Outdoor Speakers

For a fully exposed position, look for IP65 or IP66, which protect against dust and water jets. Horns such as the Adastra 952.265UK and garden speakers such as the Vanco WP6VW-BSC are rated IP66. IP44 models such as the Adastra 100.916UK resist splashing and suit covered spots under eaves, a canopy or a pergola.

A 100V line speaker has a built-in transformer, so many speakers can share one amplifier over long cable runs, with a power tap chosen per speaker to set its volume. The Adastra 952.265UK round horn, for example, has a 100V rotary tapping selector, and TOA horns such as the CS-154 use 70.7/100V taps.

Choose a horn for speech and alerts, and a sound projector or full-range speaker for music. A horn such as the Adastra 952.257UK has a narrow 500Hz-7kHz response that favours speech, while sound projectors such as the Adastra 952.942UK handle music and speech. The 952.067UK full-range horn adds a 6.5in driver and a dome tweeter for music.

The Adastra 952.246UK and 952.247UK horns and the TOA CS-154BS are EN54-24 certified. The 952.246UK and 952.247UK are hard-wired with a fire-resistant cable and junction box, a ceramic screw terminal block and a thermal fuse, and run on 100V, 70V or 8 ohm. The CS-154BS is the certified variant of the TOA CS-154.

Yes, through an active horn with its own amplifier. The Adastra 952.103UK is a 15W IP66 horn powered at 12Vdc 1.2A, with power and line-level audio on a single hard-wired cable, and is described for voice alerts in CCTV and security systems. The 25W 952.102UK runs at 12Vdc 2A, and the power supply is sold separately.

Weatherproof on-wall or pendant speakers are the usual choice for music in a garden. The Vanco WP4VW-BSC and WP6VW-BSC are IP66 with 4in and 6.5in woofers, and the Vanco LSKIT-BSC landscape kit includes four 4in on-wall or pendant speakers and a 10in down-firing subwoofer. The Adastra 100.916UK pair is IP44, for sheltered spots.

Some can. The Adastra 952.067UK has a low-impedance tapping for 8 ohm use alongside its 100V taps, the Adastra 952.940UK sound projector can bypass its transformer to give an 8 ohm load, and the Vanco W5VB-BSC works on 8 ohm or 70V/100V systems. The Adastra 952.238UK is an 8 ohm ABS horn with a 15W compression driver.

A network speaker connects to the data network instead of a speaker line, taking its power over PoE. The Axis 02380-001 outdoor network speaker can play prerecorded messages from built-in memory, supports live speak for real-time announcements and SIP for VoIP calls, and has an IK10 vandal-resistant rating for exposed public places.

Yes, if it has a stated low-temperature rating. The heavy-duty Adastra 952.270UK, 952.271UK and 952.272UK aluminium horns are tested at -55°C to +70°C and rated IP66, which suits exposed industrial sites, and the TOA CS-154BS operates at −20°C to +55°C. Check the operating range on the product before fitting a speaker somewhere exposed.