Q. I want to have a great sounding stereo, but I don’t want to be able to see it. What are my options?
Twenty years ago, it was not possible to get a good sounding stereo without having speakers take up half the room. While there will always be certain acoustic fundamentals that cannot be changed, home audio equipment has come a long way since then. We now stock many speakers that are small enough to mount them in-inconspicuous locations, helping them blend into the room. Additionally, many companies now produce in wall speakers that are capable of producing top-notch sound quality. These speakers, designed to be mounted in the wall or ceiling, can have their grilles painted to match the decor of the room, helping camouflage them even further.
A few things do need to be kept in mind however when trying to create a stereo that blends into the room as much as possible. Typically in these situations room aesthetics are more important than having the utmost in sound quality, and customers are more than satisfied with the performance of their audio system. There is a reason though that all of the premier high end speaker systems still have a fairly large footprint. Despite what a few companies try to convince you, it is not possible to have a speaker the size of a can of soda reproduce sound in the exact same way that a grand piano does. Knowing the limitations of each equipment type/size and having a full understanding of your own expectations for your system will always yield the best results.