Bose 161 Speaker System vs Bose 251 SE Outdoor Speakers

Buy the 161 for indoor surround or bookshelf use where space is tight and the amp is modest. Buy the 251 SE for a patio, pool deck or any spot that gets wet, and for louder, fuller sound. The 161 is a small two-driver satellite with a 5-year warranty and wall brackets in the box; owners like its wide, room-filling sound but note thin bass. The 251 SE is a bigger two-way outdoor speaker with a 5.25-inch woofer, a waterproof enclosure and 6-ohm impedance, so it plays louder and lower but needs more room and more power.

• Choose the Bose 161 if you want compact wall or shelf speakers for surround duty indoors and have a receiver in the 10-100 watt range.
• Choose the Bose 251 SE if the speakers will live outdoors, near water or on a large patio, and you can give them 10-200 watts per channel.