November 11, 2026 · 5 min read · Audio
What to tell the drywall finisher about invisible speakers
An invisible speaker is finished by the drywall crew, not the audio company. What goes over it decides how it sounds and whether anyone can see it. The short list to hand them.
The short answer. Tell the finisher three things. Keep the total finish over the speaker to 3 mm or less, and nearer 1 to 1.5 mm. Use an easy-sand lightweight topping compound, never hot mud. If the wall will be painted, give it a Level 5 skim coat over the speaker and the whole board, then prime and paint as usual. That is Sonance’s own finishing guidance for its Invisible Series. IntegrateIT, a Sonance dealer in Overland Park, Kansas, installs invisible speakers across the Kansas City metro. Plan the rooms with us before drywall: (913) 804-7575.
The three rules behind everything else
Sonance’s finishing guide starts with three rules for anything that goes over an invisible speaker:
- Thin. The total finish over the speaker face is 3 mm or less, and 1 to 1.5 mm is optimal.
- Flexible. The speaker panel moves to make sound. Stiff or rigid finishes are not compatible.
- Light. A heavy covering holds the panel back.
Every other instruction follows from those three. They are also why the speaker has to be set right before the finisher arrives: Sonance’s instructions call for the front of the speaker to sit flush with the wall or ceiling surface, using the shims that come with it, so the least possible compound goes over it. That part is our job. The rest is theirs.
The finisher’s sheet
| Topic | Sonance’s guidance |
|---|---|
| Final finish is paint | Finish-over install: Level 5, a thin skim coat over the speaker and the whole board, sanded smooth |
| Final finish is wallpaper, veneer, fabric or leather | Finish-up-to install: typically Level 4, compound feathered up to the speaker |
| Compound | Easy-sand, lightweight topping compound, no denser than water |
| Hot mud | Not used. A slow-curing compound with a typical 12 to 24 hour cure instead |
| Thickness over the speaker | 3 mm or less in total; 1 to 1.5 mm is optimal; checked with Sonance’s DG-1 depth gauge |
| Paint | Primer first, then multiple coats |
| Texture | Generally not recommended; a light texture only if it stays under 3 mm over the speaker |
Print it and walk it with the finisher before the first coat goes on. A finish that is too thick or too stiff is far easier to prevent than to take back off.
Level 4 or Level 5: which wall gets which
Sonance’s guide defines both. Level 4 means every joint taped and coated, with screws and accessories getting three separate coats, each feathered wider than the last and sanded. Level 5 is everything in Level 4 plus one more skim coat across the entire surface, sanded flat. Paint shows every edge, so a painted wall over an invisible speaker gets Level 5. Wallpaper, veneer, fabric and leather hide a little more, so Level 4 is typical under them, done very well, because even a slight step at the edge of the speaker can show through a thin covering.
Plaster, veneer and other finishes
- Venetian plaster. Sonance says most traditional plasters are wrong for invisible speakers: too many coats, and lime or mineral content that cures stiff. Acrylic-based plasters can work if the total stays at 3 mm or less. Ask the plaster supplier for the safety data sheet and look for acrylic in the ingredients. A limewash paint over a Level 5 finish gives a plaster look with almost no added thickness.
- Wood veneer. Paper-backed only, 1 mm or less including the backing, bonded with contact cement on both the veneer and the wall, and pressed with a roller, not too hard. Sonance says never peel-and-stick.
- Wallpaper, fabric and leather. Over a smooth finish, just as if the wall were to be painted. Wallpaper goes up with its own maker’s adhesive; fabric and leather with contact cement on both surfaces. Sonance does not recommend ultra-thin sheer fabrics.
- Anything else. Sonance recommends a mock-up first. So do we.
Before drywall: what we decide with you
- Where the speakers go. On walls, at least seven feet from the floor, by Sonance’s guide, so furniture does not block them and picture hooks do not pierce them. In ceilings, evenly spaced and out of corners where possible.
- What the final finish is, room by room, because it sets Level 4 or Level 5 for that wall.
- Who walks the finisher through it, and that it happens before the first coat.
If you are still choosing between invisible and grilled speakers, start with invisible speakers or in-ceiling speakers. The Sonance range we install is on our Sonance Invisible page, and the rest of what to wire before the walls close is in the pre-wire checklist.
About IntegrateIT. We have integrated hundreds of homes across the Kansas City metro since 2021, from our showroom in Overland Park. Sonance dealer · Control4 Platinum Dealer with a Control4 Certified Showroom · Lutron Certified Dealer · Crestron dealer.
Daniel Alon, co-founder, IntegrateIT. Overland Park, KS. November 2026.
Further reading
Where to go next if this article gave you the framework but you want the brand- or install-specific depth.
- Sonance Invisible · Kansas CityThe invisible speakers we install, and where they fit.→
- Article: invisible or in-ceiling speakersWhich one a room should get, and why.→
- Service: whole-house audio · Kansas CityMusic in every room, on one system.→
- Article: the smart home pre-wire checklistWhat to pull before the drywall goes up.→
- For buildersHow we work alongside your crews and schedule.→
Before drywall?
Plan the invisible speakers with us while the walls are open. We set them flush and brief your finisher.
Questions
Questions we hear
What do I tell my drywall finisher about invisible speakers?
Three things from Sonance’s finishing guide: keep the total finish over the speaker to 3 mm or less, use an easy-sand lightweight topping compound and never hot mud, and give it a Level 5 skim coat if the wall will be painted. Then prime and paint as usual.
What drywall finish level do invisible speakers need?
Level 5 when paint is the final finish: a thin skim coat over the speaker and the whole board, sanded smooth. Level 4, with compound feathered up to the speaker, when the wall gets wallpaper, wood veneer, fabric or leather. That is Sonance’s guidance for its Invisible Series.
Can I use hot mud over invisible speakers?
No. Sonance’s finishing guide says not to use fast-curing compounds, often called hot mud, and to use a slow-curing compound with a typical cure time of 12 to 24 hours instead, in an easy-sand lightweight formula.
Can invisible speakers go behind textured walls or Venetian plaster?
Texture generally not, unless it stays under 3 mm over the speaker, because heavy texture is too thick. Venetian plaster only if it is acrylic-based; Sonance says lime and mineral plasters cure too stiff. A limewash paint over a Level 5 finish gives a plaster look with almost no added thickness.
How high on a wall do invisible speakers go?
At least seven feet from the floor, by Sonance’s guide, so furniture and wall hangings do not block them and picture hooks do not pierce them. In ceilings they are spaced evenly and kept out of corners where possible.
Who installs invisible speakers in Kansas City?
IntegrateIT, in Overland Park, KS, is a Sonance dealer and installs Sonance Invisible speakers across the Kansas City metro, working alongside your builder and finisher. Call or text (913) 804-7575 to plan the rooms before drywall.
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