Sonance Invisible 2021 - Still snake oil?

[Aquinas]

Magnolia HiFi in Seattle (bought by BestBuy) is pushing 2021 series Sonance Invisible speakers.

I read on this forum in 2009 these speakers were garbage.

Has anything changed? It's been sometime, so wondering if Sonance has figured this out finally.

Sounds too good to be true. How could a speaker with drywall mud on it sound any good?

Does anyone have experience with them?

Please save me before I make a huge mistake!

Thanks

 

[Eppie]

Just read the material on the Sonance web site and watch the installation video:
"They can be found in luxury residences, art galleries, museums, restaurants and premier retail boutiques."
Sounds to me like these are designed for commercial spaces. They have both residential, single speaker stereo and commercial (70v/100v) versions. They rate them 40Hz - 20kHz +/- 3dB which is a typical rating. Having played with the panel speakers I can see how a thin layer of drywall compound (which is very light when dry) would not degrade the sound substantially.

I have a pair of Wharfdale picture frame panel speakers that operate much like these. You can print a picture on light weight paper and use spray adhesive to mount the image and make the speaker look like a picture. The paper does not degrade the sound. I tested these with my Denon AVR and sound quality was just average. Definitely needed a subwoofer for the lower frequencies. The Sonance Invisible Series have lower extension than the Wharfdales but I'd want to either hear them in person or see some independent measurements. I'm sure they are an improvement over the 2009 model but without any independent testing do you want to purchase just on the advice of a Magnolia sales rep? They may sound ok, but I would not expect them to match the quality of a good in-wall or on-wall from Triad or Paradigm or even Klipsch, and if you can see the grill then there are no worries of somebody hammering a nail through your speaker.

 

[Aquinas]

Ugh, no, I don't want to buy without hearing from an independent source. I can't seem to find any reviews of them. Hence posting here.

It's funny. As I was sitting in Best Buy talking to the rep, this guy "Larry" walks in and the sales rep called him over. Larry says he installed them and is driving them with new Sonos amps. It was like the sales rep called Larry to come in while I was sitting there.

Larry says they sound good, but I don't get the sense he's all that critical. Not that I'm an audiophile either, but if he's using Sonos Amps he must not be either.

I really appreciate the response. Hoping someone has heard them and can weigh in.

 

[Pogre]

Huh. Interesting. Never heard of them before. Dunno if it quite rises to the level of snake oil tho. They're definitely made for use in far from optimal placement options for any type of speaker so I wouldn't expect audiophile sound regardless. At least they're not making magical claims on their site, lol.

 

[Eppie]

I think it would help to know why you are interested in this particular speaker as opposed to a traditional in-wall with a grill? The grills on my in-walls are paintable and blend quite nicely with the decor. The theory behind panel speakers is sound. My Wharfdales are quite thin and produce better sound than I expected but not a true full range speaker. If the Sonance speakers really go down to 40Hz, you would want a nice thick coat of good quality paint or at 40Hz you're going to vibrate the plaster right off of the panel. I suspect that a good quality paint is key to maintaining the integrity of the plaster over the panel membrane.

 

[Aquinas]

The idea to use these came about because part of my main room ceiling is sloped. My wife didn't like the idea of mounting ceiling speakers on that slope because it's highly visible when you enter the home. I wasn't in love with that idea either, so I was working around that by placing speakers elsewhere in the room to provide ambient music throughout the house.

But, this main room also has our main TV. I was hoping to build a 5.1 system in that room as well. It's not a theater, but I was still trying to make it work. But because of the sloped ceiling, I couldn't get speakers placed correctly for a good surround sound.

That's when the BestBuy guy told me about these invisible speakers. Suddenly I could place speakers anywhere I want! Any my wife loved the idea of using them as it just keeps the "wall acne" down.

That's when I went back to building out a surround system using these speakers. I can have high quality front left and right, and use these invisibles for surround rears. (I could also use an invisible for the center channel, along with our Samsung Art Frame TV, to keep my wife happy with a clean-looking fireplace.)

Alas, if the speakers don't sound good, then I think I'm going to give up on it. I don't think I need a 5.1 system in this room. I think just having ceiling speakers with a low-profile, painted grill will be fine.

I just got excited there for a minute. Then I got nervous when I couldn't find any reviews. Seemed too good to be true. But I guess if you accept the limitations of the sound, then it's not. They serve their purposes, which is not to produce the greatest sound possible.

 

[Eppie]

Unfortunately the specs that they provide are not enough to go on by themselves. They might make good surrounds and work well in the ceiling for ambient music, but it helps to know what the off axis response is like and where any dips or bumps in the frequency response occur. It's not like a bookshelf that you can easily swap out later. Once installed these will likely be in place for many years.

 

[Aquinas]

Hey folks. Wanted to close the loop here.

I went all in on six Sonance IS8 invisible speakers driven by two Sonance DSP 2-150 amps.

They sound great. My visible ceiling Kef 8 inch speakers I have in the garage driven by a Sonos Amp maybe sound better. Maybe. I mean seriously maybe.

The IS8s sound fantastic and I couldn't be happier. Crispy highs and super clear sound.

I originally drove them with Sonos Amps. The Sonance DSP amps definitely are worth the money. I installed an "EQ preset" file I was sent by Sonance support for the Sonance IS8s. I don't know if I can tell the EQ difference, but the Sonance amps certainly sound better than the Sonos Amps.

I used a great "mud guy" to skim coat them. I'd say that's super important here.

Also, I didn't bother trying to make a 5.1 audio setup. I'm just using them for stereo audio through my great room.

Three cheers for Sonance Invisible speakers. Please buy some so they don't go out of business and leave me hanging if they fail in the wall.

Cheers

 

[Eppie]

Hey folks. Wanted to close the loop here.

I went all in on six Sonance IS8 invisible speakers driven by two Sonance DSP 2-150 amps.

They sound great. My visible ceiling Kef 8 inch speakers I have in the garage driven by a Sonos Amp maybe sound better. Maybe. I mean seriously maybe.

The IS8s sound fantastic and I couldn't be happier. Crispy highs and super clear sound.

I originally drove them with Sonos Amps. The Sonance DSP amps definitely are worth the money. I installed an "EQ preset" file I was sent by Sonance support for the Sonance IS8s. I don't know if I can tell the EQ difference, but the Sonance amps certainly sound better than the Sonos Amps.

I used a great "mud guy" to skim coat them. I'd say that's super important here.

Also, I didn't bother trying to make a 5.1 audio setup. I'm just using them for stereo audio through my great room.

Three cheers for Sonance Invisible speakers. Please buy some so they don't go out of business and leave me hanging if they fail in the wall.

Cheers

Thanks for following up. I've seen some other companies venture into this field as well in the last year but still a niche market.