In wall speakers reduce audio equipment clutter

Electronic equipment such as speakers tend to dominate a room. With in wall speakers, you can create a more esthetically pleasing area while still enjoying your audio experience. Manufacturers today produce designer in wall speakers that not only sound good, but look good too.

There are two basic uses for in wall ( and in ceiling ) speakers: background sound and home theater. Background music is by far the most popular use with speakers installed in kitchens, bathrooms and hallways. These speakers aren't known for their superior sound reproduction, which is not an issue considering their application. Using in wall speakers for home theater, you basically want the high performance of tower speakers packed into an unobtrusive wall mount design.

Where should I mount in wall speakers?

If they are for background music, select a place on the wall that's most visually pleasing. Ideally you'll want to place the speakers at ear level, and symmetrically arranged in the listening area. When using in wall speakers for home theater, proper placement is more imporant. These speakers should flank the television or video screen and have the center channel above or below it. For surround sound, putting the speakers to the sides of the audience area and just above listener's ear level generally gets the best results.

For new home construction, you need to plan out where you want the speakers and run wiring to those areas. Leave plenty of extra wire in case you decide to change speaker placement before actual installation. Run the wires separate from electrical and keep them fairly loose so you can move them as needed. Take pictures of the finished wiring before the walls are covered so you'll know exactly where it is.

If you're installing in wall speakers in an existing home, you may consider getting a professional installer to handle it, particularly if your home has lathe and plaster walls. It's certainly possible to do it yourself, but a professional knows all the tricks to snaking the wire and can get it done faster. If you want to install the inwall speakers yourself, you can find helpful tips for that on the internet by doing a search for "in wall speaker installation".