I am looking to purchase 3 pairs of outdoor speakers for my deck & patio, spending less than $200 per pair (preferably less than $150/pr) and was wondering if anyone had any experience or recommendations comparing the following:

Boston Acoustic Voyager 7 (yes, I realize these are more expensive, but are they worth the difference?)
Boston Acoustic Voyager 6
Polk Audio Atrium Series (45 or 60)
Yamaha AW350, AW390, or AW570 (what is the difference between the 350 and 390?)

Im leaning towards the AW350s because they have good reviews and are cheap, but I really like having some bass (even though it will be limited with outdoor speakers) and it seems those are a bit lacking in that department.

Trying to fill any space which doesn't allow for any room gain (outdoors is about as hard as it gets! :D) won't get you much bass regardless of what you purchase.

Also are you doing any critical listening outside? At this price point you're going to get about the same sound quality out of whatever you buy. I have good personal experiences with Boston Acoustics products in general over the other recommended brands so my loyalty would be based on my past history versus anything else.

Never was too keen on Yamaha speakers or Polk for that matter, but really the only way to choose on these specific models would be to try to seek out an audition at a dealer.

-Chad

I was in the same position as you this time last year. I was on the fence between Polk and Yamaha. I wasn't very impressed with the Yamaha after demoing them. I ended up with a pair of the Polk Atrium 45. They sounded a lot fuller than the Yamaha's and seemed have a little more in the low end. You can pick up a pair of Polk 45's at Amazon for a little over $100.

Thanks, yeah the Boston Acoustics look good but are definitely at the high end of the price point, and beyond.

Good info regarding the Polks versus the Yamahas.. I tend to like Polks in general also (bought 14 pairs of the RC80i as my in-ceilings) in this price range.
Ill have to see if I can find anyone in Richmond that actually carries these speakers. Seems like dealers with demo units of outdoor speakers has become a rarity.

Was looking at both the Polk and the Yamaha , any thoughts about Soundstage "Outsiders" compared to these 2 ?

im also looking into getting outdoor speakers. Are there any options of smaller speakers at this price point?

I was looking at the polk atrium 45 and 55 and they seem to be pretty big.

http://www.ticcorp.com/patio_speakers_asp120.htm

my friend got those, sound fuller then my mirage oasis set.

People in this forum consistently like the Boston Acoustic Voyager outdoor speakers in their price range.

Although I have had three sets of Polk indoor speakers, I went with JBLs

http://www.jr.com/category/audio/speakers/outdoor-speakers/n/4294562943/

because I thought they were a more cost effective solution than Polks. My second set does double duty as the rear surrounds on one of my HT systems and goes outside when I want sound outside. The JBL N26AWs are quite respectable for bass.

The absolute BEST deal in outdoor speakers right now has to be the Energy Tempest II. Amazon has them in white for under a hundred bucks a pair! Stupid crazy price for some excellent speakers.

nice, too bad already got 2 pair of outdoor spks.
blk for hundred w/ free ship here: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16882269006

The absolute BEST deal in outdoor speakers right now has to be the Energy Tempest II. Amazon has them in white for under a hundred bucks a pair! Stupid crazy price for some excellent speakers.

How do the energy speakers compare to Polk Atrium 45s? Polks are on sale right now at newegg for $80 a pair which seems pretty good. From the reviews, seems like the Atrium 45s are lacking bass. How do the Tempest II speakers sound?

How about this one:
http://www.nowsupplier.com/mini-speaker-with-lithium-battery-and-usb-slot-for-laptop-iphone-ipad-android-tablets-p-1525.html
I bought a cell phone from there. The fast and free shipping is cool.

How do the energy speakers compare to Polk Atrium 45s? Polks are on sale right now at newegg for $80 a pair which seems pretty good. From the reviews, seems like the Atrium 45s are lacking bass. How do the Tempest II speakers sound?

I found the Energies to be pretty laid back and balanced. Any outdoor speaker is going to be lacking in bass because most of them are sealed and being outdoors you don't get any room gain... That said, the Tempest II has a 6.5" woofer as opposed to the 4.5" woofer of the Atrium 45. I'm not overly impressed with the bass output from the Tempest but it's not bad for a sealed speaker outdoors. I think the difference in bass would be worth the extra 20 bucks.

I have the TIC ASP120's, eve mounted. They sound great and are within your budget

I just noticed that Polk’s Direct Outlet (http://stores.ebay.com/Polk-Audio-Direct/Outdoor-/_i.html?_fsub=153926619&_sid=686154689&_trksid=p4634.c0.m322) eBay store has some Atrium 65s back on auction. At some point, this party will end but, until then, these are great speakers that have been going for under $200 after shipping and taxes. (MSRP ~ $700/pr) Hopefully, some 60s will also reappear. They’re both great sounding speakers; the 65s just offer more flexibility.

I have purchased a pair of Atrium 60s and a pair of the Atrium 65s from Polk’s Direct Outlet eBay store. The boxes said “refurbished” but, that was the only indication that they were anything but brand, spanking new. I could not be happier with them! I have them under eaves and they are certainly NOT lacking in bass. They have big, tight, well integrated bass and a great overall sound.

Of the speakers mentioned above I’ve heard the Voyager 6 and the Yamahas. I thought the Polks were at least as good as the Voyagers and probably better. Yamahas just weren’t in the same league; not even close. That’s probably why they retail for so much less.
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I second the Energy Tempest.The same outdoor speaker is also sold under the Mirage and Athena name.I have had the Mirage for two years now and find them quite enjoyable.

i dont think bass can be of much a consideration when you are buying an outdoor speaker. :rolleyes:

Buy the Energy's and be done with it. I am running a couple of pairs. Sound pretty good for the $ and it sounds like amazon has them for a pretty awsome price. Outside of pro speakers... I've never heard an outdoor speaker that really sounded that great. They are all going to lack in the bass department for obvious reasons. Have been curious about the outdoor speaker depot offerings though.