Every type of loudspeaker has its advantages and disadvantages, today we will be focusing on In Wall and Tower speakers. If you are planning to get either one of them and are wondering which is better then please continue to read on as you would be able to find the answer here. We will be comparing both in-wall speakers and towers, showing you their strengths and limitations.
Whether you are planning to set up a stereo or home theater sound system, this blog post will help you decide the loudspeaker type to go for and so without further ado, let us begin.
Table of Contents
Advantages of Tower Speakers
Tower speakers have wide frequency response and can deliver deeper bass extension. Due to their large speaker cabinet size, towers are able to fill the room with sound and energy more capable than smaller loudspeakers such as bookshelf or in-wall speakers. They have more punch and impact when it comes to bass reproductions. Some high-end tower speaker models are even able to produce full-range sound without the support of a separate powered subwoofer, delivering sub-bass frequencies of down to 20Hz. Towers are excellent choices as the front main channels of a home theater system because of their authoritative bass outputs.
With the right speaker placement and distance away from walls, the tower speakers would be able to project a large and spacious soundstage. You should also get superior stereo imaging when compared to in wall speakers. Tower speakers sound louder and more powerful as well. Their sonic prowess makes them ideal for music playbacks too.
Disadvantages of Tower Speakers
The towers are usually more expensive than the in wall speakers. They will also require more space and if their speaker placement is not optimal, you may not get the best sound quality out of them. As mentioned earlier, you will need to position the tower speakers away from the walls if not, their bass output may become too pronounced and the soundstage might shrink slightly as well. Due to their size and positioning, the tower speakers are usually out in the open inside your room and can be obstructing your other daily activities. Not to mention, the amount of space the tower speakers take up can be kind of a ‘cost’ to you.
Advantages of In Wall Speakers
The In Wall speakers don’t require much space as the tower speakers since they are placed inside the walls of your room. This is ideal for rooms with limited space or for listeners who simply want their listening/HT room to look minimal or clean. Due to their flexibility, in-wall speakers are also being used as surround channels as well as overhead speakers for a Dolby Atmos setup. They are more widely used as home theater speakers than in a 2.0 channel system. If you will be using a separate active subwoofer to make it a 2.1 channel speaker setup then it would be good for music playbacks. The in-wall speakers are also more affordable than the tower speakers.
Disadvantages of In Wall Speakers
They may be more affordable but when it comes to installation, the cost will increase as you will need to make a hole in the wall to place the in-wall speakers inside them. We highly suggest hiring professional help for the in wall speaker installations. You can’t trial and error to find the optimal speaker position since they are being installed into the wall itself and will be in a fixed position permanently. This also makes them not really suitable for stereo music playbacks as you are unable to get a focused sweet spot.
Some in wall speakers do have amazing sound quality but their bass output will always be lightweight and mixing in a subwoofer is certainly recommended. If one day you decided to change speaker types, you will need to remove the in-wall speakers and fix the walls back. This will surely incur more costs for you. Even if you decide to do this on your own to save money, the time spent may not be worth it, not to mention, there are chances of making mistakes.
In Wall Speakers or Tower Speakers
When it comes to sound quality, the tower speakers are clearly the better choice. If you lack the space and don’t like the sight of speakers standing out in your listening room then in wall speakers would certainly be the one for you. The cost of getting a pair of good quality in-wall speakers would usually be more affordable than purchasing a pair of tower speakers of equal caliber. Bass fanatics might want to stay away from in-wall loudspeakers though as mentioned they are lightweights in the bass department.
Sometimes the interior design of your home may greatly influence your choice and if this is your main concern, getting in-wall speakers would be better since you could hide them from sight. There are some tower speakers which look absolutely stunning and might look amazing together with your home interiors. You should also seek your spouse’s opinion on this as they may give you insights on which speaker is best suited for the house.
To Conclude
Both loudspeaker types have their pros and cons but we do find tower speakers to be a better choice. As you are able to find the optimal speaker placement for the tower speakers and enable them to sound their very best. If you are facing space constraints and have a limited budget, might we suggest going with satellite speakers? They can be a better and more affordable option than in wall speakers, just check out our blog post about the satellite speakers for home theater.
You might want to arrange an audition with both speaker types and see which one you find to have better sound quality. The visual impact that both tower and in-wall speakers have on you, would also help you to make a decision.
