In-Wall Basics

Rethinking conventional speaker design has resulted in some unique changes to basic form in recent years. Chief among these is the in-wall speaker—which many people believe is the best type of speaker to use if you want to integrate multiple speakers into a room without aesthetic or spatial compromise. As the name suggests, in-wall speakers are housed within walls or ceilings. They can be almost invisible, double as wall art, or show a grille only. Their aesthetic and spatial benefits have made them highly popular, especially in custom installations, and manufacturers have made considerable improvements to in-walls’ sound quality over the years. Some insist that, dollarfor-dollar, conventional speakers still offer much more in the way of audio performance. But in-walls have grown in both quality and popularity. The best ones, correctly installed, are now sonically competitive.

In-walls aren’t so different from other speakers in fundamental execution. Most in-walls use dynamic drivers and crossovers just like those found in conventional loudspeakers, but with tweaks made to account for their unique application. Since they lack cabinets, however, in-wall speakers are more subject to room conditions than any other type of speaker. Primary among these conditions is the wall itself, which essentially becomes a part of the in-wall speaker. The volume of the wall cavity in which you place the speaker naturally has a profound effect on its sound. Vibrations and reflections from studs, outer walls, and the wall face on which you mount the speaker play a major role in performance, as well. A few in-wall models do have cabinets (or back boxes) that you mount in the wall. In theory, these supply the proper dimensions and internal properties for the particular drivers that the speaker employs. This reduces many of those negative enclosure variables. Several in-wall models, however, are simply open in the rear. With these units, even a basic treatment of the wall cavity can go a long way in improving the performance of the speaker, along with reducing sound leakage into adjacent areas.

One of in-walls’ advantages over all other kinds of speakers is that they eliminate room interaction in front of the speaker. The reason audiophiles like their speakers well out from the wall is that the farther from the wall the speaker sits, the less objectionable the frequency of diffraction is (sound waves bouncing off the speaker baffle). As you move toward the wall, that objectionable frequency gets higher and higher, which means more and more noticeable, making on-walls the least desirable kind of speaker. But, once the speaker goes into the wall, diffraction disappears, making the best in-walls potentially competitive in terms of sound.

One desirable feature to have in an in-wall speaker is a pivoting tweeter. This allows you to direct the high frequencies toward the listening position or wherever else you want. A pivoting tweeter is no substitute for getting the placement right—and only an experienced custom installer can do that—but it does give you more options.

Some companies also offer in-wall subwoofers. As with other in-wall speakers, the wall cavity’s volume and the properties of the wall itself will have a significant impact on an in-wall subwoofer’s performance. And because room acoustics can profoundly affect the sound of low frequencies, mounting and placement issues become all the more critical. In-wall placement obviously eliminates your ability to move the subwoofer based on any changes to the room that could affect the sub’s performance, but it does offer a way to get what is usually the largest and bulkiest speaker in a system off of the floor and out of the way.

If visuals are paramount, some companies offer in-wall speakers with grilles that are either art objects in themselves or can be camouflaged to resemble something other than a speaker. If you haven’t already, open yourself to the visual possibilities that in-wall speakers can offer.