Learn: Home » Bose® Free Space® 51 Outdoor Speakers
When it came to providing outdoor sound for parties, the good old days weren't really that good. In college, I used to prop my massive stereo speakers side by side against my dorm room window, facing out. With enough volume, I got kind of a mono blast that I could hear only if I stood in line with the window and ignored the sounds from every one of my dorm mates who were doing exactly the same thing!
Fast forward to the present. With my own house and sprawling back yard, my outdoor sound system no longer has to compete with those from the next window. It's still a major effort to get sound outside for entertaining, though; I have to horse my old stereo speakers out to the back porch, run cables back into the house though a window, and hope it doesn't rain. The sound hasn't improved that much since my college days — depending on which speaker my guests are closest to, they hear either one channel of music or the other (but seldom both).
By taking home the Bose® Free Space® outdoor speakers to try out, I brought home a sane solution to my outdoor sound problems.
The green solution
Unlike my old stereo speakers, the Bose FS51s are designed for permanent outdoor installation. Their green casings are a hardened outdoor material that can withstand temperatures from ?40° to 158°F, and (according to the owner's guide) are also salt fog resistant (so they can be used for marine installations, such as large boats or beach houses).
The speakers have screw holes, for secure mounting onto a deck. They also have a small opening in the bottom of the rim — important if you're installing the speakers on a brick or concrete surface rather than wood. This opening allows the wires to run out without having the speaker resting on them. That way, the speakers sit flat on the surface, and prevents premature wear to the wires' coating.
Getting outdoor sound — the right way
Both my college and home setups delivered poor outdoor sound for a simple reason — they were sending highly directional sound into a non-directional environment (both in the sense of space and use).
In a room, the sound from my stereo speakers bounced off walls and was redirected back, increasing the sonic intensity. The listening area was proscribed by the size of the room and the furniture in it. When we entertained, people might momentarily pass through the "sweet spot" as they circulated, but because the room contained the sound, everyone could hear what was coming out of both speakers, albeit not always perfectly balanced.
Outdoors, there was nothing for the sound to bounce off of — it dissipated into the air, losing most of its impact a short distance from the speaker. In the yard, my guests also had a much larger area to move around in. The end result was that most people heard a muddied and unbalanced sound, regardless of where they were.
The FS51s, unlike my indoor speakers, are designed for 360° sound dispersion — non-directional sound for non-directional outdoor spaces. The speakers have a domed port grille that reflects high-frequency tones out into a circular listening area. According to the owner's manual, each speaker has an optimal circular listening area of about 6-1/2 to 10 feet. Setting the speakers about 13-17 feet apart gave me a nice large area where the sound from the two speakers overlapped.
Free Space setup
Although setting up outdoor speakers involves running wire underground, getting the FS51 speakers hooked up turned out to be much less involved than I thought it would be. As the manual says, it's important to do all the prep work properly. The manual not only showed me what tools to use, but gave cable recommendations and some practical installation tips as well (such as "place speakers and run cord before digging holes or burying cord").
I also had a wide choice of options for installation. I could screw the speakers onto a wooden deck, place them on a hard-surfaced porch, or even nestle them among the plants in the garden. Although the 14-7/8" height wasn't especially intrusive, I could have buried the speakers in a hole down to about 7-1/4" deep to really hide the sound source.
Since the FS51s are permanent outdoor speakers, you need to use either moisture-resistant or direct-burial rated cable to connect them to your indoor receiver. The weakest link is usually the point where the wires from the system connect with those from the speakers — where the bare wire is exposed to the elements. To help seal these connections, Bose includes four wire nuts with built-in sealant. When I pushed the two wires I wanted to connect into the nut, all I had to do was twist to secure the connection. In the process, the nut wound the wires together and coated them with sealant, making them resistant to corrosion.
Some installation considerations
Compared to how I used to get outdoor sound, changing to the Bose FS51s was a big step; if you're thinking about a similar change, keep in mind there's a little bit of work involved. These speakers are designed for permanent outside installation, rather than hauling in and out of the house.
The FS51s should be fastened onto a flat surface (such as a deck or porch), partially buried, or otherwise be secured to the ground. They're too light to leave freestanding in a major storm. You may also want to secure them to discourage theft.
The wire nuts that seal the connections are intended to be used once, and the connections they make, while weatherproof, should remain stationary to be secure. They're not intended to stand the strain of repeated setup and tear down.
The wires that are permanently attached to the speakers only extend a foot or so — no matter how close your A/V gear is, you will have to run some additional wire to connect it to your system. Whether the speaker wires are buried or run along the outside of the house, at some point they'll need to enter your home. That means you (or an installer) will need to drill a hole (through either wood or masonry) to run the cable inside. The hole will need to be sealed properly to keep out bugs and moisture.
If you're properly prepared with the right tools, actual installation can go pretty smoothly.
Fast forward to the present. With my own house and sprawling back yard, my outdoor sound system no longer has to compete with those from the next window. It's still a major effort to get sound outside for entertaining, though; I have to horse my old stereo speakers out to the back porch, run cables back into the house though a window, and hope it doesn't rain. The sound hasn't improved that much since my college days — depending on which speaker my guests are closest to, they hear either one channel of music or the other (but seldom both).
 Bose® Free Space® 51 outdoor speakers |
By taking home the Bose® Free Space® outdoor speakers to try out, I brought home a sane solution to my outdoor sound problems.
The green solution
Unlike my old stereo speakers, the Bose FS51s are designed for permanent outdoor installation. Their green casings are a hardened outdoor material that can withstand temperatures from ?40° to 158°F, and (according to the owner's guide) are also salt fog resistant (so they can be used for marine installations, such as large boats or beach houses).
The speakers have screw holes, for secure mounting onto a deck. They also have a small opening in the bottom of the rim — important if you're installing the speakers on a brick or concrete surface rather than wood. This opening allows the wires to run out without having the speaker resting on them. That way, the speakers sit flat on the surface, and prevents premature wear to the wires' coating.
 The opening for the wire allows the speaker to sit flush on the surface without damaging the wire. |
Getting outdoor sound — the right way
Both my college and home setups delivered poor outdoor sound for a simple reason — they were sending highly directional sound into a non-directional environment (both in the sense of space and use).
In a room, the sound from my stereo speakers bounced off walls and was redirected back, increasing the sonic intensity. The listening area was proscribed by the size of the room and the furniture in it. When we entertained, people might momentarily pass through the "sweet spot" as they circulated, but because the room contained the sound, everyone could hear what was coming out of both speakers, albeit not always perfectly balanced.
Outdoors, there was nothing for the sound to bounce off of — it dissipated into the air, losing most of its impact a short distance from the speaker. In the yard, my guests also had a much larger area to move around in. The end result was that most people heard a muddied and unbalanced sound, regardless of where they were.
The FS51s, unlike my indoor speakers, are designed for 360° sound dispersion — non-directional sound for non-directional outdoor spaces. The speakers have a domed port grille that reflects high-frequency tones out into a circular listening area. According to the owner's manual, each speaker has an optimal circular listening area of about 6-1/2 to 10 feet. Setting the speakers about 13-17 feet apart gave me a nice large area where the sound from the two speakers overlapped.
Free Space setup
Although setting up outdoor speakers involves running wire underground, getting the FS51 speakers hooked up turned out to be much less involved than I thought it would be. As the manual says, it's important to do all the prep work properly. The manual not only showed me what tools to use, but gave cable recommendations and some practical installation tips as well (such as "place speakers and run cord before digging holes or burying cord").
I also had a wide choice of options for installation. I could screw the speakers onto a wooden deck, place them on a hard-surfaced porch, or even nestle them among the plants in the garden. Although the 14-7/8" height wasn't especially intrusive, I could have buried the speakers in a hole down to about 7-1/4" deep to really hide the sound source.
Since the FS51s are permanent outdoor speakers, you need to use either moisture-resistant or direct-burial rated cable to connect them to your indoor receiver. The weakest link is usually the point where the wires from the system connect with those from the speakers — where the bare wire is exposed to the elements. To help seal these connections, Bose includes four wire nuts with built-in sealant. When I pushed the two wires I wanted to connect into the nut, all I had to do was twist to secure the connection. In the process, the nut wound the wires together and coated them with sealant, making them resistant to corrosion.
Some installation considerations
Compared to how I used to get outdoor sound, changing to the Bose FS51s was a big step; if you're thinking about a similar change, keep in mind there's a little bit of work involved. These speakers are designed for permanent outside installation, rather than hauling in and out of the house.
The FS51s should be fastened onto a flat surface (such as a deck or porch), partially buried, or otherwise be secured to the ground. They're too light to leave freestanding in a major storm. You may also want to secure them to discourage theft.
The wire nuts that seal the connections are intended to be used once, and the connections they make, while weatherproof, should remain stationary to be secure. They're not intended to stand the strain of repeated setup and tear down.
The wires that are permanently attached to the speakers only extend a foot or so — no matter how close your A/V gear is, you will have to run some additional wire to connect it to your system. Whether the speaker wires are buried or run along the outside of the house, at some point they'll need to enter your home. That means you (or an installer) will need to drill a hole (through either wood or masonry) to run the cable inside. The hole will need to be sealed properly to keep out bugs and moisture.
If you're properly prepared with the right tools, actual installation can go pretty smoothly.
