In-Wall Theater 
Snell takes THX Ultra 2 quality to the wall.

As a firm believer in most of what THX has contributed to the home theater genre, I was excited to find out that Snell’s AMC 2000THX is an in-wall version of (and meets the same THX standards as) the company’s THX Ultra 2 certified model––the XA1900THX in-cabinet speakers––except that the 2000 fits between a regular 2 by 4 stud bay. The THX certification ensures the speaker will reproduce the demanding soundtrack requirements of Hollywood’s latest blockbuster without distorting or otherwise falling apart, sonically. This speaker provides that in a space-saving form factor.

Though it is no longer required by THX, Snell continues to take advantage of a D’Appolito-type driver array, in this case placing identical 2.5-inch midrange drivers above and below a single 1-inch dome tweeter. This arrangement helps direct more of the sound vertically toward the listening area, and less of it toward the floor and ceiling, where problematic acoustical reflections occur. And yet the design supposedly creates less off-axis lobing than other arrangements so that in-room frequency response is smoother and more natural overall.

This certainly bares true, as the speakers prove to have excellent imaging and soundstage characteristics. Instruments seemed to emanate from a point between the two speakers as if I was listening to the musicians during the actual recording. There’s a good sense of depth to the sound, as well (an inherently difficult attribute for in-wall speakers), even without surround speakers, though it’s not quite as deep as that from good freestanding speakers like the Triad LCRs. Much of this is likely due to the AMC 2000THX’s ability to avoid unwanted floor and ceiling reflections. And yet the sound has a soft, laid-back quality that makes it easy to listen to. There aren’t any noticeable colorations or distortions.