John Sciacca

Inevitably, one day you’ll go to turn your TV or A/V system on, and something won’t be right. And when customers call my CI showroom, these calls usually boil down to one of two things: I can see it but not hear it, or, I can hear it but can’t see it. (To be fair, more and more calls are network/Wi-Fi/streaming related, but that’s a troubleshooting adventure we’ll save for another post).

In-wall and in-ceiling speakers have come a long way, and the old assumption that you’re “settling” just because the speakers disappear into the architecture is badly outdated. Done right, architectural speakers can deliver serious sound quality—and when it comes to Dolby Atmos, in-ceiling speakers aren’t a compromise at all; they’re the correct solution for height effects. What’s changed, especially since COVID, is the level of performance now available in these categories.

Note from the editor: Please welcome John Sciacca, a custom installer from Myrtle Beach, SC. For 21 years, John has written the “Connected Life” column for Sound and Vision magazine. In it, John has offered professional advice for the CI community, DIY audiophiles and home theater hobbyists. We’re pleased to have John join us here at eCoustics to carry on this tradition.