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SPEAKER REVIEW: Focal 300 IW6 LCR In-Walls

SPEAKER REVIEW: Focal 300 IW6 LCR In-Walls

In the latest installment of our series of no-nonsense architectural speaker reviews, we turn our attention from the Brits at Kef to the profoundly French Focal 300 IW6 LCR in-wall speaker Oui, Oui!

About the 300 Series

Focal 300 Iw6 Lcr
Focal 300 IW6 In-Wall Speaker

Starting with nerdy essentials, each Focal 300 IW6 LCR comes loaded with dual 6 1/2″ Woofers, a 4″ Mid-range, and a 1″ aluminum/magnesium tweeter.

The 300 series marks a manufacturing transition point in Focal’s custom install line, assembling all models in the same factory in France that produce their high-end signature products like Kanta, Sopra, etc. 

Focal Kanta 3
The 300 IW6 LCR shares a lineage with Focal Kanta

Focal claims these are “coherently aligned” with their Kanta towers utilizing the same woven flax cone material but a different tweeter configuration. This makes them a perfect complement to a two-channel Kanta system when perhaps floor space or budget prevent placing full-size speaker cabinets throughout the room.

In both of our most recent installs, we decided to build MDF back boxes for the speakers since they were installed behind fabric in one case and an acoustically transparent screen in another.

Custom Back Boxes For Focal 300 Series Speakers In Nashville, Tn
Back Boxes from our Shelter Theater Build
Custom Mdf Backboxes Housing Focal Speakers In A Media Room In Nashville.
Focal 300 IW6 LCR in MDF Back Boxes

Unfortunately, Focal doesn’t provide any guidance for enclosure volume, but based on our experience with other similar units, we opted for roughly two cu ft and were pleased with the result.  

Installation is simple and makes use of Focal’s “Easy Quick Install” system. Rather than relying on traditional speaker dogs and screws, Focal uses eight high-tensioned plastic spring clips to securely hold the speakers in place.

As long as you make use of the included template to cut out your openings, it really does take less than a minute to install each speaker.

A word to the wise, these are a little less forgiving than speaker dogs, so leave at least an inch and a half between the sides of your opening and any framing members.

Custom Home Theater And Media Room Installation In A Modern Home In Nashville, Tn.  Focal Speakers, Slat Diffusers And Lg Oled
Finished Install Awaiting TV Installation
Focal 300 Series Custom Install Speakers Behind A Projector Screen
Illustration showing speakers installed behind a Screen Innovations Projector Screen

Sound Performance: 

Full stop; you will not be disappointed. In our test environment, not only did the IW6 LCRs exhibit the signature “Focal” sound, but they also offered low-frequency extension I’ve yet to experience from any other open-back architectural speaker.

Again, I’m not claiming these could go toe to toe with a set of gargantuan hi-fi towers, but they certainly qualify as full-range, which is in and of itself quite a feat for an in-wall speaker.  When paired with a capable sub, the end result is fantastic and nearly invisible.

Bass performance is going to vary greatly depending on the volume of your enclosure, but in the average 8ft – 10ft wall should be more than adequate, and it will be even better with a properly sized MDF enclosure.


Tasting Notes: 

If you haven’t had a chance to experience the timber of Focals in person, I will describe their midrange to low-frequency crossover as exceptionally smooth and well-engineered.

Their tweeters tend to be a bit more on the sweet or articulate side, but there is a pad for you to EQ to taste if you prefer a more mellow top end.  It’s a bit more forward than something like Kef’s UniQ but never sibilant or sizzly.


Value: 

With a price of $1199 each, are they worth it?

I think these speakers occupy a comfortable spot at the edge of a precipice. The 300 series offer a step into the world of true audiophile sound in a compact in-wall package. Yes, at a higher price point, there is room to improve.

If you have a larger space, budget, or want the very best, there are next-level options out there (The Focal 1000 Series or Kef Reference come to mind), but for most people, the 300 series represent an investment that’s easy to justify by both their pedigree and sound quality.

The Shelter Home Theater

The Shelter Home Theater

Shelter in Style 

If you’ve noticed some changes in the weather in the South recently, you’re not alone. The number of severe storms and tornados striking Nashville and the rest of Middle TN has dramatically increased, resulting in a surge in storm shelter construction. While practically speaking, a storm shelter is a great thing to have; these spaces are often only used for a few hours a year.  

The story of this build begins when our client approached us with the desire to reclaim his shelter space as a proper home theater while taking full advantage of the acoustic isolation provided by the 12″ thick poured concrete walls. 

The Shelter Theater - Before
The Shelter Home Theater 19

Home Theater in a (Concrete) box

With a pre-build width of only 96″, space was at an absolute premium. A design requirement of having at least five fixed seats led us to create staggered wall depths in each section of the theater to help squeeze both the seating and speakers in.

Cad Design For The Home Theater Built In A Storm Shelter
CAD Layout of The Shelter Theater

This layout opened the door to employing varying types of acoustic treatments and bass trapping while at the same time creating some visual interest through the use of diffused LED accent lighting. 

Custom Led Accent Lighting Lines The Room  By Proluxe
LED Lighting & Trim Details

The crown jewel of the build is a 104″ acoustically transparent projection screen by Screen Innovations. It’s paired with a light blasting HDR projector from LG that makes high-impact viewing possible, even with the lights on.

A Great View Of The Acoustically Transparent Projector Screen In The Shelter Home Theater.
Screen Innovations Zero-Edge Pro Projection Screen
Another View Of The Shelter Home Theater That Was Designed And Built By Audilux In Nashville, Tn.
Custom Home Theater by Audilux

The room’s soundtrack is voiced by a full accouterment of seven 300 Series in-wall speakers from Focal. All of which are stealthily concealed behind the screen or in the walls around the room.  

An Illustration Showing The Focal 300 Series In-Wall Speakers Hidden Behind The Projector Screen In The Home Theater.
Illustration showing Left, Center, & Right speakers behind the screen
An Under-Construction View Of The Custom Theater Showing The Shop-Built Back Boxes For The In-Wall Speakers.
The Shelter Under Construction
Theater Under Construction Showing The Many Layers Of Acoustic Treatments That Are Eventually Covered Up By The Fabricmate Wall System.
Hidden Speakers & Acoustic Treatments

We wanted to find a way to provide illumination that would be fun but at the same time not distract too much from the theater’s prime directive. Several scenes were created including one inspired by “Stranger Things” (my personal favorite).

Home Theater With Led Lighting Inspired By The Hit Show Stranger Things
A “Stranger Things” inspired lighting theme
Home Theater With Led Lighting
Proluxe LED Lighting & Extrusions

Our client chose a fully motorized option for home theater seating by Octane. Trimmed in top-grain leather and equipped with USB power outlets, underlighting, and plenty of storage, these home theater chairs make it easy to settle into a movie or binge your favorite show.

Lights can be controlled by the keypad on the wall or even turned on and off individually with the Elan remote control.

The Elan Universal Remote Control
Custom Elan Remote Control
A Close-Up Of The Elan Hr-10 Universal Remote Control System For Automation
Elan HR-10

The Shelter Theater: Details & Specs

AUDIO:

Speakers:  Focal 300 Series

Mains: Focal 300 IWLCR6 

Surrounds: Focal 300 IW 6

Subwoofer: Speakercraft HRSi-12

Receiver: Yamaha Aventage RX-A4A 7.1 Channel Receiver

VISUAL:

Screen: 104″ Screen Innovations Zero Edge Pro (Acoustically Transparent) with Pure AT Material

Projector: LG AU810PB 4K DLP Projector

CONTROL & Core:

  • Elan HR-10 Remote
  • Elan KP7 Keypad for lighting control
  • Panamax MR4300 Power Conditioner
  • Luxul AV Series POE Switch

DESIGN ELEMENTS:

  • LED Lighting & Extrusions by Proluxe
  • Wall coverings by Guilford’s of Maine
  • Seating by Octane Seating
  • Custom Trim by Audilux
SPEAKER REVIEW: KEF Ci3160-RL THX Ultra In-Walls

SPEAKER REVIEW: KEF Ci3160-RL THX Ultra In-Walls

When you’re shopping for speakers or any other piece of AV gear, the internet is typically a great resource, with tons of review sites offering a vast diversity of opinions. You can aggregate all of that information and decide what you think the best option would be. Easy as pie.

Unfortunately, this is not the case with architectural speakers.

Some of this plight is caused by the fact that most custom install brands aren’t available for sale directly to the public. It’s also understandable that built-in speakers are a much smaller market than soundbars or even traditional Hi-Fi speakers that sit in the room.

There is an unmistakable void for honest opinions and unbiased reviews of architectural speakers. If you’re building a new home or dealing with a custom installer, you’re pretty much flying blind.

Here at Audilux, we’re going to change that going forward. This post is the first of a series of in-wall and in-ceiling speaker reviews. I promise to do my best to avoid the typical audiophile sensory wankerism and offer clear and level-headed insights.

This is important since, in all likelihood, you won’t be able to demo any of these speakers yourself.

We’re going to start our new series near the very top of the food chain of in-wall speakers.


The Kef Ci-3160-RL:
THX Ultra Certified

Audilux Lg Kef Install Nogrills
KEF CI-3160 Install by Audilux
Audilux Lg Kef Install Grills
Kef CI-3160 installed with grills painted to match

Kef speakers are manufactured in Tovil, England, just as they have been for the last sixty-plus years. While most of the industry’s component production has shifted to Asia, Kef is one of only a handful of companies to maintain control of every aspect of their supply chain by manufacturing custom drivers and electronics in-house.

If you’re not familiar with the rest of Kef’s Architectural offerings, they offer three different series that can be specified depending on the quality level desired; ER (Value), CR (Good), and QR (Best). The Ci-3160’s happily occupy a notch above the rest of the QR series and one rung below the flagship reference series.


Unboxing & First Impressions

The first thing that’s apparent when unboxing each speaker is the staggering build quality and weight.  25 lbs. is formidable by any standard, but even more so for a product that lacks a cabinet. Everything about the package exudes attention to detail and high-quality construction.

On a typical in-wall speaker a “dog” tab provides pressure at regular intervals surrounding the baffle. The tabs are tightened and sandwich the outer frame of the speaker with whatever substrate you are installing into.  With the Extreme Series, KEF has opted to use a secondary frame that encompasses the entire perimeter of the unit.

This might seem like a subtle difference, but it’s one of the many details that add up to next-level performance.

Pro Tip: One side effect of this design is that the rear frame has to be slid into one side of the rough opening and then pulled back to the intended center location. This does limit how closely the speaker can be installed to any framing, so I would suggest adding at least two inches of clearance space to either side in order to facilitate a smooth install. 


Stunning Good Looks

Audilux Lg Kef Install Wide
Kef CI-3160 in a modern home
Ci-3160 Aluminum Baffle
SPEAKER REVIEW: KEF Ci3160-RL THX Ultra In-Walls 24

It’s no coincidence that the Ci-3160RL made the top of our list of speakers your interior designer will love. The faceplates are machined from a solid piece of aluminum that provides an undeniable bit of visual interest to your decor.

If you’re passionate about hi-fi or an unrepentant audiophile, you’re going to love the look.

In their bare form, the Kefs are an elegant conversation starter and a great excuse to put on a record. Kef also includes paint-able magnetic grills in the box if incognito is more your style.  


Music Performance

Sonic performance is a very subjective metric, but I would describe the overall tone of the Ci3160-RL as very focused, punchy, and smooth. One of the significant benefits of using 6″ bass drivers is the very fast transient response. Sure, you’re not going to get earth-shaking low frequencies (or frankly, get much action below 60hz), but that would be a silly goal anyway.

When paired with a sub to handle ultra low-end duties, the Kefs offer an accurate representation of the frequency spectrum that’s sure to delight.

As far as the top end is concerned, the equipped Uni-Q tweeter was enjoyable despite my militant preference for smooth or warmer-sounding tweeters. (Read: I Love Ribbon Tweeters) I found it to be very musical and articulate, but it never hinted at taking my head off, even at very high volumes.

It’s very pleasantly detailed but mercifully lacks the skulking razor-sharp armament of a Babadook Klipsch horn threatening pain around every corner.


Home Theater Performance 

Using the Kef CI3160’s for movies is a walk in the park. They’re capable of nonchalantly delivering soul-crushing volumes without breaking a sweat and then quietly retreating into dialog before you even know what happened.

My test install was in a room that measured 25′ x 30′ x 15′, which is far beyond the purview of the THX Ultra spec.

They easily filled the space at reference level.


Value

It’s probably time I address the elephant in the room regarding the KEF Extreme THX in-wall speakers. They’re undoubtedly expensive.

At $2000 per speaker, the real question is are they worth it? That requires answering a few more questions.

  • Are you in an 8+ seat dedicated home theater or a big open-concept living space?
  • Do you want a speaker that offers audiophile performance but blends into your decor?
  • Are you someone who lives their life by the mantra “Buy the best, buy it once”? 

If you can answer yes to any of these questions, I think not only are the CI-3160’s worth it, but they’re a great deal.

Keep in mind these are the install equivalent of the Kef R7, which will set you back an additional $300 each and a lot of floor space.

The Kef Ci3160-RL is one of the few circumstances where choosing in-wall is no compromise at all. 


If you’re interested in purchasing these speakers or have any particular questions about your room, feel free to reach out! We’d be happy to put together a package that’s perfect for your space.

Top 4 In-Wall Speakers That your Designer Will Love

Top 4 In-Wall Speakers That your Designer Will Love

Top 4 in-wall speakers That your designer will Love

Usually, when installing speakers in ceilings or walls, the goal is to make them disappear. If I had to summarize the most common request we get from clients, it would go something like this; “I want it to sound good, but I just don’t want to see anything.” It’s sometimes even a stretch convincing someone they’re markedly better off with a subwoofer tucked in the corner of the room rather than being completely hidden away.

I understand the quandary entirely; when you’ve worked hard with an interior designer to make your space just right, the last thing you want to do is clutter up the design with ugly utilitarian speakers boxes.

That’s why most of the time, making things vanish is the best course of action. 

While my inner modernist rejoices at the simplicity of the “heard and not seen” approach (Trust me, I AM a modernist), There actually are a few in-wall speaker options that can take your design up a notch rather than mucking things up.


#1-KEF Extreme THX Ultra Series

Kef Ci-3160 Extreme Series In-Wall Speakers
KEF CI-3160 RL In-Wall Speakers

These posh in-walls are constructed with a baffle from a single piece of aluminum and built to the same exacting standards as KEF‘s fabled Reference series.

As part of THX Ultra certification, the extreme series can fill even the largest rooms with audiophile quality sound while adding palpable visual interest and modern punch to your design.   

Audilux Lg Kef Install Nogrills
KEF Ci-3160 Install in a modern home

#2 – Focal 1000 Series In-Wall

Focal 1000 Series Luxury In-Wall Speakers
Focal 1000 Series Luxury In-Wall Speaker

While they may be lacking some modern bling compared to the KEF’s, The Focal 1000 series sport a clean industrial design that would be equally at home in a basement speakeasy or the most well-appointed living spaces.

You also get the bonus of a great conversation starter, a pure Berrilyum tweeter crafted in France from one of the planet’s rarest materials.  

Focal Beryllium Tweeter
The Focal Beryllium tweeter.

#3- Klipsch Reference Series In-Wall

Klipsch Reference Premiere
Top 4 In-Wall Speakers That your Designer Will Love 35

At #3 we have our first American-made entrant into the battle of the beautiful. The Klipsch reference premiere series features their signature copper-colored drivers. In addition, the bold Klipsch Horn gives the speaker an almost art deco look.

These are considerably more affordable than our first two options and prove you can still make a statement without breaking the bank. 


#4-Dali Phantom S280 In-Wall 

Dali Phantom S 180 Livingroom No Grilles 2
Dali Phantom with exposed drivers

Danish hi-fi company Dali has taken a different approach when it comes to their flagship in-wall systems. 

You can choose to display these vintage-vibe speakers ala Christopher Lloyd or use their included grills for a refined but modern appearance. We can’t help but think these would be the perfect addition to a listening or music room.  

116301 Dali Phantom S 180 Livingroom Cam01
Dali Phantom In-Wall Speakers with grills

If In ROom is an option

Focal Kanta 3

Focal Kanta 3
Top 4 In-Wall Speakers That your Designer Will Love 36

While they may not be in-wall, if you want to add some stunning visual appeal and jaw-dropping sound, you might be looking for Focal Kanta. Hand-made in France and featuring automobile quality paint jobs and a vast array of color options, this in-room option is A+. 

Focal Kanta Color Options
Focal Kanta is available in a fantastic array of colors

Do you want to learn more about Surround Sound & Home Theater?

Read our post “Surround Sound Basics” for more information!