Hi folks,

I'm in the middle of a proposal for a new client who wants a mini home theater in their bedroom.

I would normally use in-walls along-side and above the 50-inch plasma screen, but the plasma wall is concrete block, with poured concrete every 4-feet.

Sooo, I'm basically stuck with an in-ceiling installation and we're thinking of using the Triad in-ceiling 8 (Bronze), or the Omni in-ceiling Gold 6.

Here's the question, the room is about 13-feet wide with the bed and plasma on opposite walls. The top of the plasma is 4 feet from the ceiling (10 foot ceiling). Will the sound appear to come from the ceiling, or from the plasma? I know that the Triad's point toward the listening position, but I want to make sure that it will work well in this application.

What do you think?

Dawn

No "aimable" speaker is going to be perfect. Triad speakers, in general, is an excellent line. I don't think the client is going to complain at all.

How about speakers that match the plasma? DefinitiveTechnology Mythos line is excellent and can mount right next to each side of the plasma. They come in silver or black and in two different sizes.

Dawn,

I have used the Triad's with excellent results and I predict your client will be highly satisfied if they are a "normal" client. Will they sound like they are coming from the TV? Well, technically you should have the speaker right behind the screen if you really want it to sound like it's "coming from the screen". In other words, just about everything's a compromise and it certainly won't sound like it's coming from the TV compared to a set up where the speakers can be placed optimally. Having said that, I think you'll have an excellent compromise with very good dialog intelligebility. I've had clients very happy with this set up in their media rooms.

Triads are probably some of the best in-ceilings on the market, alternatively as DDeca mentions - you could use an on-wall speaker.
I beleive Triad have a new range, alternatively B&W FPM Series
are very good - they produce a speaker designed to complement a 50" plasma which sound great - prodtrudes about the same amount as a typical plasma.

[Link: bwspeakers.com]


Chris.

We like Triad, but for whatever reason we use more SpeakerCraft AIM, and Niles DS series speakers, and have had good luck with both...

Check out Triad's newer line of onwall speakers. They can be ordered using any line of their drivers and are made to your measurements.
So you get speakers that are exactly as tall as the plasma and a center that is exactly as long as the plasma (or however long you want them).

The Speakercraft Aim Series are great for what you need.

IMHO, the Bronze 8's are a slightly better choice because they have more of an angle 45 degrees versus 35 on the Gold Omni if you are using a sub. The Gold 6's go lower if no sub is being used. In my experience with them in front projector system they sound wonderful and it sounded like the sound was coming from the screen. I couldn't tell they were above it. With the screen up and listening to music it seemed a little unnatural to hear sound above you. If the customers aren't audiophiles they won't notice. If they are they know the sacrifices of not having speakers at ear level. Also, the Onwall Bronzes are a good suggestion.

Bob

Ditto the advice about the Triads. Be sure you get the 14" by 14"n ot 14" x 19", if your joists run the wrong way....

As for the sound, this is an example of theory being way more restrictive than reality.

I work with a company whose owner first did this for his brother when there was just no other way to mount the speakers. It sounds great. We have done it several times since, always with excellent results.

If you want to let theory intrude, then the speaker suggested above with 45 degrees of aimability is your better choice, and you want the speakers as far as possible from the listener so the sound comes from as low an angle as possible. This means that the 45 degrees of adjustability will not be nearly enough for theory, but it will sound great.

I have used the Triad InCeiling Omnis with thre angled baffles before and love them.
IMHO, any of the Triads will outperform the Sonance, Niles, and 'Craft products (even the AIMs), but they should, they're made with european audiophile drivers instead of asian knock-offs of european audiophile drivers.

And of course there's Triad's secret ingredient... real wood!!

DITTO! to this. We even used them for the rear channels as well. The fidelity is so good that any psychoacoustic anomolies that might be apparent are somewhat forgiven. Also, if the room is used for entertaining, this placement provides less obstructed sound than an in wall or floor standing model would since it isn't being diffused by bodies in the room as much.

How bout the Sonance Silver screens?

They are now discontinued...
I heard that there are still plenty to fill orders because they seriously overestimated the demand.

Ernie,

Which model is 14 x 14?

Thanks for all the suggestions everyone. Wall mounted speakers are out because we're putting the Plasma in a VisionArt frame, and speakers on either side would look really weird -- even those from Artcoustic.

Another option I'm considering is the CoNEXTion speaker. I had a chance to listen to it at CEDIA and it was pretty good. They had it in an A/B setup with another well-known pivoting brand, and it sounded much better. It's also the first three-way, round in-ceiling I've ever seen. I don't think it will be better sonically than the Triads, but maybe it weill image better.

What do you think?

Here's the link:

[Link: conextionsystems.com]