Anyone have any experience with in-wall speakers?


I am building a home office and would love to not give up space for speakers such as JM Lab MIni or Micro Utopias on stands. Does anyone have any experience with quality in-wall speakers? I don't need the last word in audiophile quality for the office. I still have my listening system in our living room but would love to be able to have a Rowland, Plinius, or Viva integrated amp for the office driving something that might sound as good as B&W 805 speakers. I know B&W makes an in-wall speaker and I am going to check that out, but are there any others? And anyone with good or bad experiences?
huntermusic
The only in walls that I would consider are ones with cabinets/baffles. I wired up my whole house with nice in walls and got lots of bass problems (needed an equalizer for each room!) Too much, I'm living with boomy bass. The other problems are that in walls don't point at your listening position. Imaging can stink with in walls too.
Good Luck and happy listening.
I installed in walls for years. None of them, repeat NONE of them sound as good as a "box" speaker of 35% the cost in terms of tonal accuracy, soundstaging, bass performance (accurate, not just bass volume).

I echo the advice to build in-wall enclosures for whatever you ultimately choose, and suggest you do so with the input of the speaker manufacturer-- if it's a high end inwall they've been asked and have answered this question, or should at minimum be able to point you at an installer who can give you some pointers on real-world implementation of that model.

Contrary to most "box" speakers, response contouring switches on most inwalls, when properly implemented, are a good thing to help you deal with the nasty acoustics. Parasound also makes (or made) an affordable mini EQ suitable for insertion in a tape loop or between pre and amp with parametric bands designed specifically for correcting inwall problems. It was called the R/EQ-150 or something.

All of this aside, if you can possibly set up your office for box speakers, even if their placement is less than optimal, do it. If you go with inwalls, forget the high-zoot hardware- go midfi unless your long term plans include those electronics going elsewhere-the sonic gains of high end electronics are totally lost on inwalls IMHO.

Just my .02. Good luck. If you find a killer inwall, share it with us, please.
I bought a pair of Inwall Triad Silvers and I was blown away. What I mean to say was that They are almost full range and enclosed. I was used to hearing other brands and thought I'd try these. Installation couldn't be simpler. After installing turned them on and my jaw dropped. I'm not an experienced audiophile by anyone's standards but I have to tell you I was shocked. They are somewhat costly.
If you have not listened to the new Dynaudio IP24's you owe it to yourself. If you like the sound of Dynaudio's in general then these very well could be the speakers for you. They are pure and sweet and if you are in the music business then you will appreciate their sonic qualities. Best of luck to you.

Steve Bachman
Phoenix, AZ