Polk Audio Atrium 8 SDI Flagship All-Weather Outdoor Speaker (Each, Black)

For some background, I’ve had a pair of Polk Audio Atrium 8 SDI speakers on my deck for about five years now, powered by a Sonos Amp, and they have been fantastic. I do not take them in during harsh New England winters, but I do put covers on them (plastic garbage bags taped with duct tape - really classy). I’m writing this review now because I just went through the process of buying another set of outdoor speakers to mount on our pool house, and that experience made me appreciate these Polks even more. Instead of buying another pair of these right away, I first tried the Sonos-branded outdoor speakers. I figured they would be a high-quality match with the Sonos Amp, given the much higher price. That was not the case. Their sealed enclosure was very light on bass, and the high end was lackluster at best. There was no sparkle, no brightness, and they sounded more like speakers that should cost four or five times less. They played very loud, and the harder they were pushed, the better they sounded... but I need to stay on good terms with my neighbors. I then picked up a pair of PSB outdoor speakers on sale because I’m a fan of the brand and have a home theater setup built around their Imagine line, which sounds fantastic. The PSBs were also paired with a Sonos Amp, and while they did sound quite good, they had a very small optimal listening area. That would be fine for a screened-in porch or a more focused seating area, but for a pool area or a deck where people are moving around, they were not the right fit for my preference. I should also mention that the mounting systems on both the Sonos and PSB speakers were not well thought out. They were more difficult than they needed to be, and I’m not sure what they were thinking. I was not able to even get the set screw to line up on the PSBs, not good. Now, onto the Polks. These speakers are big. They have two tweeters, and their design allows them to be used as a single stereo left-and-right channel speaker. I have not tested them in that format, but I would expect them to sound pretty good, similar to how a Sonos speaker uses multiple tweeters to play left and right audio from one cabinet. What sets these speakers apart comes down to a few things. First, they are extremely easy to mount. The bracket uses two screws with a wire hole in the middle, and the mount is thin enough that it can fit between shingles without having to span multiple rows and create angle issues. The speaker then pops into the bracket and can hold itself in place while you screw in the end caps. These feel like they were designed by people who have gone through the process of mounting outdoor speakers before. They are also very easy to angle. They only move up and down or left and right, depending on how you orient them on the wall, but adjustments are simple. You just loosen the end caps slightly and tilt the speaker into position. The first thing you notice when listening to them is the wide soundstage. The sweet spot extends across a much larger area, which is exactly what I want from outdoor speakers. This is their biggest strength. For a deck, patio, or pool area, they fill the space beautifully instead of sounding good in one narrow location. The second thing is the bass extension. They are ported in the back with Polk’s PowerPort design, and it does a very good job. A pretty significant amount of bass comes from that 6.5-inch woofer, especially for an outdoor speaker. They are also easy to drive. The Sonos Amp does not break a sweat pushing these to high volume. Do they sound quite as musical and accurate as the PSB speakers, with that sparkly high end and excellent midrange? No. But do they work much better in a large outdoor setting like a pool area or deck? Absolutely, hands down, every time. They sound good, and if they hold up like my 5 year old pair, I know I'll get many years of enjoyment out of them. Excellent value and big sound from a very well thought out package. These are an incredible pair of outdoor speakers. Well done, Polk.

I hated to pay this much for one speaker, especially since I bought 2 Atrium 6 outdoor for the same price. However, it is probably worth twice as much. I use the atrium 6 for rear speakers across the pool, and use the one Atrium 8 under my covered patio on the other side of the pool on the center output. It is the perfect setup. The Atrium 8 is definitely twice as heavy as the Atrium 6. Probably twice as loud as well. Definitely worth the money.

Great speaker, it’s worth the extra money.

These speakers are amazing! Love the way they sound. Loud enough to fill up my backyard and very crisp! Would definitely recommend them!

These sound fantastic with deep base and crisp clear mids and highs. My last set were 15-years old and still going strong. My speaker wire had corroded upwards about 8-inches but the speakers themselves showed no sign of corrosion. I wanted a larger pair which is what drove the switch more than anything else. This time I used Sewell deadbolt banana plugs and dielectric grease to prevent corrosion this time.

I installed this speaker on my deck, where I do not need (or want to spend the money on) truly high quality sound, like I have inside. For what it is --faux stereo from a single speaker-- I am very happy with the sound. If for any reason the speaker called attention to something off in the sound, I would return it, but it's totally, pleasantly listenable. Before I bought this, I was tempted to get a pair of mid-level (you can always spend tons more) outdoor Cambridge speakers on sale at my favorite quality audio store -Audio Advice- but decided to save my money. They may well have been five stars for me (for an outdoor speaker). Five stars would have to be richer, with better separation and range; these lack depth for soft classical, jazz, and some acoustic, but are very good for more robust folk, rock, bluegrass and jazz (so there's my tastes). A professional (and honest) DJ friend liked the sound! Some reviews comment on lack of bass, but I found it to be fine. I did turn bass up two notches on the receiver, but I prefer blend/balance - I don't really like heavy booming bass, if you do, you won't get it from this. Installation is easy. I drilled the hole for the speaker wires from inside two inches from a known stud, so I could easily locate the stud from the outside to install the bracket for this heavy speaker. I bought an inexpensive receiver (Sony STRDH190) for this speakers/location, and again not demanding or expecting too much, the speakers do fine with this (whether playing via wired AUX/inputs, bluetooth, CD or better quality streamed on wifi with a Chromecast audio, and FM). It's under an eave so will never experience direct rain or snow. I will update this with info about longevity someday. It's just fine still after a hot summer.

One of the better speakers I have owned- good soundstage, plenty of bass. Important note - they are big.

Great sounding outdoor speaker. Hooked up to a Sonos Amp easy to set up

Excelente calidad de construcción y, cómo no podía ser menos siendo Polk Audio, sonora. De momento pongo uno con la utilidad de doble entrada y más adelante pondré el segundo.

POLK Atrium 8 SDI , das ist ein Stereo Lautsprecher der als Stereo oder Singel zu betreiben ist. Habe mir direkt 2 Stück geordert, klanglich für so ein Kunststoffgehäuse einfach Top. Ich hatte mir erst die Bose 251 ausgesucht, preislich auf gleichem Nivau, da dort aber immer gemischte Bewertungen auftauchen, habe ich mich für Polk entschieden. Hier liest man aber nur sehr wenig drüber, da wohl zu selten in Deutschland. Als vergleich habe ich mir dann noch die Jamo I/O 8 A2 dazu bestellt. Sind dann direkt 1 Paar. Preis 379€ Diese haben sogar 8 Zoll, sprich 20cm Bass Mittelton und ich hatte mir dort etwas mehr Bass erwartet. Jamo gibt aber weniger an, ab 50Hz, Polk mit 6,5 Zoll sogar schon ab 45Hz. Jamo hat Bassreflex Öffnung vorne, Polk hat hinten eine Bassport, bei diesen kann man dann bei Eckmontagen den Bassefekt noch verstärken. Also schnell noch die Jamo geordert zum Vergleich, wären ja als Paar auch noch günstiger als die Polk. Angeschlossen und somit hatte ich einen direkten vergleich zu den Polk. Die Jamo sind auch nicht schlecht, gehen aber wirklich nicht tiefer runter wie die Polk, was aus dem Datenbaltt ja auch zu sehen war. Die Jamo haben einen sehr dominanten Mittelton und lösen nicht so fein auf wie die Polk. Ich hatte die Polk für 245€ das Stück bekommen hier auf Amazon, zusammnen also 490€. Diese 110€ mehr zu Jamo sind es mir auf jeden fall wert. Mit nur einem Polk Atrium 8 SDI im Stereo Modus wäre ich aber auch nicht glücklich geworden, mit 2 Stück, diese hängen ca 4m auseinander und strahlen im 45 Gradwinkel nach unten passt es aber super, sehr feine höhen und auch bei leiser Lautstärke ein sehr homogenes Klangbild. Überdacht mit Terrassen Glasdach 10mm mit 28m² ,betrieben werden diese an einem DENON X4000 an Zone 2. Zur Farbe, ich habe weiß genommen bei beiden, Jamo sowohl Polk sind nicht reinweiß, eher Richtung beige / grau. Stört aber nicht da meine Ausenwand gelblich ist und das Terrassendach silbergrau, passt sehr gut dazu. Beide sind aber auch in Wunschfarbe lackierbar, wie in deren Anleitungen auch beschrieben ist. Fazit Die Jamo sind auch nicht schlecht, aber mir persöhnlich gefallen die Polk klangtechnich wesentlich besser. Ist natürlich alles geschmackssache und eine Preisfrage. Die befestigung ist bei den Polk sehr einfach, Halter festschrauben, Lautsprecher einklicken, Ausrichten und festdrehen, fertig. Das Ausrichten geht jedoch, wenn der Halter einmal Positioniert ist, nur noch seitlich oder vertikal wenn der Halter quer verschraubt wird. Die Jamo sind beim montieren etwas aufwendiger, können jedoch anschließend noch in beider Richtungen verstellt werden. Beide sind im Bassbereich natürlich nicht mit ausgewachsenen Lautsprechern zu vergleichen, wer Außen richtig druck haben will, muss zusätzlich noch ein SUB installieren, dort gibt es ja nun auch einige für den Outdoorbereich.

buena bocina, durable, buen sonido!

Déçue … ce n’est pas un lot de deux comme indiqué dans la description mais une seule enceinte j’ai choisi la blanche j’ai reçu une noire … je l’ai renvoyé sans l’utiliser. Trop d’erreur dans le descriptif pour ce prix là.

An outdoor speaker that actually has some bass! Bought two for around the firepit area at the acreage, ended up only installing one and going to get a third and install 2 by the hot tub as well!