Invisible Speakers

Hi Lightyear! (buzz). I think you should re-negotiate, with your wife. What is the point in building HT dedicated room, when you can not have HT "gear" in it?? Does your speakers have to be built in the wall? If yes, B@W has some new "wall" speakers...they look nice and i believe they sound good too.

Blindfold her?

You really do know what to do.Do it there lots of others out there.

There are many chioces out there,but I would look at the following manufacturers: PSB,PARADIGM and Totem. They all produce excellent in wall designs. As in wall speakers are a compromise in sonic performance to utilize a clean look to an installation, the decision on where ,how to install is a critical decision. When I look at some installations using in wall speakers,I just shake my head;wrong heigh,wrong angle,etc. and it just does not have to be this way. The easiest decision is the rear channels. Use for speakers with two at the back and two at the sides. Do not use anything greater that a 6" mid and 1" tweeter as anything more is overkill. The fronta and centre are a little more problematic,and you should use the services of a reputable consultant in your community. Believe me if you make a mistake fixing it is very difficult once the speakers are in the wall. I have done many of these and have spoken to many nmanufacturers about in wall installs. Many of the manufacturers make pivoting tweeters to better focus the image[you can move the angle of the tweeter to "hit " the listener]. Do some research with the manufacturer you decide on on the best speakers in there product line for your particulat needs. PSB who make in wall speakers,produce models with two 61/2 inch mid/woofer, and One 61/2 woofer. I contacted the manufacture and a rep. advised me that the less expensive single driver would work better. More is not nec. better. Good luck.

face it - "supurb" sound will NOT happen w/ in-wall speakers. maybe *ok* sound, maybe even *pretty good* sound. NOT "supurb" sound. if you really want supurb sound, you will have *other* personal issues that only *you* can figure out how to manage - good luck! i suggest explaining to your wife that you aren't gonna waste all this money, etc., for a dedicated room, and *NOT* be able to have excellent sound - you're *gonna* get real speakers, even if she doesn't like it. now, the ball's in *her* court...

Lightspeed, let me make a suggestion I think you both can live with. If you are having a cabinet built to house your speakers, extend the width of the cabinet to also house the speakers. There are many "accoustically (sp?) transparant cloths that can match the color of the wood surrounding it. I'm propsing that the speakers rest behind the material, which can be the front of a "door" in the cabinet. You will want to make sure the tweeters will be at or near ear level. You can also have the subwoofers built in as well. With all of these options your biggest concerns will be vibration within the cabinet and "coloration" of the sound, since the built-in cabinet will resonate. You then can buy just about any speakers YOU like and can stay away from the in-walls. It's not perfect, mind you, but it is a decent compromise and will make wiring a lot easier then going with in-walls. Good luck.