Best In-Wall & In-Ceiling Speakers

Review & Comparison, Last Update January 27, 2024
Where does this music come from? You can hear them but there are no speakers in sight. It's like the house sings. Music is in the air. Invisible in-wall and in-ceiling speakers. Get yourself some magic. ...Read more ...Read less
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PROS
CONS
OUR VERDICT
SET
PLACEMENT
POWER
SENSITIVITY
FREQUENCY
FEATURES
MOUNTING HOLE
WARRANTY
 
PROS
Both tweeters in Yamaha in-ceiling speakers have swivel mechanism so you can direct the sound two different ways.
CONS
Needs a little deeper hole for mounting.
OUR VERDICT
You can use these highly convenient in-ceiling speakers with an excellent quality as a back sound channel of your home theater.
detailed parameters
SET
Two 3-way speakers (Mid-bass + 2 tweeters)
PLACEMENT
In-ceiling
POWER
35W / 120W
SENSITIVITY
86 dB
FREQUENCY
50 Hz – 28 kHz
FEATURES
Wired connection, Paintable grilles, Swivel tweeter
MOUNTING HOLE
9.44" in diameter; Depth: 4.41"
WARRANTY
2 years
PROS
265RT 3-way in-wall speaker has three speakers inside to make the sound exceptionally balanced.
CONS
The lowest speaker might provide insufficient low-frequency sound.
OUR VERDICT
A high-quality wall-mounted speaker with wide range will be a great choice for a front home theater speaker.
detailed parameters
SET
One 3-way speaker (Mid-bass, Woofer, Tweeter)
PLACEMENT
In-wall
POWER
10W / 200W
SENSITIVITY
91 dB
FREQUENCY
30 Hz – 27 kHz
FEATURES
Wired connection, Paintable grilles, Swivel tweeter
MOUNTING HOLE
19.188" x 7.25"; Depth: 3.25"
WARRANTY
Lifetime
PROS
All the main casing parts are stainless steel and the speaker is covered with rubber to enhance moisture protection.
CONS
Low frequencies may lose in quality at high volume.
OUR VERDICT
Owing to the specific design, you can mount this model of Polk Audio in-wall/in-ceiling speakers to the rooms with high moisture levels.
detailed parameters
SET
Two 2-way speakers (Mid-bass + Tweeter)
PLACEMENT
In-wall / In-ceiling
POWER
20W / 100W
SENSITIVITY
90 dB
FREQUENCY
35 Hz – 20 kHz
FEATURES
Wired connection, Paintable grilles, Swivel tweeter
MOUNTING HOLE
9.375" in diameter; Depth: 3.125"
WARRANTY
5 years
PROS
Astonishing peak power allows these in-wall/in-ceiling speakers withstand high pressure and perform some really loud music.
CONS
The grilles are not paintable.
OUR VERDICT
Great ceiling/wall speakers at a very good price. They take up only a little space, are easy to install, and will surprise you with loud sounding.
detailed parameters
SET
Two 2-way speakers (Mid-bass,Tweeter)
PLACEMENT
In-wall / In-ceiling
POWER
250W
SENSITIVITY
FREQUENCY
65 Hz – 22 kHz
FEATURES
Wired connection, Swivel tweeter
MOUNTING HOLE
7.875" in diameter; Depth: 2.75"
WARRANTY
1 year
PROS

The crossover network of 12db helps achieve the perfect sound between the subwoofer and the tweeter.

CONS

The grills are difficult to remove for painting.

OUR VERDICT

A good set of speakers that will blend into any interior and enhance your home theatre with clear and fairly powerful sound.

detailed parameters
SET

Two 2-way speakers (Woofer, Tweeter)

PLACEMENT

In-wall

POWER

80W

SENSITIVITY

87 dB

FREQUENCY

50 Hz – 20 kHz

FEATURES

Wired connection, Paintable grills

MOUNTING HOLE

Outer dimension: 8.6″ (W) x 12″ (H)
Cutout dimension: 7.5″ (W) x 10.75″ (H)
Mounting depth: 3″

WARRANTY

1 year

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Yamaha NS-IW480CWH In-ceiling Speaker System

Choose Your Direction

Every music addict knows about Yamaha. This company has long since proved itself to be a creator of the finest sound systems. And now they offer us their top-flight in-ceiling speakers. The set consists of a pair of 3-way speakers but there is always a possibility to purchase a 4-speaker or a 6-speaker bundle if you need. The speakers have swivel tweeters for you to set the sound direction according to your wish. With Yamaha NS-IW480CWH In-ceiling Speaker System the sound envelopes the room the way nearly impossible for other models. With the 120W power and 50 Hz – 28 kHz frequency, the sound you get will be loud and clear. And the sensitivity is high enough to use the amplifier for even better results.

In our opinion, these in-ceiling speakers are the best choice for the back channels of your home sound system. And the simplicity of mounting paired with the ability to control direction the sound goes are the main benefits you receive.

Review of Yamaha NS-IW480CWH In-ceiling Speaker System

Quality Sound Through Time

The diversity of Yamaha products is so great that there is no way to actually know what its main line of manufacturing is. This Japanese giant was established in 1887 when its soon-to-be founder, a watchmaker and a Western technology fan Torakusu Yamaha, was asked to repair a reed organ. Enchanted by the instrument and seeing its business potential, he later created his own organ from a blueprint. Every detail was handmade. Though his version did not get approved by the Music Institute at the first try, he continued his studying and eventually succeeded. In 1897 Yamaha had incorporated the Nippon Gakki Company, Limited, to be the music instruments manufacturer. The company's logo used a tuning fork as the corporate mark and a design of “Chinese phoenix holding a tuning fork in its mouth” as the trademark. Years went by and the number of products grew more and more. In 1954, led by Genichi Kawakami as a president, the company produced its first Hi-Fi player and started to manufacture motorcycles. A year later Yamaha Motor Co., Ltd. was established to divide the company's directions. Today Yamaha is one of the leading corporations in multiple markets, from music instruments and sound systems to vehicles like motorcycles and even unmanned helicopters. All that — with the usual Japanese quality and durability.

Yamaha NS-IW480CWH In-ceiling Speaker System in the use

More Products to Consider

The Yamaha NS-C210BL Center Channel Speaker will enhance the sound of your in-ceiling speakers.

Detailed review of Yamaha NS-IW480CWH In-ceiling Speaker System

Additional Info

    Manufacturer

Last updated price $179.95
Stock In stock
ASIN B000O3TFWW

 

Polk Audio 265-RT

Everything You Need

Polk Audio 265RT 3-way In-wall Speaker has three drivers inside, each created for a separate frequency range. The upper Mid-Bass will let you enjoy the whole plethora of medium frequencies and will highlight vocals, the bottom driver will add the basses, and the tiny tweeter will take care of the remaining high-frequency sounds. The speaker is amazing in its power which can reach 200W, a pretty rare number for the speakers of this class. And despite its rather large size, the Polk Audio 265RT 3-way In-wall Speaker is designed to take as little space as possible. The installation is also pretty simple and you will easily deal with it yourself.

Summarizing, we would recommend this in-wall speaker for the front channel of your sound system at home. Set it near your TV or in the center of the intended "music zone". Same as the other Polk Audio acoustics, it features a top-notch potential and will definitely please your ears.

Review of Polk Audio 265-RT 3-way In-Wall Speaker

A Bit More on Benefits

We already mentioned this, but built-in speakers have quite a few advantages. Let us talk about them for a moment more. First of all, in-wall or in-ceiling speakers mean more free space in your room compared to standard speakers. This often means additional comfort! Next objective, important for many users, is the safety and "invisibility". Remember when you needed a number of cords and wires thrown all around the room or in corners? All the times you, or worse, your children, tripped over them. Pets getting tangled in. Even if you were lucky and no one ever fell and injured themselves, there was always a possibility to damage the cords. All this becomes impossible with in-wall and in-ceiling speakers. One more benefit is the bass sound. Unlike the enclosed speakers, here you have all the space around the wall/ceiling as an imaginable casing. And that makes the sound so much more realistic. And, finally, the usability is highlighted by the fact that the majority of in-wall and in-ceiling speakers have paintable grilles making them a universal addition to the interior. Even when you wish to change the room color scheme you don't need to change the speakers — simply paint the grilles anew. Isn't it really convenient?

Polk Audio 265-RT 3-way In-Wall Speaker in the use

More Products to Consider

Polk Audio PSW505 is a perfect subwoofer by the same manufacturer to add to your system.

Detailed review of Polk Audio 265-RT 3-way In-Wall Speaker

Additional Info

    Manufacturer

Last updated price $229.00
Stock In stock
ASIN B004L9GWSK

What customers say about this product

Key Specs

Acoustic music sounds great.

Audio

They look professionally installed and sound great.
 

Polk Audio RC80i

Not Scared of Moisture

It's not always about the living room. Sometimes, we spend time in rooms with high moisture levels like kitchens and bathrooms, and we want to liven up the atmosphere there too. But not many speakers are able to endure these conditions, the wetness affects the structure and the sound loses its quality way too soon. Or another situation. The water gets to the wires inside and the speaker just stops working at all. What should we do if we still want our music? The solution is these Polk Audio RC80i. The stainless steel hardware and butyl rubber surrounds do not fear high moisture levels, same as aluminum grilles. There are an 8-inch mid-bass and a 1-inch tweeter, and each speaker is 20W nominal power and 100W peak. Accompanied by the 90 dB sensitivity, these specs are the sign of the loud quality sound at medium and high frequencies.

All the abovementioned noted, we'd recommend these ceiling mount speakers for your bathroom, kitchen, sauna, or enclosed balcony. The grilles can be painted so you can make them suit your room.

Review of Polk Audio RC80i 2-Way In-Ceiling/In-Wall Speakers

Listen to Innovation

Polk Audio is one of those American companies that hardly need special introduction or advertisement. It was founded by three college friends, Matt Polk, George Klopfer, and Sandy Gross in 1972 and at first, they produced the speakers with their own hands using an old Victorian rooming house near Baltimore city as a headquarters. They were good and later, the manufacturing expanded as well as the range of products. Yet, the company still follows several principles created at the very beginning of the Polk Audio. That is, all the products are undeniably high-quality and use the newest technology. Polk Audio today is one of the few manufacturers with their own acoustic lab and specific software to track sound parameters. The specialists working for Polk own more than 65 patents in audio equipment, and they still search for more innovations. Moreover, when designing acoustics and audio systems, Polk Audio only uses speakers of their own design. The company is just a bunch of happy enthusiasts who love music, and that is really inspiring. After all, the best things are created by those who need them personally.

Polk Audio RC80i 2-Way In-Ceiling/In-Wall Speakers in the use

More Products to Consider

Niles VCS100K volume control will allow you to adjust the speakers' volume in the most convenient way.

Detailed review of Polk Audio RC80i 2-Way In-Ceiling/In-Wall Speakers

Additional Info

    Manufacturer

Last updated price $179.99
Stock In stock
ASIN B00006BMQT

VIDEO
Polk RCi-Series In-Wall and In-Ceiling Speakers | Crutchfield Video

What customers say about this product

Key Specs

They were well packaged, easy to install, and have durable construction.

Audio

The aimable tweeter is a nice feature.
 

Pyle PDIC60 Dual Speaker System

You Won't See Them But You Will Feel Them

Pyle PDIC60 Dual Speaker System features everything most customers need in this type of devices. These in-wall/in-ceiling speakers are pretty compact and therefore do not need a lot of space for mounting. The installation process will take very little efforts as manufacturer took troubles to include the template into the purchase. Just bring it against the part where you would like to place the speakers, run a contour, and cut the hole. The depth needed to mount these in-wall and in-ceiling speakers is so small that even thin walls will be enough. But the most astonishing part of these speakers is the maximum power of 250W. That's really loud. And with a swiveling tweeter the direction of the sound can be adjusted.

We believe these in-wall/in-ceiling speakers to be a great background sound providers. They won't be broken by the high volume, and the tiny size accompanied by simple installation will enable you to set them in the space where no other speakers can fit.

Review of Pyle PDIC60 Dual Speaker System

Did You Know?

The Pyle company was established in 1960 and has gained the reputation of being the leading subwoofer and car acoustics manufacturer since. By the end of the XX century, it was hard to find a car fan who did not know the name Pyle and the company's high-quality products. Today, Pyle works in three directions: Pyle Car designs auto acoustics, whereas Pyle Home's activity is centered around home-and-office devices like TVs, projectors, and various audio equipment. The Pyle PDIC60 Dual Speaker System is one of their creations, too. And for the professional users working in the music industry, there is Pyle Pro that creates specialized sound devices. The wide selection of music instruments, DJ equipment, and a variety of accessories is offered to the world by the Pyle Pro. Any user will definitely find what they need from the company's list, and at a good price too.

Pyle PDIC60 Dual Speaker System in the use

More Products to Consider

Pyle Home PVC1 wall mount rotary volume control knob will make it possible to adjust the speakers' volume remotely. It is also installed into the wall.

Detailed review of Pyle PDIC60 Dual Speaker System

Additional Info

User Manual     Manufacturer

Last updated price $42.70
Stock In stock
ASIN B0007LCL90

VIDEO
Ceiling In-Wall Speakers | Pyle PDIC60
 

Micca M-6S

Solid Sound at a Good Price

Micca is a relatively unknown company compared to such monsters as Yamaha and Polk, for example. Yet, lately, it is gaining some recognition thanks to the good quality of its products and their rather cheap price. The Micca M-6S is not extremely powerful if you look at the specs, neither it is large but countless reviews praise its performance nevertheless. So what's in it?

The M-6S is a two-way in-wall speaker with 6.5" poly-mica woofer and a 1" silk dome tweeter connected into a smooth-operating system with a 12 dB/Octave crossover network. Owing to it, the sound this speaker produces is clear, natural, and fluid, with pronounced vocals and robust bass. It works wonderfully with most music types and genres, making it a highly versatile solution for an in-wall speaker since all family members will be able to enjoy their favorite songs even if the tastes range from rock to classical compositions—the M-6S will switch from one to another without so much as a screech. In its price segment, this model beats most competitors hands down quality-wise.

Review of Micca M-6S 2-Way In-Wall Speaker

Blend In

The Micca M-6S installation is as simple as they come with the built-in mounting tabs; the only thing you'll need is a screwdriver and voila—the tabs grip the drywall and the speaker is attached to a wall. Couldn't be easier, really.

Another nice thing about this model is that it is paintable, therefore, you can take the grills off, cover them with a color prevailing in your room, and then get the pieces back together. Next thing you know is that you turn the music on for your guests and everyone wonders where the sound is coming from. A bit of fun time is bound to happen. However, note that some users claim the process of taking the grills off might not be too easy. Though it is still manageable.

Micca M-6S 2-Way In-Wall Speaker in the use

Gather Them All

There will be one Micca M-6S speaker in your delivery package when you receive it. This is one of the little drawbacks of this model—they are sold in single units and not in pairs. Thre is an actual reason for that, though: the M-6S is a part of a series of in-wall and in-ceiling speakers created by the Micca company. The series, which is called Media Series, by the way, also includes the also rectangular M-CS LCR in-wall speaker (with the tweeter between two smaller 5.25" woofers) and the round M-6C in-ceiling speaker. Furthermore, there are slightly bigger alternatives to the M-6S and M-6C with 8" woofers. Those would be the M-8S and M-8C respectively.

Detailed review of Micca M-6S 2-Way In-Wall Speaker

Additional Info

User Manual     Manufacturer

Last updated price $44.99
Stock In stock
ASIN B0047PO2Z8

 

What Are In-Wall Speakers?

What do you do if your rooms are not very big yet you love great sound and would love to have the opportunity to listen to your favorite tracks in top quality? In-wall and in-ceiling speakers are a great catch for those who strive to enrich the sound of their home system but are reluctant or unable to sacrifice too much space for this purpose. As the name suggests, those are the acoustics intended for mounting directly into your ceiling or wall. They are almost invisible so whatever your interior design is like, they will blend in just fine and will become a completely unnoticeable source of surround sound. And although compact, the in-wall and in-ceiling speakers do provide some great sound. All the connections are done inside the walls and ceiling, therefore no cords will disrupt the clean and elegant look of your room.

To see the connection options for the in-wall and in-ceiling speakers to your main sound system, please look through our stereo receivers review.

What Features to Compare

Having decided that you definitely need either in-ceiling speakers or in-wall ones, think about How Many of them you want and Where you are going to mount them. Please pay attention to this as some devices can only be mounted in walls and not in ceilings. You don't want to discover this after the purchase, right? As for the number of speakers, it obviously depends on the room size. Small rooms like standard kitchens do not need more than 2 speakers, whereas large dining or living room will require several sets for the sound to be really top-notch. Also, look at the mounting hole size — sometimes, it can limit your options for mounting.

Next proceed to what this is all about, the Sound Characteristics. That's the quality of sound. There is the frequency, measured in Hz, that will let you know the range the speakers support. The wider range means more details to your music. The speaker power increases in sync with the upper volume limit. Sensitivity shows how effectively the speaker uses the booster power and also affects the volume. All-in-all, the bigger numbers you see in these parameters, the richer sound you obtain in the end.

Finally, when you are done with the main parameters, there are still Extras. For example, some have a rotating tweeter for the sound to follow the direction you choose instead some fixed one. Many in-wall and in-ceiling speakers also feature paintable grilles so you will no problems making them suit your room interior. If the speakers have a water protection certificate, you can even place them in your bathroom. And if they feature the sound control elements, you will also be able to adjust it directly in the room where the speaker is located.

Sources:

1. How To Install In-Ceiling Audio Speakers, Electronic House. December 9, 2015.

2. Paul Scarpelli The Truth About In-Wall Speakers, Audioholics. July 23, 2015.

3. Steve Munz What is Dolby Atmos For Home Theater? Audioholics. August 9, 2014.

4. A.J. Andrews How to Install Speakers in a Prewired Wall & Ceiling, Chron.

5. Tweeter, Wikipedia. Last modified on September 25, 2016.

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