Pools aren’t only about swimming. They also suggest spending time with friends, laying in the sun and simply hanging around. One thing all of these activities share is that they’re all better with a soundtrack. Music is the ideal final touch for virtually any poolscape.

Building an outdoor stereo system can be a wise move for pool owners who arrange many parties, or just want to spend much time next to the water. Nevertheless, purchasing a stereo for your pool patio isn’t the same as getting one for your house. If you’re considering the purchase of an outdoor stereo, below are several questions to take into account.

Do you really need an outdoor stereo system?

Unfortunately, there are some cases where buying a stereo system it might not be reasonable. One is if you have grumpy neighbors and won’t be able to listen to the loud music and often enough to hold up your end. The second one is if you have a waterfall, which makes listening to music impossible.

Surely, there’s also the issue of your finances. With the rest of expenditure related to the pool installation, you may prefer to postpone from a high-class stereo system for a few years. A tape recorder or other transportable option could serve well until that time.

Should you buy a separate system?

In the ideal case, your poolside stereo system must connect to a home cinema inside your house, permitting the receiver to stay safeguarded from the elements. Based on the system, you might be able to manage it from outside through an app on your smartphone. In addition, there are management systems you can fix on the wall outside.

Unluckily, this installation can be expensive and hard to install. It is easy to run wires via a wall in your house, then underground to the speaker locations. This can a significant amount of work, particularly if your pool isn’t near your property.

Most pool owners choose a less traditional outdoor setup. If you prefer this way, ensure that your receiver remains dry and has necessary electricity supply. But first and foremost, avoid spending much money on a system that could get damaged in case of a bad weather.

Where to place the speakers?

This is a difficult question, and you’ll definitely need to experiment to find the correct answer. In the open, music usually sound poor and can easily get swallowed up by surrounding noise. Below are some recommendations from audio experts:

• If possible, put speakers on or next to a wall to improve sound quality
• Putting speakers higher (up to 10 feet) provides more sound coverage
• Utilize an adequate amount of speakers so that the sound can be heard well from various places without blowing the volume

As regards design, there is a wide variety of options. The easiest of them is to hide the speakers behind the plants or other elements of landscape design. Another option is to purchase outdoor speakers that are similar to rocks.

What’s the price of an outdoor stereo system?

As always, drawing any general conclusions on the costs is useless. The price of an outdoor stereo system can vary dramatically based on the installation and equipment.

It goes without saying that you’ll need pay much more if you entrust the installation to the professional. However, employing an expert is usually worth the cost for complex stages. On the other side, for the person who has experience in home renovation or is ready to learn, outdoor speaker installation is the best option for a DIY project.

If you’re going to purchase an outdoor stereo system, we recommend you read the outdoor speaker buying guides from Digital Trends and Crutchfield.