My Article about In Wall/In Ceiling Speakers

Live-Wall:

http://positive-feedback.com/Issue72/livewall.htm

 

Super interesting review. Someone posted here recently about in walls and there wasn't much response from forum members.

We live in a 1950s house (aka small) and my spouse is basically an interior decorator so floor standees are non starter so I've been contemplating in wall upgrades to my Def Techs. I haven't heard of Bay Audio though I have heard of invisible speakers. I also like reading about unusual speaker designs.

Glad to hear they sound awesome. When you auditioned them did you use their sub or your own sub?

 

Thanks for reading. I found the whole product category fascinating.

They Bay Audio stuff was really surprising.

I actually did not use a sub. Then panels are full sounding with good bottom end even without.

If I had the scratch I would lay down for a home theater system with these guys in a heart beat.

 

Good to know about not definitely needing a sub. If I wanted the built in wall sub (and for $3K I probably wouldn't as subs are easier to hide), you pretty much need to decide before installing the speakers or risk redoing the wall again.

The thing about in walls is you can't really experiment so reviews are so useful but hardly anyone reviews them--a few reviews from Home Theater magazine is all I've found. Though in-walls are hard for reviewers for similar reasons. Plus in-wall companies focus is on custom installers and I don't want home theater just awesome two channel sound.

Another company that does exclusive in wall/in ceiling and sounds like they are audio focused is Noble Fidelity. Their mentions/reviews online are great and sounds like they have great customer support (small companies are awesome). Their prices are almost too low that I wonder if they would be much of an upgrade versus what I have now.

Finally, I've mentioned before in the other in wall thread, that Stereophile recently interviewed the now retired Bowers & Wilkins lead designer and he said that the B&W in-wall design for their top of the line 8 series was one of their hardest and took two years to develop. Their 8 series 2-way is about the same price as the Bay Area and I wonder which would sound better.

Ok, more than you wanted to know, no doubt.

 

Well, my article was not so much a review, as you imply, logistically, this is not really possible. It was more a profile on the company and the market for In Wall/In Ceiling.

If they did not sound so good in the demo room I would have probably not been as enthusiastic..but it did!

Bay Audio also talked about the engineering challenges inherent in these types of designs, and they are significant.

For me, a new and interesting topic.

 

I just moved but I had those bw 8s in ceilings in three rooms of my house. We renovated in 2002 and made three extra zones outside the main music room. The sound of music through them was wonderful.

 

Yeah, very cool to venture outside the mainstream. I did some looking at alternative speakers to try and satisfy my wife and there are some cool designs. Decware has some really interesting radials and an open baffle crossoverless (their most expensive hybrid in white met her needs but we decided too expensive for having two toddlers). Ohm's Walsh line is another radial that looked cool. NSMT has some interesting designs as well. Just fodder if you've got the crazy world of speaker review bug.

 

I am glad you mentioned Decware. I am slowly but surely getting very interested in very efficient speakers.

 

That was a surprisingly good read. Thanks!

Interior decorators are not welcome in my residence.

I guess marriage is out.

I wouldn't have LiveWalls at gunpoint. But... friends ask me about in-walls, and I won't even enter the conversation. You can still see conventional in-walls, so why bother throwing 4 figures at wall renovation (when you could spend it on proper floorstanders)?

But these really are invisible. I wouldn't have thought it possible.

 

Thank for reading with an open mind!

Yeh, if you can see 'em whats the point...but these guys have figured out.

The ideal scenario is going in with a new build, so that the architect can have everything set up from the get go logistically.

 

Great review. Thanks. I'm about 5 - 8 years from retiring and will probably build a new place then. It is encouraging to hear that this type of speaker exists. My mom has in-ceiling speakers in her Naples, FL residence and they sound awful. She thinks they are fine and that's cool, but I would never have them. I currently have floor standing Klipsch in my living room stereo set-up and B & Ws in my basement home theater setup and am very satisfied with both. When I retire, though, I'm sure I will want a smaller place which will not accomodate floor standers. I'm not in the market yet, but am encouraged.

 

Cool!

Starting with a new build is actually the best way to integrate these speakers. Well, its the most ideal, but they can certainly be retro fitted.

 

Agree. That was what I was thinking. Design it in.

 

Interesting concept, but the links offer almost zero information IMO. Does the signal out of the amp get digitally processed by the Live Wall System? This would negate analog sources passing through. Or (doubtfully) does the design of the speaker passively incorporate all the complex design requirements? Also do they customize each installation given that room dimensions vary widely? It would also seem to require that no furniture or wall hangings be placed on the "speaker wall" ?

 

Check out Bose, I understand interior decorators love them!