Inwalls

[1990Viper]

There are many manufactures who make in-wall speakers. I happen to love them, as you don't have bulky speakers on the floor or hanging from the walls. Its a very nice clean setup. A lower end speaker would be audiosource. Amazon has them for a low cost. My buddy has them, and you can go as large as an 8". The wall is a perfect baffle. A good place to start is here.

Hope that helped.

 

[m_vanmeter]

the Triad guy may be Paul Scarpelli

Paul Scarpelli
aka TRIAD DUDE
Director of Sales & Marketing, Triad Speakers Intergallactic

He is quite active on the AVS Speaker Forum and has a remarkable knowledge of the audio industry in general, and of course, Triad in particular.

scroll down to "Speakers" for a very lively discussion group http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/

 

[mperfct]

the Triad guy may be Paul Scarpelli

Paul Scarpelli
aka TRIAD DUDE
Director of Sales & Marketing, Triad Speakers Intergallactic

He is quite active on the AVS Speaker Forum and has a remarkable knowledge of the audio industry in general, and of course, Triad in particular.

scroll down to "Speakers" for a very lively discussion group http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/

that's the guy I was thinking of. Thanks

 

[ozmedia]

Some speakers come with them, and some you have to buy separately. They are made by the manufacturer of the speaker and are speaker specific. It's not like a generic add on. For your HT, I'd shop elsewhere than Best Buy. For your ambient/non-critical speakers, I think you'd be fine with a greater percentage of in-ceiling/wall speakers.

Go to some high-end stores, and figure out what you like. FWIW, it's really hard demo-ing in-wall speakers because it's a lot tougher for stores to set that up than just lugging in and hooking up the latest and greatest tower.

Actually many are a generic add-on. A speaker company will make the same box to fit most of its lineup, it's less of an exact science than building cabinets, I know RBH speakers have a generic one size fits all box for their MC series and custom fit boxes for the Signature line. This is just because the Signature Series in-walls, just come as a baffle, no dog legs to secure to drywall, and rely on a tight fit with the backbox. However most installers I've seen just use the air space in the studs (16" W X 8' H)for in-walls and VERY few use more than a basic vapour barrier for in ceiling, though there are metal cans available.

FYI: For some installers (not all) cost is everything, especially these days. Watch your installers carefully and never push them to save you a few bucks, they will be more inclined install low end speakers and no backs before cutting their own margins. Of course that is not all installers, some work with great pride and experience, but not all.

 

[weinerschizel]

OK so here's what I've got for a list of nice in wall speakers.

RBH
Sonnance
Atlantic Technology
Joseph Audio
Triad

It's really hard to find places to try these speakers out. I think I'll use my best instincts, look at the specs, and take you guys advice. Then surf the web and get the best deals.

I listened to the speaker craft setup at best buy. They had a nice clear sound but no umph to them. So if those brands carry a little better quality sound I think I'll be happy with them.

I see some of the components say THX certified. What does that mean?

 

[mperfct]

I see some of the components say THX certified. What does that mean?

You'd be best served by doing a search on that, but if I remember right, the speakers are configured so that they have specific crossovers and rolloff rates. Maybe sensitivity is in there too. I wouldn't give *too* much weight to it, unless you are a label whore (says the guy who drives a BMW )

 

[weinerschizel]

OK now I've got what is probably a stupid question. After looking at a lot of these speakers I wonder what's the difference between them and a set of nice automotive speakers?

What's to stop a person from building some nice boxes on their own, dressing the front up to match the wall, and installing automotive speakers in there instead of "in wall" speakers?

 

[mperfct]

Nothing is to stop a person from doing that. I would think that there are some design differences between real HT/audio speakers and car speakers. The two I can think of off the cuff are that HT speakers have to fill A LOT more volume than a car does, which might necessitate different crossover/designs that work better with small spaces. The 2nd thing I can think of is that car speakers might have driver compromises due to the often shallow mounting depth they have to support.