home theater speakers recommendation for ceiling?

[navibrar88]

Hii there. I have wiring for 7 ceiling speakers. I need suggestions for selecting top of line ceiling speakers. I want speaker to be crystal clear sound for home theater. i have come up with brands in my mind polk audio, proficient, kef, bose.. which among them will be best choice as sound selection?.
Along with speakers which amplifier and sub woofer would be good choice..

 

[tmbrown97]

Niles, Sonance, Speakercraft, Episode, Definitive...   There are lots of brands - but honestly they can have different sounds - and it's hard for someone else to tell you what's best.

 

[dgage]

My favorite is the NHT IC4.

 

[BaduFamily]

Really like my Definitive Tech DI 8Rs in the kitchen ceiling. They're mounted over the center island, where much the families social activity seems to take place.
 
They can use more power than my HTD multi channel amp provides, I think, but they are very clean. I've been considering running a seperate amp just for them.
 
The rest of the ceiling speakers in the house are the big HTDs - HD-R80s.

 

[IVB]

Niles, Sonance, Speakercraft, Episode, Definitive...   There are lots of brands - but honestly they can have different sounds - and it's hard for someone else to tell you what's best.

 
Ditto. Some speakers to me sound tinny, others boomy. I'm pretty happy with my Niles as it was a balance between cost and quality, speakers can run many hundreds to thousands. I went with Polk in the h/T as I wanted surround and wasn't limited to in-ceiling.

 

[drvnbysound]

I've had Proficient speakers in my home since 2007 and have really enjoyed them. I have also installed them in other homes as well - all with positive feedback. I certainly couldn't say anything bad about them.
 
Having said that, I have no idea how they would "technically" compare to any of the others side-by-side.

 

[Neurorad]

Top of the line - Totem Tribe in-ceiling, or something else angled, with an array. Def Tech, Triad, and Sonance offer similar.

http://www.triadspeakers.com/products/icb8lcr.html

http://totemacoustic.com/en/hi-fi/in-wall-in-ceiling/tribe-in-ceiling/

http://www.definitivetech.com/products/uiw-rcs-iii

Absolutely use 1-2 subwoofers, in-room, in-wall or in-ceiling, if you want premium sound.

Avoid Bose, overpriced. Not bad, but better speakers at the same price.

 

[drvnbysound]

My next home will definitely have an in-wall or in-ceiling sub... just dislike the floor standing space anymore.

 

[Neurorad]

Yep, currently trying to remove an in-room subwoofer from our FR, during a remodel. Small room, SW huge, doesn't belong there. I wish it wasn't so expensive to use an in-wall or in ceiling SW.

Moving from 20 year old in-ceiling L-R speakers to on-walls (center is currently on a shelf below the TV). Attic above, fairly easy to run new cables.

 

[cinemagicllc]

There are lots of brands in ceiling speaker - but honestly they can have different sounds - and it's hard for someone else to tell you what's best.
 
------------------------------------------
Home Automation System, Home Music System, Home Security System
www[dot]cinemaigcllc[dot]com

 

[George M]

Can I expand the question a little. Is there a preference for either In-Wall or In-Ceiling? I can do either in a new install and am not sure which way to go.

 

[pete_c]

Here went with a mixture of speakers and put in ceiling speakers over the sitting area for my 7.1 stuff cuz the side walls were too far away from the sitting area.
 
The SR/SL speakers are in ceiling and not centered in the room but rather centered for the seating areas.  What is nice is that you do not really notice them.
 

 
The entire room was redone so I had the opportunity to do this. 

 

[drvnbysound]

Can I expand the question a little. Is there a preference for either In-Wall or In-Ceiling? I can do either in a new install and am not sure which way to go.

 
For me, it depends...
 
If I am doing a surround sound system, I prefer in-wall as you are able to mount the speakers at the optimum height relative to the listening position. However, for whole-home systems, I prefer in-ceiling as they are able to be mounted closer toward the center of the room, providing a more even coverage area.
 
Having said that, I have mixed & matched too. I have done surround sound systems with a combination of in-wall (LCRs) and in-ceiling (rears), and I have also done surround systems with all in-ceiling speakers as well. Sometimes compromise is necessary...

 

[Neurorad]

If for home theater, in wall fronts (left-center-right) are much preferred; you want the dialog to come from the picture, not the sky.

I would also position the surround speakers at ear level, but not as critical.

I just installed 2 top Atmos speakers in the ceiling, in my 5.1 room, though haven't heard them yet. AVR arrived yeaterday.

For distributed/whole house audio, it depends on the room layout. Most are in-ceiling, but my house came with 2 rooms of in-walls, for DA - dining room and great room. Sound suffers in the DR (low on the wall) but it's for background music. Great room in-walls really sing positioned halfway up the 2 story wall.

 

[pete_c]

Yup; here for front center, right and left has stayed front facing viewers with external speakers over the years.  Probably too because I have changed them some 4 times now in 10 years and still not finding the sound I want.  Surround sound speakers in ceiling and external I have left alone.  Master bedroom (which I never use) are just using in wall speakers.  Ceiling is vaulted and pitched at an angle such that the in wall surrounds face the viewers (well from the back).  Really never watch TV there but do listen to audio.  I have expanded the audio to three rooms from there (IE; master bath, master bedroom and 2nd floor study).  They are sub audio zones and primary zones are Russound; then via an ABC switch the Russound zones using the AVR audio in the room.  The study though has another LCD TV (40" mounted near the ceiling with its own avr stuff).  It is a bit too high; but I can see it well from my desk with multiple monitors on it. I have done similiar here with all of the bedrooms (IE: they have in wall speakers zoned to the Russound and an AB switch for local AVR).  All of the inwall speakers utilized for the Russound are identical as I purchased them in bulk a few years back.