Most consumers of audio equipment are familiar with standalone speakers, but not many are very familiar with ceiling speakers. Fewer people buy them. This is because it requires extra effort to install ceiling speakers. It also necessitates craftsmanship and geometric precision when installing them, while you can set up standalone speakers without much fuss.
There are an increasing number of people, however, who are enthused with ceiling speakers and argue that they provide better sound quality than standalone speakers. They also point to the many benefits that come with the use of ceiling speakers, including their space saving capability, their built-in acoustics, the fact that you’ll have less acoustic interference with ceiling speakers, and that they’ll be less conspicuous than other types of speakers. You don’t even need to alter the interior design of a room to use them. Considering all these above-mentioned benefits, the only problem with ceiling speakers is the difficulty of installing them.
The installation process of ceiling speakers requires meticulous planning that includes carefully selecting the location of the ceiling speakers. Once you identify these locations, you can then carefully lay out the wirings for the speakers, and then screw the speakers into their designated locations. Afterwards, you can camouflage the grille by painting them any color that matches the ceiling.
Finding the right ceiling speakers, however, is not as easy as it sounds because there are different varieties of ceiling speakers available on the market today. Much of your choice will be determined by your budget. To make it easy for you to find the right ceiling speakers for your needs, we’ve compiled a list of the 11 best ceiling speakers.
Polk Audio RC80i 2-Way In-Ceiling Speakers
The RC80i is equipped with a mineral-filled polymer-composite cone that can generate 35Hz to 20kHz frequency response in mid-range with a reasonable amount of bass. The RC80i has a metallized soft-dome tweeter and features a tweeter switch. The integral tweeter is capable of 15° swiveling and can be moved to any desired sound direction. The speaker pair can be mounted in-ceiling or in-wall and can be used along with a Polk Audio PSW505 powered subwoofer.
The RC80i is designed for mounting to the ceiling or wall and requires boring a mounting hole on the ceiling or wall. Moreover, its simplistic design readily allows for painting of the speaker to match the existing color to make it less visually obvious.
Acoustic Audio CS-IC83 In Ceiling 8″ Home Theater 5 Speaker Set 3-Way 175Watt New CS-IC83-5S
The audio performance of CS-IC83 is on the higher end with its three-way design that creates fantastic sound reproduction. Known to provide great fidelity, with sterling separation of low, mid, high frequencies, this speaker model is a good choice for any use.
Its 320-350 watts per speaker-recommended power carries a frequency response of 40Hz-20kHz, and efficiency of 95dB. It comes with 8-inch (203mm) woofers made of high rigidity polypropylene cones with butyl rubber surrounds. It is also equipped with 13mm soft dome tweeters with 3-way functionality and design.
This speaker has spring-loaded wire terminals with paintable frames and grills. Its cutout is 9.49″ (241mm) and the overall cutout of 10.86 inches (275.8mm) with a mounting depth of 3.7 inches or 94mm. This set of speakers is engineered and designed in the United States and comes with full instructions for installation.
Pyle PDIC60T 6.5” Ceiling Speakers
The PDIC60T features a directable 1-inch titanium dome tweeter and a 65Hz to 22kHz frequency response. This less expensive Pyle product is marketed in pairs with a combined power output of 250 watts and is equipped with high-temperature voice coil. Despite its low price, this speaker is guaranteed to provide listeners crystal clear vocals and a well-defined mid-range. Moreover, the PDIC60T speaker is designed to appear simple and unnoticeable.
This 2-way speaker is also an easy-to-install speaker that can be flush-mounted to the ceiling, 8 feet (around 2.5 meters) apart.
Micca M-8C Inch 2-Way Ceiling Wall Speakers
The M-8C has a frequency response of 40Hz to 20KHz that ensures a highly accurate sound signature. These speakers are designed as centerpiece speakers although you can use them as left and right speakers. Its tweeters can be swung from left to right for easy adjustment.
The audio performance is fantastic. Its design is sleek and allows you to save on space, and you can readily install it despite being not a plug-and-play unit. Its dimensions are 10 x 14 1/8 inches (254 x 358.8mm) with a cutout of 8 ¾ x 12 ¾ inches (222.25 x 323.85mm) with 3 ⅝-inch (92.1mm) mounting depth. It also comes with mounting templates.
Yamaha NS-IW280CWH 6.5″ 3-Way In-Ceiling Speaker System
Its 6.5-inch (165.1mm) polypropylene cone woofers come as two per package. It also has a dual ¾-inch (19mm) dome tweeter that carries SoundMax technology and comes with a capability of 100-watt maximum input. It also has a swivel tweeter designed for wide dispersion. Its tweeters generally handle the high and mid frequency ranges.
You can install acoustic insulation around these speakers with the insulation not necessarily touching the speakers. According to Yamaha, this insulation can bring out the best out of these speakers. The Yamaha NS-IW280CWH provides great sound quality and is very affordable compared to other types of ceiling speakers.
Klipsch R-1800-C In-Ceiling Loudspeaker
The Klipsch comes with a round not-too-obvious design. Its circular hole has a diameter of 8 inches (203mm) which you can readily paint to fit the ceiling’s color. It also comes with four screws for easy mounting with its backside facing the ceiling.
This speaker is known for its durability. It also has a dynamic audio response that readily catches up with any shift in the musical rhythm; it has very crisp mids and highs too. It is fairly easy to install and can be bought individually.
Yamaha NSIC800WH Ceiling Speaker
This Yamaha product is identifiable by its blue cone woofer made from polypropylene mica and a coaxial swiveling, black dome tweeter that allows the delivery of enhanced sound quality. This polypropylene mica provides high-performance sound reproduction at mid and low ranges.
With a diameter measuring 10⅞ inch (277mm), the NSIC800 is fairly large but has a slim flush profile that makes it barely noticeable when installed. This ceiling speaker also features a sealed backside and a front screen that can be painted to match the color of the ceiling when installed. Moreover, its acoustic baffle is grain-finished with a spiral pattern for natural sound dispersion. The NSIC800 can be easily mounted to the ceiling with the aid of its integral mounting clamps.
Bose Virtually Invisible 791 In-Ceiling Speaker II
The speaker comes with a 7-inch (177.8mm) woofer with two 1-inch (25.4mm) tweeters. Its wattage is 50W and is best used with a 10W amplifier. You can expect the best audio response from this speaker, being what its brand stands for.
Its sound signature is crisp and balanced with highly refined low, mid, and high frequencies. Its dimensions are 4.4 inches (111.7mm) in height x 10 inches (254mm) in diameter. One disadvantage in buying this speaker is that it is expensive compared with other ceiling speakers. The sound quality, however, is worth the higher price.
Pyle PDIC81RD 8″ 1000W Round Wall And Ceiling Home Speakers
The PDIC81RD can be readily connected to any decent stereo receiver and can be utilized as a rear or surround speakers for a 5.1 or 7.1 home theater system. Despite the 8-inch (203mm) overall diameter, the actual ceiling or wall cutout required for this speaker is just 6½ inches (165mm) at a depth of 2⅝ inches (66mm). It comes with a cutout template. Like most in-ceiling speakers, however, the PDIC81RD suffers sound distortion at maximum volume and requires a dedicated subwoofer for low-end response.
Polk Audio TC80i Round 2-Way 8-Inch In-Ceiling Loudspeaker
It comes in white with an audio sensitivity of 90dB, and its output wattage is 100W. It has an 8″ dynamic driver made of a balanced polymer composite. It also has a rubber surround that stuffs the cone. This speaker is be very durable.
Its tweeter has a 1-inch silk dome and it comes with a wall-distance toggle and a convenient tweeter switch for easy equalizing of the sonic response. It is also capable of swiveling up to 15 degrees, and for this reason, it can be focused on a particular area.
Compared to its relative, the RC80i, the TC80i provides clearer and better sound. It also yields more solid bass response. Its frequency range is from 30Hz to27kHz; so, with this wider frequency range, it can provide better treble and bass extensions. It is, however, more expensive than the RC80i, so you’ll have to decide if the higher sound quality is worth paying the higher price.
OSD Weatherproof 8” 150W Ceiling Speakers
This is provided with the polypropylene material for its 8-inch (203mm) cone woofer and dual polycarbonate 1-inch (25.4mm) dome tweeter with 90-decibel sensitivity. It has a frequency response value of 38Hz-21kHz for full range performance.
The OSD Weatherproof measures 10¼ inches (260mm) in diameter x 4¼ inches (108mm) in depth with a cutout diameter of 9 inches or 228.6mm. The OSD Weatherproof Ceiling Speakers reproduce sound with perspicuous quality with no sound distortion as you turn up the volume. It’s a great buy for inside or outside installation.