Hidden Speakers

[bruceburnsav]

Hello - Quick question

I am redesigning my home theater, and am tired of either a choice between ugly/bulky loudspeakers or sonically impaired in-walls. Does anyone know of a good hidden speaker company/product? And I mean completely hidden, as in, not even a visible grille.

Thanks!

Bruce

 

[Ito]

you could always just buy good looking speaker...

 

[TLS Guy]

Hello - Quick question

I am redesigning my home theater, and am tired of either a choice between ugly/bulky loudspeakers or sonically impaired in-walls. Does anyone know of a good hidden speaker company/product? And I mean completely hidden, as in, not even a visible grille.

Thanks!

Bruce

Speakers are what they are and the bigger the better. You can't easily hide them, although with expensive custom work you can build speakers into aesthetically vulnerable spaces with minimal intrusion.

For instance I have built large corner reflex cabinets beneath antique corner cupboards, and hung the door over the lower speaker enclosure. When the doors are closed there is no evidence of speakers being in the room, but there is with the door open.

You are pretty much demanding the impossible, certainly from something that is not custom.

Since you are redoing your room, you might want to consider using an acoustically transparent screen and a projector. Then you could put any speakers you like behind the screen.

 

[highfigh]

Hello - Quick question

I am redesigning my home theater, and am tired of either a choice between ugly/bulky loudspeakers or sonically impaired in-walls. Does anyone know of a good hidden speaker company/product? And I mean completely hidden, as in, not even a visible grille.

Thanks!

Bruce

There's not a single true full-range hidden speaker that sounds like much of anything. They ALL need a woofer and I don't just mean a subwoofer. The low frequency response is crap when you get to the <120Hz range, although some companies have a dedicated amp/EQ for their drivers, like Siemens. These are also very expensive- about $2500/pr. For that money, I'll look at the speakers and in fact, some speakers really look great. If you want your speakers hidden and are able to build a cavity behind the plane of the wall, do that and select a good sounding speaker that meets your needs. You'll want to keep any gaps filled and line it with some kind of sound deadening but as long as the speaker is made for mounting flush with a wall surface, it should work. It's not the best way to have great sound but it's far better than hidden speakers that can't be used the way most theaters are. If the hidden ones are run at high SPL, the drywall joints tend to crack.

 

[tom67]

Some omnidirectional units like Mirage could be secreted behind chairs etc or items on a shelf, but thats about it....and placement would require a lot of experimentation and patience....

 

[tom67]

Saw these beauties

and considered them myself.....probably can be placed behind objects as long as they can reflect on 3 walls or surfaces....you might want to go on Mirage website and see if you can get the manual that comments on placement.....good price here and Mirage is an old established company


http://www.vanns.com/shop/servlet/item/features/544375712/mirage-omd5-rosewood?v_c=BizRate&srccode=cii_10043468&cpncode=18-63128647-2

 

[yepimonfire]

Hello - Quick question

I am redesigning my home theater, and am tired of either a choice between ugly/bulky loudspeakers or sonically impaired in-walls. Does anyone know of a good hidden speaker company/product? And I mean completely hidden, as in, not even a visible grille.

Thanks!

Bruce

lol, i'm sorry but i have to say this, this is why bose is still in business , big sound comes from big speakers, there really is no way around it.

 

[tom67]

This is America....there are solutions to every problem except the oil spill....perhaps the Mirage behind a photo of Obama could do it for this gent....

 

[yepimonfire]

just have to add something here, most speakers i have heard that cant cover at a minimum of 80hz flat sound bad even when a subwoofer is added, reason being is think of it like this, you can't expect a violin to produce the same sounds as a double bass and you can't expect a double bass to produce mid sounds like a cello does, most super small speakers like this are only two way designs, while there isn't anything wrong with two ways the issue is that your missing authoritative mid-bass sounds. the result will be an ugly gap in frequencies from 80-150hz.


you can get some decent bookshelfs that aren't particularly large that are good down to about 60hz that are about the height and width of a nice sized hardcover book. (finding links now)

 

[yepimonfire]

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16882290094
http://store.audioholics.com/product/2018/66308/infinity-primus-p152-bookshelf-speaker--each-
http://store.audioholics.com/product/1173/66309/yamaha-ns-333-2-way-bookshelf-speakers--pair-

you might also look into a pair of KEF HTS series satellites, they are pretty slim and have very good sound for their size and they are 3-ways as well meaning you don't have tiny woofers attempting to cover too much high end and too much low end, these speakers have very nice sounding midrange and excellent ultra-high end response while easily covering the mid-bass spectrum. http://www.amazon.com/KEF-HTS5001-2-Satellite-Speaker-Single/dp/B0013MKMJS

 

[MidnightSensi]

Since you are redoing your room, you might want to consider using an acoustically transparent screen and a projector. Then you could put any speakers you like behind the screen.

This.

I actually tried the Sonance behind the drywall speakers in an installation and found them to be really terrible.

What's so bad about inwalls? There are some nice inwall speakers like Genelec and Triad that have big sound from a good looking and paintable package.

There is also using acoustically transparent fabrics creatively.

I've seen a number of installations with big sound systems and hidden speakers, it's doable with some creativity.

 

[yepimonfire]

This.

I actually tried the Sonance behind the drywall speakers in an installation and found them to be really terrible.

What's so bad about inwalls? There are some nice inwall speakers like Genelec and Triad that have big sound from a good looking and paintable package.

There is also using acoustically transparent fabrics creatively.

I've seen a number of installations with big sound systems and hidden speakers, it's doable with some creativity.

well unless the inwall has it's own enclosure inwalls are subject to the air volume of the wall and since this is required to control the woofer to reproduce bass accurately you could have a very random reponse from 200hz down then you also have issue like the wall resonating at certain frequencies which can cause boomy and muddy mid-bass.

 

[ParadigmDawg]

It's easy, just use a 120" Acoustically Transparent PJ Screen in front of some JTR speakers.


Done...

 

[tom67]

Yup, you could make a false fabric wall to hide the speakers, but few would want to desecrate their room to that extent....an omni-directional design does give you some wiggle room for placement....just a question of whether you like that sound....I was tempted by the Mirage line as I was always intrigued by the notion of this design....some people can tolerate no other type claiming it fills the room much better than conventional radiators...others claim it is confusing. I have heard the Mirage sound at Magnolia (best Buy) and frankly thought it sounded rather conventional...and if is solves this guy's problem, probably worth looking....

 

[AJinFLA]

Hi Bruce,

Welcome to the forum.

I am redesigning my home theater, and am tired of either a choice between ugly/bulky loudspeakers or sonically impaired in-walls.

You are starting will a false premise.
A) There are more than just those 2 choices.
B) "Ugly/bulky" is subjective and thus undefined...it can mean anything to anyone.
C) In-walls don't have to be sonically "impaired".

Does anyone know of a good hidden speaker company/product? And I mean completely hidden, as in, not even a visible grille.

Everyone would like an invisible jet like Wonder Woman, but then there is reality .
"Good" and "Invisible" is an oxymoron. You can't have both. Yes you can hide speakers behind perforated screens as noted above....but those screens aren't exactly "invisible".
Your choices are "invisible" but poor sound quality, or "visible", but decor friendly.
And then there are plenty of stylish but good sounding on walls, in walls and yes, regular free standing loudspeakers.

cheers,

AJ

 

[Chicagorep]

I'd have to say you never heard a good pair of inwall speakers, I know of a few that I would use.

 

[walter duque]

I never could get over the sound of these http://www.cinepro.com/AFM-IWS-LitSpecsPage1-2_082708z.pdf
These are a true In-wall experience. It's all about how far you want to go. It's all available, that's for sure. All you need is long funds.

 

[deedubb]

I did a combo. I actually wanted my L/R speakers visible. I hid my centre and sub underneath my screen. Pics in my signature. Since you are redoing your HT, just hide them behind some fabric, or as someone mentioned above, use an acoustically transparent screen with a projector, and put the speakers behind the screen.

 

[walter duque]

Hidding speakers, there are many ways to go. These are 2 subs. Calibrating a build-in system I don't think it's an easy task. Placement of speakers is very important. An inch here and there makes a big difference, I am just starting to find that out.

 

[dkane360]

I never could get over the sound of these http://www.cinepro.com/AFM-IWS-LitSpecsPage1-2_082708z.pdf
These are a true In-wall experience. It's all about how far you want to go. It's all available, that's for sure. All you need is long funds.

I don't see specs for the model on the far right...

And on another note, someone posted that link a few months ago and I clicked on it while in one of my classes...oops lol.