Good outdoor speakers without breaking a bank ?

[Diseasex]

Sun is out and my rusty soundcore needs replacing. I don’t use battery much but it’s very useful for the odd trip to the beach .
I’m after stereo speakers so they need to be able to pair and be active.
I looked at jbl megaboom 3 (not available on Amazon atm) that can pair through connect+ and Kef LSX 2 - which seems like a buy if it wasn’t for lack of battery
Do you guys have any recommendations ?

 

[AwesomeSauce2015]

If you're looking for a portable or water/otherstuff-proof and wireless speaker, I personally recommend the JBL Charge / Flip / etc models. They sound really good, can get pretty loud (and sound decent while doing it), and the batteries last a while (at reasonable volumes). -- JBL doesn't make a "megaboom 3". They do make several large bluetooth / party speakers, so if you need something with high output they have stuff, but in my experience the Charge series seems to be the sweet spot between very portable, sound quality, and SPL capability in JBL's lineup.

Depending on your use case, stereo may not be too important (ie, if you're partying outside, nobody really cares about stereo), but from my understanding the JBL speakers can pair and do stereo. For outdoor use I wouldn't recommend anything from KEF's active speaker lines (they aren't rated for it), and I would make sure that it is water and dust proof, just so that it lasts.

 

[Diseasex]

Sorry was talking about boombox 3
https://amzn.eu/d/04MYBak1 but pricey and not portable
I do want stereo in my garden though.
I want high fidelity, ideally battery powered

 

[Timcognito]

Nice table at the bottom

The 7 Best Outdoor Speakers - Spring 2025

The JBL Boombox 3 is the best outdoor speaker we've tested. It's great for listening to music wherever you go, whether you're soaking up some sun in the backyard or relaxing at the campsite over a long weekend.

www.rtings.com

 

[kemmler3D]

For battery powered stuff JBL is a pretty good bet at any price level, otherwise look at Anker for the budget options.

The really nice sounding speaker that isn't usually mentioned is House of Marley, their stuff is somewhat underrated IMO. Not waterproof or whatever but IME the sound quality is just a cut above on the Bag of Riddim 2.

I used to work for a portable speaker company so I spent a lot of time evaluating the competition. Those three brands were the only ones that really felt like a threat to us in terms of sound quality.

If you want fixed speakers in the yard, you can possibly find some JBL Control X (reviewed here) secondhand and hook them to a WiiM Mini and Fosi amp housed in a waterproof box. This is what I've got in my yard and it's wayyyy nicer sounding (and after installation, more convenient) than any portable jambox you might find. Got the whole thing done for less than $200.

 

[Diseasex]

Thanks , bought 2x soundcore motion boom plus ,
Will be taking for a spin tomorrow

 

[AwesomeSauce2015]

Seems like you already found something, but I'll put this here for posterity's sake:
If you primarily want sound in a fixed location, like on a back patio, then you will get much better "bang for your buck" with normal speakers and an amp. Several companies make good outdoor rated speakers, and realistically it is just a case of how much you are willing to spend and how much volume you need.
I would recommend looking at the various JBL control speakers, just make sure to get the non-70v versions.
As far as amplifiers are concerned, there are a lot of options. Companies like Yamaha make amplifiers that have built in streaming devices, for reasonable prices. You don't need a fancy 1-billion-db-SINAD amp and streamer for outside, because it's outside. You just need an amp with sufficient power to reach your SPL target with the speakers you choose.

Now, if you want sound "on the go", then obviously one of the many portable bluetooth speakers will be a better option for that use case.

 

[Diseasex]

Seems like you already found something, but I'll put this here for posterity's sake:
If you primarily want sound in a fixed location, like on a back patio, then you will get much better "bang for your buck" with normal speakers and an amp. Several companies make good outdoor rated speakers, and realistically it is just a case of how much you are willing to spend and how much volume you need.
I would recommend looking at the various JBL control speakers, just make sure to get the non-70v versions.
As far as amplifiers are concerned, there are a lot of options. Companies like Yamaha make amplifiers that have built in streaming devices, for reasonable prices. You don't need a fancy 1-billion-db-SINAD amp and streamer for outside, because it's outside. You just need an amp with sufficient power to reach your SPL target with the speakers you choose.

Now, if you want sound "on the go", then obviously one of the many portable bluetooth speakers will be a better option for that use case.

I appreciate this however having cables outside, and amp inside I’d consider a pain. Imo much better would be active speakers like Kef LSX II…
That said, I didn’t listen to them , only researched

 

[AwesomeSauce2015]

I appreciate this however having cables outside, and amp inside I’d consider a pain. Imo much better would be active speakers like Kef LSX II…
That said, I didn’t listen to them , only researched

Mostly this response is for posterity's sake, as it seems as though you already have a solution:
It might be the fact that I live in southeast Texas, but active electronics outdoors 24/7 is a pretty good way to get them to fail, especially typical consumer grade stuff. It is much easier to weatherproof a passive loudspeaker, and pretty much all of the consumer-grade outdoor rated non-portable speakers are passive.

You may very well live somewhere where it is possible to be outside for more than a few months out of the year, but I would still not recommend permanently installing active speakers outside. (Not only do you need to deal with 120V distribution, but also low-level signals (or network audio, which in consumer gear isn't super reliable). Passive speakers only need 2 wires which carry a high level signal, its much more robust and less complex).

Modern systems like Yamaha's musiccast allow you to control the amp from your phone, so long as both are connected to the same network. Assuming you have somewhere to put the amp, and especially if you run the cables during construction of the house, it is a pretty good and easy to use solution.

Now, if you don't have the cables pre-run, then yes, portable active speakers are going to be an easier solution if you aren't regularly listening outside. However, you can't leave non-weather rated speakers outside 24/7, as they will probably fail quickly.