McIntosh WS300 In-Wall Loudspeaker

Serious McIntosh Sound Without a Speaker in the Room

The McIntosh WS300 In-Wall Loudspeaker brings high-performance McIntosh sound into a discreet architectural design that virtually disappears once installed.

Designed for exceptional flexibility, the WS300 can be used in a two-channel music system, whole-home distributed audio installation, or complete multichannel home theater. Its fully enclosed 3-way design delivers controlled, consistent performance while fitting within standard 2x4 wall construction.

For spaces where sound quality matters but visible loudspeakers don't fit the design, the WS300 provides an elegant solution.

One Speaker, Multiple Applications

The versatility of the WS300 is one of its biggest strengths.

Use a pair as the primary speakers in a dedicated stereo system. Combine multiple WS300s with McIntosh MI128 or MI254 distribution amplifiers for premium whole-home audio.

In a home theater, the WS300 can serve as a dedicated center-channel speaker between WS500 front left and right speakers.

Or take the concept even further and build the entire theater around WS300s for the front, center and surround channels.

This flexibility gives us the ability to maintain consistent McIntosh sound throughout the room while adapting the speaker layout to the architecture of the space.

Voice-Matched for Complete McIntosh Theater Systems

Building a cohesive theater requires more than simply placing speakers around the room.

Those speakers need to sound like they belong together.

The WS300 is voice-matched with both the McIntosh WS500 in-wall and CS200 in-ceiling loudspeakers.

That allows all three models to work together as part of one integrated architectural speaker system.

For example, WS500s can handle the front left and right channels, a WS300 can serve as the center channel, additional WS300s can handle surrounds, and CS200 in-ceiling speakers can complete the overhead portion of the system.

The result is consistent tonal character as sound moves around the listening space.

Fully Enclosed 3-Way Design

Unlike an open-back architectural speaker that relies heavily on the wall cavity behind it, the WS300 is fully enclosed.

Its controlled internal air chamber helps minimize distortion and response irregularities, allowing McIntosh to better control the acoustic environment surrounding the drivers.

That also helps deliver more predictable performance from one installation to another.

Inside the enclosure is a true 3-way driver configuration, with dedicated drivers handling bass, midrange and high-frequency reproduction.

It's an architectural loudspeaker designed like a serious loudspeaker—not simply a collection of drivers mounted into the wall.

High-Performance 8-Inch Woofer

The WS300 uses a specially developed 8-inch woofer designed to produce substantial low-frequency performance while remaining shallow enough for standard wall construction.

Its long-throw, high-power design incorporates a molded carbon-reinforced cone and molded elastomeric surround, providing the strength and linearity necessary for demanding music and movie playback.

That shallow architecture is particularly important from an installation standpoint.

It allows the WS300 to deliver serious performance while fitting inside a conventional 2x4 stud wall, giving system designers considerably more flexibility without requiring unusually deep wall cavities.

Driver Technology From McIntosh's Traditional Speakers

The WS300 uses two inverted Titanium dome midrange drivers and a Titanium dome tweeter derived from McIntosh's XR50 and XR100 home audio loudspeakers.

That connection to McIntosh's traditional speaker line is important.

The WS300 isn't intended to be a compromise simply because it's installed in a wall. McIntosh incorporated proven driver technology from its conventional loudspeakers to bring a similar performance philosophy into an architectural format.

For customers who want the room to look clean without treating audio as an afterthought, that's exactly the point.

Built for High-End Stereo Listening

In-wall doesn't have to mean background music.

A pair of WS300s can become the foundation of a dedicated two-channel stereo system while preserving a clean, minimalist room design.

This makes the WS300 particularly interesting in living rooms, offices and other spaces where a pair of traditional floorstanding or bookshelf speakers may interfere with the architecture or interior design.

Add the appropriate electronics and subwoofer integration, and you can build a serious listening system where almost none of the audio equipment is visually dominant.

Designed to Disappear

Once installed, the WS300 is designed to draw as little attention to itself as possible.

Its magnetically attached grille is easily removable and can be painted to match the surrounding wall.

With little to no visible edge around the mounting flange, the speaker can blend almost seamlessly into the room.

The WS300 includes the necessary mounting hardware for post-construction installation, while an optional RK300 rough-in kit is available for projects where the speakers are being planned during construction.

The Grid's Take on the McIntosh WS300

The WS300 is probably one of the most versatile architectural speakers in the McIntosh lineup.

We can use the same speaker for a high-quality stereo system, distributed audio, a theater center channel, surrounds—or build virtually the entire theater around it.

The fully enclosed cabinet is another feature we particularly like from an installation standpoint. Instead of letting an unpredictable wall cavity become part of the speaker enclosure, McIntosh gives the drivers a controlled acoustic environment.

And because the WS300 is voice-matched with the WS500 and CS200, we can design a complete architectural McIntosh theater using different speaker formats without sacrificing consistency as sound moves around the room.

At The Grid HiFi & Home Theater, we can design the entire system around the space—including speaker locations, amplification, subwoofer integration, wiring, equipment racks, control and final calibration.