Integrating floorstanding speakers in a media wall - how?

[TLS Guy]

Constructing just part of the media wall in drywall for the in-wall speakers is an interesting idea. I'll have to consider that. But I'm afraid it'll be difficult to integrate the design of drywall and carpentry seamlessly.

If I open up the cabinets behind the speakers and push them back there, I'm simply going back to the original idea of putting them in cabinets, no? And then I have to deal with all the sound issues discussed from the beginning of the thread.

Curtains are planned for the window on the right. A rug is a good idea, though in the current apartment there's no rug on the tile floor, and I can't say that it bothers me in any way.

I will have to think about this, but an in wall is the way to go here. What is the total volume of that space to be pressurized? Are there areas of leakage like the large stairway I have? What equipment will you be using, AVP or receiver. Any power amps? What accessories like disc players, streamers and cable boxes etc.

In that room with the small space between speakers, you will be better off with no center. So two mains and an inwall sub should be a really good way to go. I say just two speakers, as otherwise the speakers are too close together. My center was redundant and it works just as well with no center. My wife can't tell the difference. Probably the equipment below the TV and speakers and the storage above. I don't have a storage problem which makes life easier. The other downside of storage is it makes for unwanted resonances. And where are you located?

 

[mr47]

We're in Israel.

The center is actually a requirement, as far as I'm concerned. In the current apartment the speakers are at a similar angle to the MLP, and I can definitely tell when using stereo vs 5.1. And planning in-walls seems to be out of our budget, both in terms of money and time - the construction needs to begin very soon, otherwise we will delay our move which is bad for multiple reasons (even ignoring everything else, it would at least cost us dearly in rent).

Currently I'm leaning towards making cubbies with the option of closing them off with a door. That way, I can hear how bad it sounds once everything's done, and fall back to moving the speakers out into the room if the sound quality will be unacceptable.

 

[Eppie]

Having the speakers all the way back in the cubbies is generally a bad idea but if the cubbie is relatively large and the speakers are just slightly recessed into that opening to keep them out of the higher traffic area, that can help reduce the negative effects. It will be a compromise regardless, so a matter of managing your expectations and reducing any negative impacts to a minimum.

 

[TLS Guy]

We're in Israel.

The center is actually a requirement, as far as I'm concerned. In the current apartment the speakers are at a similar angle to the MLP, and I can definitely tell when using stereo vs 5.1. And planning in-walls seems to be out of our budget, both in terms of money and time - the construction needs to begin very soon, otherwise we will delay our move which is bad for multiple reasons (even ignoring everything else, it would at least cost us dearly in rent).

Currently I'm leaning towards making cubbies with the option of closing them off with a door. That way, I can hear how bad it sounds once everything's done, and fall back to moving the speakers out into the room if the sound quality will be unacceptable.

I have had one idea. Mount the speakers on a pull out shelf, so they are in the cabinet when you are not using them and you can pull them forward when you are. I would not use a door. That will vibrate and be a total mess and you will get bad reflections.

 

[Mikado463]

I have had one idea. Mount the speakers on a pull out shelf, so they are in the cabinet when you are not using them and you can pull them forward when you are. I would not use a door. That will vibrate and be a total mess and you will get bad reflections.

and a pull out shell won't vibrate ??

 

[TLS Guy]

and a pull out shell won't vibrate ??

I am not talking about a shell, but a shelf the size of the base of the speakers that pulls out in two slides. This hardware is common in kitchens and easily obtained.

This is what I am talking about.

 

[TLS Guy]

We're in Israel.

The center is actually a requirement, as far as I'm concerned. In the current apartment the speakers are at a similar angle to the MLP, and I can definitely tell when using stereo vs 5.1. And planning in-walls seems to be out of our budget, both in terms of money and time - the construction needs to begin very soon, otherwise we will delay our move which is bad for multiple reasons (even ignoring everything else, it would at least cost us dearly in rent).

Currently I'm leaning towards making cubbies with the option of closing them off with a door. That way, I can hear how bad it sounds once everything's done, and fall back to moving the speakers out into the room if the sound quality will be unacceptable.

Now we know you are in Israel that changes what we can recommend. I would say we have no idea of what equipment you easily have access to.

 

[mr47]

The shelf equipment you suggested is available, luckily

In fact, at this point, I think maybe the best option is to motorize such a shelf and automate it based on the receiver state: the cubby opens up and the speaker moves out when the receiver is turned on, and goes back into the closet automatically when the receiver turns off. That would satisfy all the requirements - design, acoustics, and kitchen safety (assuming nobody's using the kitchen when the speakers are in use ).

Since the speakers are on spikes, there's no worry about the shelf resonating with them?

 

[TLS Guy]

The shelf equipment you suggested is available, luckily

In fact, at this point, I think maybe the best option is to motorize such a shelf and automate it based on the receiver state: the cubby opens up and the speaker moves out when the receiver is turned on, and goes back into the closet automatically when the receiver turns off. That would satisfy all the requirements - design, acoustics, and kitchen safety (assuming nobody's using the kitchen when the speakers are in use ).

Since the speakers are on spikes, there's no worry about the shelf resonating with them?

That will be a good plan. Sorry it took a few days for my aged brain to think of the obvious solution.

 

[mr47]

All good! Now the question is where do I find linear actuators (or something like that) that are quiet enough as to not be irritating every time the speakers are moved into/out of position...