Looking for suggestions. I've got my walls pre-wired for front and rear, left and right. Mrs. aa would like flush mount with paintable grills. Center can be surface mount since there's a TV there anyway.

Thanks,

aa

I would use real speakers. The in wall ones look clean and neet but dont sound as good as real speaker enclosures. Im an audio snob though.

IMHO of course

Many of the brands on market are the same, just labeled differently.  Make sure the cones are either carbon or aluminum (or some other material stiffer than paper).  When installing my center, left, and right in-walls, I used cheap mattress-type foam to block off the interior wall channel both above and below the speaker cut-out.  This created a "box" for the rear of the speaker, probably about 1 cubic foot each.  After compressing the pieces of foam in, I shot it with expando-insulation, sealing off the "box" as tight as possible.  I think this makes for a tighter sound.  

My rear channels are in-ceiling, and I don't think that a box is as crucial, but I did it anyway.  I created walls and a top out of 2" sheet foam insulation (looks like a cheap ice chest), epoxied together and into place above the ceiling drywall.  Wait a sec- maybe I could have used cheap ice chests...

Percision made in CA are the ones I use

Check out Boston Acoustics. I have them all over my house.

You should know that speakers are somewhat unique to each individual ear. What sounds good to me may not to you and vice versa. I would recommend that you go to an AV store (e.g., Tweeter if they have those in your area) and get the salesman to use a constant audio source and switch between several types of speakers. I have done this several times and I keep coming back to Boston Acoustics.

Don't spend anymore on speakers than what YOU can hear. Some people have a keen ear for sounds, and others don't. If they all sound the same, go for the lower price range. If you can ear a distinct difference, go for the higher end.

Check out Definitive Technology in-walls and NHT.  Both are very good for the money.  Just note that you won't get much bass response out of a speaker that does not have a properly designed enclosure.  

For home theater you will need a dedicated subwoofer to supplement the bass when using in-walls or other speakers like bookshelfs that will not produce sufficient bass below 80 hz.  80 hz is THX's standard frequency cutoff point where sound above that point go to main speakers and below that go to the subwoofer using the LFE (low frequency extension) channel.  

Most new receivers with surround sound will let you set the speakers to small or large which will affect the LFE channel.  Typically when set to small the speakers will get 80hz and up and the sub will get 80hz and below.  If you set the main and surround speakers to large then they would get full range signal and will not perform as well due to not having an enclosure.  They may even cause buzzing from your walls due to the vibration.  Also, if your receiver does not offer large + sub for a setting then the subwoofer would get no signal.

And listen to several different models to determine which brand your ears like the best.

I have JBL speakers in my house. I don't have the in wall. But They make them. The speakers I do have kick ass.

JBL In Wall Speakers

Other JBL In Wall Spaekers


ETA. Second Link.

Not as good as stand-alones-yup, BTDT but I'm out of audiophile mode now.

Make a cavity--check!

My home theater set-up already includes provisions for a separate sub. Separate everything, actually.

Please gentlemen, no "normal" speakers, I've got that covered, believe me. I used to be quite the fanatic. Quad ESL's, no less (I think I just dated myself ). But I digress...

Keep those cards and letters coming, please...

Thanks,

aa

The in wall speakers are going to be more fussy to acoustics due to varying wall materials where a conventional speaker has it's own "box".
A slightly trickier install but i've never done any in wall designs. Just heard about the acoustic part.

I'm no audiophile,but I've listened to some pretty full sounding in-wall speakers at Magnolia hi-fi.

The ones I heard were in the "more expensive room" .

Like I said,I'm not really attuned to all the gear and value of it,but these speakers,sounded really strong,they were left/right and center channel,and I was suprised at how much they cost(a few hundred bucks a speaker) cause most in-wall speakers I've seen sound like home intercom jobs and are priced cheaply.

Sorry,I don't remmebr the name,it was nothing familiar too me,just thought I'd post so you know that there are some good ones available....least ones that I'd be more than happy to put in my system.

Just re-read your post.The ones I saw wouldn't be "paintable",infact the cones stuck outta the wall  maybe 3-4 inches.

I got Sonance, I like 'em, they work, have adjustable tweeters and all

Sonance web

In wall speaker porn

Boston Acoustics

Oh for fuck sake go with Jamo, Sonance, or ELAN. Whoever things Boston and JBL are better needs to get their ears checked PRONTO.

<--works in home theatre installations for a living

Roger that, BadAim!

Nice pron, AssaultRifler, thanks. Question: why are the front speakers up so high? I've always tried to keep them level with the top of the screen so that the sound stage stayed vertically centered on the screen.

Thanks,

aa

Quoted: Roger that, BadAim! Nice pron, AssaultRifler, thanks. Question: why are the front speakers up so high? I've always tried to keep them level with the top of the screen so that the sound stage stayed vertically centered on the screen. Thanks, aa

Couple answers:

1.  my house is a transitional, e.g. half of what would be the second story is open to the first floor, giving the first floor way high ceilings

2.  I didn't know enough to ask where the installers were going to put the speakers, I had the house prewired by a company and after closing they came back and installed the speakers, I assumed they knew what they were doing.

3. The rear speakers couldn't be at lower level as you see by the second pic, so maybe the first ones were at the same level as the rears?

Anyway they sound great to my ears, in retrospect I would of had made a few changes:

- make the columns in the rear wider so rear speakers could be mounted lower
- mount the front speakers lower to match the height of the rears
- install a 3rd rear speaker (tricky if done at a lower level as seen in pic) so I'd be Dolby  6.1 capable instead of Dolby 5.1 capable.  The prewiring and installation of the speakers was done in fall of 1999, don't think Dolby 6.1 existed back then.

If you want to build a Killer system there is only one word that counts here "PARADIGM".
If you want to go with a Mid Pack system "SONACE" is hard to beat.
If you want to build an average system Most other in wall speakers are good enough, but I would go with "POLK"  

Quoted: I got Sonance, I like 'em, they work, have adjustable tweeters and all Sonance web In wall speaker porn tacoma4x4.no-ip.com/AR15s/HomeTheater1.jpg tacoma4x4.no-ip.com/AR15s/HomeTheater2.jpg

I have some of those in my pool table room. Sound great.

-d

Magnaplaners aren't to bad... But I am not sure you want to spend that kind of money.... And in wall speakers do suck.... Check out speakers that you normally can't find at your local Best buy for Sh%$ store... Get some exotic stuff. After all would you really deer hunt with an air soft??? Or do you like a 30 caliber better??

Quoted: Magnaplaners aren't to bad... But I am not sure you want to spend that kind of money.... And in wall speakers do suck.... Check out speakers that you normally can't find at your local Best buy for Sh%$ store... Get some exotic stuff. After all would you really deer hunt with an air soft??? Or do you like a 30 caliber better??

You don't need "exotic" to sound good... and "exotic" tends to cost big $$$. Best Buy actually isn't that bad if they have a Magnolia Hi-Fi in them. Nice stuff in those rooms.

-d

[Homer]Hmmmmm, Magneplanars[/Homer]

A good friend of mine 20 years ago had a pair of the big ones. They sounded absolutely great. I bet they still do. I don't think they've changed the design in 20 years. But they don't fit inside a wall

aa

Quoted: If you want to build a Killer system there is only one word that counts here "PARADIGM". If you want to go with a Mid Pack system "SONACE" is hard to beat. If you want to build an average system Most other in wall speakers are good enough, but I would go with "POLK"

I flippin love Paradigms

sonance, polk

i would use in walls for surround speakers, but i'm picky about sound and employ B&W 800's for my fronts and use a B&W (timber matched) center.  that way i can do music OR video.