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Field Manual

Invisible Speakers Standards

How to install invisible speakers (Stealth Acoustics, Sonance Invisible, Amina, etc.) so they perform like the spec sheet promises. Substrate selection, mud-ring tolerances, plaster compatibility, and the break-in and tuning regimen that gets the most out of the technology.

What This Standard Covers

  • Substrate options (drywall, plaster, veneer plaster) and their performance trade-offs
  • Mud-ring depth and surrounding-substrate tolerances
  • Plaster mix compatibility (which plasters help, which kill the speaker)
  • Break-in protocol after install (hours of pink noise, level steps)
  • Tuning and EQ regimen with parametric correction
  • Inspection and acceptance criteria before the system is signed off

Who It Is For

  • Plasterers finishing over invisible speaker frames
  • Designers specifying invisible audio for a critical listening or whole-home system
  • AV integrators commissioning a plaster-over installation
  • Owners deciding whether invisible speakers are right for their project

When To Use It

  • During plaster prep and finish
  • During break-in and commissioning after the home is dust-free
  • When designing an audio plan for a luxury residence with no visible hardware
  • During acceptance testing before final sign-off

Read or Download the PDF

The full standard, including diagrams, tolerance tables, and pass/fail photographic references, is in the embedded PDF below. You can read it inline or download it for your jobsite folder.

Your browser does not display embedded PDFs. Download Invisible Speakers Standards (PDF).

Field Notes

Invisible speakers can sound spectacular or they can sound like a tin can. The difference is the install. The technology is real and the engineering is sound, but it depends on the substrate, the plaster, and the break-in. Skip any of those and you are listening to a fraction of what the speaker is capable of.

We do not sell invisible speakers as a budget option. They cost more to install than a good in-ceiling speaker, and they require a coordinated plaster trade. When the project calls for invisible audio, we deliver invisible audio. When in-ceiling is the right answer, we say that too.

Browse the Full Standards Library

Eighteen authored field manuals, one-pagers, and pre-wall standards. Free for trades, architects, and dealers across NJ, NY, and CT.

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