SpeakerCraft Seamless FR1 and subwoofer review

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Over the last couple of years there has been a groundswell of interest  in invisible plaster over speakers, as designers, integrators and customers discover the benefits of ambient audio, multi-room and surround sound without intrusive boxes hanging on walls.

Architectural loudspeaker pioneer SpeakerCraft recently entered the market with its eagerly awaited Seamless line, comprising the Seamless FR1 and subwoofer. I first came across this pair a year ago during a visit to a beautifully installed TV room in central London, and have been hankering to give the system a closer listen ever since. Now it's obviously never going to be easy to review a plaster over speaker in the conventional sense, as the usual bench tests cannot apply, so instead I shadowed a site installation.

SpeakerCraft Seamless FR1 and subwoofer: Installation
With dedicated custom install products like this, the first factor to consider is just how easy is it to fit? The Seamless speaker ticks all the right boxes. It comes with a template and back box which has different sized springs that allow for various plasterboard depths. The spring is a cool idea as it allows an installer to get the exact depth right, as you don't want the drywall skim to be too thick.  Once the FR1 is screwed back to the wall, jointing tape is installed around all the speaker edges; this is used to prevent cracking. 

Slightly different installation techniques are required for the plaster over Seamless subwoofer. As with the FR1 a back box is installed first, but this time the dry wall skim does not cover the whole speaker, instead you skim up to the edges then sand down. The sub is actually slightly larger than the FR1, at 438 x 356 x 83 mm (h/w/d).

SpeakerCraft Seamless FR1 and subwoofer: Performance
Music performance is impressive, with the FR1 exhibiting good mid-range definition. Speaker sensitivity is rated at 87dB, with a frequency response of 60Hz - 22kHz and a potential sound pressure level of 105dB at 100w. The Seamless makes an excellent audio proposition, be it for stereo listening or multi-room duties. One trade-off when using plaster over speakers is the transmission of sound throughout the building, and that was noted with the FR1 and sub; there was slight but noticeable noise bleed to other rooms within the installation. Of course, this is a small price to pay for effectively invisible audio, as the room is not compromised aesthetically.It's also extremely versatile in a home theatre situation, working as both the main L/C/R and the rears.

It should be noted that the subwoofer reaches down to 45Hz, so don't expect visceral bass. During our audition, one of the movies we ere spinning had lots of LFE action which the sub seemed to like. However, while it understandably doesn't deliver the same powerful bass of a ported box sub design, it did plump out the lower end in a most agreeable manner.

SpeakerCraft Seamless FR1 and subwoofer: Verdict
Overall we rate the Seamless FR1 and Subwoofer as one of the easiest plaster over speaker systems to install on the market. The sound quality is very good, with a decent mid range and good articulation. The subwoofer handles well, although I would still prefer it to go a tad deeper. That said, if you are looking for an invisible speaker solution, these welcome new additions to the Speakercraft range will fit the bill and will not cause any installation headaches.

The SpeakerCraft Seamless plaster over speakers solution is distributed via Aldous Systems. For more on Aldous Systems product portfolio and services, visit our partner page here.