[ntode]

Sometime in the next six months my wife and I will be starting construction on a new home. I am really excited to get a chance to finally start from the beginning and do everything exactly like I want................well not exactly. Money and the WAF always get in the way. Otherwise George Lucas and I would have the same "Home Theater."


The HT will be in the living room. I got a lot of pushback when I mentioned a dedicated theater in the basement. One thing we have yet to decide is whether or not to get In-wall speakers, use my floor standing Klipsch RF-3 speakers, or buy new floor or bookshelf speakers. To be honest as much as I love the sound of my RF-3's, we don't really want two huge black speakers in the living room. Because of this, we will probably just move the Klipsch speakers into the bedroom.


The deciding factor for In-walls or floor standing/bookshelf speakers will probably be whether or not the TV is mounted in/on the wall. We both like the look of Projection TV’s recessed into the wall or plasma’s hanging on the wall, and that is why I am looking into In-wall speakers.


So here I am in the market again for speakers. I am not very knowledgeable about In-wall speakers and that is what I am looking for here. I need some advice on what brands of In-walls to look at, and what prices they would run me. No matter what the surrounds will be In-walls, and the back surround, if there is one or two, would probably be a ceiling speaker.


I know the first question will be "What is your budget." To be honest I don't know. I will be a lot easier to spend more money if it looks seamless and puts out great sound than if the speakers were sitting in the middle of the room taking up space and "not matching our decor.................." So let’s assume that I have about 3 thousand dollars for 5-7 speakers. This does not count a sub, because no matter what, my 15 inch definitive technology sub is going in that room!!


What brands should I look at, and how much should I expect to pay?


Thanks in advance,


Nick

 

[pcrx]

Hi!


5 years ago I did in-wall JBL's with 8" drivers for my HT and stereo setup. Granted while it soulded great, I was really never pleased with the way it looked. It looked OK, but there was just something about it.... maybe its me but I could not ever find myself falling for the flush look and felt it more like a "radio shack" look....please no offense to others with in-walls.... I felt this way about my own living room...


Anyway, we are now moving into an older restored home, and given the option, I would not do in-walls. Rather, I am going with a full set of Anthony Gallo Nucleus Micros with a Due center channel and Panny 42" plasma.


I felt that my old setup while "hidden" still looked "stark" "bleak" or whatever, and just didn't get us the "feel" that we wanted of integrating the HT into our decor...


I would go with something you can blend with your deco, and NOT blend it with the structure. If you move the setup at least then you can do so with minimal headache. I wanted to move my entire setup after two years to a more private section of the house, but by then "the damage was done" so to speak and I could not justify moving it all to myself or for the WAF factor...


NOW, if you went with a 5 speaker set of Anthony Gallo Due's and a good subwoofer your setup would not only rock and roll big time, but would look amazing all of the time. Check out www.roundsound.com and do a search for reviews on the web on the Due...


I figure why try to hide something (that you really cannot hide no matter what) when there are so many options out there that allow you to have speakers and HT equipment that are as much stylish part of the deco as they are entertaining for viewing/listening...

 

[ntode]

pcrx,


I agree that you don't get the same look with the inwalls as you do with wall mounted or free standing speakers, but I think the flush look is what we are going for. I want to see as little as possible. I am even considering placing all components in a closet out of the room, and controlling them via RF. The only thing I don't like about in walls, is that you still see the grill. If I had it my way You wouldn't even see the speakers at all. I have already thought about ways I could do that with custom encolsures.


So back to my origional question, what brands and how much. I did some quick research and found that just about every brand carries in-walls, but these are a few brands that seem to be well known and liked


Triad - unfortunately out of my price range

Atlantic Tecnology

Definitive Technology

B&W

Paradigm


I am familiar with these brands, but have not listened to their inwalls. Any comments or suggestions?


Thanks,


Nick

 

[KevinYee]

I think Aerial is coming out with a line of in walls sometime next year too.

 

[patrickthickey]

I installed these

http://store.yahoo.com/htd/htdalw80pair.html


into the walls in our billiards room and we are completely happy with the sound. Anyone who hears them comments at how clean and dynamic they are.


No, they are not a name speaker. But I also own B&W Nautilus in our Theater Room and have a pretty good ear. They are driven by a humble Proton 40 WPC integrated amp. (anyone remember these bad boys?)


We're really happy with them and they were literally a fraction of the cost of B&W's version.


In-wall speakers are a compromise so be very careful not to get too caught up in the name-brand game.


In some applications in-wall are a wonderful way to deal with sound.


Your mileage may vary.


regards,


patrick

 

[ntode]

wow, i don't know about using the htd for my theater, but those would be great for whole house audio. They seem like they are pretty high quality for the cost!!

 

[patrickthickey]

Look, I don't work for these folks or even know where they literally exist, as they are a virtual store.


But they are pretty awesome and I would recommend them without hesitation.


Good luck.


regards,


patrick

 

[turt]

ntode,

Quote:

The only thing I don't like about in walls, is that you still see the grill. If I had it my way You wouldn't even see the speakers at all.

An AVS member sells just what you want:

http://www.invisiblestereo.com/

 

[mbpg]

Hello Nick


In-wall speakers are a good choice when there is a serious shortage of space, or where aesthetics are more important than fidelity. If you want "audio without the speaker", in-wall is the choice. Free-standing speakers are easier to set-up, usually offer higher fidelity for the $$, and always allow you more flexibility. One option you might look into is a smaller, stand-mounted speaker with an unusual design. There are a couple out now and more seem to be coming. Examples: B&W VM-1, Gallo Due', KEF KHT.


If in-wall is your choice, there are many good speakers to choose from -- budget determines what products to look at. B&W, KEF, and Snell have very good custom lines that usually can be painted the color of the wall. I have seen and heard them, they are high quality speakers that are very discrete and don't stand out once installed. You need a good installer and planning, as there's not much room for error here, but they are excellent alternatives for the type of trade-off's you are considering.


Regards, Michael

 

[smchan]

Quote:

Originally posted by ntode Triad - unfortunately out of my price range Atlantic Tecnology Definitive Technology B&W Paradigm

Don't rule out the Triad's quiet so fast. I think they have lines in the same price ballpark as other brands you list. I have seen, for example, the Triad InWall Silver Omni for less than $300 each.


As for surrounds, the cheapest Triad dipole would be their Bronze InWall which will probably run around $350 (give or take $25) per speaker. If you want monopole surrounds, I imagine a speaker like the Triad InWall Silver Satellite would work.


One thing I like about the Triads is the MDF box which helps prevent sound from leaking to the adjacent rooms. And they're heavy. Everyone knows heaviness is a sign of quality.


If you want to really be impressed, call the Triad support line and ask questions. The fellow I talked to spent a good hour on the phone w/ me going over their product line and answering questions.


I don't work for Triad nor do I sell them. I am a happy user of the Silver InWall Surrounds and intend to buy the Bronze InWall LCR's soon.


Sometimes you can find decent deals on used Triads on ebay, though the selection is spotty and you have to be patient. Buyer beware, YMMV, and all that.


Sam

 

[jacksonian]

ntode,

I'm in a similar situation, except the house is about a year old. I currently have a pair of Def Tech Pro Tower 400's to work with. We're planning to put a plasma upstairs in the extra room and make it the main viewing/listening room. I won't call it a home theater because almost one whole wall is a large window with a view of the pond behind the house. Acoustically it won't be great because the TV will have to go on the long wall of the rectangle. My wife definitely wants plasma (I love that woman) so we can hang it on the wall. She'd also like in-walls so that there is NO A/V furniture to be seen. We'd like to run the components to the closet with an RF controller or IR repeater. I'm having a hard time with the in-wall choice because of the significant cost of installation and significant risk of poor sound with our room. Plus I feel like I'm missing part of the joy of paying a lot for speakers if I can't see them As for brands, I'm doing the same thing you are. It seems like one of the models with its own enclosure would be better to isolate the room as well as not depending so much on the character of your walls for sound coloration.