I didn't spend a lot of time at the show scoping out in-wall speakers. Yes, they're big in the custom installation market, but don't really get an audiophile's juices flowing. I discussed this with one manufacturer of premium high-end speakers, who is pondering his first in-wall designs. The problem, he said, is not designing them, it's simply getting excited enough about them to actually sit down and do it.

But I do like to see interesting solutions to problems that most in-wall designs ignore. Atlantic Technology has been in the in-wall speaker business for some time now, and its new IWTS-30 LCR features a rotating midrange/tweeter/midrange array to optimize it for either horizontal or vertical mounting. An optional back-box will be available, and the speaker is pending THX certification. No release date or price was announced, however.