The Complete Guide to
In-Ceiling and In-Wall Speakers

One issue many come across when design a home theater is surely that of speaker placement, or rather how the many different audio speakers associated with today's 5.1 and 7.1-plus multi-channel audio systems are going to impact the overall home theater room decor.

Well, it is here that in-ceiling and in-wall speakers provide suitable alternatives to free-standing conventional speakers in both the home theater and in multi-room home entertainment.

Up to not long ago, this hidden-sound technology did not perform well especially in multi-channel 5.1 music listening and home theater applications. Stereo sound has always been much easier to satisfy with in-wall and in-ceiling speaker systems.

But things have changed...

Today, you can conceal specially designed speakers in walls and in ceilings while still enjoying really good quality sound - though not to the same extent as is possible with conventional free-standing speak systems for the same capital outlay.

The problem with in-wall speakers is that you will never know how your concealed speakers will sound until you install them. It is true that some ceiling and in-wall speaker systems come with dedicated bass and treble tone controls to help you better tune your speakers once installed with the rest of your speaker setup.

The presence of a back box designed specifically for your selected in-wall or in-ceiling speaker will do a lot more to control your in-wall speaker or ceiling speaker performance. The back box gives you better control over resonance, while maintaining the correct tonal balance with the rest of your home theater speakers; the latter is fundamental to achieve a unified soundfield.

In general, most in-wall speakers come in a rectangular frame while in-ceiling speakers are round. Choosing one shape over another is more of a personal preference. All in-wall and in-ceiling speakers come with accompanying speaker grills - most of which being paintable to better conceal the speaker from view.

The use of ceiling and in-wall speakers is definitely turning out to be a trendy option in the home theater but there are a few issues worth knowing about.

Both speaker options require at least 4-inch clearance behind the mounting panel to house the speaker unit. Some require even more mounting clearance especially if the speaker driver is either tilted in some direction, or uses an adjustable pivot to enable the user direct more of speaker sound to the audience.

In the case of in-wall speaker units, it is possible to find slim-type units that may require just over 2-inch clearance but be aware that the acoustic quality may suffer. Keep in mind that the volume of a speaker enclosure plays a critical role in speaker performance; without enough physical depth, a speaker produces less fuller sound.

Equally important for budget-conscious consumers is that high-quality in-wall speakers can be especially expensive in comparison to traditional home theater speakers. A case in point is the Atlantic Technology IWTS-30LCR-S In-Wall THX Ultra2 LCR Speaker, which is selling online at $1,250 each. Mind you, this Atlantic in-wall speaker is no ordinary speaker. It is a THX Ultra 2 speaker capable of handling 200W continuous power and comes with an enclosed midrange that can be rotated up to 90 degrees and tilted by up to 5 degrees to better direct the sound towards the listening area. The latter is an extremely important feature when working with in-wall speakers as it gives added flexibility to your in-wall speaker placement.
	Atlantic Technology IWTS-30LCR-S In-Wall THX Ultra2 LCR Speaker
Polk Audio TC80i Round 2-Way 8-Inch In-Ceiling Loudspeaker	In-ceiling home theater speakers suffer from a major acoustical disadvantage over both in-wall and conventional free-standing speakers, namely that of firing directly at the floor. This acoustical disadvantage would be further enhanced by a bare floor.  Some in-ceiling speakers use a tilted speaker to direct more of its sound towards the listener. This floor-firing characteristic renders in-ceiling speakers more suitable in rear surround applications rather than as fronts in a home theater speaker setup.

Using in-wall and in-ceiling speakers

Choosing your Speakers:

Selecting your ceiling or in-wall speakers follow on the same footsteps as conventional speakers - especially when it comes to power handling, speaker sensitivity, speaker frequency response, etc.

And as with free-standing speakers, concealed speakers come designed with different speaker characteristics to match the requirements associated with the different applications. For example, it is one thing using speakers for the main fronts and another using speakers for the surrounds. In other words, ensure that the speakers you choose are designed for your specific application.

Equally important is where you plan to install in-wall and in-ceiling speakers. Do you have enough clearance to allow for an in-wall speaker installation? Check the speaker dimensions first.

Ceiling and In-Wall Speaker Placement:

Directly related to the issue of speaker installation is your in-wall or in-ceiling speaker placement. The issue here is that the same principles highlighted in our Speaker Placement guide applies; however you have to translate the requirements associated with free-standing speakers to your concealed speaker installation.

Yet there is one major problem you should be aware of with ceiling and in-wall speakers - especially in the home theater where speaker placement is critical for an immersive listening experience. With this type of speaker installation, there is no room for speaker placement experimentation; it just has to be right the first time. Surely, you do not want to end up with a big hole in the wall or ceiling simply because you got your speaker placement wrong! The little added-flexibility provided by pivoted in-wall and in-ceiling speaker systems is definitely not enough to correct for a wrong speaker replacement.

Our advice: When dealing with the placement of in-wall and in-ceiling home theater speakers, it is always recommended to seek on-site professional advice.

Use of subwoofers with In-Ceiling and In-Wall Speaker Installations:

The best way to complement the sound of ceiling and in-wall speakers is to use a dedicated subwoofer. Rather, while with full-size free-standing tower speakers, you may do away with a dedicated subwoofer, this is not the case with in-wall and in-ceiling speaker installations. In these circumstances, the use of a dedicated subwoofer helps produce a fuller more realistic sound. In-wall subwoofers are readily available though these generally come as passive subwoofers. One such option is the JBL dual 8-inch in-wall subwoofer shown here. However, a free-standing option should not be an issue when it comes to subwoofers.  Most powered subwoofers are small enough to be placed behind your couch. One main advantage of subwoofers with respect to the rest of your home theater speakers is that subwoofer placement is not critical.

JBL 250W Dual 8" Passive In-wall Subwoofer This passive JBL in-wall subwoofer is capable of excellent bass performance for its size. (Available from amazon US)   An alternative option to the JBL is the Pyle Home PDIWS28 Dual 8-inch passive in-wall subwoofer; it comes with a similar power rating and similar bass performance. It is available from Amazon UK

In other words, you can almost literally hide your subwoofer away from site without affecting sound performance. And with a subwoofer like the Polk Audio PSWi225 (available from both Amazon US and Amazon UK), you also have the convenience of wireless audio connectivity.