On-Wall Speakers

**trent.memphis** · 09-03-2009, 10:00 PM

I'd like to solicit opinions on on-wall speakers. Several companies are making them now, but I've never actually heard any.

I can see the upside:

They're out of the way.
They're in the same plane as your monitor (if it's wall-mounted).
They look kinda cool.

But with such shallow cabinets, it's hard to imagine they sound right. And it seems like on-wall placement has got to mess with the imaging.

What do you think? What's been your experience?

**trent.memphis** · 09-04-2009, 07:31 PM

Have I gotta go all AxGates? Okay, then.

Well, Trent, on-wall speakers are pretty darn cool. I dig 'em. I think you should buy about eleventy of them and mount them all around the house at odd angles, like an art installation.

**trent.memphis** · 09-04-2009, 07:32 PM

Oh, shut yer pie hole. What do you know about anything?

**AxGates** · 09-04-2009, 08:23 PM

LMFAO, It may be a while before anyone realizes your 1 on 1 convo. Its all good, cause I talk to myself on a daily basis

**trent.memphis** · 09-04-2009, 08:32 PM

If you can't talk to yourself, who can you talk to, right?

But seriously, folks . . . have you heard anything about on-walls?

**mytime** · 09-04-2009, 08:47 PM

Sorry I can't help you there. Never had any.

**trent.memphis** · 09-04-2009, 08:48 PM

Well what good are you, then?

**mytime** · 09-04-2009, 09:55 PM

Originally Posted by trent.memphis

Well what good are you, then?

LOL. Hell I thought my wife joined the forum! Also it was sad watching you converse with yourself.

**trent.memphis** · 09-04-2009, 10:18 PM

Oh, don't worry about me. I get along with myself quite well. And your wife. :D

**Apronikoff** · 09-04-2009, 11:00 PM

Originally Posted by trent.memphis

Oh, don't worry about me. I get along with myself quite well. And your wife. :D

LOL. That's awesome.

As for your original question, Trent...I haven't used any myself so I can't speak from personal experience. My impression has been that they won't sound as good as free-standing speakers but particularly nice sets might be a good compromise for people who have limited space or who are seeking a particular look for their rig...

That being said, the thing about speakers is you have to audition them yourself. Even if we all said that they suck, people have different taste when it comes to audio, so you may disagree. The only way to be sure is to pick up your favorite CD and start shopping around...

**trent.memphis** · 09-04-2009, 11:08 PM

I hear ya.

Unfortunately, the thing about speakers that's even thingier than that is you have to audition them yourself with your gear and in the room where you'll be using them. Listening to speakers in a store is even less informative than looking at tvs in a store, ya know?

So I'm hoping to get some feedback from folks who've done that.

**Apronikoff** · 09-04-2009, 11:17 PM

Originally Posted by trent.memphis

I hear ya.

Unfortunately, the thing about speakers that's even thingier than that is you have to audition them yourself with your gear and in the room where you'll be using them. Listening to speakers in a store is even less informative than looking at tvs in a store, ya know?

So I'm hoping to get some feedback from folks who've done that.

Yeah I hear ya. Worst comes to worst, you can buy from amazon, try them out for a couple of days and return them if you don't like the sound they give ya.

**trent.memphis** · 09-04-2009, 11:19 PM

'Zackly.

**nobsplease** · 09-05-2009, 12:21 AM

What speakers are you using right now? If they're good, is your wife making you free up floor space?
Go have a listen to some Definitive Technology wall stuff. The Mythos 9 is a very good speaker and well worth an audition.

The imaging thing is a bitch. It's just not going to be possible to match high quality, well positioned floor or stand-mounted speakers. The wall is a many-foots-wide baffle that will seriously mess with the low level information that imparts the sweet illusion of space. That said, if the music is more important than the stuff, you'll be able to live with good wall speakers. Just remember the basics; roughly the same distance between you and the speakers (equilateral triangle) and tweeters at ear height.

**trent.memphis** · 09-05-2009, 12:46 AM

Hey, nobs. My current fronts are high-end JM Labs towers.

No wife, but more floor space is always a good thing, and as much as I love my speakers (and I love them a lot), I'm getting a little tired of the positioning difficulties they present. And it's gonna be hard as hell to find a center that's timbre-matched. Even JM's own centers are very different from my towers.

But maybe it's just a phase. I've had these speakers for 10 years. On music and with a good amp, they're the most beautiful thing I've ever heard.

The DefTechs were among the wall-hangers that caught my eye. And I've got their bipoles for surrounds.

**nobsplease** · 09-05-2009, 01:09 AM

Here's an idea. An excellent one, actually. (dislocates shoulder patting hisself on back) If you aren't compelled to go on-wall, try the DefTech Mythos ST or STS. They look too pretty to be any good but they really are. Lots and lots of clean, deep bass mated to high quality mini-monitors with no cross-over farting around.

**trent.memphis** · 09-05-2009, 01:31 AM

Checking them out at DefTech's site. Technically, they are along the same principles as my JMs, which use 2 8" kevlar cones for bass and a D'Appolito midrange/tweeter arrangement.

The Defs are powered and much skinnier, though (and only half as heavy

). Good suggestion. Any more where that one came from?

**nobsplease** · 09-05-2009, 02:08 PM

The power is applied only to the bass drivers. You actually have two speakers in a divided enclosure, the MTM arrangement up top and the sub-woofer below.The partnering amp drives the tweet and squawks, internal amp does the heavy lifting for da boom boom. Personal preferences aside, you need to spend big to get a more capable speaker.

If you're willing to be extravagant, try and find
KEF Reference 203/2 or 205/2 for an audition. Mmmmm creamy goodness.