Product Review: Weather-Resistant Indoor/Outdoor Wireless Speaker from Brookstone

If you're looking for a great outdoor speaker that you can safely use around the pool or when it might rain, check out the Weather-Resistant Indoor/Outdoor Wireless Speaker from Brookstone. I enjoy using this product because of its convenience - no wires are necessary so you can set it up in a flash. The wireless signal carries for 150 feet so you will most likely be able to use it anywhere on your property with no problem. I was skeptical of this claim but found that mine works even through several walls of the house and insulation.

The set up was quick and I was able to have the product working immediately even though I'm not usually very good with such things. It only took a couple minutes to get it up and working. There is a small transmitter that attaches to your stereo system to allow the music to be played through the new speaker. MP3 players can also be attached which is nice if you want to be able to change the music while outside. Buttons on the speaker allow you to control volume without having to return to the stereo inside.

A 5 inch woofer and a 1 inch tweeter are included in the box and make for good sound quality. It certainly doesn't sound like my Bose speakers, but for its purpose it sounds very clear. The speaker also turns up loudly which is great for outdoor parties.

The speaker can be plugged into any outlet or run off of 8 DD batteries. I find that it goes through batteries rather quickly considering how many of them are necessary and prefer to plug it in when possible.

In addition to using it out by the pool, I make use of it in the winter by taking it down to the basement while working on projects or out in the garage to entertain me while doing chores. It would probably be handy to have on a camping trip as well.

Occasionally, I notice a strange hissing sound between songs but it seems as though it goes away by turning up the sound level on the stereo and turning it down on the speaker itself. This is a simple problem to fix and is the only thing I have noticed to be wrong with the product. I've had mine for about five years and it still works like it did when it was new.

While the product is not exactly inexpensive at $125, it is cheaper (and a lot less work) than setting up an outdoor sound system.