Definitive Technology AW5500 Outdoor Speaker - 5.25-inch Woofer, 175 Watts, High Performance, Built for Extreme Weather (Single, White)

I wanted to write this because like most of you I was a skeptic. I do not claim to be an audiophile but I know what a good sounding system sounds like. I wanted to hook up an outdoor system for my large deck and pool area. I was trying not to spend too much so I first bought the Yamaha speakers for around $100 pr. I hooked them up in my house and decided to bring them back. They did not have the range or clarity I was looking for. I started to do more research and came up with a pretty sweet setup. I bought 2 Def Tech 5500 ($320) and one Dayton Audio APA150 Amp. I think the amp was the real bargain as I found a clearance one for $100 but they go for $150 all over the internet. I used the Amped BTSA1 ($55) to connect the system to my smartphone via Bluetooth and WOW is all I can say. The sound is so clear without any distortion. It was very easy too hook up using 14 Gauge wire. The speakers have a great bass sound and I have yet to find an outdoor speaker with the amount of bass these have. Disclaimer... it is not thumping like a sub woofer. You can probably add a sub-woofer to the system but you will need to add another APA150 as they are only 2 channel. I was thinking that the Def Tech speakers claim to handle 175W so you could probably buy 2 APA150 amps and run one on each if you want more volume. I think the volume is more than enough for my home because my wife is telling me that she will be very upset with me If I turn it up to full power as the neighbors will probably complain. To compare, I was at my sisters house and she has an expensive SONOS system and this one kicks it's butt. Buy these with confidence as I do not think there can be a better set up for the all in price of around $550.

Update 06/05/22: Still in use, still working fine.<Original review>Expensive? Yes. Sound expensive? Yes! These replaced what most people would consider standard outdoor speakers and the difference couldn't be more evident. Yes, I, too, was at first set back by the price, but now I have no regrets. The way I see it, outdoor speakers, especially if you entertain a lot, are something you should invest in. These speakers definitely overcome the main problem with outdoor speakers: lack of low end bass sound. I have them mounted horizontally under an eave and against a wall, with the bass radiator (the trick these things use to radiate the bass) bouncing the bass off the wall, which, in theory, helps expand the sound. The result is that even at a distance, the full effect of the music can be heard, including distinct low end bass. In addition, the left/right sound mixes nicely no matter what angle.I may have a better setup in the sense I have a separate receiver that does nothing but run the outdoor speakers. But if you have a good zone 2 setup on your receiver, you should be able to get the sound you want. I have experimented with numerous sound profiles available through the receiver and I can clearly hear the distinctions between them.I don't know how long they will last, but after 2.5 years they still sound as good as ever. I don't think you will do much better for outdoor speakers than these. If the price still haunts you, at least try them and return them if they don't meet up to your expectations, but they are worthy of the effort. They completely satisfied my outdoor needs and I'm happy I bought them.

Installed mine on my deck in 2017 and they're still kicking in 2025. A tad bright, but solid bass and clear mids for an outdoor speaker.

Bought 4 of these for outdoors. Sound is ok, but bass in particular is not great, not even as good as the Sony Boombox I bought years ago, which cost less than just ONE of these speakers! I compared sound to various others in the store, and bought 3 from them (all they had) and 1 from amazon. **5/20/15** am amending this review to add a star. These still sound better than other outdoor speakers I have heard for clarity and bass. I did add a BIC subwoofer outside (200W) also, so now these things sound REALLY good. I usually put a plastic bag over them when not in use to keep the water out. Still going strong. I suspect the newer version is worth the extra $.I had them outside, uncovered on my patio for a couple of months and just discovered that they all contain water! They are currently drying out in my basement after i took them apart. One is very rusty inside. So, not a good choice if they will be exposed to rain, which I find a bit odd considering they are defined as outdoors and certainly aint cheap. Given that relocating and covering them is going to be a PITA, I'm wondering if the JVC kaboom would have been a better choice...

It is too early to give these 5 stars. But, they sound much better than the Yamaha or Klipsch speakers. Yamahas are significantly cheaper and sound it. I have owned Klipsch speakers in the past and view the brand favorably, but these sound significantly better than their outdoor offerings. Bass response is good for an outdoor, small(ish) speaker and the concept of reflecting the bass off the wall of the house does appear to work. But, it is the crispness of the mids and highs that is really remarkable. I was not thinking "imaging" or soundstage replication for speakers 15 feet above the patio and close to 20 feet apart, but I was pleasantly surprised. They were only installed a few days ago and, having only a few uses so far, I am quite impressed. These sound like "real" speakers - which is hard to say for many competing products. (BTW, install was very easy. Two screws per speaker bracket (not included) and a stud finder and the job was very straightforward.) Both a neighbor and my wife had the same "Wow" reaction to the sound quality as I did, even using a compressed, streamed audio source.Update: after a year outside, I have upped my star rating and have to profess my love for these speakers. I stream from an iPhone to an appleTV to a decent receiver via optical cable and the sound is really excellent - even when using pandora or other Internet radio as the source. Love 'em. Buy them and don't look back. I got a deal on open box ones via Amazon's Warehouse and could not be happier.