Ceiling Speaker Help
Discussion
Hey,
Im looking at installing ceiling speakers in 2 rooms at the moment, kitchen/dinner (12mx4m) and Lounge (7mx4m).
What speakers should I buy, and is it quality over quanitity? Can you please give me some pointers on roughly how many speakers I need and which ones people would recommend. The speakers will be powered by a Sonos unit and be two seperate areas.
Thanks in advance.
Im looking at installing ceiling speakers in 2 rooms at the moment, kitchen/dinner (12mx4m) and Lounge (7mx4m).
What speakers should I buy, and is it quality over quanitity? Can you please give me some pointers on roughly how many speakers I need and which ones people would recommend. The speakers will be powered by a Sonos unit and be two seperate areas.
Thanks in advance.
The problem is the ratio between the length and width of the rooms.
You should be ok with a good pair of 6.5" in the living room but the problem is the kitchen dinner.
Because it is long and thin you couldn't really run a stereo pair in each area as that would distroy the left right balance when you are in the middle of the room.
I would consider using a pair of larger 8" speakers to help fill that space.
For a starter/basic price of speakers expect to pay upwards of £150 a pair from you local., friendly pistonheads dealer
V.
You should be ok with a good pair of 6.5" in the living room but the problem is the kitchen dinner.
Because it is long and thin you couldn't really run a stereo pair in each area as that would distroy the left right balance when you are in the middle of the room.
I would consider using a pair of larger 8" speakers to help fill that space.
For a starter/basic price of speakers expect to pay upwards of £150 a pair from you local., friendly pistonheads dealer
V.
I'm definitely for ceiling speakers as Vex says and as someone in the business he certainly knows his stuff.
However, I really regret the ceiling speakers I put in our living room and I strongly recommend against it if you want anything like decent sound quality and volume.
I'm getting some decent floorstanders in there to replace the in ceilings (maybe the Monitor Audio GXs that Vex recommended) with a nice power amp.
Anywhere else- kitchen, bedroom, bathroom etc the in-ceilings are great
However, I really regret the ceiling speakers I put in our living room and I strongly recommend against it if you want anything like decent sound quality and volume.
I'm getting some decent floorstanders in there to replace the in ceilings (maybe the Monitor Audio GXs that Vex recommended) with a nice power amp.
Anywhere else- kitchen, bedroom, bathroom etc the in-ceilings are great
Edited by Driller on Sunday 24th April 18:16
VEX said:
The problem is the ratio between the length and width of the rooms.
You should be ok with a good pair of 6.5" in the living room but the problem is the kitchen dinner.
Because it is long and thin you couldn't really run a stereo pair in each area as that would distroy the left right balance when you are in the middle of the room.
I would consider using a pair of larger 8" speakers to help fill that space.
For a starter/basic price of speakers expect to pay upwards of £150 a pair from you local., friendly pistonheads dealer
V.
Vex thanks for the information. What 6.5" speakers would you recommend? I was thinking about smaller diameter speakers just so they do not look so intrusive. For the larger room could I not just install 2 pairs evenly spaced instead of going bigger?You should be ok with a good pair of 6.5" in the living room but the problem is the kitchen dinner.
Because it is long and thin you couldn't really run a stereo pair in each area as that would distroy the left right balance when you are in the middle of the room.
I would consider using a pair of larger 8" speakers to help fill that space.
For a starter/basic price of speakers expect to pay upwards of £150 a pair from you local., friendly pistonheads dealer
V.
The 6.5's I use now are Monitor Audio contractor series which retail at around £200 a pair (PH deals available). They sound perfectly acceptable for background music playing via sonos stuff.
The other reason is that the grills are total flat, so astetically look good in a ceiling. They are also one of the easiest to fit I have ever used. With a couple of days you will hardly notice them up there.
In the kitchen dinner the problem is the width of the bloody thing. To get a good coverage you could use two smaller pairs, but you would have a very odd stereo effect. You would end up with one of the following splits across the room
Kitchen - - dinner
L----R------L---R
or
L----L------R---R
With the first, you stereo sound would swap from left to right onthe middle of the room. With the second the kitchen would be all Left and the dinning all Right with the middle of the room correctly balanced.
Hence my suggestion of a larger 8" pair to help balance the room.
Driller, thanks for the compliments, always appreciated.
V.
The other reason is that the grills are total flat, so astetically look good in a ceiling. They are also one of the easiest to fit I have ever used. With a couple of days you will hardly notice them up there.
In the kitchen dinner the problem is the width of the bloody thing. To get a good coverage you could use two smaller pairs, but you would have a very odd stereo effect. You would end up with one of the following splits across the room
Kitchen - - dinner
L----R------L---R
or
L----L------R---R
With the first, you stereo sound would swap from left to right onthe middle of the room. With the second the kitchen would be all Left and the dinning all Right with the middle of the room correctly balanced.
Hence my suggestion of a larger 8" pair to help balance the room.
Driller, thanks for the compliments, always appreciated.
V.
Thanks Vex, where would you put the larger speakers? One at each end of the room?
How are systems set up with multiple speakers in them set up to avoid these problems, I have seen rooms with 6 or eight speakers in them.
To complicate things a little more, the middle 4mx4m is double height. How will this effect the sound?
Thanks again
How are systems set up with multiple speakers in them set up to avoid these problems, I have seen rooms with 6 or eight speakers in them.
To complicate things a little more, the middle 4mx4m is double height. How will this effect the sound?
Thanks again
If you have a effective 4x4 meter void in the middle I would position the 8" speakers in the middle of the outer 4x4 meter ceilings and angle the tweeters inwards a little to help fill the space.
In answer to your 'how other systems do it' these will either me mounted as a square or rectangle to maintain the stereo effect or in larger applications the system is run in mono.
Hope that helps.
V.
In answer to your 'how other systems do it' these will either me mounted as a square or rectangle to maintain the stereo effect or in larger applications the system is run in mono.
Hope that helps.
V.
You could driller, but that would also leave your centre double hight space a bit lacking because I tend to focus the tweeters of a speaker pair towards each other to give a better sweet spot.
It would also cost you more to do that, double the speakers and double the fire hoods.
Hth
V.
Oh no pm yet mr d.
It would also cost you more to do that, double the speakers and double the fire hoods.
Hth
V.
Oh no pm yet mr d.
VEX said:
You could driller, but that would also leave your centre double hight space a bit lacking because I tend to focus the tweeters of a speaker pair towards each other to give a better sweet spot.
It would also cost you more to do that, double the speakers and double the fire hoods.
Hth
V.
Oh no pm yet mr d.
Alright, three pairs then It would also cost you more to do that, double the speakers and double the fire hoods.
Hth
V.
Oh no pm yet mr d.
I may have got you confused with someone else when I mentioned those GXs, no matter, I stand firm that you know what you're talking about anyway!
I'll have look at getting that pm off
OP,
For in cielings, IME the JBL SP6 is a really, really good shout. They can be driven well by little amps (think 6w keypad jobs), but give good bass when driven properly.
I'd use multiple pairs quietly rather than 1 pair loud, every time - the music is much more "background" then. If you want a decent hifi experience, forget cielings and get floorstanders or whatever - even in walls if needed. Our ears don't "do" stereo images from above very well.
When wiring the pairs, I'd do this:
left --- Right
right --- Left
This means you get some stereo image wherever you are in the room; if you do it the other way (left at one end, right at other), it's easier to wire, but Money For Nothing sounds bloody horrid. Half the drums are missing, and the other guy gets all the guitar!
ETA - the Sp6 retails at 200 a pair, allegedly. However, back in the day you could pick em up for a lot less! Try HB litherland in Blackpool, who do mail order.
For in cielings, IME the JBL SP6 is a really, really good shout. They can be driven well by little amps (think 6w keypad jobs), but give good bass when driven properly.
I'd use multiple pairs quietly rather than 1 pair loud, every time - the music is much more "background" then. If you want a decent hifi experience, forget cielings and get floorstanders or whatever - even in walls if needed. Our ears don't "do" stereo images from above very well.
When wiring the pairs, I'd do this:
left --- Right
right --- Left
This means you get some stereo image wherever you are in the room; if you do it the other way (left at one end, right at other), it's easier to wire, but Money For Nothing sounds bloody horrid. Half the drums are missing, and the other guy gets all the guitar!
ETA - the Sp6 retails at 200 a pair, allegedly. However, back in the day you could pick em up for a lot less! Try HB litherland in Blackpool, who do mail order.
Edited by Some Gump on Wednesday 27th April 14:30
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