Invisible speakers—better known as in-wall or in-ceiling speakers—have become increasingly popular fixtures in home theaters across the country. While the concept of an invisible speaker itself is not new, advances in sound quality have made these stereo systems a trendy addition to the living room. Why now, you may ask?
In-wall speakers don’t take up space in your media room.
The primary benefit of in-wall speaker systems is their ability to provide surround sound without taking up extra space in your home. Unlike traditional cabinet-style speakers for home theater, which require external mounts and space to install, invisible speakers are installed in wall cavities, essentially using the space between walls or ceilings as a cabinet.
Granted there are vacant spaces between sections of your walls, speakers can be positioned anywhere in your home to provide the highest quality surround sound. This is especially beneficial to smaller homes with less square feet of floor space and homes with cluttered walls that provide inadequate room for traditional home stereo speakers.
The speakers can match the carpets! And the drapes!
In-wall speakers provide value to any home theater setup by being inherently easy to conceal while providing cinema-quality audio. Whereas traditional cabinet-style speakers often deter from the aesthetics of a room, In-wall speaker systems do not have this problem—their compact, flat design makes it possible to wallpaper over invisible speakers.
Additionally, some models of invisible speakers on the market today come with paintable grilles that allow you to blend your surround sound into your surroundings without affecting audio quality at all.
The audio is better than you’d expect.
Although constrained by their inability to be moved around the room, when positioned correctly, invisible speaker systems provide excellent acoustics that uniquely complement your room. Generally, in-wall speakers act as black box speakers, with good sound quality and projection. Due to the size constraints, these speakers tend to produce less bass frequencies, meaning an additional in-wall subwoofer may need to be installed.
While the benefits of invisible speaker systems are tough to refute, keep in mind that purchasing and installing in-wall and in-ceiling speakers for your home is a home investment similar to replacing kitchen countertops or renovating your bathroom. High tech homes stand out in today’s real-estate market, and having dedicated home theater speakers installed will raise your home value should you wish to sell it or use it as a down payment for another mortgage. Your best bet is to centrally wire a sound system in your home, and put a speaker in every room so you can control music from anywhere in the house with just the click of a remote.
Unless you are comfortable with the wiring configurations of your home, installing is a job best left for a professional to handle. If a home theater sounds like a great idea to you, though, imagine how much better that’ll sound with invisible speakers installed.
