Brand new home in design phase needs in ceiling surrounds to match new M80 fronts.

RSL/PSB/Paradigm? Which model? What makes a good match?

My first post regarding in cabinet questions is attached - shows layouts, etc...

Thanks for any suggestions regarding all aspects of the project.

http://www.axiomaudio.com/boards/ubbthre...4475#Post344475

Not a big fan of "inceiling" speakers for surround duty, part of the reason Axiom doesn't make them. You would be better off running speaker wire to plates in the correct locations depending on if your doing 5.1 or 7.1, and ceiling/wall mount Qs8's.

Would love to use QS's, but the wife factor is huge on this detail. We have some bad history on our current HT setup in the living room. We joke about staying in this new house until we are dead...can't afford to listen to grief for 20 years or split my 401k over this issue. She has seen painted-to-match rounds in a ceiling and buys into that...now I have to hide everything else...the plan is coming together...thx.

I'd definitively get some good ones then. I plan on using in-ceiling for the rear 2 in a 7.1 someday. I just don't know who makes the best sounding ones yet.

To bad digs, you want the bullits going through you from left/right and back/front not coming straight down. Can't help you on inceiling speakers, sorry.

Just watch nature movies instead.

No offense but I have yet to hear an in ceiling speaker that didn't make me feel like I was at Wallmart.

It might make some people feel right at home.

But seriously, with all of the other speakers firing in the proper directions, it would probably go unnoticed. (except possible when you have all surrounds in ceiling).

You guys are killing me...maybe I could hang a lampshade over them...or tie a string to her chin so she can't look up.

Look at the drawing in the other post...do you think they could sit inside the inner portion of the tray ceiling? Those walls are 10' apart.

Oooo. Oooo. I have an idea. You could mount the TV in the ceiling too, then just watch tv while lying on the floor, then the in-ceiling speakers would sound just right.

Some pictures of living room and ceiling would probably help. I suppose that you could order the QS8 speakers in white with white grills also.

The house is still being designed. There are virtually no walls to work with other than the left side with the tv. The phantom lines you see are profiles in the ceiling.

How about inceiling style mounted on the side of the tray? They would be 9' from floor. The boys from RSL introduced a new series that looked like a possibility.

http://rslspeakers.com/In-Wall-In-Ceiling/


I appreciate the advice and good humor...keep it coming, I can take it.

there are custom finishes that might look very nice with your house trim.

Would an in wall M2 look bad? It would be square rather than circular.

I just noticed that your in-ceiling speakers are not centered with the tv viewing area. That also might create a problem. Obviously, the design of this room (and/or) house is not conductive to a good sound system for HT. If it were me, I would go with a different design altogether.

In-wall M2 or M22 could be mounted in the tray of the ceiling. It would be 9' from the floor and be aimed horizontally. Is that reasonable?

If I thought there was a chance in hell that I could hang nice surrounds from the ceiling, I would be home free. There is a pic on the QS page that shows that exact thing...I'll give it a test run past the committee after I get at least one cocktail in her.

Brian....you must be single.

"If it were me, I would go with a different design altogether."


As for the seating arrangement, the manchair will be in the best possible location. I don't really care where the foo-foo chairs go. Still working on whether the fireplace is centered on the wall or room. Room is obviously best for HT.

look in the gallery section at the bottom of the threads, lots of pictures there, or the wall of fame.

http://www.axiomaudio.com/wallofame.html

I have a feeling that hanging an in-wall speaker in the ceiling is going to have a worse dispersion pattern than speaker designed for in ceiling use.

I'd do everything I could to avoid using in-ceiling speaker, but if there was absolutely no other option, I'd go with these from JBL: http://www.jbl.com/EN-US/Products/Pages/ProductDetails.aspx?PID=LS360C

Note that a pair will cost you double what a pair of QS8s cost, and they won't sound as good.

My Father in law had windows in the way for side surrounds so we mounted some Revel S12's (set to dipole) on the ceiling and its the BEST surround I have ever heard. You could get the paintable qs8's and paint them the same color as your ceiling.

Those Revel Concerta S12s are also $500 each, right?

Yea they are but he got lucky because the previous owner of the house left them. So they were actually $00.00

Now that's a good deal!

Nice huh? They must put a lot of money into drivers and crossovers because the cabinets themselves are ugly and appear cheap... Although with the grills on they look fine.

Revels are good, Episodes are nearly as good for 1/4 the price. Nobody knows about them but they are definitely better than WalMart level of sound.

No ceiling speaker is ever going to sound great. There's too much working against it. As long as you have good fronts in the M80s, don't fret too much about surrounds. They don't have to do all that much and if you're hiding them in the ceiling anyway they'll never meet their full potential. Just find the best value and be done with it.

IMHO, the best value in ceiling speakers is Episode.

Thanks Dave - emailed SnapAV to see if there is a dealer in my area. I would really prefer to go with QS's as everyone suggests.

The Paradigm CS-60R-30 or the SA-15R-30 look good to me!

http://www.paradigm.com/products/paradigm/in-wall-in-ceiling/cs-series/cs-60r-30

http://www.paradigm.com/products/paradigm-reference/in-wall-in-ceiling/sa-series/sa-15r-30

I would consider in-wall speakers from Triad or Joseph Audio if I had to go that route. Paradigms, perhaps if budget is a consideration. Look on Audiogon.com for used. Best of luck.