Choosing In-Ceiling Speakers For Your Home

by DoItYourself Staff

When setting up your home theater system, in ceiling speakers are an option, not a necessity. When making your decision about whether or not to go with ceiling speakers, there are four main things that you will want to consider.

1. Space

Is the room already crowded? Or maybe floor speakers will ruin the minimalist look of the room. Regardless of the reason, if traditional floor speakers won’t fit into the room either physically or in regards to décor, then in ceiling speakers are the perfect solution. They take up no floor space and can be painted to fit into the décor of the room.

How big is your room? Depending on the size, you will need a different number of in ceiling speakers. Too many or too little speakers can distort the sound. Most manufacturers have recommendations for how many speakers are needed according to the size of the room.

2. Sound Quality

In ceiling speakers and in wall speakers offer a different quality of sound than their on-floor counterparts. If you decide to go with in ceiling speakers, you will want to also purchase a subwoofer. A subwoofer will help fill out the sound coming from your speakers, making it less tinny and more robust.

With in ceiling speakers, you will also need to adjust the bass and treble depending on furniture placement and what is in the room, such as carpeting, to cushion the sound. If you move your furniture around at some point, you will need to readjust the speakers. If you do a lot of redecorating, then in ceiling speakers may not be for you.

3. Repair

How easy will it be to get at your speakers if they break? The ceiling speakers will be installed through your attic, so if that is a space that is hard to get to, or dangerous to be in, you may want to opt out of in ceiling speakers.

4. Cost

While all speakers, whether on-floor models or in ceiling can be costly, there are some added costs with in ceiling speaker. You do have to cut holes into your ceiling to install them, and as a result, you will most likely have to do some touch up work to your ceiling once they are installed. You also have to make sure that they are well insulated, not only for sound quality, but also to prevent heat escaping from your house into your attic.