Martin Logan outdoor speaker on stake

Martin Logan vs Monitor Audio - What is the best outdoor speaker in 2023?

Rancho Santa Fe Outdoor Audio installation

We live in San Diego, CA for a number of reasons. One of these should be that we love not having to shovel snow for 6 months of the year. Our weather also allows us to enjoy our outdoor spaces more than friends in, let’s say Nunavut, Canada where it averages -3.5 F year-round. At Aire Theater Designs, we love celebrating the outdoors with great sound! Here’s our take on the best outdoor speakers in 2023 under $1000/pair.

Many of these models are the same as we featured in our "Best Outdoor Speakers 2021" article as they are still current models. We have one new entrant and some pricing has changed. Our contestants are:

During these last two years, we've had an unprecedented number of clients call for outdoor speakers and outdoor audio systems. These types of audio set-ups can range from $1K-$300K. Want the best outdoor speakers AND the best audio experience possible in San Diego or So Cal? See our video above for some ideas and concepts. Here's a bunch of things in no specific order to be aware in this process.

It's always summer in San Diego...aside from about 5 days a year. Therefore, the 1X year sale from our partner, Monitor Audio, is the PERFECT time to enhance your life with outdoor audio! Until June 30th, save 15% on Monitor Audio's family of outdoor speakers including:

Climate 80 and Climate 60 and Climate 50: See our article about the best outdoor speakers <<< you can buy in our past "Outdoor Speaker Face Off" that details the excellent Climate 80 models.

Monitor Audio Climate speaker on-wall

Monitor Audio Climate 80 next to size 12 foot

Origin Acoustics Bollard outdoor speaker waiting to play tennis - Rancho Santa Fe

Martin Logan landscape speaker enjoying nature - Del Mar

Episode outdoor landscape speaker and his friend, Episode landscape subwoofer - Carlsbad

During these last two years, we've had an unprecedented number of clients call for outdoor audio systems. These types of audio set-ups can range from $1K-$300K. Want the best outdoor speakers AND the best audio experience possible? Here's a bunch of things in no specific order to be aware in this process.

We take time away from bodysurfing to answer your most popular questions from the week! Seth and the late, great Mark Holmes above

We love tasty waves...don't get me wrong but from time-to-time the surf wanes OR we get a flood of questions about various smart home technology or audio/video equipment. Here are the most popular questions from the week from our website visitors and Youtube subscribers:

Origin Acoustics outdoor speaker masquerading as a light fixture

Origin Acoustics Bollard outdoor speaker when it isn't in the ground - It's like an iceberg with the substantial portion hidden

Outdoor audio with another color option from Origin

Martin Logan outdoor speaker on stake

Martin Logan vs Monitor Audio - What is the best outdoor speaker in 2021?

La Jolla Outdoor Audio installation

We live in San Diego, CA for a number of reasons. One of these should be that we love not having to shovel snow for 6 months of the year. Our weather also allows us to enjoy our outdoor spaces more than friends in, let’s say Nunavut, Canada where it averages -3.5 F year-round. At Aire Theater Designs, we love celebrating the outdoors with great sound! Here’s our take on the best outdoor speakers in 2021 under $1000/pair.

During Covid, we had some spare time so we said, “Let’s line up a bunch of our outdoor speakers, critically listen and report our findings. Our entrants were:

Sunbrite outdoor television in our San Diego office

Miragevision outdoor television in full daylight - On a conventional TV you wouldn't see a picture!

Seura Mirror TV - In addition to outdoor TVs, Seura also makes custom sets like this

Being that we don’t live in Greenland, Alaska, etc., we have a fantastic opportunity in Southern California to enjoy our backyard spaces ALL YEAR LONG! Fortunately, our brands of outdoor televisions allow you to maximize your backyard fun 365 days a year!

Outdoor televisions are designed to be weatherproof, are much brighter than a conventional TV and are more robust than standard sets. Our outdoor TVs from Seura, Miragevision and Sunbrite have offerings for:

• Full and direct sunlight – Choose one of our BEST level TVs from Seura or Miragevision

• Partial sunlight – Choose one of our BETTER level TVs from Seura or Sunbrite

• Shaded areas – Choose one of our GOOD level outdoor TVs from Seura or Sunbrite

These sets come standard in sizes from 32” to 86”. Interested? Give us a call and see how San Diego’s experts in outdoor televisions can enhance your backyard fun.

P.S. An outdoor television isn’t as fun without an outdoor audio system. See our earlier article about outdoor audio and outdoor speakers at the link below.

https://www.airetheaterdesigns.com/blog/item/210-outdoor-speakers-san-diego-outdoor-audio-installations

UPDATE! Samsung has just entered the arena with their "Terrace" outdoor TV line. These televisions have the brightest picture we've seen at the price point which is fantastic for conditions where there is partial or full sunlight. These Terrace outdoor TVs come in 55", 65" and 75" sizes (QN55LST7, QN65LST7, QN75LST7). We'll add a supporting article about them shortly.

Samsung 55" Terrace TV with Klipsch outdoor speaker system

Your dealer for outdoor televisions in Southern California is here! Aire Theater Designs proudly serves all of San Diego County which includes Del Cerro, Talmadge, Kensington, Hillcrest, Mission Valley, Fashion Valley, El Cajon, Blossom Valley, La Mesa, Lake Murray, Friars, North Park, Balboa Park, Clairemont, Kearny Mesa, Mission Bay, Mission Beach, Pacific Beach, Ocean Beach, Point Loma and Downtown San Diego. We also gladly serve those in North San Diego County which includes Carlsbad, San Marcos, Vista, Elfin Forest, Oceanside, Escondido, Encinitas, Cardiff CA, Solana Beach, Del Mar, Cielo, The Bridges, The Crosby, The Lakes, Torrey Pines, Alta Del Mar, Carmel Mountain, Carmel Valley, Coronado, Fairbanks Ranch, Rancho Santa Fe, 4S Ranch, Santaluz, La Jolla, Poway, and Rancho Bernardo. Need help in Murrieta, Wildomar, Temecula, Fallbrook or Bonsall...we're there too. House by Pardee, Shea, Lennar or other builders? We can help! 

Episode outdoor speakers on post, bracket and in-ground

We live in San Diego for many reasons but one that is encompassing is our weather…it’s beautiful! This allows us to spend 12 months of the year outside. The perfect partner to this is an audio system with outdoor speakers. Having an outdoor audio system can really help you and your family to enjoy your outdoor space to the fullest. However, it can be difficult for the uninitiated to choose what system is best for your home and outdoor environment. Here’s an overview of some of the forms of outdoor speakers and outdoor audio systems that we carry.

Standard outdoor weatherproof speakers: This form of outdoor speaker has been in place for over 20 years. These type of speakers are “weatherproof” (Note: These can weather in direct sunlight, high heat, VERY wet areas, etc….let us be your outdoor speaker expert when it comes to placement) and provide good sound in a limited area. The quality of outdoor speakers is VERY dependent on the budget. In general, expensive speaker…great sound. Cheap speaker…not-so-great sound. “Great” in this description means that the speaker provides elements such as fine detail so you can hear exactly what the artist is saying in your favorite song (it’s not “We built this city on sausage rolls”), deep, full bass so your music doesn’t sound tinny and exceptional balance so your treble, midrange and bass all sound life-like with no tones exaggerated.

You can install outdoor speakers under your roof eave, on the exterior wall on your house or on posts in a landscape setting. We are dealers for Definitive Technology outdoor speakers, Episode AW6 and AW5 outdoor speakers, Martin Logan, Monitor Audio Climate speakers and Niles outdoor speakers.

Rock speakers at head of pool - Rancho Santa Fe outdoor audio project

Rock outdoor speakers: Want something that looks a little different? Rock outdoor speakers can be a good way to camouflage your outdoor music system and to get great sound.  Rock speakers are weatherproof so you can place them in your outdoor environment and not worry that your sprinkler system or gardener will damage them. These speakers can also provide fantastic sound. They typically cost a little more than standard outdoor speakers due to the form factor.  You can also choose outdoor speakers that look like planters.

These planter speakers are actually functional and provide good sound for outdoor environments. We are dealers for Episode, Niles and Rockustics rock speakers and planter speakers.

Episode landscape speaker with landscape subwoofer

Outdoor landscape speakers: This form of outdoor speaker has become very popular over the last couple years. These landscape speakers provide great sound by coupling the outdoor speakers with an in-ground or visible subwoofer. This outdoor subwoofer augments the bass and provides much fuller, deeper sound than typical outdoor speakers do. The combination of the landscape speakers combined with the landscape subwoofer gives you an unbelievable outdoor audio experience.  We carry landscape outdoor speakers and landscape subwoofers by Episode, Martin Logan, Monitor Audio, Bose outdoor speakers and Sonance.

Which type of outdoor speaker system is best for you? Let San Diego’s outdoor audio and landscape speaker experts assist with this. We’ve been selling outdoor speakers and outdoor audio/video solutions for over 12 years. NOTE: Looking to get a listen? We have the Episode landscape system on display in our office. Call for an appointment and enhance your life with music!