Floor Standing or In Wall speakers

I have to say after a recent demo of Polk Audio's new TOTL in wall speakers in a dedicated custom built HT room, my answer to your question is, hell yeah!

For HT, mebbe, but I have yet to hear any in-walls that can compete with free-standing speakers for music.

Kal

For HT, mebbe, but I have yet to hear any in-walls that can compete with free-standing speakers for music.

Yes but like most audiophiles mebbe you have not heard or are aware of this or this or this...all in walls and there are so many more (and not just HT as this was also done for two channel as long as anyone can remember). You may even begin to wonder why they go to all this trouble in the most prestigious studios all over the world yet most 100K+ audiophile systems do not bother with this, not even the world's number one audiophile, as seen on another thread recently?

Perhaps audiophiles do not need to impress the world's top musicians/engineers with the realistic sound of their systems? Studios do. Perhaps audiophiles know they will get tired of their speakers and plan on changing next year. Studios don't. Perhaps audiophiles prefer to pretend that room acoustics has minimal impact on what is heard? Studios don't. Perhaps audiophiles don't need systems that one can listen to all day without fatigue. Studios do. Perhaps audiophiles expect to change house in the next few years? Studios don't.

Nothing wrong with audiophile preferences as domestic needs are very different from a studio and in walls can look pretty ugly....but these domestic preferences can easily mislead anyone into thinking that all in walls are bad sounding...and this is simply not true. Acoustic theory suggests very strongly that they should sound much better...at least for all box speakers!

Not all pros like in walls - it ain't a slam dunk! However, audiophiles that revere Doug Sax's "golden ears" for his wonderful D2D recordings from Sheffield Labs might investigate why Doug chooses to use in walls. Or do the "golden ears" have "tin ears"?

Trickey question, Remember 50% of the sound is the room so if the inwalls work in the room and the regular do not or are not in a good spot they can sound better but in general I have found you can not get better sound from a inwall. The trouble is they are limited by size and by not controling the enclosure the way the wall is built effects the sound.

I see you are using Magnepane for HT, these are not known for good base and smooth sound. Something you want in HT. These speakers are better for vocals and things without alot of bass. Also what are you using for a center?

I would start looking at your center, your sub and the room for main speakers although not ideal the Magnepane should be fine. Remember 70% of the sound in a HT cames form the center speaker.

I have heard many such systems and they can be quite fine but they are rarely made from consumer stuff. Even so, the best studios I have heard (in) used stand-alone monitors in controlled environments. I am thinking of Bob Ludwig's big room in Portland and some of the rooms at Sound Mirror near Boston. Besides, once the budget and space accomodations get into this realm, there are few limits other than the intelligence and art of the designer.

For the vast majority of people who even ask this question, though, my answer is more relevant, I believe.

Kal