Imagine relaxing out by the pool with your family and then needing to get up and go inside every time you wanted to change the song. Although traditional home devices have their place, going wireless just makes more sense for outdoor installations.
Here’s what I recommend doing…
Instead of buying a rock speaker with a built-in Bluetooth receiver and built-in battery, buy an amplifier/receiver that supports Bluetooth and Wi-Fi and pair it with one of our recommended passive rock speakers. This will let you not only give your rock speakers Bluetooth and Wi-Fi support, but you’ll never have to charge a speaker battery.
Just make sure that your Bluetooth receiver or amplifier is close enough to your outdoor area where you’ll still be able to control the playback from the garden. For example, avoid running the cables to an amp that is located in the center of your home, as you may encounter connectivity issues due to the range.
How Garden Size & Design Will Influence Your Setup
Rock speakers can revolutionize how you enjoy music outdoors, but it’s not always the best solution for outdoor audio. Each garden is unique, and to maximize the effectiveness of your outdoor audio installation, you must consider how you use your garden.
Rock speakers a great choice for background music, especially around a swimming pool or an area where guests commonly gather, like the barbeque or outdoor dinner table. What separates them from traditional patio speakers is that they can be placed anywhere in the garden, bringing ambiance to areas that patio speakers may not reach. This makes them better suited to large gardens that need more coverage.
If you find yourself sticking to the patio area when entertaining guests, rock speakers may not be the best solution, as patio speakers tend to perform better, with more volume and better overall sound quality. The one issue patio speakers have compared to rock speakers is the limited coverage, since they are typically installed under the eaves of your home they aren’t ideal for covering the whole garden, especially if you’re trying to avoid conflict with the neighbors.
It’s not just the size of your garden that matters, even the style of landscaping can influence which speaker is best. A key feature of rock speakers is their ability to blend into their environment, meaning they should be placed alongside similar-looking rocks so they don’t look out of place. Even the color of your landscaping plays a role.
How Many Rock Speakers Are Needed For Your Garden?
The exact number of rock speakers you’ll need will depend on their volume output and the layout of your garden. But here are some general guidelines to gauge how many you’ll need:
| Garden Size (yd2) | Speakers |
| 100-200 | 2-3 |
| 200-400 | 3-5 |
| 400-600 | 4-6 |
| 600-800 | 5-7 |
| 800+ | 7+ |
*Keep in mind that these estimates are assuming a calculated placement that maximizes the coverage while limiting overlap.
The Different Colors of Rock Speakers
Since these speakers are designed to blend into your garden, it’s important to choose the right color. For instance, a granite-looking design will look out of place in a sandstone landscape.
Thankfully, they tend to come in several color variations, with a few popular stone styles being standard. The choice of color depends on the brand and model – but these are the colors you’re going to see most often:
Sandstone
- Warm tones: Earthy browns, rusts, and oranges.
- Greenery: Compliments lush green lawns, shrubs, and vines with natural contrast.
- Rocks and gravel: Similar-toned rocks and gravel can create a unified texture.
Granite
- Warm tones: Earthy browns, rusts, and oranges.
- Greenery: Compliments lush green lawns, shrubs, and vines with natural contrast.
- Rocks and gravel: Similar-toned rocks and gravel can create a unified texture.
Stone
- Natural elements: Wood, bark, and natural stones create a rustic aesthetic.
- Earthy hues: Browns, greens, and yellows blend well with stone.
- Water features: Works well with water features like ponds, streams, and waterfalls.
How Do Rock Speakers Sound Compared to Other Speakers?
Although several rock speakers produce high-quality sound, their design has inherent limitations. Some of these limitations include:
- Woofers that are sometimes too small for significant bass (more common in budget models).
- Lack of tweeters in many designs, reducing soundstage.
- Limited volume.
These limitations aren’t true to every design but are a common trend among this type of speaker, which is why rock speakers are most commonly used for background audio rather than for creating a powerful party-like sound that requires a deep, thumping bass. Keep this in mind, when planning your outdoor audio solution.
Are Rock Speakers Protected From The Elements?
You may be wondering how rock speakers are going to handle the winter. Most rock speakers are built to withstand rain, and some are more durable, and suitable for use even through the winter months in snow-prone areas.
Most are considered water-resistant but not waterproof, meaning they can withstand rain and perhaps even snow, but may be damaged if water levels rise to the point where the speaker sits in water. This should be considered before installation and taken into account when planning your setup.
Before you install your speakers, monitor where rain water pools during storms and identify which garden beds drain well and which are prone to pooling issues. You can even use a hose to test this out (so you don’t need to rely on the weather). If a bed accumulates water, I recommend digging a gulley that can drain it out naturally, reducing the risk of damaging your speakers.
Alternatively, placing gravel or smaller stones as a base for your speaker to rest on can elevate it from the garden bed and allow for natural drainage through the stones.
It’s also considered a good idea to place your rock speaker under some kind of protection, such as under a tree or in the cover of a bush – as this can reduce the amount of direct contact with rain.
What You Need To Know About Installing Rock Speakers
The installation process differs depending on whether you opt for a wireless rock speaker or a wired one. Wireless rock speakers with Bluetooth built into them are much easier to install and can be placed just about anywhere in your garden. Since they don’t need to be wired to an amplifier, they are essentially plug-and-play.
In contrast, wired rock speakers need to be paired with an amplifier/receiver, and to do so you’ll need to run wiring between each speaker in the garden, and lead it indoors to your amp. You can often just plant the wire directly into the ground (assuming it supports that), but I am a fan of running it through PVC to prevent accidentally digging into it while doing garden work and adding some additional protection against rodents – but this isn’t always necessary.
It may sound a little daunting, but the process is relatively simple and you don’t need to dig very deep to run your piping through your garden. I recommend going for about 5 to 7 inches in depth and marking your installation area on a piece of paper so you can avoid accidentally digging into your wiring when doing garden work.
The Importance of Matching Power Handling
If you opt for a wired design, ensure your amplifier is sufficiently matched to the speakers. Power matching is the process of defining what type of amplifier is needed for the installation, and when not done correctly can damage your speakers.
To accurately power match your speakers, you’ll need to find the RMS power rating of the speaker (this is different from the peak power). An amplifier should have the same, or slightly higher RMS rating than the speakers. Too little and you’ll underpower them, too much and you can damage them.
I recommend a margin of 20% when matching your speakers, this gives you sufficient headroom while ensuring you don’t overpower the speakers.
Eg: 100-120W power handling for a 100W speaker, or 200-240W for a 200W speaker.
Finally, you’ll want to ensure you’re matching the impedance correctly. Impedance just refers to the resistance in the electrical components, and matching the speaker’s impedance ensures it’s being sufficiently driven.
When installing multiple speakers, one also needs to consider how the way they’re wired will impact impedance.
Parallel Connections:
- Parallel connections reduce total impedance.
- This means more power is delivered to each speaker.
- Parallel connections are generally preferred for rock speaker installations.
Series Connections:
- Series connections increase total impedance.
- This means less power is delivered to each speaker.
- Series connections might be considered if your amplifier has a low maximum impedance.
The topic of impedance can be confusing for casual music lovers. If you’re uncomfortable with the process, there are a lot of brilliant audio installers available who can advise you on your installation, and be hired to directly assist with the process.
Pro Tip: Did you know that by looking at the sensitivity rating in relation to its power handling, you can see which speaker should be louder? If two speakers have the same RMS but one has a sensitivity of 89dB while the other has 95dB, the one with the higher sensitivity will produce more volume. That’s because sensitivity shows how much volume each speaker produces with 1W of power.
Speaker Wire Gauges
Another consideration when installing rock speakers is the gauge of wire being used. Often, this is included in the package, so you don’t need to worry about it – but it’s always useful to have a reference point and understanding of what type of gauge your speakers need. If you’re unsure, your manual will likely specify the gauge you need, but here’s a general guideline that one can apply across the board.
| Power Handling | Wire Gauge |
| 25-50W | 14-16 |
| 50-100W | 12-14 |
| 100-200W | 10-12 |
| 200W+ | 8-10 |
Best Practices for Maintenance
Some people invest a lot of money into their outdoor audio setup, only to neglect it and have their investment waste away over time. Routine maintenance is essential for most outdoor speakers and rock speakers are no exception. Here’s how you can ensure yours last for years to come:
- Routinely check the wiring for signs of fraying or damage, especially near the connection points.
- Now and then, clean the speaker grille and remove any debris that may be gathering.
- Run occasional diagnostics on the sound, making sure each speaker still sounds as good as it did when you bought it.
- If you’re using a battery-powered model, check to see if you’re still getting enough playtime from your battery every year. Built-in batteries tend to lose playtime over the years slowly.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do you pair rock speakers together?
If you’re using passive rock speakers, you just need to connect them to the same amplifier in your chosen configuration to have them paired together. For active speakers with native Bluetooth, the process depends on each model. I recommend consulting your manual for information relating to your specific model.
Are rock speakers waterproof?
Usually, they are not fully waterproof, but are water resistant. This means that while they can’t be left to stand in water, they can withstand rain. Some even offer protection from snow.
How many rockers do I need?
The amount of rock speakers you need will depend on the style and size of your garden. As a rule of thumb, you’ll need about 2 to 3 speakers for every 100 to 200 square yards of coverage.
Are there Bluetooth rock speakers?
There are rock speakers that have built-in Bluetooth, but many of them also use battery power, which can become a pain trying to manage. A few select models incorporate Bluetooth while also using a direct power cable instead of relying on battery.
