How to Hang Speakers in a Corner in 8 Simple Steps

Installing speakers in the corners of a room can help optimize sound quality and create an immersive listening experience. However, hanging speakers properly requires some planning and work. In this comprehensive guide, I’ll walk you through the full process of how to hang speakers in a corner.

Table of Contents

Why Hang Speakers in Corners?

Corner speaker placement provides some unique audio, aesthetic, and layout benefits:

1. Enhanced Acoustics

Tucking speakers neatly into corners utilizes the room’s natural acoustics to your advantage. Sound waves will reflect and bounce between the solid adjoining walls, dispersing the audio evenly throughout the space. This diffusion prevents dead spots and fills the room with clear, bright sound.

For example, hard wall materials like concrete or brick will reflect mid and high frequencies crisply to achieve detailed treble and articulate vocals. Strategic corner placement virtually surrounds listeners in 360 degrees of balanced sound.

2. Aesthetic Appeal

Built-in corner speakers blend seamlessly into a room’s architecture and design for a clean appearance. The minimalist setup preserves open floor space and avoids clutter that stands out from the décor. Speakers disappear into the backdrop, giving your living room, home theater, or office an uncluttered look and feel.

Many audiophiles and interior designers prefer this integrated approach of tucking technology discretely out of sight. Built-in speakers maintain the style and flow you’ve designed for the space.

3. Maximized Space

Since speakers mount entirely on walls, they consume zero floor area when positioned in corners. This leaves extra usable space in your room for furniture, people, and activities.

For smaller rooms, freeing up square footage can optimize the layout. Every inch counts, so mounting speakers overhead rather than occupying physical floor space makes the room feel more open and expansive.

4. Flexible Positioning

Corner installation offers more flexibility than flush wall mounting alone. Angled adjoining walls provide the ability to direct and point speakers in multiple directions for coverage that best suits the room.

For example, in a square room, you may want to bounce sound diagonally off the far walls for widely dispersed audio. Or, in a long home theater, you may want to focus the sound by facing the speakers straight on towards the TV screen and seating area. Experiment with corner angles.

5. Increased Stability

The support of two joining walls provides a remarkably stable base for speakers. The corner structure remains rigid and resistant to vibration or shaking that could transfer to the speakers and cause distortion. The firm footing absorbs unwanted resonance.

Drywall corners may require additional internal bracing for this reason. But mounting in masonry corners like brick or concrete allows directly screwing brackets into the hardy structural material.

Also read: Best Powered Bookshelf Speakers Under 500 Revealed

Speaker Placement Considerations

Proper placement is crucial for an effective corner installation. Analyze the unique specs of your room and audio equipment to determine the ideal positioning.

i. Room Size and Layout

Consider how the room’s physical proportions and seating arrangements should influence placement. Follow home theater setup guidelines for surround sound, maintaining proper speaker distances and angles between seating and screen.

In a large living room, stay close to a 60-degree angle triangle between the two speakers and prime listening position. In odd-shaped rooms, an asymmetric placement compensating for dimensions may work better.

ii. Wall Material and Structure

Knowing your corner’s physical construction will inform needed installation materials and techniques. Solid dense walls like masonry brick are ideal for securely mounting speaker loads. Hollow drywall may necessitate cutting holes to insert blocking into wall voids for screwing brackets into solid wood or metal supports.

If existing walls lack adequate internal framework, you can always construct decorative column structures or covers around the corners to serve as housings for concealed speakers.

iii. Nearby Objects and Openings

Evaluate what windows, doors, vents, outlets, and furnishings reside near your prospective corner. Avoid placing speakers directly above heating vents which can interfere with sound.

Make sure the corner allows at least 2 feet of clearance from seating or furniture that may obstruct sound diffusion. Drapes, wall art, and windows can also impact acoustics depending on material and size.

iv. Speaker Type and Size

Select speaker models suitable for corner installation. Compact monitor speakers or satellite speakers with 3 to 6-inch driver sizes often work best. Subwoofers may not integrate as cleanly for a hidden look.

Match the speaker dimensions to your corner space. They should fit completely flush within the 90-degree junction. Avoid speakers with rear ports or protruding elements.

v. Listening Angle and Aim

Angle the speakers inward towards the central seating zone rather than straight out perpendicular to the walls. This provides the most accurate frequency response.

But also experiment with wider angled placements that point speakers across the room for more enveloping disbursed sound. You can optimize the aim over time and based on your listening preferences.

vi. Height and Elevation

Mount speakers at standard ear-level height, around 36 to 60 inches high depending on your seats. Avoid aiming speakers directly down or up from excessive heights.

However, tilting slightly upward or downward may help direct sound toward seats if needed. For example, aim upward 10-15 degrees if mounting below the typical ear position. Go with the most direct path to your ears.

Also read: Best Outdoor Bluetooth Speakers – Top 7 Picks

How to Prepare for Installation

Thorough planning and prep work ensure the actual speaker mounting process goes smoothly. Follow these pre-installation steps:

1. Gather Your Equipment

Determine the full material and tool list in advance. This includes speakers, brackets, wiring, wall cutout saws, drills, screwdrivers, and more. Inspect it all to verify products are in good operable condition beforehand.

Consider a detachable bracket system to allow taking speakers on and off the wall without needing to cut into drywall each time. This adds flexibility for future changes.

2. Shut Off Power

Before cutting, drilling, or running new wiring, shut off electricity to the room at the breaker box. Exercise caution when working around existing electrical systems behind walls to avoid contact.

3. Protect Surfaces

Cover nearby floors, furniture, walls, and objects thoroughly with tarps, plastic sheeting, or drop cloths. This shields items from dust, debris, and damage when cutting and drilling the corners.

Tape down the edges of floor coverings to prevent slipping and keep work areas safely accessible. Remove valuables from the space as well to prevent harm.

4. Measure and Mark Speaker Mounting Locations

Measure corner angles and dimensions using a tape measure and level. Mark the exact desired speaker locations and mounting points with a pencil directly on the walls. Get precise with markings.

Double-check ceiling height and room layout with measuring tapes to verify speaker positions according to your plan. Laser levels can also help mark consistent height across multiple speakers.

5. Run Audio Cables

Determine wiring paths between your receiver or amplifier location and the corner speakers. Pre-run in-wall speaker cables before mounting, leaving extra wire at the endpoints.

Having excess cable offers flexibility in positioning speakers, and allows pulling some out later if you need to reconnect receivers or amps.

6. Check for Obstructions

Examine corners carefully for any potential obstructions before cutting and drilling. Use an inspection camera or stud finder tool to scan inside the walls and identify pipes, wires, or framing elements that could get in the way.

Markup obstacles on the walls once detected so you can avoid them when cutting openings for brackets. Alternatively, you can adjust locations to shift around obstructions.

How to Hang Speakers in a Corner

Once fully prepped, it’s time to mount the speakers. Follow these key steps:

Step 1- Cut Wall Openings

Trace the outline of the mounting brackets on the marked locations. Use a straightedge to ensure evenly aligned shapes.

Carefully cut out openings using a drywall saw or rotary tool just larger than the bracket size. Make rounded edges to clear speaker components. Cut into brick or plaster with a masonry drill and blade.

Step 2- Secure Brackets

Fasten sturdy mounting brackets into wall studs or block through the pre-drilled pilot holes using long wood screws. Ensure screws penetrate at least 1 inch into solid framing material.

For drywall, use toggle bolts. In concrete or brick, use masonry anchors. Always follow weight limits specified by hardware manufacturers.

Step 3- Attach Speakers to Brackets

Screw each speaker securely onto its mounting bracket following specifications in the product manual. Most speakers utilize threaded screw holes or clamps built into the rear cabinet to mate with brackets.

Apply thread locker compound on screws to prevent loosening over time from vibration. Follow torque specs when tightening screws, being careful not to over-tighten.

Step 4- Connect Speaker Wire

Attach speaker cables to input terminals, observing proper polarity. Run two conductor wires to each speaker. Connect red terminals only to red wire ends and black only to black wire ends. Leave extra length.

Use banana plug connectors or bare wire ends inserted into posts or binding clip connections. Follow the instructions to get a snug, secure fit.

Step 5- Mount Speakers into Wall

Carefully place the assembled speaker and bracket into the pre-cut opening. The edges should fit snugly within the hole when aligned correctly. Avoid scraping speaker sides.

Position any cable connectors, controls, or ports to remain accessible after installation. Also, orient tweeters in the optimal upward-facing direction if speakers have them.

Step 6- Angle and Tighten

Adjust the speaker angle by pivoting the bracket portion to point it towards the listening area as desired. Then tighten down the bracket mounting screws completely to lock in angle position securely.

Do not over-tighten screws. Masonry applications may require hammering in tapered shims behind brackets to wedge in position before final angle tightening.

Step 7- Secure Excess Wiring

Neatly tuck any excess speaker cable back inside the wall cavity so it doesn’t rest on the rear of the speaker. Use wire clips, ties, or staples to lift and route cables away from rear speaker components.

Eliminate loose dangling wires that could vibrate against the speaker cabinet and walls causing buzzing. Check connections are not strained.

Step 8- Test Audio Performance

Power up your audio system and test sound output at normal listening levels from each speaker. Play patterns like pink noise to check for phasing issues between paired left and right speakers.

Make any final tweaks to speaker angles or input levels needed to achieve a balanced, clear sound. Your work is complete when the audio imaging sounds seamless.

How to Complete the Installation

To wrap up and finalize the built-in speaker project:

Install Grilles

For a completely integrated look, install snap-on metal mesh grilles that cover each speaker. On most models, they press fit securely into place. Grilles protect drivers and hide components.

Alternatively, you can fabricate custom grilles anchored into walls around the speakers. Stretch fabric across an interior frame, adhering neatly inside the opening.

Fill Gaps and Holes

Fill any visible gaps between bracket edges and walls with flexible acrylic caulk, plaster putty, or non-hardening clay. This creates flush professional edges around speakers.

Repair all screw holes and wall damage with drywall joint compound, spackle paste, or cement patch. Sand smooth when dried and touch up corners with matching paint.

Clean the Room

Give the full area a final detailed cleaning to remove dust, debris, and supplies left over from the installation work. Vacuum the floor and wipe down corners thoroughly to restore the space to its original clean state.

Be sure to clean speaker cabinets as well using microfiber cloths. Remove any temporary floor and furniture coverings.

Enjoy Your New Audio Experience

It’s time to fully enjoy your concealed corner speakers and improved acoustics! Test out different music across various genres, listening for sound quality at different volumes, EQs, and positions.

Don’t be afraid to make minor tweaks over the first few weeks. You may choose to adjust speaker angles, input levels, or room treatments to further refine your optimal listening experience.

Positioning speakers in corners can greatly enhance your listening experience thanks to improved acoustics and aesthetics. With the right placement, hardware, and careful installation process, you can enjoy a discreet yet powerful sound.

Follow these comprehensive steps when learning how to hang speakers in a corner. Pay close attention to planning, prep work, mounting, wiring, and testing. Before you know it, you’ll have phenomenal audio from perfectly positioned corner speakers.