Recommendations for Tiny Rear Speakers? Good Questions

Q: I've been looking around for a small set of rear home theater speakers (or maybe even a complete package) that allows me to easily mount and hide. I feel most satellite systems these days require punching holes in walls or placing them on absurd or ugly speaker stands. I'd like to avoid that if at all possible. Thanks!

A: Hey James,

Thanks for the question. Above, you can see one of the featured systems from our tech tour archives of an apartment in Paris.

The Sony DAV-IS10 surround sound system ($700) can easily transform any space into a modern, high-fidelity retreat. Plus, with the option to connect your iPod to control your music, the home theater will never feel too far from reach ever again.

A slightly cheaper alternative is the Energy RC-Micro 5.1 ($600). The Micro 5.1 is probably the smallest loudspeakers we've ever seen, but keep in mind that the smaller the speakers get, the harder it is to get those lows to be produced accurately. This means most of the lows (male voices, explosions, guitars, etc.) will end up coming from the subwoofer.

However, if you're tight on space, these solutions should fit the bill and will easily blend into your furniture and decor!

(Image: Emmas' Design Blogg)

Comments (6)

Don't have the sonys but the demos on them are amazing. Certainly not the best you can get, but for the size the sound quality is amazing.

I was looking to get the Sonys a while ago. The problem is that they don't sell the speakers separately from the receiver/sub, unless something has changed. If you take your home theater setup seriously, you're going to already have a receiver and thus don't need their system. If they had sold the speakers as a separate package, I would have bought them in an instant.

You might be better off just focusing on the front two or three speakers and foregoing the rear channels.

These little inconspicuous ones tend to be shouty and image poorly. A good pair of speakers will give you a more realistic sound-stage than five tinny little cubes hidden around the room.

There are nice in-wall solutions but they are costly and more work to install.

They're not quite as tiny as the Sony system featured in the post, but I went with the Boston Acoustics Soundware XS 5.1 system and I've been very happy with them. They come in a bunch of colors (including white) and the satellite speakers are pretty small. They're also shaped so that they can be bracketed into corners very easily, which helps with hiding them away.

http://www.amazon.com/Boston-Acoustics-SoundWareXS5-1W-Speaker-System/dp/B002FS7RDI

I think you can also buy either a 2.1 set or buy individual speakers, so you're not required to buy the entire set if you don't want a 5.1 system. You're also not required to buy the receiver with this set, like with the Sony system, so that's an advantage, too, if you're going that route.

Anyway, hope this is helpful. I had the same concerns when I set up my surround-sound and I'm really happy with how mine turned out, so I figured I'd drop my two-cents in here.

I have spent a long time researching this because my husband is a real audiophile when it comes to his surround sound. After taking all things into consideration (sound quality, size, price) we settled on the Axiom in-wall speakers. They sound fantastic and are less money than some of the high-end speakers we originally thought we needed to maintain sound quality.

I also like that you have all sorts of options. They are the best speaker for the price and you can get them for in-wall or on-wall...

http://axiomaudio.com/in-wall-speakers.html

I have the Sony HT-IS100. It's a great system for a small to medium sized rooms. Most people never notice the speakers and have too look for them. Obviously it isn't going to give you the same massive sound as larger speakers (simple reality), but it wont stick out as badly either.

Great sound for such a tiny system. I'll definitely have trouble replacing it if and when the time comes.