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Sonos is a leading American audio technology company that is best known for pioneering wireless multiroom audio systems, which make it easy for listeners to stream music and other content throughout their homes. The company continues to innovate, creating wireless speakers, home theater systems, headphones, architectural components, and integrated home audio solutions that revolutionize how people listen and connect to sound.

Does something sound “off” with your speakers or headphones? Do the stringed instruments sound like clinking silverware, or is the bass so overpowering that it feels like you’re listening to music underwater? If so, the equipment itself may not be to blame. You may be dealing with an equalization issue — one that’s easily corrected by adjusting the loudness of the specific frequencies in your sound’s source signal.

It can help to think of equalization, or EQ, as a kind of volume control, only instead of adjusting the overall loudness of your music, EQ lets you tweak specific frequencies independently. This can be a powerful tool when you want to correct problems like muddiness or harshness, but EQ can also be used in more creative ways, allowing you to shape the perfect blend of lows, mids, and highs for your sonic preferences.

If you’ve ever come across an “EQ” or “Equalization” setting in your various audio apps, you may have felt overwhelmed by all the settings and sliders. The good news is that it’s actually pretty simple. With some basic knowledge about frequency ranges and a sense of what sounds good to 

, you can start using EQ to improve your listening experience.

Equalization (EQ) is a tool that lets you adjust the volume of specific frequency ranges within audio. It's like having separate volume knobs for the deep bass, midrange vocals and instruments, and high-pitched sounds that blend together to create an audio track.

So, why use EQ? It’s a good question, especially when you consider that most audio tracks have already been EQ'd multiple times before they reach your ears — at the mixing and mastering stages of recording, but also when they’re converted to 

. You may simply prefer your music with more pronounced bass, or with crisper mids and highs. But there are a few other reasons to tweak EQ as a listener.

One common reason is to accommodate different listening environments. The acoustic features of a room — its space, furnishings, reflections off of surrounding walls, even the materials in its walls — can affect how you hear different frequencies of sound. (This is why Sonos lets you 

tune your speakers to your room with Trueplay

.) If your music tends to sound muddy or harsh in certain listening environments, EQ can help clean this up. Another reason to tweak EQ is to optimize for different activities or media types. Listening to music during a workout? You may want to boost the bass for a more high-energy experience. Having trouble 

 despite its relatively loud volume? Try boosting the middle frequencies around 1–3 kilohertz, which can make voices ring out clearer. The bottom line is that different situations may benefit from different EQ settings

Person placing a record on a turntable next to a white Era 300

Black Era 100 next to a turntable on a console

You really don’t need to be an audio expert to adjust EQ. Most apps and streaming services these days offer an EQ in their playback settings menu under sections like “playback”, “content settings” or “audio settings”.

These EQs typically come with simple sliders or buttons you can experiment with to tweak the character of your sound. Many apps provide simple presets with names like “bass booster” or “treble reducer” — simply toggle these on and see if they’re to your liking.

Popular streaming services like Spotify and Apple Music tend to offer genre-specific presets as well, so you can play around with “jazz”, “rock”, or “classical” settings tailored to the music you listen to most. Just beware that these presets aren’t always perfectly labeled, and you may end up preferring the “classical” setting for rap or heavy metal.

We suggest testing out different settings on a track you already know well, as you’ll be more in tune with how the track should sound to your ears.

Of course, there’s a problem with adjusting EQ within an app or streaming service: Your saved settings are limited to that app or service. That’s why it’s better to adjust EQ on a system level, so that your music sounds great across all of the platforms you may use.

. Here’s an overview of what each setting does:

 Adjusts the lower frequency sounds, such as bass, or a kick drum.

 Adjusts the higher frequency sounds, such as guitar or vocals.

 Adjusts the volume level on the left or right audio channel. This
option will only be available for rooms that can output stereo sound.

 Boosts certain frequencies, including bass, during low
listening volumes. This is designed to compensate for normal changes in
the ear’s sensitivity when listening to audio at low volumes.

Simply drag the sliders to make adjustments, and your settings will be saved for all of the 

, and other components in your Sonos system. You can also create custom EQ settings for individual rooms in a 

, giving you the ability to tailor your sound to different listening environments.

How EQ affects different frequency ranges

Though many apps make it easy to adjust EQ with minimal technical knowledge, it may help to understand what an equalizer is actually doing to change the character of your sound.

As we noted above, EQ essentially works by raising or lowering the volume of specific frequency ranges within your music. But what types of sounds are produced by those specific ranges?

At a general level, we can break frequency ranges down into three bands: low, middle, and high. These frequency bands are measured in hertz (Hz), or the number of sound wave cycles that occur in one second. If that sounds too technical, just remember that lower numbers mean lower-pitched sounds and higher numbers mean higher-pitched sounds:

 associated with subwoofer speakers. These can add a welcome dose of “oomph” to a track, but too much bass can lead to instruments that sound muddy or ill-defined.

 are where the vocals and lead instruments tend to hang out. If your mids are drowned out, vocals and guitar solos may seem a bit lost in the mix and a general sense of flatness may pervade.

, also known as treble, may sound harsh or tinny when overrepresented in a mix. But there’s nothing like a crisp snare or cymbal crash to make a song come alive, so treble certainly has its place in the mix.

Some equalization apps will only allow you to adjust frequency levels along these general lines, though others may let you tweak smaller frequency bands to craft a more fine-tuned sound. Parametric equalizers, for example, allow you to adjust minute aspects of the entire sound curve, rather than breaking the curve down into ranges that can be adjusted individually.

Regardless of the type of EQ you use, it’s good to know how raising or lowering different frequencies can affect your music’s overall sonic profile.

By now, you should be able to guess that there’s no magical EQ setting that’s best for all types of music. The best EQ setting for you depends on your personal preferences as well as the type of music you listen to most.

We recommend playing around with different levels and seeing what works for you. And remember, it’s not always intuitive. You may 

 an EDM track demands more booming lows, but that track may already be mixed to emphasize the bass (and further boosting may do it no favors).

Here are a few additional guidelines to keep you on track:

 may benefit from enhanced bass around 60–100 Hz for the kick drum punch. But also try giving it a boost in the mids (around 2–3 kHz) to keep the driving vocals front and center.

 tracks tend to sound more powerful with a boost around 100–250 Hz, which brings out the low snarling sounds of guitar and bass. An additional boost around 2-4 kHz can bring a little bite to go with all that bark.

 tends to require gentler adjustments to EQ, or even none at all. Adjustments here should be more focused on molding the sound to your space, with perhaps a small boost around 10 kHz to enhance the sense of room.

Equalization can smooth out the ragged edges of your music and even highlight the parts you gravitate toward the most. Alas, there’s no EQ setting that can make up for poor-quality headphones or speakers. Instead of frustratedly fiddling with the levels on a subpar system, it’s worth upgrading to sound components that do your music justice in the first place.

At Sonos, we’ve designed premium headphones, speakers, and soundbars that redefine what’s possible with sound. Whether you’re taking music on the go with 

 or settling in with an immersive home-theater experience courtesy of 

, you never have to compromise on finding the perfect sound.

If you’re interested in taking your sound experience to the next level, get in touch with a Sonos expert by 

Person lounging while listening to a black Five and Sub 4

What is Equalization (EQ) for Music and Audio?

Some people look at a wall and see only a boundary, a limitation. Others look at a wall and see a vast sea of possibilities — at least as far as sound is concerned. For those in the latter group, installing in-wall speakers is perhaps the most logical way to turn their audio dreams into stunning, immersive reality.

In-wall speakers are generally installed at (or slightly above) ear level within the walls of a home. Because they share the same horizontal plane with the listener’s ear, they’re capable of delivering a level of sonic clarity that’s ideal for home theater and surround sound applications. And in-wall speakers can also blend in seamlessly with your home’s decor.

This combination of premium audio and clean aesthetics makes in-wall speakers an enticing option — either as a standalone system or as part of a larger audio setup. In this guide, we’ll cover everything you need to know about in-wall speakers so you can decide if they make sense for you.

The question of whether in-wall speakers are “worth it” implicitly acknowledges an important fact. Yes, in-wall speakers generally require more time, energy, and forethought to install than traditional floor or wall-mounted speakers.

With that said, in-wall speakers can certainly be worth it to those who don’t want to compromise on sound or aesthetics. 

 combine a premium sound experience that perfectly blends in with your home.

In-wall speakers seamlessly integrate with your home and sound system

One advantage of in-wall speakers is that they can sound great as a standalone speaker solution for both music and home theater. Their shape, design, and positioning within the room all contribute to a focused sound with crisp high frequencies and rich mid and low ranges.

You can also integrate Sonos In-Wall speakers with other Sonos speakers to build a 

 for home theater. You have two options to use in-wall speakers as part of your home theater setup:

Sonos In-Wall speakers + a Sonos soundbar + Sonos Amp.

 In-wall speakers cover the rear and surround channels, while a Sonos soundbar covers the front channels. Sonos Amp connects to the soundbar and supplies power to the rear and surround speakers (including your in-walls).

Sonos In-Wall speakers + two Sonos Amps. 

This setup involves (at least) two pairs of Sonos In-Wall speakers. One pair serves as the front channels, while the other pair serves as the rear/surround channels. Each pair is powered by its own Amp. If you add a subwoofer, this would be a 4.1 surround sound system, as Amp produces a “phantom” center channel with the front two speakers.

In-wall speakers require special installation

Installing in-wall speakers is not as straightforward as setting up a wireless speaker that does not require installation. You’ll likely need to 

, as you’ll also need to install Sonos Amp, cut holes in your walls for the speakers, then run speaker cable from the speakers to Amp. Different wall materials and space dimensions may affect what’s possible in terms of installation, and a pro can help you design a custom configuration you’ll be happy with for years to come.

The realities of installation mean that you’ll want to consider if you’re actually ready for in-wall speakers. If you’re renting your home or plan to move out in the next couple of years, it may not make sense to invest in architectural speakers just yet. When you uninstall them and move them to a new space, you’ll likely incur additional costs for the removal, repair, and reinstallation.

There’s a flip side to this. If you do own your home, installing architectural speakers can be well worth the investment. Not only will you get high-quality sound and clean aesthetics, but you may never need to uninstall or reinstall your speakers again. This applies even if you decide to move or sell, as a great pair of installed architectural speakers can even raise the value of your home.

A professional installer installing Sonos in-wall speaker in the bathroom

 or AV receiver to power your in-wall speakers.

Like other architectural speakers, in-wall speakers are 

speakers. This means they don’t have a built-in amplifier that provides power. If you want an all-in-one speaker solution that doesn’t require an external amplifier, you may 

Why don’t architectural speakers come with built-in amplifiers? Wouldn’t that be easier?

It comes down to space and physics. Passive speakers are generally larger in size, which allows them to offer significantly better performance. Powering speakers of this size requires larger and more robust amplifiers. But integrating such an amplifier into the speaker itself would significantly increase the speaker’s weight and footprint, creating installation difficulties. Hence the reason why architectural speakers are typically passive.

The good news is that you can easily power In-Wall Speakers by Sonos and Sonance with 

. In fact, we specifically designed Amp with these speakers in mind.

Amp provides safe and reliable overdrive protection for up to three pairs of Sonos passive speakers. And if you’re using it with Sonos In-Wall or In-Ceiling speaker pairs, you can use the “Detect Sonos Architectural” function in the Sonos app to enable digital signal processing (DSP) and Trueplay. The DSP optimizes the EQ, providing a more robust sound, while Trueplay tailors the speakers to your home, resulting in a custom sound experience that takes advantage of the space’s unique acoustics.

The exact number of in-wall speakers you need depends on how you want to use them.

If you plan to use them primarily as part of a 

, a single pair of in-wall speakers should suffice. This gives you left and right surround channel speakers, which you can pair with front speakers positioned near your television to create a 

 (depending on the front speakers you use).

For distributed audio throughout the home, most installations involve two pairs of speakers (four total) for every Amp, which should be enough for a variety of use cases. You may consider adding a pair of speakers to each room in a 

, such as a bedroom or bathroom, as Amp is capable of reliably powering up to six total Sonos Architectural speakers.

If you’re unsure about how many speakers you need for your particular use case, we recommend 

. They can walk you through the different options and give an expert opinion on how to achieve your desired sound solution.

Where should I place my in-wall speakers?

If you plan to use in-wall speakers as surround channels in a home theater setup, you should generally place them on the side walls, two to six feet (0.6m to 1.8m) behind your desired listening position and five to seven feet (1.5m to 2.1m) from the floor. You can find a diagram of this position in the 

Sonos In-Wall by Sonance installation manual

Sonos in-wall home theater surround sound placement diagram

Of course, the exact dimensions and configurations of your space may play a role in determining the best placement for your speakers.

In general, you’ll want to leave at least two feet (0.6m) of space between your in-wall speaker and the wall that runs perpendicular to it. In other words, don’t mount it too close to one of the room’s corners. This ensures that the sound waves don’t bounce off the side wall before they cover the rest of the space, which could result in distortion, reverberation, or a small time-sync issue.

It’s worth consulting with a professional installer to ensure that your home’s unique acoustics also factor into the speaker placement. Wherever you place your speakers, using Sonos Amp unlocks the power of 

. This helps them adapt to the contours of your space, so your content always sounds the way it should. (Just note that Trueplay™ only works if all of the speakers connected to Amp are of the same type).

Yes! If you crave a look that truly blends in with your home, you can paint the grilles of your Sonos Architectural speakers.

This is not as difficult as it may seem. In fact, it’s quite easy. The speaker grilles are attached magnetically and completely cover the exposed speaker frame, so all you need to do is remove the grilles, paint them, and reinstall them once the paint has thoroughly dried.

You’ll need to take some steps to prepare the grilles for painting, such as removing the scrim cloth from the grille’s underside and priming the grille with a metal primer/bonder in a spray can.

You can find detailed grille painting instructions in the 

Sonos In-Wall By Sonance installation manual

If your in-wall Sonos speakers are connected to Amp, you can control them directly via the 

Don’t want to use your smartphone or tablet? While Sonos doesn’t produce hardware specifically for controlling speakers, you can choose from a range of third-party controllers. Look for the 

 to ensure that the controller of your choice can seamlessly connect with your Sonos home sound system.

Person on the phone sitting on a couch next to Sonos in-wall speaker

 fall into the same “architectural” category as in-wall speakers. But that doesn’t mean they’re exactly the same.

For starters, the obvious: in-ceiling speakers are installed in the ceiling, not the wall. This actually makes them a much more popular and widely adopted option than in-wall speakers, if only because people are often more hesitant to put holes in their walls than in their ceilings. Beyond that, in-ceiling speakers are usually easier to install, since there’s often a crawl space or attic to work with.

So, should you just go with in-ceiling speakers and call it a day? Not necessarily. If you’re looking for a more immersive experience, in-wall speakers can be a great complement to in-ceiling speakers. They’re especially great for delivering a more focused sound, as they’re positioned directly at the level of your ears.

A sound system that blends into your home

When crafting the perfect home environment, it’s not just the sound that matters. In-wall speakers deliver the best of both worlds: a premium sound solution with an aesthetic that blends in seamlessly with your walls and home furnishings.

, including in-ceiling speakers and our weatherproof outdoor speakers. Combine all of them to create a whole-home audio system that amplifies every experience, from watching movies on the couch to hosting guests in the dining room and back patio.

For help installing and designing your Sonos architectural system, 

Sonos in-wall speaker next to a person reading on a chair next to a fireplace 

The Beginner’s Guide to In-Wall Speakers

If you’re considering in-ceiling speakers, two things are probably true: You want high-quality audio, and you don’t want to sacrifice the aesthetics of your home to get it.

In-ceiling speakers offer an elegant architectural alternative to traditional floor or bookshelf speakers. Pair them with a home theater setup for a more immersive sound experience, or use them on their own to create an ambient vibe that’s perfect for entertaining.

While in-ceiling speakers offer impressive advantages, they aren’t for everyone. In this guide, we’ll cover everything you need to know about in-ceiling speakers and help you decide whether to add them to your home audio system.

The question of whether to install in-ceiling speakers boils down to three key considerations: sound, aesthetics, and budget.

If your budget allows, in-ceiling speakers offer an attractive combination of sound quality and discreet installation. Let’s break down these considerations to help you determine whether it’s a worthwhile investment.

In-ceiling speakers distribute high-quality audio throughout your home

For sound that fills the rooms throughout your home, in-ceiling speakers can be a great choice. They blend in seamlessly with the physical contours of your space while offering natural, high-quality audio for an impressive range of applications.

When you use Sonos In-Ceiling speakers with Sonos Amp, you can activate the “Detect Sonos Architectural” function in the Sonos app to create a custom sound experience. This enables two features that take advantage of your space’s unique acoustics:

 optimizes the EQ to provide a more robust sound.

 measures how sound reflects off walls, furnishings, and other objects or surfaces in a room, then fine tunes your in-ceiling speakers to account for these physical surroundings.

For the most immersive experience, consider pairing in-ceiling speakers with in-wall speakers or another set of ear-level speakers. But even if you use in-ceiling speakers on their own, they can be great standalone speakers for playing music. 

 offer natural, room-filling sound throughout your home to help you achieve a premium ambient sound experience.

In-ceiling speakers blend in with your home’s design and decor

It’s a quandary many people face when building a home sound system: How do I achieve great sound without cluttering my home with speaker hardware? While Sonos 

 were designed to look great on counters or credenzas, our in-ceiling speakers are meant to seamlessly blend in with your home — because, sometimes, “nothing” is exactly what your home decor needs.

So, if discreet installation is what you’re after, in-ceiling speakers are likely your best bet. You can even pair them with other architectural speakers — such as 

 — for a sound system that blends seamlessly into your space and allows your decor to take center stage.

In-ceiling speakers require special installation

Architectural speakers often require a professional installer. It can be worth it to 

find someone with design and installation expertise

, as different space configurations and ceiling materials may require a different approach.

It’s also worth thinking about what your situation and needs might look like a few years down the road, as in-ceiling speakers can be a relatively inflexible solution. Once installed, they’re not easy to move to a different room or a new home. If you decide to take them with you, you’ll need to factor in the cost of a professional installer (again) as well as any repair costs associated with the removal.

On the plus side, if you own your home, installing in-ceiling speakers is a one-time event and can be well worth the investment. You won’t need to think about it again once it’s done, and you’ll enjoy your in-ceiling speakers for years to come. Even if you do decide to move or sell your home down the line, architectural speakers can be an attractive selling point that adds value for potential buyers.

Installer on a ladder installing Sonos in-ceiling speaker

You will almost certainly need to power your in-ceiling speakers with an 

This is because most architectural speakers are 

. In other words, they lack a built-in amplifier that provides power. This is in contrast to wireless speakers such as 

, which are actively powered by a built-in amp.

Why no built-in amp? Passive speakers tend to be larger in size, which translates to better performance but also requires a larger and more powerful amp. Integrating such an amp into the speaker itself would dramatically increase the speaker’s size and weight, creating installation difficulties. This is why in-ceiling speakers (and other architectural speakers) are typically passive.

The good news is that you can easily power Sonos Architectural speakers with 

. Amp provides more than enough juice to reliably power up to three pairs of Sonos Architectural speakers (six total) when wired in parallel. Amp also gives you access to the entire Sonos ecosystem, including the Sonos app and its “Detect Architectural Speaker” function that helps your speakers truly shine.

The exact number of in-ceiling speakers you need depends on a few things, starting with the size and layout of your room. You can adequately cover most small rooms (up to 150 square feet) with only a pair of speakers. For larger rooms (up to 500 square feet), you may need six or more speakers.

But it isn’t just square footage that matters.

Speakers project sound outward in a V shape, which means that the further away they are, the more space they cover. So, in-ceiling speakers can cover more area in a space with 14-foot ceilings than they would in a space with 8-foot ceilings, because the sound waves have more room to travel outward before they reach the height of the listener’s ears.

Other considerations may factor in, too. For example, if you only want in-ceiling speakers to cover the section of a room in which your home theater is installed, you can likely get away with only a pair of in-ceiling speakers installed on either side of your seated location. And if you want a 

, consulting a professional is probably your best bet. They’ll be able to advise on the type, number, and size of speakers that would be optimal for your space.

Where should I place my in-ceiling speakers?

In a typical two-channel system, the left and right in-ceiling speakers should be placed anywhere from six to 10 feet (1.8m to 3m) apart.

For a balanced sound experience, the main listening position should be as close to midway between the speakers as possible. Think about where you listen to music the most — your sofa, for example — and make sure that this location is centered between your speakers.

In a home theater setup, the in-ceiling speakers should also be positioned two to six feet (0.6m to 1.8m) behind your main listening position. This maximizes the soundstage and contributes to a more immersive sound experience. You can find a diagram of this configuration in the 

Sonos In-Ceiling By Sonance installation manual

Sonos in-ceiling speakers diagram for surround speaker placement

Remember that ceiling height is an important factor here, too. In the 

, you’ll find detailed instructions on how to space your in-ceiling speakers based on the height of your ceilings and the position of the listener.

Another factor that determines how many speakers you need? The size of the speakers themselves. Most ceiling speakers come in a 6” or 8” size, with the larger size usually offering a wider coverage angle, deeper bass, and a louder maximum volume.

It’s also possible to mix speaker sizes within the same configuration. Sonos In-Ceiling speakers come in pairs, but a single Amp can reliably power up to three pairs of speakers when wired in parallel. Just note that, in order to activate DSP and Trueplay, all of the speakers connected to Amp must be exactly the same size (e.g. all 6” or all 8” speakers). So if you are mixing speaker sizes and still want the best possible performance, you’ll need to dedicate one Amp for each speaker size.

What is Equalization (EQ) for Music and Audio?

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The Beginner’s Guide to In-Ceiling Speakers

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