# In wall speaker sound quality?



## memarcus (Jan 28, 2010)

I was reading Jer-Bear 20's thread regarding the in-wall, in-ceiling, tower dilemma and thought I might ask why in-walls don't sound as good as towers? Is this primarily due to the lack of proper enclosure or it is because of acoustics being in a planar surface? I can see where in ceiling would always be off axis so that makes sense but wasn't sure of the reason for the in walls.


----------



## CasePro (Dec 23, 2009)

I think there are a lot of reasons and the answer to your question is: both. When a floor standing speaker is designed, the crossover takes into account the distance of the midrange from the floor and baffle step compensation. With an in wall speaker there is no way of knowing where it will be mounted and what the boundaries will be to nearby surfaces. The designer can't deal with the trade-offs because he or she doesn't know the physical parameters the same as with a floor standing speaker.

It is also unknown what the enclosure size will be behind the speakers. If mounted in drop ceiling, the speakers are basically infinite baffle. If mounted in a wall, the enclosure size is dependent on stud spacing and the height of the wall. Again, so many variables will effect the sound of the speaker and can't be accounted for in the design.

One thing is for sure, if you install in a wall, there will likely be a peak in the response that corresponds with the height of the wall. The best way to try and tame that is to stuff the wall with polyfill to try and damp that resonance peak. Stuffing should be tightest at the farthest end from the speaker.


----------



## Jungle Jack (Jul 28, 2009)

Hello,
Excellent post above. With In Wall's there is simply an abundance of disadvantages over free standing speakers. While there have been some major strides made to make In Wall's sound better then previously imagined, they will always be at an disadvantage.
Cheers,
JJ


----------



## tonyvdb (Sep 5, 2007)

I agree with Tony, due to placement and lack of proper enclosure they simply wont preform as well as a good bookshelf or tower. Placement is always a compromise with inwall speakers and you cant just move them if they dont sound good where you have them. The wall cavity can alter the response of the speakers as well.


----------



## Jon Liu (May 21, 2007)

It's not that they inherently are worse sounding, but it's just due to the limitation of not being able to tinker with room placement to get the best sound FOR the room.


----------



## Mika75 (Feb 5, 2009)

*Pinnacle Super K* In Wall/In Ceiling Speakers have level adjustment for each driver.


----------



## jrd5853 (Apr 20, 2009)

Definitive Technologies UIW RLS II are fully enclosed and I am completely satisfied. I don't have much training in sound but i did learned the hard way through Bose. But I can tell you I can hear the subtle differnces in my wife's pitch when she is mad or wants something. I guess speakers for me can be easy when my B.S. filter is working because my ignorance is my bliss!


----------

