[JLM]

Mike/others:

We have a modest HT set-up in the 14 ft x 17 ft family room of our new house.  The equipment includes a Sony $200 HT receiver, $150 Sony 5 disc universal player, and a 10 inch ported/powered Hsi VTF-2 sub, with two Ascend Acoustics CBM-170s (nice $350/pair standmounted 2-ways).  HT is a low priority for me and the family is nearly oblivious to the benefits of the whole "HT thing".  Currently the TV is a nearly new/cheap 27 inch direct view, but would like to move up to a 50 inch or so HDTV.

While building I ran 16 gauge zip cord to the back wall for two rear channels (no interest in 6.1 or 7.1 or whatever comes).  The wires are sticking out of the wall and bugging me to add the center and rear speakers.  I'm very pleased with the quality of the Ascend Acoustics and will probably add their smaller/matching CBM-200 speaker for the center channel.  I have wall mounted brackets and could just add a couple more CBM-200's in the back.  These would be "aimable", but the cost though starts to exceed the value we put into HT and the room starts to look like a stereo shop.

So I started looking at the ACI in-wall speakers.  They would cost less and, especially when painted to match the walls, be far less intrusive.  I'd prefer the look of the standard 6.5 inch (retangular) versus the round coax's, but noticed that some aiming is possible with the coax's.  Wondering if anyone could offer advice.  Again, all this is a rather low priority, especially the rear channels IMO, but don't want to "cheap out" either.

Oops!  Forgot to mention that the stated frequency range, efficiency, and impedance of the ACI appear to be a good match to the CBM-170s and that the Sony receiver is rated at 100 wpc.  (I know it is undoubtedly a very unconservative rating, but it has plenty of power.)

Thanks for the help.

[Mike Dzurko]

JLM:

We sell boat loads of inwalls for surrounds, they do a very good job. Yes, I definitely prefer the coax versions. Note, the 8" version is available in a square version:

http://www.audioc.com/speakers1/bflat/coax8.htm

[JLM]

Thanks for the feedback Mike.

The aimable tweeter in the coax models makes sense in my case as the wires I routed to the rear channels stick out of the wall about 7 feet above the floor.

[jimmy b]

Mike, Is there a sonic differance between th ebaffled and unbaffled speakers?
i can assume that if yourselling them then they have a very good sound?

[Mike Dzurko]

Thanks for the feedback Mike.

The aimable tweeter in the coax models makes sense in my case as the wires I routed to the rear channels stick out of the wall about 7 feet above the floor.

Yes, and I prefer the coax overall as the radiation pattern is more uniform and they just plain sound better 

[Mike Dzurko]

Mike, Is there a sonic differance between th ebaffled and unbaffled speakers?
i can assume that if yourselling them then they have a very good sound?

Jimmy:

The chambered versions are preferred if there is room enough to mount them. Yes, they sound quite good for conventional in-walls. Not in the same league as our custom inwalls, but at about 20% of the cost . . .