The Dual Electronics LU series is their current flagship outdoor/all-weather speaker product line. The 43s are the lower tier model, and their distinguishing trait is just how inexpensive they are. The 53s are slightly larger and boast higher power specs, yet they too remain very reasonably priced.
Specs
speaker type: passive, wired
nominal power: 50 watts (LU43P) ; 60 watts (LU53P)
peak power: 100 watts (LU43P) ; 125 watts (LU53P)
impedance: 6 ohms (LU43P) ; 8 ohms (LU53P)
sensitivity: 86 dB/W/m (LU43P) ; 87 dB/W/m (LU53P)
frequency response range: 100 – 20,000Hz; (LU43P) ; 70 – 20,000 Hz (LU53P)
unit weight: 2.8 lbs (LU43P) ; 4.4 lbs (LU53P)
unit dimensions: 5.25 x 5.25 x 8.25 inches (LU43P) ; 7.25 x 7.25 inches x 10.13 inches (LU53P)
warranty: 1 year (does apply to purchase from Amazon.com)
user manual: click here
Discussion and Review
At face value, both of these speaker sets are very inexpensive for having a 50-60w nominal operating power respectively. That said, you must always take any company’s self reported specs with a grain of salt. Here specifically, Dual Electronics quotes a nominal power handling at 50% of the speakers’ peak power, whereas in general a speaker’s nominal operating power is usually accept to be around 25-30% of it’s peak power handling. Also worth mention is that the sensitivity rating is comparatively on the low side.
Point being: Though the LUs both boast seemingly impressive power stats on paper for the price, it’s certainly possible that lesser powered competitors are just as loud and sound just as good, or maybe even better.
One pitfall of the 43s specifically is the 100Hz response range floor, which is quite high. It’s especially important for outdoor speakers to have a low response range floor (we like to see 60Hz or lower) so that they can produce sufficient bass, which doesn’t carry as well in the open-air outdoors. The 53s are significantly improved here with a 70Hz floor, but that’s still on the high side.
Both of these units run on the large side, yet are both quite light. They shouldn’t be too hard to mount and set up, though they might be a little bulky. Both models in the series come with a standard swiveling C bracket mount.
These speakers come with a standard 1 year limited warranty, which is pretty much what you can expect at this price. It’s possible to find warranties that last several years or even a lifetime, but that’s generally reserved for higher end speakers which will be more expensive.
Users have reported that the grill is prone to rust, but we’ve seen that problem on several outdoor speakers. You might opt for the black color for that reason.
Our Overall Take, As Compared to the Competition
If you’re a real penny-pincher, and you’re not too much of a nitpicker for HiFi quality sound, then either of these speakers are not a bad choice at all. Especially the 43s, which are ridiculously cheap, cheaper than anything we’ve (currently) seen with comparable specs.
That said, you might ask yourself: at what point the savings is worth the potential sacrifice in quality? If you’re going to go through the work of setting up a system, running wire (and buying it for that matter), etc., might it be better to invest slightly more money into a higher quality speaker set? Our inclination is that, for many people, the answer here would be yes.
The LU speakers are a really good deal, but there are comparable products with better specs that, though they may be more expensive, are still modestly priced.
Get the Dual Electronics outdoor speakers on Amazon (affiliate link)
See our current picks for the overall best outdoor speakers
See our guide on how to pick the correct outdoor speaker wire
