Info on in-ceiling speakers

[gfvillan]

Hi all,
New here and was wondering if anyone has any info on Fidelity Noble Model L-65 in ceiling speakers. They are in a proposal for my home sound system but can't seem to find any reviews on them anywhere. They will be $499 a pr. Want to find out if there are better for less or if these are OK. Thanks a lot

 

[bikdav]

If I were you, I'd avoid those because of lack of information. I couldn't come up with anything either. If you must do in ceiling speakers, go with well known brands such as Polk, Klipsch, Boston Acoustics, Definitive Technology. I bet that most of those will be less expensive also.

 

[zieglj01]

I would look at Snell, before spending $499 a pair.
A soilid close out price.
http://www.accessories4less.com/make-a-store/item/SNELLOHS7/SNELL/OH-S7-8in-Inceiling-Two-way-Speaker-Each/1.html

 

[BMXTRIX]

At that price you are getting taken for a ride and you should strongly consider getting a quote, if at all possible, from another custom installation company.

You should expect to pay $60-$120/hr for quality professional installation work. But, a company that knows their stuff will be able to find you quality product at far more reasonable prices.

Those Snell speakers are a good example of what a good 'find' is, but unless you plan to install them yourself, you probably shouldn't count on that flying with most companies. Like showing up at the Toyota dealership with parts you already bought... don't expect much help.

Still, I know when I do my work I typcially specify a 3-way 8" in-wall/ceiling speaker and it runs under $200 for the pair.

I've put in 8" in-ceiling speakers at that price which customers were far more happy with than the 6.5" B&W speakers they replaced. So, it doesn't have to cost a lot of money to get some decent quality out of the speakers.

At $500 a pair, I would be thinking that bookshelf speakers are more appropriate for that money. Or, a cheaper pair of quality in-wall/ceiling speakers. Always 8" IMO for better low end response... preferably 3-way design.

Oh, and companies such as Speakercraft and Sonance definitely have more than a few pairs of in-wall/ceiling speakers which cost (dealer) more than $500 for a pair. The price doesn't shock me at all, but I would just say that you want an 8" 3-way design and if they can't provide it at a reasonable price, you will shop elsewhere.

Of course, some companies I've worked with charge about $50 an hour - which is NOT enough to stay in business. So, they make up for cheap labor by having very high profit product. Customers think they are getting better product (they aren't usually) and a 'cheap' install. Instead, they are paying for the install through overpriced product and underpaying for the labor.

Not sure where you live and who you are getting quotes from, but if they are a very high quality installation company, then you may just need to talk to them a bit. But, getting another quote wouldn't hurt.

Always hopeful you may be in the DC area!

 

[gfvillan]

Thank you all for your excellent input. As a follow up, I finally was able to find the website on these speakers...since I cannot post link, here is the info.

"a far-forward woofer mounted in a diminutive, small footprint frame together with a pole-mounted soft dome, lens-free
tweeter, this excellent design avoids the diffraction & near-field boundary distortions that plague many other in-ceiling
loudspeaker designs.
• Tuned for high fidelity and linear performance in standard drywall (ceiling) construction
• System-concentric wide-field dispersion
• Kevlar®fiber 6 ⁄2" (165 mm) native yellow, square-woven woofer (DuPont) with butyl surround
• Tetoron® 1" (25 mm) pivoting soft dome tweeter, woven-textile, lens-free, neodymium motor
• Midrange & high frequency 3-position acoustic compensation switches
• Audio grade polypropylene capacitor populated berglass board crossover circuit
• Drivers wired with audio grade, high strand count, oxygen free copper high current speaker cable
• Vibration dampening motor boots
• T-Stop signal-powered protection circuit prevents tweeter driver failure
• Heavy spring-loaded gold-plated connection terminals accommodate up to 10 gauge speaker cable
• White frames and grilles are ready for mounting with a new finished look; as well, they may be painted to match or
accent mounting surface(s)
• Includes nylon insulation isolating Top Hats. Top Hats “pop” into shape covering the top of the loudspeakers
protecting them from ceiling/roof insulation material fibers & dust. Top Hats are acoustically “absent” in that they
do not restrict cone excursion.
Frequency response: 42Hz - 21kHz ±3dB on reference axis
Sensitivity: 91dB spl (2.83V, 1m)
Nominal impedance: 8 Ohms
Recommended amplifer power: 5W - 175W on unclipped program within frequency domain"

Since I am an amateur concerning these things I'm not sure what to look for as far as parameters of the characteristics of these speakers. I do like to listen to classic rock and some classical as well, especially violin, guitar and a few other instrumentals.

Again thanks for your help, please post additional comments if you have any.

 

[jonnythan]

I can't find many reviews, but comments seem to be good and the company appears to be perfectly legit. At the very least, it looks like your installer isn't trying to scam you. Is there any way you can listen to a pair and see what you think?

 

[gfvillan]

I'll try to get that set up, thanks a lot

 

[96cobra10101]

Good info in here. I am in the process of building a new home and want to do some ceiling, wall speakers though out. Has anyone used or have Emotivas? There price seem good and I like there other products.