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Industry Opinion - Selling the Benefits of Custom-Installed Loudspeakers (31/7/2008)

By Yasmin Hashmi, HiddenWires

When it comes to loudspeakers, there is a definite split between the hi-fi and custom install camps. The former worries that in-wall/in-ceiling products simply can't match the performance of freestanding speakers, while the latter argues that speakers should be heard and not seen.

To find out whether the market is finding a balance between how speakers look and how they sound, we asked some leading lights in the industry about the demands they are facing, common misconceptions, and what can be done to help sell the benefits of custom-installed loudspeakers. Here are their replies:

Simon Hewitt, Director of Marketing, Opus Technologies

From an end user's perspective, custom-installed speakers have a tough set of demands to live up to. They have to sound good wherever they're located, look virtually invisible, and for many customers, they just can't be too expensive - especially in hallways and suchlike. For dealers, one of the key requirements is ease of install - a badly-designed speaker frustrates installers and can harm relationships. Dealers also need a product that is totally reliable and offers an attractive-enough margin to encourage them to carry the entire range. Dealer/installer expertise is of vital importance to ensure the customer chooses the appropriate speaker for each room. A high-end 'eyeball tweeter' in-ceiling speaker will be wasted on a stairway, but the reverse is true in a family room.

So, as a manufacturer, we have a lot of requirements to fulfil! Achieving optimal sound from speakers that often live in compromised environments can be a real challenge. Even in one 'typical installation', different expectations are placed on each room, so it's important for any CI speaker manufacturer to produce - and CI dealers to stock - a wide range of designs.

Tim Lount, Marketing Manager, Tannoy Ltd

There are two key features in the CI loudspeaker market: sound quality and ease-of-fitment. Installers and specifiers want to maximise the impact and performance of the system with great-sounding speakers - particularly as a very high percentage of new business is on recommendation - and need units that take the minimum amount of valuable time to install and set-up. The end user rarely has a great deal of input into the choice of loudspeaker, so installers generally find a single brand that they are happy with in terms of performance, installation and integration, and stick with that brand's products. It is therefore vital for manufactures to offer an exceptional, coherent range of dedicated CI loudspeakers

Installing speakers designed for the US market in UK and European homes is the cardinal sin. The vast majority of US models are designed to fit-in, and are tuned for, stud-walls in wood-frame buildings. Put these in a more robust brick or block UK-home, even in a dividing wall, and you will run into problems on installation, voicing, balance and bass integration.

The CI sector is still seen as niche in the UK and European markets, but momentum is growing, and a host of new marketing and technology initiatives that extend beyond simply selling 'sound from loudspeakers you cannot see' are evolving. Right now, in-wall speakers are seen as an inherent compromise of sound quality over interior decor. However, the performance of today's best in-wall systems has the potential to surpass traditional freestanding box-cabinet-based systems in terms of dynamics, musical coherence and sheer impact. The solid-wall mount, infinite baffle installation and products that are specifically voiced for UK and European homes, mean that more and more performance-driven customers will be looking to in-wall loudspeaker systems from now on. As an industry, we need to sell the performance benefits of in-wall loudspeakers alongside the lifestyle benefits.

Mark Dodd, Head of Group Research, GPAcoustics (KEF)

In the past, having a big pair of loudspeakers was highly desirable. However, MP3 players and computers are now commonly used with miniature sub/sat systems that are compact and produce as much bass. Of course the music will have little of the emotional impact or accuracy of a decent hi-fi system replaying full quality source material, but it is often listened to as background.

Home cinema systems have also made an impact on the market due to the different emphasis on quality. Rather than 'musical' reproduction, plenty of bass, good speech intelligibility and impressive dynamics are required. Furthermore, the surround speakers must envelope the listener with the ambient sound to complete the illusion produced by the picture. The problem is that the user is faced with three times the number of wires and speakers. Even with well-styled speakers, many do not find having all of this equipment a positive experience. In essence, the expectation of quality has reduced and the need to conceal the speakers has increased.

It is a mistake to believe that people do not appreciate good sound quality because they are not used to it. Perhaps the priorities have changed, but good sound is still important. In my view, while convenience and concealment are good reasons for a home install, excellent sound quality for cinema and music is appreciated by most people.

So let's not chuck out the baby with the bath water. Less MP3 and more lossless compression for audio, with loudspeakers that give full range response without the gap between bass and mid-range so commonly found, can give a quality of experience anyone can appreciate. The installer is the only person in a position to educate the customer about this, and by doing so, will serve his or her customers better than they would expect. Streamed audio and home cinema with good install speakers can be a great experience that will surprise and impress many, but only if the installer can educate the customer into making the right investment.

Lars-Olof Janflod, International Sales Manager, Genelec

The trend in residential custom installation of loudspeakers is towards the 'whole house audio' segment, in areas such as the gym, bathroom, dining room, etc. As we all know, for these areas, in-wall and in-ceiling products are mainly used, with in-wall subwoofers becoming increasingly popular. The latter pose a challenge for the design engineer, as these either need to be very flat to fit into a wall-construction, or have some other form factor that can fit elsewhere in the house design. Other products now being demanded are waterproof speakers that can be mounted outdoors by the pool area, or in yachts. While such products are already available, clients want the same quality of speaker as they have in the rest of the house, which again poses a challenge for the design engineer.

The main problems we typically observe concern loudspeaker placement and a lack of attention when it comes to mounting speakers in a wall or ceiling. Mounting a speaker in a flimsy wall construction can and will destroy the performance of the loudspeaker, so at the end of the day, the investment in good loudspeakers is pointless if the extra effort needed to install them correctly isn't made. Coming from the professional studio business, we have a lot of experience in this area, and see the same mistakes being made over and over again.

Mark Hockey, Sales and Marketing Manager, Harman Consumer UK

In terms of what the market is looking for in loudspeakers, consumers will always want better value, power handling capability, high-quality of materials and craftsmanship, and the use of new, exciting materials. But increasingly, we also see consumers wanting a simpler solution, such as versatility around mounting options. Wireless, too, is increasingly popular as it gives consumers more flexibility and freedom in where they place their speakers in their homes, and reduces unnecessary cable clutter.

What the market needs to try to avoid is overcomplicating what it offers, whether that's making the install options too awkward or expensive, or overselling expensive products when a more cost-effective solution will do. One of the misconceptions we encounter with JBL, is that some people see it as a big US brand that only makes speakers for concerts or PAs, but we make some of the most delicate, subtly nuanced-sounding speakers available on the market too.

As a manufacturer, we're trying to put custom installed loudspeakers within reach of as many consumers as possible. We're doing that by making our products more lifestyle-based, and making them merge and work with the interior of the end-user's home. Lots of customers want multiroom, but are put off by the fact that they see custom install as too expensive. It needn't be. Not everyone lives in an eight-bedroom mansion, so as an industry, we need to provide for the needs of the average user, which means making solutions simple, affordable and interoperable with what customers already have.

Paul Cummins, Artcoustic UK and Eire Sales Agent

Clients are now given many more options than a few years ago in terms of speaker styles, and the consistent battle between 'his' awesome home cinema system and 'her' living room design, means that loudspeaker sales can often be a challenge. We have found that listening to what the client is actually asking for, rather than what they actually say, can be decisive. If a client, normally the lady of the house (to complete the stereotype) says that they don't want to see speakers, we as an industry instantly assume that they want in-ceiling speakers. They often don't. What they mean is 'not a traditional big box taking over my lounge'. While our industry tries to go as small as possible, or in-ceiling, all the client is really saying is 'don't take over my living space'.

We find that once clients see our range, they often end up with the bigger, more expensive options as they fall in love with the design and appreciate the input they can have upon it. Where loudspeaker sales have pushed downwards in recent years from the large traditional floorstander to cheaper 'lifestyle' satellites, we have found a third way, which maintains the client's desire for quality, whilst also respecting the integrity of the interior design.

Jeremy Burkhardt, Co-Founder and CEO, SpeakerCraft

Architectural loudspeakers are basically speakers that mount in the ceiling and are out of sight and the sound seems to come from 'above'. Consumers give the quality of such speakers little thought. Having manufactured millions of speakers that sold for prices from a hundred dollars to several hundred dollars, we have found that the consumer was usually educated, in terms of quality, by the dealer.

The largest advance in speakers is their ability to 'aim' at the listening area. Many companies have found ways to allow speakers to be mounted overhead and aimed toward where you sit or spend your time watching TV. Another advance is the flangeless speaker. Most architectural speakers sold, have a small plastic flange around the edge, but companies such as Sonance, SpeakerCraft and Definitive Technology are now making flangeless speakers. Although these may have a cleaner look, the installation time is hours per speaker compared to a few minutes with a regular speaker.

So, do you want a flangeless install requiring more install time, and do you want the ability to adjust your speakers with equalisation switches and aim-ability? The better speakers come with these features, and if you live in a glass house or a shag pad, these can help you fine-tune most architectural speakers for a good listening experience.

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