Flush mounted vs external speakers?

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crosmr

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#96897 6-Feb-2012 20:49

We are building a new house and wondering whether to go for built-in flush mounted speakers inside and outside the house for HT and straight audio purposes, or just cable for speakers and mount separate/external speakers. We are not audiophiles so not particularly concerned with sound quality to the nth degree - on a tight budget so not looking to buy high end speakers either way. Any recommendations as to which type of speakers is better?
Thanks

Dunnersfella

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#577968 6-Feb-2012 20:58

Internal speakers can sound quite good. But frankly, bang for buck, when performance is factored in, you'll get a better result from external speakers.
For me, hanging a set of external speakers under a verandah is of little or no consequence... especially as they're typically cheap.
In-wall speakers for home theatre use... well, to be honest, I believe you have to spend the money to get anywhere near decent sound.

marmel

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#578062 7-Feb-2012 08:49

I have just installed flsuh mounted home theatre speakers in a house I am building.

I went for rectangular speakers with 8" drivers and they sound fantastic. I also installed the flush mounted centre channel which has two 5.25" drivers plus a tweeter.

I was going to install a 7.1 system but ended up putting in a 5.1 so have two speakers left over.

I sourced mine from a variety of places including monoprice.com and trademe.

I think as long as you go with a big enough flush speaker they will sound pretty good.

Jaxson

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#578067 7-Feb-2012 09:25

I went with these from Hills. 8" Kevlar units and the dedicated Centre speaker. All wall mount. http://www.hillshomehub.com.au/cattleprod/products/A2101SPK

Thoughts?....
Well they sound like rubbish straight out of the box but when used in conjunction with a receiver with a microphone calibration system they can be made to work quite well. Usual install requirements, as in ensure the wall cavity is stuffed with some fill/insulation etc.

I went this way to remove cables from the room. These work extremely well if you have little children as there is nothing pull/push over etc and no exposed cables. With a wall mount TV everything looks very good. I use in conjunction with a real subwoofer.

To my mind you're aiming for a mimic of the small cube speakers with a sub setup. I would prefer the floor standers I've had before etc, but honestly this system works very well for what I personally required.

Wall mounting is not necessarily easy, so if you are building, ensure you plan for this. You need a cavity where you want to mount the speakers, so studs/wall bracing etc needs to be accounted for before you cut your holes. Also you room is forever locked to that seating position, much like if you wall mount. And also, don't be afraid to mount a TV lower than you initially expect to. Your neck will thank you for it!

Real speakers outside unless you want to mount up under the eaves. Look for stainless mounting brackets if you want it to still look nice after a few months.

RunningMan

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#578313 7-Feb-2012 17:05

Jaxson: And also, don't be afraid to mount a TV lower than you initially expect to. Your neck will thank you for it!

Excellent advise - most end up far too high.