Not much. So, speaker specialist Bowers & Wilkins, and Mutrox, a sound solutions brand, pooled their corporate expertise and the result is the Architect Frame TV integrated multi-speaker/subwoofer system.

Efforts at improving TV speaker sound have kept audio designers awake at night. The best idea the industry could come up with so far has been the add-on soundbar.

So why the haste to develop speakers specifically for large screen speakers?

The answer is two fold. Firstly, screens have been getting larger. And Thinner. So with each new generation of TVs, there’s less space to install a quality speaker system.

And secondly, TV buyers without dedicated cinema rooms are increasingly turning away from the dilemma of having to cram a package of home cinema, surround speakers in their family living areas.

The alternative as designed by B&W and Mutrox is elegant and looks like it belongs in a room. Moreover, it creams any soundbar sonically.

So what does the Architect Frame entail?

The frame is made up of several parts built to lock into each other on site. It’s then attached to a wall as one-piece using two brackets. All the cabling is then run through the frame followed by the installation of the speakers and the subwoofer.

The final step is to hang the TV in the middle of the frame and add the magnetically attached speaker grills. Job done. The result is a TV with audiophile grade sound quality.

B&W offer consumers a choice of three frames that suit a 55-inch, 65-inch or 77-inch TV.

Buyers can select stereo or surround speakers plus a subwoofer. All built in and out of sight hidden in a frame that’s only 17 cm deep.

The frame is rigid and its Matrix construction eliminates unwanted resonances even in plasterboard walls behind it.

The frame is versatile and as well as on-wall placement can be recessed into any wall or built into custom-made furniture. House proud consumers have a choice of different frame designs and five fabrics comprising Midnight Black, Olive Green, Chocolate Brown, Bullet Gray and Eastern Taupe.

As for the sound, B&W says its Cinema 7 speakers are a great place to start. Cinema 7 is a full 3-way system with Nautilis Swirl tweeters and Kevlar bass and midrange drivers.

Local pricing and availability has not yet been confirmed.

For more information visit the Bowers & Wilkins brand page.