High-quality built-in acoustics in the apartment provides excellent sound quality in almost any interior, completely hiding its source. At the same time, the world's leading brands produce such equipment, which in its technical characteristics is in no way inferior to standard floor systems, but allows for extremely compact placement to give the interior an ideal appearance.
Built-in acoustics can be purchased quite cheaply, which makes it probably the best solution for those who are worried about their interior.
What it is?
Such a system is a set of columns that are installed using the technology of flush mounting in the walls, ceiling or on the landscape, if we are talking about a suburban area. The principle of operation of the equipment is extremely simple: instead of installing the devices in a standard case, the column is mounted in the ceiling or walls almost exactly the same as standard points of light. If you are able to choose the right set of equipment correctly, the built-in acoustics will be able to produce excellent sound, but the speakers will not interfere with the interior design, as they will be completely invisible.
What is included?
The main elements of such systems include the following equipment:
- Speakers Today, manufacturers offer special landscape, wall or ceiling speakers. It is also worth noting a special type of landscape equipment, which is called all-weather and, accordingly, is distinguished by the presence of a highly protected enclosure that allows you to safely use the equipment during rain, cold or other similar conditions.
- Subwoofer A high-quality speaker system cannot be called complete if it lacks a good subwoofer that will allow you to achieve rich and deep bass. That is why the built-in acoustics of leading brands are always equipped with additional subwoofers, also installed in the ceiling or walls.
- Control equipment and amplifiers. Built-in acoustics in the wall, like the standard one, must necessarily have a central unit in the form of an amplifier, to which a signal can be supplied from several sources, starting from a mobile device and ending with some kind of AV receiver in a home theater.
- Communications. In order to connect the speakers, a specialized speaker cable is used, while, accordingly, it is also hidden hidden in the walls, under a false ceiling or some other surfaces.
What are the benefits?
Many people who care about providing high-quality and clear sound doubt that the built-in acoustics in the wall or ceiling will allow to receive the same high-quality sound as the floor system. In fact, the opposite is true. Built-in equipment of leading companies can provide even better sound quality, especially if the room was originally planned correctly. If we talk about the main advantages that distinguish the built-in acoustics of Dali and other leading companies, the following can be noted:
- The presence of special accessories with which you can achieve the ideal acoustic characteristics of the speakers. For example, the same Dali company offers specialized cases with a bitumen-based damper, which completely eliminates unpleasant rattling of sound, providing an expressive, bright and clear sound system.
- The ability to provide the most successful speaker positioning. Due to the preliminary placement of the equipment, you can get the ideal parameters for the distribution of sound indoors, creating the effect of surround sound.
- The same volume is ensured throughout the subject, that is, you can achieve absolutely uniform sound in every room.
- Aesthetics and space saving. By hiding the columns, you create harmony in the interior, and also completely relieve him of any elements that may ultimately not look very suitable.
That is why the built-in acoustics, according to users, is considered a much more modern and optimal solution in the apartment, which will help you fill the interior with really high-quality sound.
Features to consider
Quality sound when watching movies is just as important as the image itself. In the selection process, you need to correctly understand how the distribution of acoustics is carried out. First of all, the best built-in acoustics can have several bands depending on the sound reproduction. The maximum possible number of bands is seven.
They also differ in the method of installation (in the floor or in the ceiling) and in the installed speakers. At the same time, regardless of how the built-in speakers of Monitor Audio and other well-known companies will be mounted, high-quality equipment is installed equally easily.
What is the difference?
Specialized equipment is distinguished by the presence of several types of configuration. The installation can be carried out in the walls and ceiling, or the devices are placed as evenly as possible throughout the room, both with wires and without them.
It is also worth noting that the built-in acoustics significantly saves space, and at the same time you can choose for yourself which is better to use - a closed view or an open one. The latter system in the predominant majority of cases includes a speaker, frame, mounts and protection grilles. In the presence of a false ceiling, installation is a little difficult due to the additional need to lay specialized insulating material.
Closed systems deliver much smoother, cleaner sound. Modern speakers in appearance resemble lamps on the ceiling, and therefore are ideally suited for any interiors. Excellent sound is ensured by the uniform distribution of the front and center channels.
The standard version of acoustics 5.1 includes speakers that are evenly spaced around the room at the same distance, but the main drawback that the built-in acoustics for the house is different is called wires, because there are a lot of them, and they need to be hidden somewhere. In the predominant majority of cases, they prefer to hide them under the baseboard or just use additional boxes, but in order to properly configure such equipment it is better to use the help of a specialist. If you do not distinguish between the subtleties of the sound too much and find fault with them, then the B&W built-in acoustics may well please you with their factory settings.
Wireless equipment
Wireless acoustics is the most modern solution, which turns out to be the most optimal in those situations where there is no suspended ceiling or there is no way to hide the cable. Of course, if built-in acoustics are used, the ceiling plays an important role, but in some situations the wireless option becomes the only true one, although it has a higher cost. In such a system, the innovation is the so-called satellites, which are located at the rear of the speakers, and the wires only fit them.
The advantage of such acoustics is that it differs in small dimensions, the ability to fit into any interior, saves space and does not require special installation. An amplifier for built-in acoustics is often also installed hidden, and a central or two front channels can be mounted in the walls.
Subwoofer
A standard set of acoustics necessarily includes such an element, and its location will already depend only on the desire of the owner. At the same time, it should be installed where the most optimal sound will be provided, and you can learn about this only empirically.
The universal 5.1 system includes four front speakers and one central speaker; in addition to this system, a subwoofer is connected. Such a kit is called boxed, and if an additional subwoofer is also included in it, the system as a whole rises to 5.2. Of course, there is no limit to the perfection of sound, so even today the class of acoustics is constantly increasing more and more, and even version 9.2 of the equipment can already be purchased. If you want to save your money, then the acoustics may not be in a boxed version, but in the form of an individual system, but for this you will need to choose individual components yourself.
Power
In the process of choosing high-quality acoustics, you need to pay attention not only to sound, but also to power, since the volume will depend on this parameter. So, the power should be selected not only at will, but also taking into account the size of the room for installing the system. If the room is large, the indicator in question should not be low, since in the end you can simply be disappointed in your choice. Also, users are advised to use cabinets with built-in acoustics, providing high-quality sound.
Power, if desired, can be calculated independently, the most optimal option is to select with the calculation of 10 watts per square meter. All products have a rated power, which is actually slightly less than indicated depending on the selected model. For small rooms with a small number of people, built-in acoustics can have low power, and it’s enough to use 100 watts per whole room.
Useful Tips
Choosing acoustics on their own, many mistakenly believe that each component must be from one manufacturer. In fact, professionals often do not agree with this opinion, and each company specializes in a certain segment of devices in a particular area. Only the experienced specialist who understands all the intricacies of production can choose the most optimal component, while the combination of elements purchased by an unaware consumer can produce the most unexpected result.
It is especially important to pay attention to the body material, and it is best to give preference to wood. The use of cheap materials ultimately negatively affects the sound of the device.
You also need to choose the right cables and you should not save on them if you want to enjoy really high-quality sound. The last factor to consider when choosing is the appearance of the system, because, as users say, even the built-in acoustics should be pleasant to the owner with their design and color scheme.
Decor
The diffuser allows the conversion of an electrical signal into sound through air vibrations. In dynamics, they begin to spread directly to the listener and in the opposite direction. The standard set of speakers includes speakers, the design of which is divided into several main types:
- Standard and common speaker design. In this case, the box is tightly closed, but has a hole through which sound is emitted. In this case, the diffuser during the reverse movement of sound provides an increase in the resonant frequency. It should be borne in mind that the output power of sound waves decreases, as a result of which such a performance is characteristic of relatively simple and cheap acoustic structures.
- Phase-inverters are distinguished by the presence of a speaker device with the output of sound vibrations from the outside, for which a rigid tube is installed in the housing, tuned to the resonant frequency of the head.
- Column with a maze. It differs from the previous one in that there are partitions in the body that form a channel for sound from the back of the diffuser. The labyrinth is approximately half the sound wave of the lowest frequency in length.
The last two types provide a significant improvement in the low-frequency range of sound, and in cost and performance they look much more attractive compared to bass reflex subwoofers. It is for this reason that such devices are so common.
Stationary
Built-in active acoustics must be correctly positioned in space to ensure the best sound reproduction, experienced users advise. Front speakers should be equally spaced from each other and from the listening distance. It is also worth noting that between the frontal element and the wall it is important to maintain a gap of at least half a meter, and the distance between the columns themselves is not less than two meters. In this case, the 5.1 system should be built according to the rectangle scheme, in the center of which the listeners will appear, and the 7.1-type acoustics are placed in the same way. Advanced speakers recommend that advanced users strengthen at the same level as the listener.
Room
The built-in acoustics of Jamo and other well-known companies uses such a principle that air passes sound vibrations reflected off the room. Low-frequency sound and vibration can occur not only in the room itself, but also outside it, and if the walls will reflect the sound well, this will adversely affect its quality. In the same way, good acoustics are ensured by the use of partitions with poor insulation.
The best option in this case would be walls that completely absorb vibration. For the arrangement of such surfaces, mineral wool boards can be used. The worst option, judging by user reviews, is a reinforced concrete room, as sound waves will reflect and converge right in the center of the room.
Active acoustics
The difference between passive and active systems is the use of an amplifier. Active acoustics provides the ability to control each of the speakers individually, and active separation filters are used at the input of the amplifiers, which leads to a fairly wide frequency range and excellent sound quality by connecting speakers directly to the amplifier. Each speaker has its own volume control, and convenient filtering is also achieved.
The only significant drawback of active acoustics, users call the fact that it needs to connect wires to each individual speaker.