Liven up your outdoors with music

GREAT SOUND ANYWHERE Polk Audio’s Atrium Series is compact and tough enough to be placed anywhere outside the house.

If you are a music lover who loves to enjoy great tunes any way you can, then you would want to find ways to enjoy your passion no matter where you are—in the backyard while grilling barbecues, in the garden while trimming plants, beside the swimming pool or in the garage while washing the car.

Your option would include pointing your speakers outside and increase the audio system’s volume or extending the wires of your speakers and place them outdoor.

“Or you could buy all-weather speakers, which aside from the fact that they are built to withstand the elements, are also designed to deliver the best sound reproduction in an open-air surroundings,” offered Manoj Budhrani, president of Powertrip Inc., exclusive distributor of Atrium Series outdoor loudspeakers from Polk Audio.

He said that Polk Audio’s Atrium Series outdoor loudspeakers offer the best flexibility, reliability and high fidelity sound quality for the outdoors.

Look at the fine prints

“Many people have elaborate home theater systems or stereo systems indoors but have old portable stereo with an extension cord that plays inferior sound outside the house. Bring the music you love with you. Sure, there are lots of ‘outdoor’ speakers out there but look at the fine print—many of them are suitable only for placement in sheltered locations,” said Budhrani.

First introduced in 2002, the outdoor Atrium Series outdoor loudspeakers set a new standard not only for build quality, but sonic performance. The series features anodized aluminum tweeter domes with rubber surrounds that make the speakers immune to the elements while providing smooth, broad high-end range that works best in larger outdoor spaces.

“With outdoor speakers, you want to make sure each unit is durable and rustproof and be able to produce excellent sound in an outdoor setting. After all, playing audio in the open air is much different than in an insulated room with four walls,” he said.

Exceeds specification

THE ATRIUM Series (available in durable weatherproof black or white paintable finishes) employs stainless steel, brass and aluminum hardware to ensure durability.

Atrium Series outdoor loudspeakers, he explained, exceeds baseline industrial and military specifications for environmental endurance.

“Polk Audio’s own all-weather certification goes even further, ensuring that every Atrium Series outdoor loudspeakers can effortlessly withstand the harshest conditions, whether high temperature, heavy rains or even as horrific as this seems, your bathroom,” said Budhrani.

He explained that purchasing outdoor audio equipment can be a daunting task.

“The physical construction of the outdoor speaker unit has a direct effect on how much sound it can produce. Remember: a well-designed driver will keep your sound from dissipating into the air,” he said.

Even though your backyard may be bigger than your living room, Budhrani said that a compact design is much appreciated. “Outdoor speaker systems still need to be as inconspicuous as possible. Since each one of Atrium Series outdoor loudspeaker is wall-mountable, they need to be lightweight as well. However, the small size should not equate to small sound,” he said.

He added that Atrium Series outdoor loudspeakers employ stainless steel, brass and aluminum hardware to ensure that this particular Polk Audio model is tough and rustproof (available in durable weatherproof black or white paintable finishes).

Moreover, the Atrium Series features newly designed tweeter phase cap that smoothes the frequency response from 12kHz up to 20kHz, the last audible octave. It also features mineral-filled polypropylene or aerated polypropylene cones, the same material used in our high-end LSi Series, which is designed for higher outdoor efficiency.

“This results in the ability to play louder tunes with less distortion and won’t break up as you increase the volume,” he said.