Step 3: Installing the Speakers

If you are installing a free air in-wall subwoofer, I again encourage you to find out if the manufacturer offers a retrofit back box you can install after the drywall is already up. Otherwise, follow the guidelines I laid out when installing the Front LCR speakers and you should be good to go. An enclosed space (even if its not the optimal box volume) is usually a better option than operating a subwoofer driver in free space as it increasing power handling, provides better noise isolation into adjacent rooms and also provides much improved mid bass output which is critical in achieving a good subwoofer to satellite speaker blend for seamless integration.

The first thing to do is verify all of the speakers are working using the internal test tone generator in the receiver/processor. It’s always a good idea to do a polarity check via an Avia test disc and/or the auto setup feature found in most receivers these days. Next set the delays and channel trims relative to the primary listening area using a handy SPL meter set to C-weight, slow response. For more information on calibration and setup, check out the Calibrate your System in the Tips and Tricks section of Audioholics.

Having done extensive listening tests of the RBH in-wall speakers I utilized in this article with and without controlled back boxes, I can tell you its literally a night and day difference. Without the back box, the sound seemed less focused and more resonant in nature. I was amazed at how much sound leaked through the next room, almost as if I was experiencing home theater meant for that adjacent room.

Once I built the back boxes and insulated them, the sound isolation in the next room became a reality. I could now partake in a full fledged home theater experience in my bedroom with minimal disturbance in the next room. Vocal intelligibility, imaging, and dynamics were greatly improved and I felt like I was finally listening to a high performance boxed system in the comforts of my bedroom. The bass from dual subs properly placed in the room was to die for and there was little need for room correction since my main listening area was well balanced by the dual subs and the added room gain below 30Hz reinforced the somewhat limited output of the in-wall subs giving them a much more authoritative presence and slam factor.

So there you have it, a complete home theater system with no obtrusive boxes or floor space consumed by large subwoofers. An in-wall system properly installed and setup should provide you with a similar experience to its boxed counterparts but without cramping your room décor or taking up precious floor space. Taking the extra time during the installation process to do it right will endlessly reward you each time you turn your system on. The goal for any good home theater system is to be so connected with the experience that the equipment literally disappears. There is no reason why this goal cannot be achieved with a properly executed in-wall system. This is something I am reminded of each weekend while enjoying the latest episode of Heroes in High Definition 5.1 surround sound with my wife in the comforts of our bed. Now all I need to figure out how to sell my wife on hooking up the Xbox 360 in our bedroom. I won’t be holding my breath on this, but I welcome suggestions.