Home Theater Review

When there isn't room for floorstanding loudspeaker or even bookshelf loudspeakers, on-wall loudspeakers are the go-to choice for many home theater enthusiasts. Virtually every manufacturer of a floorstanding or bookshelf loudspeakers offers some sort of on-wall solution; however there are a few companies, like Fineline Speakers, that build only on-wall loudspeakers.

Additional Resources
• Read more on-wall speaker reviews by HomeTheaterReview.com's staff.
• Find a thin HDTV in our LED HDTV and Plasma HDTV review sections.

Well, Fineline's LCR-11 is their entry level on-wall that retails for $225 apiece and are sold direct via Fineline's website and come with a money-back 30-day in-home trial. The LCR-11 is a two-way loudspeaker featuring a midrange driver mated to a single dome tweeter giving it a reported frequency response 85-20,000Hz. The LCR-11 has a rated sensitivity of 88dB into an eight-Ohm load so it's an ideal loudspeaker for today's modern receivers.

The LCR-11 is a very compact design, measuring 11 inches tall by six and three quarter inches wide and trim one and three quarter inches deep, making it an ideal solution for some of the industry's thinnest HDTVs. The LCR-11 is lightweight, weighing only five pounds so you won't have to mount them to studs like some larger on-walls - good news for apartment dwellers or renters. The LCR-11 comes equipped with all the necessary hardware to facilitate on-wall mounting and is available in either black or white.

In terms of sound the LCR-11 is more ideally suited for small rooms such as dens or bedrooms. The LCR-11 lacks any real or meaningful bass, meaning you'll have to pair it with a subwoofer like Fineline's own SUB-8, which retails for $679. The LCR-11's midrange is nimble, a touch on the lean side giving it a slightly cool but not unpleasant sound. The LCR-11's high frequency performance is on par with speaker in its class, possessing good attack, decay and focus though lacking a bit of transparency and air, but potential customers shouldn't be discouraged by this for many on-wall speakers priced at or even a little above the LCR-11's asking price perform in a similar manner. The LCR-11 is capable of producing a wide soundstage from its wall-mounted position though it doesn't allow that same soundstage to recede much beyond the front wall, another downfall of many on-wall loudspeakers. Dynamically the LCR-11 is pretty agile; combined with its slightly forward sound and a subwoofer, it's fully capable of reproducing all the thrills and excitement of your favorite Hollywood blockbuster albeit on a smaller scale.

Read about the high points and the low points of the LCR-11 on Page 2.