Outdoor audio in Colorado: music for the patio that survives the winter

What Colorado weather does to outdoor speakers

Most outdoor speakers are sold nationally, and not all of them are made for a climate like ours.

Freezing nights, then thawing days

Denver averages about 156 nights a year at or below freezing, but only around 21 days that stay below freezing all day. Most winter days freeze overnight and thaw by afternoon, over and over. Speakers need a published operating temperature well below zero. Bose, for example, rates its FreeSpace 360P landscape speakers from −40°F to 158°F.

High-altitude sun

UV levels rise about 10% with every 1,000 meters of altitude, according to the World Health Organization, so at a mile high the sun is roughly 10 to 15% stronger than at sea level. Over years, that fades and weakens plastics that weren't made for it. We choose speakers built with UV-stable materials and place them, where we can, out of the harshest afternoon sun.

Hail

The area where Colorado, Nebraska and Wyoming meet averages more hail days a year than anywhere else in the country, and peak hail season on the Front Range runs roughly May through August. Speakers tucked under eaves, or set low among plants, take far fewer direct hits than ones mounted out in the open.

What the weather ratings mean

An IP rating tells you how well a speaker keeps out dust (the first number) and water (the second). A speaker under a covered patio can get by with splash protection. One out in the garden, facing sprinklers and driving rain, needs a higher rating. We match the rating to the spot.

Sound that covers your space, not the neighborhood

The usual approach, a pair of speakers on the wall turned up loud enough to reach the pool, is also the one that bothers neighbors. The sound is too loud near the speakers, too quiet at the far end, and it carries.

For larger yards and gardens, we use a landscape system: several small speakers set among the plantings, typically 8 to 10 feet apart, with a subwoofer buried out of sight for depth. Sonance, which makes these systems, compares it to good landscape lighting: no hot spots and no dark spots. Each speaker plays quietly, so the music surrounds you where you're sitting and fades quickly past your property line.

For a covered patio or a smaller terrace, a pair of well-placed speakers under the eaves is often all you need. We'll tell you which fits.

Wiring that lasts

• Direct-burial speaker wire with a jacket made for moisture and sun. Indoor wire ratings like CL2 and CL3 are fire ratings for inside walls, not for going underground.
• The right thickness for the distance. Sonance, for example, calls for 14-gauge wire on runs up to 200 feet and heavier 12-gauge beyond that.
• Conduit under patios, paths and driveways, so the wire can be replaced later without lifting stone.
• Colorado 811 before we dig. It's required by state law at least three business days ahead. Because 811 doesn't mark private lines like irrigation, landscape lighting or gas lines past your meter, we find those with you first.

Speakers worth the money

We recommend the best outdoor speakers your budget allows, and we'll show you where spending more makes an audible difference and where it doesn't. A modest pair under a covered patio can sound wonderful; a large garden is where a proper landscape system earns its cost.

How it works with the rest of your home

Outdoor speakers are simply more rooms in the same system. Play from Spotify, Apple Music or AirPlay, choose the patio along with the kitchen, and the music follows you outside. See where we work for notes on HOAs and large properties.