Installing In-wall and In-ceiling Loudspeakers (part 8 of a series)

By Bob Gatton In-wall and in-ceiling loudspeakers have been gaining in popularity rapidly because they can deliver big sound without the big boxes. But are they the right type of loudspeaker for your media room? I asked Pat Mountain, vice president of sales for Canton USA, about the advisability of a one-type-fits-all approach to speakers in media rooms. He agrees that while in-wall and in-ceiling loudspeakers are selling well, he believes that they should be used only for surround loudspeakers or background music. His reason is that approximately 50% of the sound quality of a loudspeaker depends on the cabinet. The better the cabinet is, the better the sound will be. Because almost all in-wall and in-ceiling loudspeakers use the wall cavity as the cabinet, Pat does not recommend in-wall or in-ceiling loudspeakers when a cabinet loudspeaker could be used. I agree with Pat. I generally use in-ceiling or in-wall loudspeakers only for whole house music systems and sometimes for surround sound. But since there are certainly times when these speakers are appropriate, we'll discuss their installation in this article. Shaping up, measuring up What’s the biggest difference between in-walls and in-ceilings? There are some design and acoustical differences, but the main difference is that in-wall loudspeakers are rectangles and in-ceiling loudspeakers are round. In-walls are sometimes used in the ceiling and in-ceilings are sometimes used in the wall, but they don’t look right in these applications. Round in-ceiling loudspeakers used in the wall look like a ship’s porthole, so avoid using them unless you are going for a nautical theme. As with most projects, measure at least twice. A pair of in-wall loudspeakers that are on the same wall but not at the same height look very out of line. Use the ceiling for the guide to align the speakers. Make sure the speakers are installed square and true, too. I have seen many installations where the in-walls were slightly tilted, and it is not a good look. For this example, we will install a Canton in-wall loudspeaker. The installation of most in-wall and in-ceilings is similar. However, since it can vary from manufacturer to manufacturer, please read the installation manual for the brand that you are installing. But here we go with the Canton: Most speakers have a template. After marking the wall using the template, cut the sheetrock. If there is insulation in the wall cavity, remove some to accommodate the loudspeaker. Then insert the frame and lock into place. A good tip when doing the prewire for in-wall and in-ceiling speakers is to leave about 12 inches of extra wire, which will make it much easier to attach the wire to the speaker terminals. Make sure to connect the plus side of the wire to the red (+) terminal on the back of the in-wall and negative wire to the black terminal (-). If you reverse this connection, it will not hurt the speaker or the receiver, but the sound quality will suffer. Place and secure the speaker to the frame. Then snap or clip on the speaker grill. Most of these speakers have white frames and grill, but for a better look, the grill and frame can be painted. With just these few simple steps, you've added sound to the room without big loudspeaker boxes. See all articles in the Home Theater/Media Room Series