Sound Systems: How to Listen to Music this Summer
As you plan fun and exciting adventures with your friends and family this summer, some of them are bound to find you entertaining at home, especially if you have a welcoming outdoor living space and/or swimming pool.
Relaxing with your loved ones in the comfort of your own home has a variety of benefits – not the least of which is the money you’ll save over gathering at a fancy restaurant, club or hotel. Being at home is also where we’re all our most authentic, relaxed and comfortable.
If you’ve invested significantly in an outdoor living and entertaining area, you’re quite likely to have multiple get-togethers at your place as the weather heats up – especially if you have a pool. However, keep in mind that although your guests will undoubtedly spend countless joyful hours splashing about, they’ll eventually get hungry and ready for a change of pace.
Accordingly, in planning summertime events at home, ensure that everyone will have plenty to eat by asking each guest to bring one hot food, beverage or dessert item. Additionally, prepare other ways to keep everyone entertained and happy. One thing that’s certain is that music is a universal form of pleasure! If your party eventually moves indoors, just be sure that your indoor stereo system is queued up ahead of time.
If you want to add to the summer ambiance by providing your friends with outdoor music, there are several good ways to make this happen:
- Portable speakers for your mobile phone – These are probably the most commonly used and popular way to listen to music when among friends without plugging up your ears with earbuds, thereby making conversation nigh on impossible.
- Wired outdoor speakers – A little more involved and expensive than portable speakers is a permanent set of speakers made specifically to stand up to any and all kinds of weather. The sound quality you’ll get from a permanent, wired sound system will blow any portable speakers out of the water. Many sound systems today also have the option to plug in your mobile device so you can play music directly from your favorite playlist.
- Fake rock speakers – A double entendre, these speakers can indeed play rock music with the bonus of also looking like natural sandstone rocks that belong in your backyard. If you’re not into the look of high tech stereo equipment hanging around your pool or lounge area, a set of Bluetooth rock speakers will do the trick quite nicely while looking like a real piece of nature. Most decent rock speakers, like the set by Sound Appeal, found on Amazon, are rugged and hold up quite well to most weather conditions.
- Go old school with a portable radio or boombox – If your gathering is relatively small, and your crowd prefers to listen to CDs or the radio, you can opt for a number of extremely affordable boombox options that also have the added benefit of being super portable. This might be the route to go if you’re listening to a sports broadcast, reminiscing over favorite albums, or have a favorite radio show you and a few friends enjoy listening to together.