In-wall 'vs' traditional speakers

True-Blue

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Hi,

does anyone have real world experience of the performance of in-wall speakers such as the monitor audio silver range, and how they compare to more traditional speakers?

I've got the option of doing a discrete install to create more space and reduce the risk of 'accidents' (have a 5 year old and a 2 year old!), but don't want to go down this route if sound quality will be drastically reduced.

I've got a brand new Onkyo 818 sat here, so don't want to waste it's potential if in-walls are rubbish ;)

Thanks in advance :thumbsup:
 
In wall speakers can sound as good as traditional speakers but tend to lack a bit of bass for their size. This is often not an issue with home AV since the sub can take up the slack in this regard. The other issue is the lack of flexibility in the system that once installed you are then fixing the position and size of TV. This may or may not be an issue depending on how often you like to move a room around etc. Also fitting in wall speakers can be quite messy depending on the structure of your walls etc. A slim onwall design (like th MA Apex range) may be a better option that sort of meets in the middle.
 
Hi, yes the positioning is not an issue as this is a converted garage that was once a cinema room, but which I had to use for a home office instead.

I have a stud wall into which the speakers could be easily mounted, and I also intend to build a sub so sit in the outer part of the garage firing through the stud wall.

Have you heard for yourself the difference between inwalls and traditional speakers?

many thanks. :smashin:
 
Hi, yes the positioning is not an issue as this is a converted garage that was once a cinema room, but which I had to use for a home office instead.

I have a stud wall into which the speakers could be easily mounted, and I also intend to build a sub so sit in the outer part of the garage firing through the stud wall.

Have you heard for yourself the difference between inwalls and traditional speakers?

many thanks. :smashin:

Hi True-Blue I've got a full MK in wall set up believe me it sounds great have you managed to get any demos of in wall set ups where are you based
 
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I have a pair off on wall PMC Wafer 1 speakers (used as side surrounds) and I briefly tried them as a stereo pair to compare to my standard 'boxed' Tb2+ speakers. I have to say that there wasn't much in it (the Wafer 2 would be a fairer match to be honest) and if they weren't so expensive I'd be tempted to fit them all round due for a stealth set up. While these are on wall, the in wall version is supposedly the same since it is an enclosed box, so I'd say that these are a good option verses traditional speakers.

As previously said the MK speakers are wall mounted and sound very good too (with the addition of a sub of course), however a demo would be worthwhile since I personally find them a little too bright for my tastes (probably used to the 'duller' sounding PMCs I suppose).
 
You may also want to put some sound deadening material in any spaces in the stud wall to stop any resonating especially if planning on firing a sub through it.
 
In-wall speakers are designed exactly for the aim of discretion and neatness, in a room where you simply want them out of the way. However, as others have eluded to, for decent music and home cinema performance, you'll need a good quality sub for low frequency and often it's difficult to hide such a beast, unless you have one custom designed and built for your room (they can be designed to be hidden into furniture for example - see MattKhan's example).

So the overall performance can be excellent if you choose the right speaker and subwoofer configuration... and yes, you pretty much get what you pay in terms of audio quality... beyond a certain limit, it's a case of personal preference of design, brand and subtleties in performance.

It's definitely valuable to go and listen to some set-up's, depending on time and where you live. Onkyo 818 is a cracking amp for its price and would work very well indeed with quality in-wall speakers.
 
The one drawback to In-Wall or more so In-Ceiling, is you have to tear up your walls and ceilings so you can run wire to the speakers.

Obviously not so with free-standing speakers. The other advantage of free-standing speakers is they are not locked into place. If you want to re-arrange the furniture, you simply move the speakers.

However, in-wall can be very discrete, nearly invisible, and it terms of how they sound, you get what you pay for. If you are thinking of in-wall as a way to save money, then you are going down the wrong path. In-Wall will cost as much are free-standing and more when you consider the installation cost.

Next, we have to consider whether your wall can even handle in-wall speakers. If they are brick, stone, or mortar, you are pretty much dead in the water. If they are Stud Frame, then there is some hope. If it is sheet-rock or plaster board over stud-frame, so much the better. While doable, if it is plaster over lath stud-frame, things can get a bit messy, though again, still functional.

Many, rather than cut into their walls, create a False Wall. Typically a basic wood stud construction attached to the wall. You can make a recessed spot and hang your TV, build an equipment cabinet below, and frames in areas for the front and center speakers.

If necessary, perhaps by the next owner of the home, the whole false wall can be easily torn down and removed with very little damage to the underlying wall. Plus, this works nicely over brick, stone, and mortar since you are only screwing to it rather than cutting large speaker holes.

You will find many examples of False Wall in the Home Cinema Building DIY forum.

Home Cinema Building DIY | AVForums.com - UK Online

These typically show the entire construction process from the bare room, to the framework, to the finishing, to the final product.

Let's see if I can find a good example -

http://www.avforums.com/forums/home-cinema-building-diy/1786738-my-false-chimney-breast.html

You can see the framework he built and eventually created a space for everything he needed in this False Wall. Though small speaker are mounted in surface recesses rather than being actual in-wall speakers, but the principle is the same.

This next one doesn't use in-wall speakers, but it does illustrate the principle being the idea of a false wall -

http://www.avforums.com/forums/home...082-living-room-false-wall-new-extension.html

You can buy in-wall speakers that are as small as satellites or as big as floorstanding speaker. It is really down to your budget -

SpeakerCraft AIM MDU One speaker Hifi Gear

SpeakerCraft DT6 Zero Hifi Gear

Speakercraft AIM LCR3 Three Speaker Hifi Gear

SpeakerCraft AIM LCR 1 Hifi Gear

SpeakerCraft MT8 One Hifi Gear

SpeakerCraft AIM Cinema One Hifi Gear

SpeakerCraft NEAT! LCR Five Hifi Gear

SpeakerCraft AIM Cinema Five Hifi Gear

Just to illustrate the range of possibilities.

Steve/bluewizard
 
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