Up Your Smart Home Audio Game
May 30, 2023
I’ve been thinking about some of the more ‘fun’ stuff around smart home this week, specifically audio. I love listening to ‘70’s and 80’s classic rock when I work — whether it’s in the office, out in the yard or other rooms in the house. Debbie says she really enjoys listening to me sing along with the Eagles or Boston. It must be love.
Some people prefer ear buds or headphones but I like to crank it up either through my Echo’s or stream it through the TVs. Neither is ideal however. TV speakers just don’t cut it though as they either project down or back off the wall so we’ve added sound bars to our TVs. The sound quality is better, especially as sound bar technology has really improved, claiming to be almost surround sound. For more on home theater see my article ‘Home Theater: Make the Right Connections’ and ‘Let’s Hear It For Home Audio!’
Audio in our new home has become a real area of interest, especially where we’ll have the ability to run all the low voltage cabling (12 to 18 gage depending on length of run and speaker type) we’ll need to cover the house and outdoors for quality sound. Obviously, a new build makes it easier but running your own cabling in an existing home is not as difficult as you think. For more detail on the wiring check out my previous post ‘Smart Home Wiring For Epic Sound!’
But there are some rules of thumb to follow in designing the solutions.
By using in-ceiling or in-wall speakers we’ll be able to make this happen. They’re specially adapted for in-ceiling and in-wall use. The best ceiling speakers are often housed in a hood for fire prevention and sound retention. Some are moisture resistant and easily pair with Bluetooth-enabled devices like smartphones, tablets, laptops, and computers. And they generally come with a drywall cutout template for precision wall/ceiling mounting.
But with hundreds of different in-ceiling speaker options available, choosing can be tricky. To help you get the most bang for your buck, here are the key things to look out for.
Power Rating
Wattage, frequency response, and impedance are critical factors to consider when buying in-ceiling speakers. As a general rule of thumb, the larger, the better and look for 2- or 3-way full-range. Easier said than done as your amplifier plays a key role here so marrying those is critical in getting the right sound.
In our case I’m also looking for integration with Amazon Alexa for voice commands around streaming platforms like Amazon Music, Pandora and Spotify. But I also have a pretty large collection of digital audio that will be stored on our network that we’ll access as well.
Woofer Size
In the world of sound, woofer size matters a lot. It can determine the range and depth of your bass output, among others. Again, the larger your woofer and tweeter, the better. I’m not the biggest fan of the ‘boom boom’ sound in music but it does make a difference with surround audio coming from the TVs during action/adventure scenes in shows and movies.
Area of Use
While all in-ceiling speakers work indoors, not all are optimized for outdoor use or areas exposed to moisture. ‘Optimized’ is the key word. The best in-ceiling speakers will work pretty much anywhere but you’re better off finding speakers best suited for outdoor/moist environments. The alternative is usually degraded sound over time and the need for replacement. I’ll be installing speakers in our patio and under the eaves in the rear — projecting out into the backyard — that are designed for outdoor use specifically for this reason.
Paintable Grill
This is more of a Debbie concern than mine. But keeping the overall concept in mind to make the smart home technology as invisible as possible, it aligns with our plan. And it’s pretty easy to comply with. In-ceiling speakers are designed to leave a flush finish, with the majority of them paintable. This helps them to blend in with your existing interior. Good in-ceiling speakers often come with paintable grills. Another neat thing is they also attach to the main speaker body magnetically — no thumb screws, clips, nothing. So painting them to match the surrounding wall or ceiling can make them virtually invisible.
I’m curious what your home audio experience has been like. I’d love to hear your feedback if any of this hits home. Has it made you take a look at installing in-ceiling or in-wall speakers? Are you considering expanding or upgrading your current home audio? Regardless, hopefully it’s generated some thought around your home audio experience.
Let Debbie and I know in the comments, DMs and emails what you think. Thanks again to all those following Debbie and I through our home building journey. It’s great to hear your success stories and suggestions as we move through the process. And if you like the content I’m posting each week, don’t forget to ‘Like’ and ‘Follow.’
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