Do It Yourself - In Wall Speakers

Just a regular hole-in-the-wall; lots of them

The benefits of in wall speakers are many and undeniable.  Most speakers have paintable surfaces so they blend well into a variety of decors.  Often, the speaker grills and mounts are sold separately so you can ensure that your in-wall speakers will fit snugly (it's not a task suitable for occasional tweaking) and look their best. 

Getting started

Assuming you are looking to place some speakers in existing construction, the first thing you should do is decide on a speaker package and think about placement.  Pick out a single spot where most listening will take place and find appropriate spots for both front and rear speaker sets. 

Each set of two should be equidistance from the listener, with the rear set up to two feet higher than the front.  Remember, a 7.1 package means six speakers to wire inside the wall.  This is no small undertaking and should be done by a professional unless you are quite confident with tools. 

Still interested?

You are going to save a lot of money doing it yourself, but not if you proceed with haste.  Measure the distances you will need to wire and add a foot or two for safety.  You will find that locating studs and cutting holes is relatively easy, just make sure you know the position of cement supports or other unforgiving surfaces. 

Drilling and wiring, on the other hand, will prove very tricky - a snake tool will solve a lot of problems, but expect several snags in progress and plan your time accordingly.  Get the best and most secure connection possible by using gold-plated banana clips for your speakers.

If you're a DIYer, then this is a great job to tackle.  An ambitious and thorough audiophile could probably start on Friday night and have a great looking system of in-wall speakers for entertaining on Sunday.  The rest of you should probably afford yourselves a more casual schedule.

More information on in-wall speakers