Advice for Hiding/Camoflaging RSX-5s & an RVX-42

[pdalton]

I have 5 RSX-5s and an RVX-42 (Center) in a 6.1 setup.

My wife loves the sound, but hates the look, so we want to "hide" the speakers (behind panels of some sort &/or by insetting them into the walls & covering the walls & insets) around the room. I would appreciate any suggestions abouthow to do this, including specific materials to use to accomplish this.

If we cut holes in the walls to inset the speakers, what effect will that have on the actual sound vs. mounting them on the walls (as they are now) and placing acoustically transparent panels around the room in fromt of where the speakers are mounted?

Any thoughts/suggestions?

Thanks,

Paul

[wuzzzer]

If she's upset by a speaker that's just barely a foot tall you should show her some pictures of other people's setups on here. I think she'll be thanking you profusely that you're not trying to do an in-wall installation on a pair of Klipschorns!!

Honestly, you'd be much better off buying actual in-wall speakers instead of trying to in-wall the RSX-5s and your center speaker. The drawback of an in-wall installation is always the fact that if you ever want to re-arrange things in your listening room its going to be difficult to re-arrange the speakers as well. Another downside is that with in-walls you can't really re-position them to see what sounds best in your listening area. With your current speakers you have the flexibility of angling them toward the main seating area and moving them around a little bit.

Did your wife say why she hates the look at all? Does she realize that the speakers you have are some of the smallest speakers that Klipsch makes?

[pdalton]

If I could afford Klipschorns, I assure you that I would have them and that I would be trying to incorporate them into out Home Theater, even if I had to find a way to build them into the wall. Unfortunately, that is not a problem I get to work with.

I'm also not a fan of "in-wall" speakers for the reasons you cite; however, I
admit that I have absolutely no actual knowledge about whether Klipsch in-walls would perform as well as or better than what I am using (I can say that the RSX-5s and the RVX-42 sound
better than my previous setup, which was 2 Kg3s (L&R front) with 1 KV3, plus NHT dipole surrounds). Nevertheless, buying new speakers is not an option right now.

Maybe I overstated it a bit by using the word "hate;" let's just say
that she doesn't like to see them and we've agreed to try to make them
"disappear" in the room.

>> Does she realize that the speakers you have are some of the smallest speakers that Klipsch makes?

I don't know whether I have actually mentioned that to her or not, but -- honestly -- that's not a relevant consideration to our dilemma. She has a set of 5 Sonance Ellipse 2.0 LCR in-ceiling mount speakers that she had in her previous home media room and which she would prefer from the standpoint of visual aesthetics, although she admits that she does prefer the sound and clarity of my Klipsch's

So what I need help with is suggestions and ideas for how to make these Klipsch speakers that I already have "disappear" in the room without noticeably diminishing the quality of their sound.

I certainly want to keep the flexibility of aiming them at the seating area, so if I were to do an inset, I would expect its opening to be much larger than the RSX-5 (or the RVX-42) itself.

However, what I do not know is the extent to which (or how) placing any of these speakers into a wall inset might affect its sound.

Nor do I know how these would be affected if we place them where we want and then build an acoustically transparent wall (something like speakercloth, for example) in front of them or, if not an entire wall, then perhaps a "column" around each of them made from similar material.

Any other ideas, info from anyone?

Paul

[Islander]

Nor do I know how these would be affected if we place them where we want and then build an acoustically transparent wall (something like speakercloth, for example) in front of them or, if not an entire wall, then perhaps a "column" around each of them made from similar material.

This has been done to good effect by a number of people, sometimes to make speakers as big as Jubilees invisible. Jubilees are the size of fridges. Draping a thin cloth or "scrim" over or in front of your speakers would preserve their sound and could actually be a way to dress up the room by choosing a suitable colour or colours. It would also be far simpler and less expensive than most other alternatives.

[falcon20x]

The cheapest way for you to fix your problem is to stop by my house with your wife and let her talk to mine for 10 minutes or so while she checks out my systemS.

I'm pretty sure that by the time she is done you will get at least an approval for your speakers or even a upgrade.

Joke a side, I think the inwall speakers is a good alternative for you and won't be desapointing

[colterphoto1]

show her this

[darkside]

Nice pic Colter []

Those speakers would likely be easily placed in cabinets in a tv stand/entertainment center if that would fit your application. Just leave the middle of the doors empty and cover the openings with some speaker grill cloth. That's what I would do personally. OR I would get in a huge argument and buy bigger speakers, but that's just me [:S]

[tommyboy]

I couldn't see cuttin holes in the walls for speakers that size. I also say try "hiding" them in an entertainment stand or something. I would just tell her that they're staying right where they are. But, then again, there is probably a reason I'm divorced??? [*-)]

[colterphoto1]

those all have rear ports, going to sound tubby if you put them in any enclosure.

I echo the thoughts to move to in-wall or in-ceiling speakers.