The UK in-wall & in-ceiling loudspeaker scene is quite a bit more tightly-knit that it is in the US. Over here the likes of KEF and B&W do a lot of the business with players like Polk and Sonance producing some fine product at similar prices. However, in the main these manufacturers do not produce a reasonable closed-back in-wall or in-ceiling design which we believe is a shame.

It's a shame because a loudspeaker moves as much air and so generates about as much sound in its rearward travel as its forward. Therefore, a good deal of noise leaks out of the back of the speaker into the wall or ceiling cavity behind. This is particularly bad news for UK ceilings where the old packet of Rothmans that the joiner dropped in 1955 sit in the dusty void between the joists through which the sound reverberates. All of this leaked sound creates a low, but audible colouration of the sound. Fire hoods and other insulation can help but the basic fact is that a lot of installation variables will affect what you hear.

To close the back of the speaker, and to turn the speaker into a sealed unit means that the engineers can tune the sound that the speaker will give much more precisely. When it leaves the factory it is designed to give out certain frequencies and these are far better controlled and reproduced once installed as the unit is more autonomous. It sits neatly in its own shell with no leakage of music.

As such Face to Face Digital  is excited to be amongst a few discerning dealers that will be stocking and selling the likes of the Opus range and all of their other innovative products. Have a look at the ported subwoofers that give serious bass extension (that's a good thing) from a tiny, discrete slot that could be concealed, for instance, at the bottom of a radiator box. Our home cinemas and multi-room systems will benefit significantly from these but furthermore, our recent work on listed properties would have found these ideal as they can be tucked away out of sight but used to flesh out the sound in large, formal rooms.

We have a feeling that these will make customers very happy! For a more in-depth look at James' skills check out their Literature section of which an example on their Ultra Slim speaker units can be found here