By James Strickland on Tuesday, 09 August 2022
Category: Home Theater Park City, UT

How to Choose Speakers for a Home Theater: Freestanding vs. Architectural

No Need to Choose Between Aesthetics and Sound Quality

Everyone loves great sound for music and movies. Not everyone, however, loves to see what makes the sound. Audiophiles love high-end equipment like McIntosh, Magnepan, and KEF, which are meant to be seen and heard. Others don't want to see any equipment, whether it's speakers for whole home audio or the home theater.

In this month's blog posts, we're going to focus on home theater sound and aesthetics. One of the things you might not know is that you don't have to sacrifice aesthetics for sound quality. If you don't want to see the speakers in your Park City, UT home, the choices for high-end sound are still amazing, but they do require careful planning and installation. On the other hand, if you like the look of speakers, you might be wowed by the beauty of some top brands. Keep reading below to learn more about home theater speaker options that are sure to please no matter which way you go. 

SEE ALSO: Home Theater FAQ: Choosing the Best Seating Type and Placement

Freestanding Speakers

Not all high-end speakers are alike. Besides the technology, some companies focus on function over form. The speaker may produce superb sound quality, but it will do little for your decor or sense of aesthetics. Two brands, however, complement both form and function. Focal is a French company renowned for stylish, handcrafted speakers that look as good as they sound. Sonus Faber is an Italian audio brand known for its speakers' incredible style to match their elevated sonic performance. These two companies offer various options for stylish home theater speakers you'd be proud to display. 

Here’s one example of style and sound from Sonus Faber. The Sonetto collection is a full set of speakers designed for home theater surround sound. It consists of three tower speakers, two standmount, two center channels, and an on-wall surround model. This award-winning line features aluminum woofers, custom midrange drivers, and high-definition tweeters for stellar sound. But the looks will captivate, using natural wood finishes and the unique Sonus Faber Lute cabinet design, all with handcrafted assembly in Italy. 

If French is more your style, Focal's Sopra line is an excellent example of visual panache and aural performance. It's also a complete line for home theater with two towers, a bookshelf, center, and di-pole surround speakers. The Sopra blends the technology and style of the flagship Utopia line into more compact dimensions suitable for any home theater. Sopra is finished with automotive quality colors and furniture-grade cabinets made in Focal's dedicated cabinet facility in Burgundy. 

Architectural Speakers

If your idea of a beautiful speaker is one you hear but can’t see, Sonus Faber delivers on that count too. The Palladio collection is an architectural series that fits neatly into walls but still delivers on the warm sound for which the brand is known. Using their Damped Apex Dome tweeters and low and midrange drivers with custom diaphragms, they make sound quality center stage. The line includes a complete range for home theaters, including three-way left/center/right and ceiling models, various ceiling models perfect for Dolby Atmos effects, and a passive in-wall subwoofer for no speaker boxes in sight. 

 

Whatever your preference for home theater sound, Show & Tell AV Solutions can design and build a custom solution that fits you. Look for more in this space shortly on home theater audio and acoustics. If you want to learn more or get started on a home theater now, contact Show & Tell AV Solutions today!