Guilty of Mistake No 9? In Ceiling Speakers?

[Steve Mackay]

I'm a newbie at home theater but the wifey is getting a new kitchen and we are remodelling the livingroom so I get a new home theater system (lowish end).

I need to spend more time in the store on Saturday but it looks like I'm going with the Denon AVR-2307CI receiver a 46" Sony XBR2 LCD TV and for speakers I like the way people are talking about the Axiom speakers but haven't heard them yet.

I showed my wife the Axiom QX4 satellites and that I wanted to mount them off the ceiling and she said NO WAY! Far too big, infact she doesn't want any speakers on the ceiling at all as it ruins the 'lines'

The ceiling is really the ideal place for the speakers and I might be able to get away with flush mounted speakers. Are there any in ceiling speaker brands that people on this site recommend?

I wanted to spend well under a grand on speakers (5.1 setup) (the Axiom QX4's are too expensive for satellites in my wallets opinion.)

Any recommendations and please don't chastize me for biggest mistake number 9?

Cheers

Steve

 

[stratman]

I'm a newbie at home theater but the wifey is getting a new kitchen and we are remodelling the livingroom so I get a new home theater system (lowish end).

I need to spend more time in the store on Saturday but it looks like I'm going with the Denon AVR-2307CI receiver a 46" Sony XBR2 LCD TV and for speakers I like the way people are talking about the Axiom speakers but haven't heard them yet.

I showed my wife the Axiom QX4 satellites and that I wanted to mount them off the ceiling and she said NO WAY! Far too big, infact she doesn't want any speakers on the ceiling at all as it ruins the 'lines'

The ceiling is really the ideal place for the speakers and I might be able to get away with flush mounted speakers. Are there any in ceiling speaker brands that people on this site recommend?

I wanted to spend well under a grand on speakers (5.1 setup) (the Axiom QX4's are too expensive for satellites in my wallets opinion.)

Any recommendations and please don't chastize me for biggest mistake number 9?

Cheers

Steve

Hey Steve welcome aboard,

If you're going the satellite route like I had to I can recommend 2 companies, Gallo and Orb, check out roundsound.com for Gallo and google Orb speakers and you'll get hits, I have the Gallos they're fantastic for their size they have great soundstage and projection, they're extremely well built and hefty. And for being satellites they can play very loud. They're available in all colors, ditto with the Orbs.

 

[Davemcc]

Since you mentioned lowish end, check out the Hsu Ventriloqist packages. I can't tell you yet exactly how they sound, but mine has been shipped and is on its way. If you can wait till maybe Monday or Tuesday, I can tell you for sure if its a bargain or a bust.

Oh, and nice choice on the Denon AVR-2307CI

 

[stratman]

Don't forget the ever so impooooortant WAF!!

 

[ParadigmDawg]

Talk her into letting you use some bookshelves on stands for your front and get the center that matches. Then "compromise" and put in-ceilings for your surrounds. Now you are both happy and everything is good....man, that was easy...

 

[mazersteven]

For in-ceiling speakers that fit your budget I recommend Speakercraft AIM8 Three's as the mains, and center. I then recommend AIM8 One's as rears, or CRS8 One's for the rears. I think you will be a little over budget. The AIM8 Three's are $750 a pair, and I think the rear speakers I recommended are in the $250 range. That should put you around $1300-$1400 for speakers. You'll have excellent sound quality compared to satillite speakers. JMO.

http://www.speakercraft.com/#Products:16:AIM8 Three

http://www.speakercraft.com/#Products:66:CRS8 One

Also check out

www.nilesaudio.com

 

[Sheep]

For in-ceiling speakers that fit your budget I recommend Speakercraft AIM8 Three's as the mains, and center. I then recommend AIM8 One's as rears, or CRS8 One's for the rears. I think you will be a little over budget. The AIM8 Three's are $750 a pair, and I think the rear speakers I recommended are in the $250 range. That should put you around $1300-$1400 for speakers. You'll have excellent sound quality compared to satillite speakers. JMO.

http://www.speakercraft.com/#Products:16:AIM8 Three

http://www.speakercraft.com/#Products:66:CRS8 One

Also check out

www.nilesaudio.com

But this will leave him subwoofer-less, and I personally don't think in-ceilings are great for HT, where the sound needs to be focused.

Look into the Gallo and Orb speakers, but I would buy a subwoofer from somewhere else.

Or, buy 2 speakers for fronts now, and save up until to can do it right.

SheepStar

 

[AVRat]

Run an AV123 X-series X-LS/CS combo ($358) up front with Polk Audio RC60i in-ceilings ($200) for surrounds and an HSU STF-2 sub ($379).

 

[Warpdrv]

I don't think you should have a problem incorporating an end table in the room should you...? They are so pretty...
SVS PB12-Plus/2 for the pretty factor

 

[mazersteven]

But this will leave him subwoofer-less, and I personally don't think in-ceilings are great for HT, where the sound needs to be focused.

Look into the Gallo and Orb speakers, but I would buy a subwoofer from somewhere else.

Or, buy 2 speakers for fronts now, and save up until to can do it right.

SheepStar

JMO but I would run sub-less until more funds present themselves. It's all the Op's choice. I was just giving a recommendation for his in-ceiling request.

 

[ParadigmDawg]

I don't think you should have a problem incorporating an end table in the room should you...? They are so pretty...
SVS PB12-Plus/2 for the pretty factor

What the heck is that hanging on your wall Warp? You know...that thing right behind that ugly wiring hanging from that speaker looking thing in the corner?


hehehehehe

 

[Steve Mackay]

Directional Ceiling Speaker? Sub not in 1G price range

Talk her into letting you use some bookshelves on stands for your front and get the center that matches. Then "compromise" and put in-ceilings for your surrounds. Now you are both happy and everything is good....man, that was easy...

This was the plan.

But this will leave him subwoofer-less, and I personally don't think in-ceilings are great for HT, where the sound needs to be focused.

I actually wasn't thinking of the sub when I said speakers under 1 grand. I was going to spend around $250 on a sub.

Can you not get a (somewhat directional) sound out of ceiling speakers? I think some of the speakers can be angled during installation. These speakers will be going into an 8ft ceiling just behind the seating area and for the surround postion only. I'll use bookshelfs for the front and center.

Those Gallo and Orbs look pretty nice but I feel even something as small as those might cause the wife to freak. The speakers are planned to be mounted just behind the transition from the 8ft ceiling to the 18ft vaulted ceiling. The seating area is almost directly under the transition from 8ft to vaulted so I can't put them on the transition (not far enough behind seating area). In wifey speak "any box hanging from the roof screws up the clean lines of my house".

So apart from the difficulty in getting directional positioning of ceiling speakers are there any other down sides to ceiling speakers?

Steve

 

[AVRat]

Run an AV123 X-series X-LS/CS combo ($358) up front with Polk Audio RC60i in-ceilings ($200) for surrounds and an HSU STF-2 sub ($379).

$1250 for 5.1, bump the sub up to a VTF-3 MK3. The Polk in-ceilings have a pivoting tweeter.

 

[flippo]

Mirage omnisat v2 system

Another alternative is the mirage omnisat v2 system.

 

[Rock&Roll Ninja]

I'd in-wall before I in-ceiling'd. Many brands of in-wall/ceiling loudspeakers are designed so you paint the grills with the same wallpaint for the room. (Did your wife consider they'd be painted to match?)

Anyway, with in-ceilings or in-walls the only brand I've heard personally is Polk. They are pretty good and not expensive.

 

[Taskmaster]

I went with 5 in-ceiling Polk Audios TC80i and they are working out great. Have a sub hidden in the corner. For HT it is working out great and very wife friendly.

 

[pikers]

What the heck is that hanging on your wall Warp? You know...that thing right behind that ugly wiring hanging from that speaker looking thing in the corner?


hehehehehe

The Packers blanket wasn't bad enough