Some people look at a wall and see only a boundary, a limitation. Others look at a wall and see a vast sea of possibilities — at least as far as sound is concerned. For those in the latter group, installing in-wall speakers is perhaps the most logical way to turn their audio dreams into stunning, immersive reality.

In-wall speakers are generally installed at (or slightly above) ear level within the walls of a home. Because they share the same horizontal plane with the listener’s ear, they’re capable of delivering a level of sonic clarity that’s ideal for home theater and surround sound applications. And in-wall speakers can also blend in seamlessly with your home’s decor.

This combination of premium audio and clean aesthetics makes in-wall speakers an enticing option — either as a standalone system or as part of a larger audio setup. In this guide, we’ll cover everything you need to know about in-wall speakers so you can decide if they make sense for you.

Are in-wall speakers worth it?

The question of whether in-wall speakers are “worth it” implicitly acknowledges an important fact. Yes, in-wall speakers generally require more time, energy, and forethought to install than traditional floor or wall-mounted speakers.

With that said, in-wall speakers can certainly be worth it to those who don’t want to compromise on sound or aesthetics. In-Wall Speakers by Sonos and Sonance combine a premium sound experience that perfectly blends in with your home.

In-wall speakers seamlessly integrate with your home and sound system

One advantage of in-wall speakers is that they can sound great as a standalone speaker solution for both music and home theater. Their shape, design, and positioning within the room all contribute to a focused sound with crisp high frequencies and rich mid and low ranges.

You can also integrate Sonos In-Wall speakers with other Sonos speakers to build a surround sound system for home theater. You have two options to use in-wall speakers as part of your home theater setup:

• Sonos In-Wall speakers + a Sonos soundbar + Sonos Amp. In-wall speakers cover the rear and surround channels, while a Sonos soundbar covers the front channels. Sonos Amp connects to the soundbar and supplies power to the rear and surround speakers (including your in-walls).
• Sonos In-Wall speakers + two Sonos Amps. This setup involves (at least) two pairs of Sonos In-Wall speakers. One pair serves as the front channels, while the other pair serves as the rear/surround channels. Each pair is powered by its own Amp. If you add a subwoofer, this would be a 4.1 surround sound system, as Amp produces a “phantom” center channel with the front two speakers.

In-wall speakers require special installation

Installing in-wall speakers is not as straightforward as setting up a wireless speaker that does not require installation. You’ll likely need to hire a professional installer, as you’ll also need to install Sonos Amp, cut holes in your walls for the speakers, then run speaker cable from the speakers to Amp. Different wall materials and space dimensions may affect what’s possible in terms of installation, and a pro can help you design a custom configuration you’ll be happy with for years to come.

The realities of installation mean that you’ll want to consider if you’re actually ready for in-wall speakers. If you’re renting your home or plan to move out in the next couple of years, it may not make sense to invest in architectural speakers just yet. When you uninstall them and move them to a new space, you’ll likely incur additional costs for the removal, repair, and reinstallation.

There’s a flip side to this. If you do own your home, installing architectural speakers can be well worth the investment. Not only will you get high-quality sound and clean aesthetics, but you may never need to uninstall or reinstall your speakers again. This applies even if you decide to move or sell, as a great pair of installed architectural speakers can even raise the value of your home.

How do you power in-wall speakers?

You’ll need an external speaker amplifier or AV receiver to power your in-wall speakers.

Like other architectural speakers, in-wall speakers are passive speakers. This means they don’t have a built-in amplifier that provides power. If you want an all-in-one speaker solution that doesn’t require an external amplifier, you may consider an active speaker such as Sonos Era 100 or Era 300.

You may be wondering, Why don’t architectural speakers come with built-in amplifiers? Wouldn’t that be easier?

It comes down to space and physics. Passive speakers are generally larger in size, which allows them to offer significantly better performance. Powering speakers of this size requires larger and more robust amplifiers. But integrating such an amplifier into the speaker itself would significantly increase the speaker’s weight and footprint, creating installation difficulties. Hence the reason why architectural speakers are typically passive.

The good news is that you can easily power In-Wall Speakers by Sonos and Sonance with Sonos Amp. In fact, we specifically designed Amp with these speakers in mind.

Amp provides safe and reliable overdrive protection for up to three pairs of Sonos passive speakers. And if you’re using it with Sonos In-Wall or In-Ceiling speaker pairs, you can use the “Detect Sonos Architectural” function in the Sonos app to enable digital signal processing (DSP) and Trueplay. The DSP optimizes the EQ, providing a more robust sound, while Trueplay tailors the speakers to your home, resulting in a custom sound experience that takes advantage of the space’s unique acoustics.

How many in-wall speakers do I need?

The exact number of in-wall speakers you need depends on how you want to use them.

If you plan to use them primarily as part of a home theater surround sound system, a single pair of in-wall speakers should suffice. This gives you left and right surround channel speakers, which you can pair with front speakers positioned near your television to create a 5.1 or 7.1 surround sound experience (depending on the front speakers you use).

For distributed audio throughout the home, most installations involve two pairs of speakers (four total) for every Amp, which should be enough for a variety of use cases. You may consider adding a pair of speakers to each room in a multiroom audio setup, such as a bedroom or bathroom, as Amp is capable of reliably powering up to six total Sonos Architectural speakers.

If you’re unsure about how many speakers you need for your particular use case, we recommend consulting with a professional. They can walk you through the different options and give an expert opinion on how to achieve your desired sound solution.

Where should I place my in-wall speakers?

If you plan to use in-wall speakers as surround channels in a home theater setup, you should generally place them on the side walls, two to six feet (0.6m to 1.8m) behind your desired listening position and five to seven feet (1.5m to 2.1m) from the floor. You can find a diagram of this position in the Sonos In-Wall by Sonance installation manual, which we’ve reproduced here:

Of course, the exact dimensions and configurations of your space may play a role in determining the best placement for your speakers.

In general, you’ll want to leave at least two feet (0.6m) of space between your in-wall speaker and the wall that runs perpendicular to it. In other words, don’t mount it too close to one of the room’s corners. This ensures that the sound waves don’t bounce off the side wall before they cover the rest of the space, which could result in distortion, reverberation, or a small time-sync issue.

It’s worth consulting with a professional installer to ensure that your home’s unique acoustics also factor into the speaker placement. Wherever you place your speakers, using Sonos Amp unlocks the power of Trueplay™ tuning technology. This helps them adapt to the contours of your space, so your content always sounds the way it should. (Just note that Trueplay™ only works if all of the speakers connected to Amp are of the same type).

Can in-wall speakers be painted?

Yes! If you crave a look that truly blends in with your home, you can paint the grilles of your Sonos Architectural speakers.

This is not as difficult as it may seem. In fact, it’s quite easy. The speaker grilles are attached magnetically and completely cover the exposed speaker frame, so all you need to do is remove the grilles, paint them, and reinstall them once the paint has thoroughly dried.

You’ll need to take some steps to prepare the grilles for painting, such as removing the scrim cloth from the grille’s underside and priming the grille with a metal primer/bonder in a spray can.

You can find detailed grille painting instructions in the Sonos In-Wall By Sonance installation manual.

How do I control my in-wall speakers?

If your in-wall Sonos speakers are connected to Amp, you can control them directly via the Sonos app on your Android or iPhone.

Don’t want to use your smartphone or tablet? While Sonos doesn’t produce hardware specifically for controlling speakers, you can choose from a range of third-party controllers. Look for the “Works with Sonos” badge to ensure that the controller of your choice can seamlessly connect with your Sonos home sound system.

What about ceiling speakers?

In-ceiling speakers fall into the same “architectural” category as in-wall speakers. But that doesn’t mean they’re exactly the same.

For starters, the obvious: in-ceiling speakers are installed in the ceiling, not the wall. This actually makes them a much more popular and widely adopted option than in-wall speakers, if only because people are often more hesitant to put holes in their walls than in their ceilings. Beyond that, in-ceiling speakers are usually easier to install, since there’s often a crawl space or attic to work with.

So, should you just go with in-ceiling speakers and call it a day? Not necessarily. If you’re looking for a more immersive experience, in-wall speakers can be a great complement to in-ceiling speakers. They’re especially great for delivering a more focused sound, as they’re positioned directly at the level of your ears.

A sound system that blends into your home

When crafting the perfect home environment, it’s not just the sound that matters. In-wall speakers deliver the best of both worlds: a premium sound solution with an aesthetic that blends in seamlessly with your walls and home furnishings.

They also pair well with other architectural speakers from Sonos, including in-ceiling speakers and our weatherproof outdoor speakers. Combine all of them to create a whole-home audio system that amplifies every experience, from watching movies on the couch to hosting guests in the dining room and back patio.

For help installing and designing your Sonos architectural system, find an installer near you.