Hooking up outdoor speakers to your TV can be a great way to take advantage of space in your backyard. With the proper setup, you can enjoy music and audio from all over the neighborhood. Outdoor speakers are generally classified by their power output, how far they project sound, and their weatherproofing capabilities.
For the first consideration, you want to look for a pair of speakers with enough power to drive the sound through the backyard. This will mean looking at the RMS or continuous power output of a given set of speakers. It will probably be between 5 and 10 W, as most speakers are designed to handle this headroom without distorting. For extreme cases, some installers use active speaker enclosures – which have amplifiers built right in – but this depends on your speaker and amplifier preferences.
Secondly, you need to consider the output of the speakers. Sound dissipates according to the inverse square law, so if you double your distance from a speaker, you will hear half as much sound. Outdoor speakers are generally designed to project sound over 100 feet. Models that claim to go farther than this are certainly possible but probably won’t be very loud at that distance. Most manufacturers will only guarantee their speakers for half of their stated range, but some models can go 70% of their claimed range without distortion.
How to Hook Up Outdoor Speakers to a TV
1. Get the right kind of speakers
When it comes to outdoor speakers, there are two main types: active and passive. An active speaker has its amplifier built-in so that you can connect it directly to your TV. A passive speaker requires an amplifier, so you will need some way of getting the amplified signal from your TV to the speaker. You can use a cable or an RCA splitter/amplifier if you want.
You would generally connect the speaker’s RCA jacks into your TV’s RCA jacks or an RCA splitter, then plug the other ends directly into the speaker. If you have an active outdoor speaker, you can use a powered amplifier to connect it. If you have a passive outdoor speaker, you won’t use any powered amp.
2. Run a cable from your TV
The choice between using an optical or coaxial cable is really up to you. In general, optical cables provide a higher quality of sound, but this might not matter if you’re going to have your TV playing in the background. If you use coaxial, the cable will be slightly more robust and more durable.
You can run a cable from your TV to a location near your speakers. It’s best to run the line outdoors so it’s protected from the elements and carefully hidden away from where people can trip on it. You can install a conduit from your TV to your speakers, which will protect the cable from the elements.
3. Hook up your speakers
Once you have connected your cable to your outdoor speakers, you need to hook them up to a power source. You can either plug an extension cord into an outlet near the speaker or use batteries if you need portability. If you’re going to be playing music constantly, it’s a good idea to use a battery-powered amp with active speakers. Otherwise, you can use a passive outdoor speaker, which is powered by batteries.
Connecting Methods
Now that you have chosen the right speakers, the next question is how to connect them. You can use one of two methods. The first is a straight wire, which has been used for years. If you have an outdoor receptacle close enough to your speaker setup, you can plug both into it. This will require your second option: a running cable that connects the speakers and TV.
Straight wire method
The best way to connect your speakers with a running cable is to run the RCA audio wires from your TV to the outside speakers using a wire stripper. You may need to use a crimper or soldering iron if the exposed ends are exposed. Once you have exposed the ends, you can use a crimping tool to attach both wires.
The next step will be connecting your receiver to your speakers. It would help if you connected a ground wire from one of your outdoor speakers to a grounding rod. Take the other RCA cables’ other ends and attach them to your receiver’s audio output or stereo line-out jack. This will help prevent any electrical shock and will also help avoid static damage to your sound system.
You can now play music or video from your TV and hear it on outside speakers. If you need an additional volume boost, you can use an outdoor volume booster kit available at most consumer electronics stores.
Running cable method
You can use a running cable to connect your outside speakers to your TV. This option is very similar to the method described above, as you will be using RCA cables and an outdoor speaker wire. The only difference here is that you will be using a running cable – a.k.a. a long extension – designed for connecting audio equipment. These cables usually have male and female ends, which can plug into each other or directly into the receiver or speaker.
If you need to connect your TV and speakers far apart – say, in the back yard – you need a longer cable. It is best to use a cable with a power output of 10 AWG or higher for these purposes. This will give you a higher voltage for a longer distance. You can find cables that are designed specifically for this purpose at most home improvement stores.
The last step is simple. It would help if you connected a ground wire from one of your outdoor speakers to a grounding rod. Take the other ends of the RCA cables and attach them to your receiver’s audio output or stereo line-out jack. This will help prevent any electrical shock and will also help avoid static damage to your sound system.
You can now play music or video from your TV and hear it on outside speakers. If you need an additional volume boost, you can use an outdoor volume booster kit available at most consumer electronics stores.
Hey! Do You Wanna Buy Best Outdoor Speakers Then Click Me.
Conclusion
If you’re looking to improve your entertainment system, outdoor speakers are a reliable way to do it. But before you buy them, make sure you know what kind of speakers you want to buy, how they will be connected, and any prerequisites to providing power.
