It's really a matter of aesthetic preference. These flush mounted speakers are hardly noticeable; that is until they're playing. Our trimless speakers do not include the 3/4-inch trim you typically see around in-wall speakers. The micro flange grilles are attached by extremely powerful magnets that stay put for quick and easy installation. Adds less visual impact on your architectural audio installation.

Typically, rectangular in shape in-wall speakers are mounted in the wall and take up far less space than traditional box speakers. Customers love that wires are neatly concealed behind the wall and OSD in-walls can even be painted to match a room décor. Most in-wall speakers use the wall cavity as their enclosure or cabinet, which explains why in-wall must be installed to sound right. In-wall speakers come with special screws (called dog ears) that flip out and secure to the drywall (or other wall surfaces), a nearby stud, or a special frame attached to the studs. Custom installation frames (brackets) can also be purchased for a more secure fit or for lighter wall materials that require more support. In wall speakers are often categorized by the size of the woofer, not the size of the speaker itself.

Wiring is not included with in-wall speakers so you will have to purchase some. We recommend our OSD Audio CL3/FT4 cable that is UL (fire) rated for in-wall and outdoor speaker installs. This type of cable includes a heavy-duty outer jacket approved for in-wall/in-ceiling installation. The high-quality plastic jacket is also very flexible so it's easy to run the wires inside the wall. As for the gauge, for runs up to 100 feet for background music, 16-gauge will be fine. If the run is approaching or exceeding 100 feet, we suggest 14-gauge wire.

With almost double the shelf life of foam, butyl rubber has been the choice of speaker designers looking to optimize the sound based upon materials that go together. The Surround is just one of the integral parts of the speaker's motor structure. Butyl Rubber gives the speaker more excursion capability featuring a deeper bass with a wider frequency response, and its shelf life is closer to 25 years compared to the foam at 12 to 15 years.

Installation Tips: For optimal sound, separate speakers by six to ten feet. Carefully plan the layout of your home theater system, as speaker installation requires that you cut a hole in your wall.