Polk Audio vs Bose Speakers Reviews

As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

Summer is finally coming. Aside from a home theater setup to enjoy high-quality audio and enhance your entertainment experience, let’s make the most of our summer and enjoy the great outdoors. 

What’s much better than playing your favorite music while relaxing at the back of your garden.

If you love this idea, then an outdoor speaker might be for you. Outdoor speakers enable you to listen and enjoy music even in wide-open spaces such as your patio, garden area, pool area without sacrificing its high-quality sound.

Aside from the sound quality, one of the most important features that need to be considered in choosing one is its durability. Its ability to withstand extreme temperatures and weather all year round.

Bose speakers and Polk Audio are both reputable brands in the audio industry that offer high-quality products such as bookshelf speakers, soundbars, subwoofers, satellite speakers, and the like. 

At SpeakerTune, we will provide you an in-depth comparison between two of their outdoor speakers that are equally fit for the job and fall under the same price range – Polk Audio Atrium 6 All-Weather Outdoor Speakers and Bose 251 Environmental Outdoor Speakers.

If you are interested to know more about Bose vs Polk audio, keep reading to determine which product will suit you better.

TLDR: Polk Audio vs Bose Speakers

Polk Audio Atrium 6 All-Weather Outdoor Speakers Overview

Product Description 

The Polk Audio Atrium 6 All-Weather Outdoor Speakers is certified to withstand all-weather elements such as fog, UV rays, extreme temperatures, or heavy downpour. It can handle almost anything mother nature can toss at it. As a true testament to its build quality, it exceeds industrial and military specifications for environmental durability. 

Made possible by its rugged built design made from a combination of aluminum grills and stainless steel brass so you can be assured that it will never rust and will last a long time.

In terms of sound quality, the Polk Audio Atrium 6 is a good speaker, it packs some innovative tech that enables it to fill large open spaces with a full range of sound. It has a patented Dynamic Balance technology with a 5.25” Driver with 1” Tweeter, a water-resistant PowerPort Bass Venting that extends the deep bass impact into your listening area without distortion. 

It has a Speed-Lock mounting system that enables you to dismount and mount the speaker into place. It comes in handy when you need to occasionally transfer the speaker to other locations of your setup.

Pros 

  • With Polk All-Weather Certification, its all-weather enclosure design can handle the extreme outdoor elements which testify to its amazing build quality.
  • Water-resistant
  • Patented PowerPort design for improved and strong deep bass impact
  • Quick and easy to install and setup with its speed-lock mounting system
  • Can be mounted vertically or horizontally
  • Great for outdoor or indoor use
  • Offers Two (2) color variants to choose from, black and white  

Cons

  • The color black is more expensive
  • It lacks enough bass for bass lovers

Bose 251 Environmental Outdoor Speakers Overview

Product Description

The Bose 251 Environmental Outdoor Speakers is engineered and tested to withstand mother nature at its worst –snow, rain, salt, and extreme temperatures. So, you can enjoy listening to your favorite audio with deep, full stereo sound wherever you are on the globe while maintaining its elegance and functionality.

Bose 251, like some of its sister variants, comes with SoundTouch technology that lets you stream the internet radio or access your phone’s music library with ease. It comes very handy when you’re at a hosting party, you no longer need to go to the base station to change songs or adjust volumes. 

For sound quality, Bose speakers are known for their full balanced sound combined with innovative technology that makes listening to music even more enjoyable. 

The Bose 251 has a patented Articulated Array speaker design that allows it to produce sound in a surprisingly larger field. This is made possible by its two drivers that are housed in each of the speaker cabinets at engineered angles to deliver consistent stereo effects outdoors even as you move around. 

These speakers produce clear and natural bass impact with their unique multi-chambered design.

Pros 

  • Weather-resistant 
  • Proprietary multi-chamber woofer design for deep and minimal audio distortion
  • SoundTouch technology for ease of access and control
  • Impressive sound quality provides full stereo performance
  • With an app that allows you to connect and control it to your phone via Bluetooth or wi-fi connections. 
  • Elegant and unique Articulated Array speaker design that delivers consistent stereo effects outdoors even as you move around
  • Syncom computer tested
  • Two (2) Color selections available: Black and white

Cons

  • Mainly designed to be installed vertically, can have minor limitations on placement options

In-Depth Comparison: Polk Audio vs Bose Speakers

Specifications and Sound Quality

Polk Audio Atrium 6 All-Weather Outdoor Speakers

Dimensions: 11.69” H x 7.69” W x 8.75” L (29.69 cm H x 19.53 cm W x 22.23 cm L)

Weight: 5.4 lbs (2.45 kg)

Woofer Size: 5.25”

Woofer Composition: Polypropylene

Woofer Surround: Butyl rubber

Power Range: 10-100 Watts

Sensitivity: 90 dB

Impedance: 8 ohms

Frequency Response: 50 Hz – 27,000 Hz 

Connector Type: 5-way post – Gold Plated

Warranty: 5 years

Bose 251 Environmental Outdoor Speakers

Dimensions: 13.5″ H x 5.75″ W x 8″ D (8 lbs)

Weight: 20.3 pounds (9.2 kg)

Woofer Size: 5.25”

Woofer Composition: Poly Fiber Comp

Woofer Surround: N/A

Power Range: 10-200 Watts

Impedance: 8 ohms

Frequency Response: 10 Hz to 200 kHz

Connector Type: 5-way post

Warranty: 5 years

Who is it best for

Both speakers are for someone who loves filling ambient music which can cover large outdoor spaces such as pool, backyard, and garden without compromising sound quality and durability.

What Do People Say About It?

environmental-outdoor-speaker-scaled

Amazon

Both Polk Audio Atrium 6 All-Weather Outdoor Speakers and Bose 251 Environmental Outdoor Speakers have garnered a lot of positive product reviews. Both have been receiving high ratings on Amazon.

A review made by a customer about Polk Audio and wrote: 

“The most impressive feature of these speakers is the large sound field. I have these speakers mounted on the posts of a screened-in, 12-foot gazebo, facing my house, and even behind these speakers, out in my yard, they sound great! I don’t know how, but they fill the yard with music – and my yard is rather large – over an acre. They have a very clear sound and decent bass..” 

While a review about the Bose 251 speaker and wrote:

“I have listened to them all. These provide the richest, thickest, most diverse quality of sound I have heard in outdoor speakers. Have been very satisfied…”

YouTube 

A quick review about Polk Audio Atrium 6 made by Cyber market UK and said:

“With a one-handed speed lock mountain system makes installation fast, easy, and safe. With Mountain bracket which enables a 45-degree angle mount aiming down… Produce great bass response..”

While a review made by a Youtuber April and Davey about Bose 251 and said: 

“The sound is amazing. The Bass, the song, and the clarity are perfect. These sound systems are unique because they can communicate through your phone..”

The Verdict: Which One is Better?

worthy-products-scaled

The Polk Audio Atrium 6 and Bose 251 Environmental speakers are two worthy products that provide high-end quality sound and build. Both sound systems are engineered to withstand the harshest of weather conditions.

Polk Audio Atrium 6 slightly gained an advantage with its certifications by exceeding industrial and military specifications for environmental endurance. But the Bose 251 Environmental Speakers is equally durable, providing the same 5yr warranty as a testament to its quality design and engineering.

What made Bose 251 much better than Polk audio atrium is their SoundTouch technology. It provides great convenience as it comes with an app that lets you control and chooses the music you want to listen to with just a touch on your phone via Bluetooth or Wi fi options. 

In the end, both products are a great value for money.

If you like this article, make sure to check out our other articles at SpeakerTune.com.

Similar Articles:

 

 

Amazon and the Amazon logo are trademarks of Amazon.com, Inc, or its affiliates.

Leave a Comment