Ceiling sound system

[Acewer]

Hi all,

I'm currently looking to get smth for my living room, however, the way it is designed it doesnt allow for any floor speakers or wall mounted.
I was thinking into getting cealing speakers as i have drywall ceilling so it would be the best option for creating smth like 5.1 or 7.1.

 

 

Please advise me for best scenerios or actual brands and systems.

Thank you in advance.

 

 

[Needfuldoer]

Ceiling speakers will always sound like they're above you.

 

Which way do the joists run? Are there furring strips between the joists and drywall, so you can run cables perpendicular to the joists?

[Acewer]

7 minutes ago, Needfuldoer said:

Ceiling speakers will always sound like they're above you.

 

Which way do the joists run? Are there furring strips between the joists and drywall, so you can run cables perpendicular to the joists?

I have direct access to the cealing on top of it, so i can freely install the speakers.... they run as the bottom's picture floor.
As well as left an opening behind the TV so cables can go trough the ceeling.

I hope that there are some systems that can do surround sound or some sort of tech that actually sounds like they are behind you.

[Acewer]

I was thinking of something like this:
https://www.puretheatre.com/dolby-5-1-in-ceiling-sound-system/?__cf_chl_tk=bA1ox8l1gtn0euTMPgTaYbfr_V0vrkZkR2OKw28KCng-1709832249-0.0.1.1-1365

[Omon_Ra]

16 hours ago, Acewer said:

I have direct access to the cealing on top of it, so i can freely install the speakers.... they run as the bottom's picture floor.
As well as left an opening behind the TV so cables can go trough the ceeling.

I hope that there are some systems that can do surround sound or some sort of tech that actually sounds like they are behind you.

There's not really any simulated software that does that very well. Part of it is the physics of the speakers being in the ceiling...it's hard to fight that. Most of the installs I've done with 5.1 in-ceiling are in lofted/cathedral-type great rooms. The ceilings were typically angled and that helps direct the sound at the seating position rather than straight down and with the added height it gives the sound more space to appear less directional. I have done a few media rooms with standard ceiling height (like your living room) and 5.1/7.1 in-ceiling speakers and it's not that bad. Especially for the rears/surrounds. Typically those channels in a movie/TV show are for atmospheric sound, so having it come from the ceiling isn't quite as noticeable as the fronts/center.

 

BUT, if you have access to the ceiling/attic space above that room, can you get to the top plate of this wall?

 

 

If so, you can drill down through the top plate in the correct stud bays and use in-wall speakers for your rears.

 

That's honestly a little bit of an awkward shaped room to get 'proper' speaker locations. Because there's the visual balance, and then the audio balance. You could go with something like these: https://us.kef.com/products/t301-satellite-speakers and wall mount them to the left/right of your TV (this is the matching center channel). But they ain't exactly cheap...they do sound and look really nice though. And it kind of throws off the positioning of the main channels (L/R/C) as far as your seating position goes.

 

If you were to go all in-ceiling, I'd probably go with roughly this layout (janky mspaint-work, but you get the idea). Since this is a living room, and not a dedicated media room, you have to kind of split between 'optimal soundstaging' and aesthetics/practicality. If you want everything positioned for 'ideal' surround sound, you'd need to move your couch, change the TV position, etc.

 

 

If it were me, this is what I would do:

 

1) Front left/right in-ceiling as shown above in poopy mspaint drawing

2) In-wall rears (assuming you can access that top plate and get into the wall)

3) Chonky center speaker for under the TV

 

If you don't like how the front left/right sound being in ceiling, get those Kef's or other similar speakers to fill the space to the left/right of the TV, then turn the in-ceiling front/left into Atmos channels. 

 

 

[Bdavis]

Monoprice has always been my go to for in wall/ ceiling speakers.

[Acewer]

On 3/8/2024 at 4:33 AM, Omon_Ra said:

There's not really any simulated software that does that very well. Part of it is the physics of the speakers being in the ceiling...it's hard to fight that. Most of the installs I've done with 5.1 in-ceiling are in lofted/cathedral-type great rooms. The ceilings were typically angled and that helps direct the sound at the seating position rather than straight down and with the added height it gives the sound more space to appear less directional. I have done a few media rooms with standard ceiling height (like your living room) and 5.1/7.1 in-ceiling speakers and it's not that bad. Especially for the rears/surrounds. Typically those channels in a movie/TV show are for atmospheric sound, so having it come from the ceiling isn't quite as noticeable as the fronts/center.

 

BUT, if you have access to the ceiling/attic space above that room, can you get to the top plate of this wall?

 

 

If so, you can drill down through the top plate in the correct stud bays and use in-wall speakers for your rears.

 

That's honestly a little bit of an awkward shaped room to get 'proper' speaker locations. Because there's the visual balance, and then the audio balance. You could go with something like these: https://us.kef.com/products/t301-satellite-speakers and wall mount them to the left/right of your TV (this is the matching center channel). But they ain't exactly cheap...they do sound and look really nice though. And it kind of throws off the positioning of the main channels (L/R/C) as far as your seating position goes.

 

If you were to go all in-ceiling, I'd probably go with roughly this layout (janky mspaint-work, but you get the idea). Since this is a living room, and not a dedicated media room, you have to kind of split between 'optimal soundstaging' and aesthetics/practicality. If you want everything positioned for 'ideal' surround sound, you'd need to move your couch, change the TV position, etc.

 

 

If it were me, this is what I would do:

 

1) Front left/right in-ceiling as shown above in poopy mspaint drawing

2) In-wall rears (assuming you can access that top plate and get into the wall)

3) Chonky center speaker for under the TV

 

If you don't like how the front left/right sound being in ceiling, get those Kef's or other similar speakers to fill the space to the left/right of the TV, then turn the in-ceiling front/left into Atmos channels. 

 

 

A friend of mine suggested installing Sonos ARC as front left and right channel with a Sonos mini sub that could go under the TV and use Sonos One as rear right and left speakers that could be mounted on the celing/wall corner.... do you think that will be a good solution ?

[Acewer]

On 3/8/2024 at 4:33 AM, Omon_Ra said:

There's not really any simulated software that does that very well. Part of it is the physics of the speakers being in the ceiling...it's hard to fight that. Most of the installs I've done with 5.1 in-ceiling are in lofted/cathedral-type great rooms. The ceilings were typically angled and that helps direct the sound at the seating position rather than straight down and with the added height it gives the sound more space to appear less directional. I have done a few media rooms with standard ceiling height (like your living room) and 5.1/7.1 in-ceiling speakers and it's not that bad. Especially for the rears/surrounds. Typically those channels in a movie/TV show are for atmospheric sound, so having it come from the ceiling isn't quite as noticeable as the fronts/center.

 

BUT, if you have access to the ceiling/attic space above that room, can you get to the top plate of this wall?

 

 

If so, you can drill down through the top plate in the correct stud bays and use in-wall speakers for your rears.

 

That's honestly a little bit of an awkward shaped room to get 'proper' speaker locations. Because there's the visual balance, and then the audio balance. You could go with something like these: https://us.kef.com/products/t301-satellite-speakers and wall mount them to the left/right of your TV (this is the matching center channel). But they ain't exactly cheap...they do sound and look really nice though. And it kind of throws off the positioning of the main channels (L/R/C) as far as your seating position goes.

 

If you were to go all in-ceiling, I'd probably go with roughly this layout (janky mspaint-work, but you get the idea). Since this is a living room, and not a dedicated media room, you have to kind of split between 'optimal soundstaging' and aesthetics/practicality. If you want everything positioned for 'ideal' surround sound, you'd need to move your couch, change the TV position, etc.

 

 

If it were me, this is what I would do:

 

1) Front left/right in-ceiling as shown above in poopy mspaint drawing

2) In-wall rears (assuming you can access that top plate and get into the wall)

3) Chonky center speaker for under the TV

 

If you don't like how the front left/right sound being in ceiling, get those Kef's or other similar speakers to fill the space to the left/right of the TV, then turn the in-ceiling front/left into Atmos channels. 

 

 

Turns out i cant use Kef's speakers as they are about 2cm wider than the side of the tv can fit...

[Omon_Ra]

4 hours ago, Acewer said:

A friend of mine suggested installing Sonos ARC as front left and right channel with a Sonos mini sub that could go under the TV and use Sonos One as rear right and left speakers that could be mounted on the celing/wall corner.... do you think that will be a good solution ?

It's an idea. I personally am not a big fan of Sonos, but their stuff isn't the worst. The only thing with the rear speakers for your setup is that you'll need outlets for them. If you want the speakers up the wall any distance (not sitting on a table/stand) you'll need to either relocate outlets at the desired speaker height or extension cords and wire moulding. And then the price for the components will add up rapidly too. If anything, start with an ARC or other soundbar and sub, and then add the rears if you really feel the need for them.  

4 hours ago, Acewer said:

Turns out i cant use Kef's speakers as they are about 2cm wider than the side of the tv can fit...

Gotcha. If you mounted the speakers as close to the sides of cut-in for the TV, the TV will cover that ~2cm of the speaker which would be fine since it won't really cover up the speaker at all. Unless you have a Samsung Frame TV or a realllyyyy tight wall mount, the speakers will fit behind the TV. But there are other companies that make similar type of speakers that you could maybe find. I had installed quite a few of those KEF's and they are about as small (width/depth-wise) of a surface-mount speaker that I've seen.

[sm1th5]

Hear me out and take this option  seriously. 

 

Tv on the bottom wall where the couch is. Replace the couch with a regular 2 or 3 seater. Then you can enjoy your 5.1 speakers at ear level with wall mounted surrounds.

 

Under no circumstances does any of these 5.1 speakers ever go at the ceiling.

 

Ceiling speakers are for Dolby atmos and dts x speakers and you can even make this a 5.1.4 Dolby atmos setup with this new configuration. 

 

This is best for the home theater layout.

[Acewer]

4 hours ago, sm1th5 said:

Hear me out and take this option  seriously. 

 

Tv on the bottom wall where the couch is. Replace the couch with a regular 2 or 3 seater. Then you can enjoy your 5.1 speakers at ear level with wall mounted surrounds.

 

Under no circumstances does any of these 5.1 speakers ever go at the ceiling.

 

Ceiling speakers are for Dolby atmos and dts x speakers and you can even make this a 5.1.4 Dolby atmos setup with this new configuration. 

 

This is best for the home theater layout.

Thank you, but that is no option for us. We will check with sonos arc and then proceed if we need back speakers.

[vetali]

If you have an AVR, most have an option for virtual surround speakers where you have the surrounds in front. Not the ideal placement but sure will be better than having ceiling mounted speakers that are playing sound that should be behind/to the side of you.