stumped about in wall/ in ceiling speaker

[Prizefighter]

Hey guys, i recently went to my cousins newly built home. He opted for a surround sound option with the wiring already being ran and wires are hanging out. It took me a while but I realized, there was only 4 in-ceiling speaker wiring. I looked around a bit, but couldn't it. Is this a normal thing when getting a house built? Also, i took out the wall plate and counted just 4 wires...I didn't know what to say to him, he is looking forward to having a home theater with a really clean look... I thought this was crazy, and told him to call his builders! what do u guys think?

 

[Hookedonc4]

Not sure of all the facts but a conversation should have taken place with the builder and your cousin on what the expectation were.

Sounds like you are missing a center and the front three speakers should not be put in ceiling. Should have been inwall if this is what he wanted. IMO...

 

[Roger Ewing]

Just curious...find out anything?

 

[TLS Guy]

Hey guys, i recently went to my cousins newly built home. He opted for a surround sound option with the wiring already being ran and wires are hanging out. It took me a while but I realized, there was only 4 in-ceiling speaker wiring. I looked around a bit, but couldn't it. Is this a normal thing when getting a house built? Also, i took out the wall plate and counted just 4 wires...I didn't know what to say to him, he is looking forward to having a home theater with a really clean look... I thought this was crazy, and told him to call his builders! what do u guys think?

Ceiling speakers are for background music only. You really can't construct an HT with in ceiling speakers. You can use them for surrounds at a push.

In wall speakers are a different matter, and if he wanted that he should have specified the locations he wanted.

However all is not lost, an HT with discreet speakers is still best.

 

[Prizefighter]

I told my cousin at/around the date i posted this thread. Told him to contact his builders, but he never got back to me.
I dont think anything happened because i was just there and it still looks the same.

As far as in-ceiling speakers, (a totally different house and different builder) my brother in law os getting his built and they were doing the same thing. Good thing he caught it and told them to re-locate them to be in walls.


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[selden]

Don't forget that in-ceiling speakers can be used for Dolby Atmos, and in a pinch for Auro-3D.

 

[tmurnin]

I would argue that in ceiling can be used for the front speakers. I did it myself for a couple of years because the wall I had my tv on was full of ductwork so couldn't use in wall speakers. If the room is large enough, your seating position is far enough away from the speakers (our sofa was a good 10 feet away), and you have directional tweeters and good room correction, you can make that work and have a perfectly decent sounding system. Will it be as good as speakers directly in front? No, and if you're intent on audiophile-level sound for everything, you will be disappointed. That being said, you can have a very enjoyable night in front of a movie with some great sound even with that setup.

 

[TLS Guy]

I would argue that in ceiling can be used for the front speakers. I did it myself for a couple of years because the wall I had my tv on was full of ductwork so couldn't use in wall speakers. If the room is large enough, your seating position is far enough away from the speakers (our sofa was a good 10 feet away), and you have directional tweeters and good room correction, you can make that work and have a perfectly decent sounding system. Will it be as good as speakers directly in front? No, and if you're intent on audiophile-level sound for everything, you will be disappointed. That being said, you can have a very enjoyable night in front of a movie with some great sound even with that setup.

A set up like that would truly drive me nuts and I would never use it.

 

[Roger Ewing]

A set up like that would truly drive me nuts and I would never use it.

I realize you are adamant against in-ceiling, as per your comments in my other thread. I'm curious...nothing insinuated here, just curious...have you heard such a setup from which you formed such a strong opinion? If so, I'm curious the details.

 

[TLS Guy]

I realize you are adamant against in-ceiling, as per your comments in my other thread. I'm curious...nothing insinuated here, just curious...have you heard such a setup from which you formed such a strong opinion? If so, I'm curious the details.

Yes, I have heard them. The cursed things a beloved of quite a few AV installers here. No idea what they hide up there. However noway does my brain think the sound is coming from the screen. I know exactly where the sound is coming from and I don't like it at all. I believe good integration of vision of sound is key to effective story telling in a home cinema, and vital to concerts and opera I watch a lot. A ceiling location for any speaker is just horrible except for background and public address. As a serious music and AV endeavor it is just not on.

I realize you have a very difficult situation in that room. Quite honestly I don't think there is equipment on the commercial market to solve your problem. It really does require a custom designed and built system to get anywhere with it.

If I lived next door, I think I could design a system that would work. There are a number of solutions I would explore. I have been involved in unusual audio challenges for over half a century. I started with doing an unobtrusive system in the guilt room of an ancestral home, which contained and organ in the balcony that George Frederick Handel is known to have played on! As I was about my business no less than the great Nowell Mander was restoring the organ.

My biggest concern for you is that you will make a sizable investment and be thoroughly disappointed and frustrated with the result. I just fear this is where you are most likely headed.

 

[walter duque]

I did listen to these http://www.sourcespeaker.com/IC244fin10-07.html a few years ago and I was amazed how good the system sounded.

 

[Roger Ewing]

...My biggest concern for you is that you will make a sizable investment and be thoroughly disappointed and frustrated with the result. I just fear this is where you are most likely headed.

Thanks for the input.

Regarding the sound coming from the front, I have decided that I need to have speakers up front as near to ear level as possible. Will be determining to see if in-wall will fit, and if not, go with a soundbar.

The rears is what will likely be in-ceiling.

So, I'm thinking that for my environment, this solution will provide sound fromn the front, and sound from behind. Thinking this will be better than TV speakers. Hoping this compromise will suffice and at least sound decent.

 

[AcuDefTechGuy]

Thanks for the input.

Regarding the sound coming from the front, I have decided that I need to have speakers up front as near to ear level as possible. Will be determining to see if in-wall will fit, and if not, go with a soundbar.

The rears is what will likely be in-ceiling.

So, I'm thinking that for my environment, this solution will provide sound fromn the front, and sound from behind. Thinking this will be better than TV speakers. Hoping this compromise will suffice and at least sound decent.

IMO the salient speaker is front Center speaker. All the movie dialogue will come from here. You might just do ONE in-wall center speaker. The rest of the speakers can be in-ceiling as a compromise.

The second most important is the subwoofer. You can do in-wall subwoofer, in-ceiling subwoofer, free-standing "coffee table subwoofer". Those in-ceiling/in-floor subwoofers are only 9" deep, so you can also hide them behind cabinets and furniture if needed.

Ideally, you'd want free-standing or in-wall front Left and Right speakers too. But for MOVIES and TV, they are not as important as the Center speaker. So you could have in-ceiling front Left & Right and surrounds.