Building a house from balsa wood or a car from aluminum foil would be ridiculous, right? But anyone who owns in-wall speakers has probably committed a similar crime—they have, in essence, built their speaker cabinets from flimsy, brittle gypsum board. When the speaker plays, the gypsum board vibrates and makes its own sound, almost as if someone was singing the Gilligan’s Island theme while you are trying to listen to Beethoven. The problem is most acute in the bass, which is why so many in-walls sound boomy, indistinct and annoying.

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The WallBracer is a spring-loaded damper designed to reduce wall vibrations induced by an in-wall speaker’s woofer. Its effects are readily apparent to the ear—bass becomes more defined and less boomy. (Click image to enlarge)

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Some manufacturers solve this problem by including back boxes with their in-walls; the back box serves as a speaker cabinet and prevents most of those troublesome wall vibrations. Back boxes, however, can greatly diminish deep bass response, and they can be complicated to install. Mirage proposes a simpler solution: Minimize the vibrations by stuffing the walls with foam and adding spring-loaded dampers. The company includes two dampers and four pieces of foam with every model in its Incognita HDT line of in-wall speakers.

The foam itself is nothing special, but the damper, which Mirage calls the WallBracer, merits examination. It works like a spring clip, but backward—your installer pushes its two legs together and slips them inside the wall. When released, the two legs push out against the drywall panels on both sides of the wall. Two pieces of foam and one WallBracer go both above and below the speaker.Wisely, Mirage did not rest its hopes for good sound solely on a couple of springy gizmos. The products it sends me—the HDT-WM1 and HDT-WM5 in-walls, and the HDT-CM1 ceiling speaker—rank among the best-built architectural speakers I have encountered. All are of three-way design, with one or two midrange drivers in addition to the tweeter and woofer(s). The midrange drivers—a relatively rare feature in an in-wall or in-ceiling speaker—make voices sound clearer and help even out the way a speaker spreads sound into a room. The front panels of the in-wall models are made from medium-density fiberboard, just like most freestanding speakers, instead of the molded plastic most in-wall speakers employ. All of the speakers have switches that allow fine-tuning of the sound to suit the acoustics of your room.

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For a ceiling speaker, the HDT-CM1 is remarkably sophisticated. Its three-way design includes dual midrange cones to improve the speaker’s power handling and sound dispersion. (Click image to enlarge)

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I experiment by installing various combinations of the HDT speakers in my listening room’s walls and ceiling. (The room includes special wall bays that let me insert and remove these speakers without having to patch the old holes and cut new ones.) I use the ceiling speakers for the surround channels, installed a few feet behind and to the sides of my favorite listening chair. For the front left, center and right speakers, I try using three of the large, top-of-the-line HDT-WM1s, then try the mid-sized HDT-WM5 in the center, then use two HDT-WM5 speakers as left and right speakers in a stereo system. All of the combinations prove quite workable, but getting great sound from these speakers takes a little bit of strategizing.

Let me start with this comment: Any combination of the HDT-WM1 and HDT-WM5, used in conjunction with a good subwoofer, gives remarkably robust sound. I find I can play the most demanding soundtracks known to mankind—such as the intense Star Wars Episode 2: Attack of the Clones DVD—at loud volumes without taxing my ears. The sound is exceptionally full, reminiscent of the experience I have had with state-of-the-art, freestanding THX Ultra2 speaker systems. The clarity calls to mind the professional monitor speakers used in recording studios. And the ambience I hear when I play stereo CDs is astonishing—I nearly forget I am listening to in-walls.That said, the larger HDT-WM1, with its dual midrange drivers and dual woofers, proves more vigorous than the HDT-WM5. While the HDT-WM5 plays impressively loud, the HDT-WM1 plays ridiculously loud. The WM1 also sounds better, a fact apparent with movie dialogue; voices sound a tad harsh at times with the WM5, but never with the WM1. Certainly, there are places where the size of the WM1 makes it impractical, particularly for use as a center speaker. But do not let cost become an issue here—the WM1 is well worth its higher price. If your installer presents the WM5 as an option solely because of its lower cost, toss the invoice back with a flourish of disgust and demand the best.

Without the calming influence of the WallBracers, the bass of the WM1 and WM5 sounds boomy, indistinct and unpleasant. With the WallBracers, the bass tightens up dramatically and the speakers sound great.

The WM1 produces so much bass on its own that you might consider a subwoofer unnecessary at first listen. However, even with the WallBracers, the bass still sounds somewhat fat, as you might hear on an old Motown record. No wonder—I still feel vibration when I touch my hand to the wall. This speaker reaches its fullest potential only when I connect a subwoofer for the bass and let the WM1 sing the tenor, alto and soprano parts it performs so well.Behind me, sounds flit back and forth with frightening realism, thanks to the excellent HDT-CM1 ceiling speakers. Despite the HDT-WM1’s virtuosity, it’s the little ceiling speaker that really astonishes me, so much so that I connect the HDT-CM1s as a stereo system and spend a couple of evenings listening to music through them. I rarely take such an interest in a ceiling speaker, but the HDT-CM1 commands it—this is easily one of the best ceiling speakers I have heard, possibly even the best. It produces extraordinarily crisp treble, realistic midrange and full, precise bass. In the nomenclature I would have used as an adolescent, this speaker is “crankable.” I cannot resist playing rock CDs at full volume, a pursuit I would rarely undertake with a ceiling speaker.  The HDT-CM1 just sounds so good. If you have a teenage son, do not install these in his room—he will drive you crazy.

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The horizontal layout of the HDT-WM5 (left) makes it a natural for center-channel use. Because of the HDT-WM1’s diagonal tweeter/midrange array (right), it can be used horizontally or vertically. (Click image to enlarge)

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Although my comments about the Incognita HDT speakers may seem complex and qualified, my feelings about them are simple. These are some of the finest in-wall speakers I have heard, and unlike most of the other excellent in-walls I have tried, they require no heroics on the part of your installer. The Incognita HDT speakers are one of only a very tiny number of in-walls I have heard that will please practically anybody.

DESCRIPTION
In-wall and in-ceiling speakers for stereo or home theater use. Subwoofer recommended for use with HDT-WM1 and HDT-WM5.

COMPONENTS
HDT-WM1: 1-inch titanium hybrid dome tweeter, two 1.5-inch aluminum dome midranges, two 6.5-inch carbon-fiber cone woofers.
HDT-WM5: 1-inch titanium hybrid dome tweeter, 1.5-inch aluminum dome midrange, 6.5-inch carbon-fiber cone woofer.
HDT-CM1: 1-inch titanium hybrid dome tweeter, two 1.5-inch aluminum cone midranges, 8-inch carbon-fiber cone woofer.

CONNECTIONS
Metal spring-type binding posts; accept bare wire, pins and banana plugs.

DIMENSIONS
HDT-WM1: 25.8 x 11 inches (hw); 3.8-inch installed depth
HDT-WM5: 14.3 x 11.2 inches (hw); 3.8-inch installed depth
HDT-CM1: 10.8 inches diameter; 5.5-inch installed depth

PRICE/CONTACT
PRICE: HDT-WM1 $1,250 each, HDT-WM5 $650 each, HDT-CM1 $450 each
CONTACT: 416.321.1800, www.miragespeakers.com