Sonance has spent decades perfecting the art of making loudspeakers disappear into walls and ceilings. At CEDIA Expo 2026, James by Sonance is doing something almost impolite: putting them back on the wall and making sure you notice the woodwork.
The new James by Sonance Natural Collection combines thin on-wall loudspeakers with handcrafted wood finishes, woven fabrics and dimensions designed to visually align with Samsung’s 2026 The Frame and The Frame Pro televisions.
Rather than hiding behind drywall or adding another black plastic soundbar beneath an expensive display, James treats the loudspeaker as part of the room.
Leon Speakers has pursued a similar idea for years with custom-width soundbars and television framing systems, while Canvas HiFi integrates amplification, DSP and loudspeakers into a complete active TV audio solution. James takes a more traditional custom-install approach, giving integrators passive loudspeakers that can be incorporated into larger systems without looking like an afterthought.
For homeowners who have already spent considerable time selecting the right wood, stone, lighting and fabric for a room, that makes a lot of sense.
The 19 black boxes in the equipment rack can stay hidden.
What Is the James Natural Collection?
The Natural Collection consists of two primary loudspeaker platforms, the NC3 and NC5QT, plus the matching NC10-SUB subwoofer.
Both speaker families are just 2 inches deep and are available in horizontal and vertical configurations. James offers models dimensionally aligned with Samsung’s 2026 The Frame and The Frame Pro televisions in 55, 65, 75 and 85-inch sizes.
The HTL, or Horizontal Thin-Line, versions can be configured as a single channel, stereo L/R system or three-channel L/C/R speaker. VTL, or Vertical Thin-Line, models operate as individual channels and can flank the display for greater left/right separation.
James also offers non-TV-specific versions starting at 19.75 inches for the NC3 and 23.25 inches for the NC5QT.
The important point is flexibility. This isn’t simply a soundbar built for Samsung televisions; the same speaker architecture can be adapted to different displays, room layouts and multichannel systems.
NC3: The Slimmer Option
The NC3 is the smaller of the two platforms and uses a 3.5-inch shallow-depth Thin-Line waveguide driver paired with an aluminum tweeter.
Sonance has not yet published complete electrical specifications for the Natural Collection, including frequency response, sensitivity, nominal impedance or recommended amplifier power. We are therefore not going to borrow numbers from existing James SPL3 products simply because the driver dimensions look similar.
Same company does not mean same loudspeaker.
NC3 is clearly intended for installations where visual discretion matters most, particularly smaller rooms or displays where the larger NC5QT would dominate the wall.
NC5QT: Quadratech Steps Up the Performance
The NC5QT moves to a larger 5.25-inch driver and adds James’ Quadratech tweeter technology, positioning it as the higher-performance option for larger rooms and systems that require greater output.
James’ existing Quadratech designs use multiple tweeter elements and controlled dispersion to create broader, more consistent coverage. Current QX models, for example, use four dome tweeters rather than a conventional single tweeter, although Sonance has not disclosed enough technical information about the Natural Collection implementation for us to assume the architecture is identical.
That distinction is important. NC5QT may look like a lifestyle product, but James has decades of experience squeezing substantial loudspeaker systems into architecturally difficult spaces.
We’ll need the final frequency response, sensitivity, impedance and power-handling specifications before judging just how ambitious NC5QT really is.
NC10-SUB: Bass Without the Black Cube
The matching NC10-SUB uses a 10-inch woofer and follows the same design language as the loudspeakers.
More interestingly, Sonance is not assuming everyone wants another large black cube parked beside the credenza. The NC10-SUB can be wall-mounted, installed on a pedestal or positioned horizontally beneath furniture, giving integrators more options for placing bass in rooms where conventional subwoofers can become a visual problem.
The subwoofer is offered in the same five cabinet finishes as the speakers.
Sonance has not yet published complete specifications for the NC10-SUB, including frequency response, amplifier requirements or maximum output. Until those numbers appear, the fact that it has a 10-inch driver tells us considerably less than some marketing departments would prefer.
Physics remains annoyingly unwilling to read press releases.
The Materials Are the Point
Modern Brown and Modern Teak use genuine wood veneer, while Modern White, Modern Black and Sand Golduse painted wood. The products are handcrafted at the James facility in Minden, Nevada, where the company handles machining, carpentry, fabrication, finishing and testing.
There are also nine woven fabric grille options, allowing the speakers to coordinate with furnishings rather than merely match the television.
For designers who still cannot find the right material, James offers a Designer Fabric Frame that allows third-party fabric to be applied on-site. If the interior designer has already selected upholstery that costs more per yard than your first stereo system, the speakers can join the party.
The design strategy also aligns with Samsung’s television finishes. Samsung offers Modern White, Modern Teak and Modern Brown bezel options for The Frame, giving installers obvious starting points for a coordinated installation.
Why Is This Different?
The Natural Collection is not unique because James discovered wood veneers or figured out how to build a speaker beside a television.
Its advantage is system flexibility.
A designer can specify a single horizontal speaker, stereo configuration, full L/C/R array, separate vertical channels and a visually coordinated subwoofer while retaining the same materials throughout the room. Because the speakers are passive, the installer also remains free to choose amplification, processing and system architecture.
That separates James from most lifestyle soundbars and active TV audio systems, where the electronics, channel configuration and upgrade path are largely predetermined.
In other words, the Natural Collection isn’t trying to make traditional installed audio obsolete.
It’s trying to make it look considerably better.
Three Main Competitors
Leon Speakers FrameBar
Leon Speakers is the obvious competitor and arguably the company James has to worry about most.
Leon has been building custom-width loudspeakers around televisions for years, and its current FrameBar family can be manufactured to match the exact width and finish of Samsung The Frame televisions. The FrameBar Minima starts at $2,300 and uses 2.5-inch woofers with cloth-dome tweeters, while larger FrameBar models use 4-inch woofers and 1-inch tweeters.
More importantly, Leon recently introduced the $5,750-and-up FrameBar Ultima, which moves into considerably more ambitious territory with 5-inch woven polypropylene woofers and 1-inch cloth-dome tweeters. Leon also offers its own television framing systems, designer fabrics and matching installation hardware.
Leon therefore has a more mature ecosystem surrounding the television itself.
James counters with a broader range of passive speaker configurations and a matching subwoofer, giving an integrator more freedom to build a traditional multichannel system while maintaining the same visual language throughout the room.
The competition between these two should become rather interesting because they are solving almost exactly the same interior-design problem from slightly different directions.
Canvas HiFi
Canvas HiFi competes for the same design-conscious customer, but with an active, all-in-one approach rather than passive loudspeakers.
The original CANVAS is designed for TVs from 55 to 85 inches and combines amplification, DSP, room correction, streaming and loudspeakers in one system. Interchangeable fronts and a universal mounting system allow it to visually integrate with Samsung, Sony, LG and other televisions.
The pending release of CANVAS L in late-2026 scales that concept up for 65 to 115-inch TVs, adding larger drivers, more powerful amplification and BACCH 3D+ spatial processing for substantially greater output.
Samsung integration is particularly relevant here. Canvas offers The HiFi Frame, which visually combines compatible Samsung TVs with the speaker system inside a single exterior frame. CANVAS L will also offer a Samsung-specific HiFi Frame option for larger displays.
We have heard both Canvas systems and came away impressed. But the philosophy is different: Canvas wants to replace much of the traditional audio system, while James preserves the flexibility of separate amplification, processing and channel placement.
For buyers who want the TV and audio system to look like one object, Canvas is the more integrated solution. James offers greater system flexibility.
Theory Audio Design sb Series
Theory Audio Design is the performance-first alternative.
Its sb65 and sb75 passive soundbars are dimensioned around corresponding 65- and 75-inch televisions and are built as genuine three-channel loudspeaker systems rather than conventional consumer soundbars.
The sb75, for example, contains six 5-inch carbon-fiber woofers and three 1.4-inch AdvancedPoly compression drivers divided across three separate ported enclosures. Theory specifies up to 117dB output per channel and more than 124dB with all three channels driven, although the speaker requires three channels of a Theory amplified loudspeaker controller with the correct DSP processing.
That is formidable hardware.
The catch, from the Natural Collection perspective, is aesthetics. Theory’s aluminum soundbars are unapologetically loudspeakers and are offered in black. James is making a much larger play for the designer who wants wood, fabric and dimensional integration to matter as much as output.
If performance is the only criterion, Theory deserves serious consideration.
If someone has already spent 45 minutes deciding between Modern Teak and Modern Brown, we probably know which meeting we are in.
James Natural Collection Models
| Model | Configuration | Driver Information | Depth | Minimum Dimension | TV-Matched Options |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| NC3 HTL | Horizontal; 1, 2 or 3 channels | 3.5-inch shallow-depth Thin-Line waveguide driver, aluminum tweeter | 2 in. | 19.75 in. | 55, 65, 75, 85-inch 2026 Samsung Frame TVs |
| NC3 VTL | Vertical; single channel | 3.5-inch shallow-depth Thin-Line waveguide driver, aluminum tweeter | 2 in. | 19.75 in. | Heights matched to corresponding Frame TVs |
| NC5QT HTL | Horizontal; 1, 2 or 3 channels | 5.25-inch driver, James Quadratech tweeter | 2 in. | 23.25 in. | 55, 65, 75, 85-inch 2026 Samsung Frame TVs |
| NC5QT VTL | Vertical; single channel | 5.25-inch driver, James Quadratech tweeter | 2 in. | 23.25 in. | Heights matched to corresponding Frame TVs |
| NC10-SUB | Subwoofer | 10-inch woofer | TBD | TBD | Matching Natural Collection finishes |
The Bottom Line
The James Natural Collection fills a genuine gap between architectural audio and premium soundbars.
Leon remains the most established rival for custom television-matched loudspeakers, while Canvas HiFi offers a compelling all-in-one alternative for buyers who do not want conventional amplification or processing. Theory Audio Design attacks the same wall space with considerably more emphasis on maximum output.
James offers something different: the flexibility of a traditional passive loudspeaker system without forcing the room to look like one.
The unanswered questions are performance and price. Sonance still needs to publish complete electrical specifications, and we don’t yet know what the various sizes, configurations and finishes will cost.
But the underlying idea is sound.
If someone has already spent five figures designing a room around a television, telling them their audio choices are either holes in the drywall or a long black rectangle underneath the screen feels increasingly unimaginative.
James now has another option.
Price & Availability
James by Sonance has not announced public U.S. consumer pricing for the Natural Collection.
Authorized Sonance dealers in the Americas can begin placing preorders now, with the collection introduced at CEDIA Expo 2026. Sonance says the broader global launch is scheduled for Q1 2027.
Given the number of available lengths, channel configurations, finishes and grille options, dealer-based pricing is hardly surprising. These are custom-install loudspeakers rather than mass-market soundbars sitting next to the HDMI cables at Best Buy.
For more information: sonance.com
Related Reading:
- James By Sonance SA68 In-Wall Speaker Delivers Big Sound From Tiny Opening
- Leon Speakers FrameBar Ultima Soundbar Brings Reference Grade Audio To Framed TVs At CEDIA 2026
- CANVAS HiFi Expands BACCH 3D With Dolby Atmos Surround Ahead Of IFA 2026
- CANVAS L First Listen @ High End Vienna 2026: An Audiophile Soundbar Built For Movies, Music, And Bigger TVs
- Canvas L Audiophile Soundbar Heads To High End Vienna 2026 With BACCH 3D+, GaN Power, And 65 To 115 Inch TV Support
