Music on the walls...

Guy 13 · « **on:** 9 Mar 2014, 06:43 am »

Hi all.
First: Flat screen TV, now flat speakers.

https://www.yahoo.com/tech/hang-your-music-on-the-wall-with-soundwall-art-78954430991.html

Flat speakers = Flat sound ? ? ?

Guy 13

TQdB · « **Reply #1 on:** 9 Mar 2014, 08:05 am »

The highs would have to be terrible, as well as zero control over the backwave, mode cancellation nodes everywhere, no way to adjust a sweet spot to the room, ... just wow .. basically name any issue vs high fidelity audio reproduction and that system is going to have it.

They'll sell quite a few of them because of the smartphone tie-in, but by AudioCircle standards all they've really done is find a new way to make MP3s sound even worse..

$.02

JLM · « **Reply #2 on:** 9 Mar 2014, 10:10 am »

At first glance it seems to be a dipole without room to breathe behind it. The amplification must be small, wonder if its under powered. And is the visible surface a cover for the active panels, either way wondering how that affects the sound. The article even says that they're not up to audiophile standards. Why not just use decent in-wall speakers or tiny speakers and have the exact artwork you want? For $900 - 2,500 I'll pass. Besides all my major walls where I'd want to sit across from and listen are already covered with family photos, artwork, or TV.

Letitroll98 · « **Reply #3 on:** 9 Mar 2014, 11:40 am »

It has a place for well heeled early adopters that want a novelty item. Hardly competition for Magnepan, but very interesting to read about, thanks Guy.

JohnR · « **Reply #4 on:** 10 Mar 2014, 07:59 am »

Personally, I think it's a good concept, and don't see any reason why planar magnetics in the artwork and woofers hidden in the wall underneath couldn't be made to sound very good.

Letitroll98 · « **Reply #5 on:** 10 Mar 2014, 12:05 pm »

Hi John, are they planars? They don't say in the article, I was assuming they used those little transducer modules or something like that. For planar they'd need licence from Magnepan I would think. Perhaps someone here knows what the driver is? The article said not SOTA sound, the on wall Maggies sound pretty good.

JohnR · « **Reply #6 on:** 10 Mar 2014, 02:28 pm »

Actually I missed that the "canvas" itself is vibrating, I assumed that there were drivers behind it. I meant drivers like the BG planar magnetics - http://www.parts-express.com/brand/bohlender-graebener/275 - could be hidden behind the surface. As a concept, not saying these are like that. OTOH, I suppose you could just install some nice inwalls like these - http://www.soundandvision.com/content/bg-radia-r-800-wall-speakers.

jackman · « **Reply #7 on:** 10 Mar 2014, 03:12 pm »

Maybe they are those little tactile transducers glued to a hard canvas material (I guess painted canvass would work)? http://www.parts-express.com/hiwave-25mm-soundpax-exciter-turns-virtually-anything-into-a-speaker--309-149

John, I've never seen those giant BG in-wall speakers in person but they look pretty cool.