Best Products > Audio The 6 Best Ceiling Speakers of 2023 Listen up: These are the top ceiling speakers for your house By Erika Rawes Erika Rawes Twitter Writer University of Maryland Erika Rawes has written for Digital Trends, USA Today, and Cheatsheet.com and has tested dozens of consumer technology products for multiple tech sites. lifewire's editorial guidelines Updated on February 16, 2023 Fact checked by Rich Scherr Fact checked by Rich Scherr Twitter University of Maryland Baltimore County Rich Scherr is a seasoned technology and financial journalist who spent nearly two decades as the editor of Potomac and Bay Area Tech Wire. lifewire's fact checking process We independently evaluate all recommended products and services. If you click on links we provide, we may receive compensation. Learn more. Tweet Share Email Audio Speakers Headphones Earbuds Home Theater Instruments Accessories You should invest in good speakers if you value sound quality in your home theater. Installing ceiling speakers can save you floor space and prevent you from having to hide wires - if you're prepared to put up with the extra hassle of installing them. For most people, if you want decent ceiling speakers, you should buy the Polk RC80i. The Rundown Best Overall: Polk Audio RC80i at Amazon Jump to Review Easiest Installation: Polk Audio 70-RT at Amazon Jump to Review Best Budget: Pyle PDIC60 In-Wall/Ceiling Speakers at Amazon Jump to Review Best Sound: Klipsch CDT-5650-C at Amazon Jump to Review Best Theater: Acoustic Audio by Goldwood 3-Way In Ceiling Home Theater Speaker Set at Amazon Jump to Review Best Splurge: Bose 791 In-Ceiling Speaker II at Amazon Jump to Review in this article Expand Our Picks FAQ What to Look For in a Ceiling Speaker Best Overall Polk Audio RC80i 2-way Premium In-Ceiling 8" Round Speakers Amazon View On Amazon View On Crutchfield.com What We Like Moisture resistant Come as a pair Adjustable tweeter What We Don't Like Connection clips instead of cylinders Non-magnetic grilles Manufactured from moisture-resistant, durable material, the Polk Audio RC80i can be used indoors or in a sauna or porch area (although they're not suitable outdoors). We chose them as our top pick because they offer design and sound quality benefits, yet they come at a much lower price than higher-end speakers. Our product tester Erika found the RC80i had exceptional sound comparable to speakers double their price. They produce a warm sound that fills an entire room and are adjustable on a 15-degree swiveling mount, so it's easy to make the sound hit precisely where you want. Their white coloring helps them blend in and makes them hardly noticeable on a white ceiling, but you can paint the grilles to match your ceiling if it's a different color (although the grilles are not magnetic). They also come as a pair. Channels: L and R | Bluetooth: No | Physical Connection: Push-down spring clips | Paintable/Magnetic Grills: Paintable | Waterproof: Humidity resistant Easiest Installation Polk Audio 70-RT 3-Way in-Ceiling Speaker Amazon View On Amazon View On Walmart View On Crutchfield.com What We Like Paintable grilles Good mid tones and bass Easy install What We Don't Like Pricier than some other Polk options Known as 'the vanishing series,' the Polk Audio 70-RT comes as a single speaker outfitted with a super-thin grille that magnetically secures the speaker together while protruding a mere 7mm from the ceiling. This makes for a speaker that's barely noticeable from a distance. It sounds good overall, with a robust sound profile despite its small diameter. Channels: L and R | Bluetooth: No | Physical Connection: Spring-loaded cylinders | Paintable/Magnetic Grills: Paintable and magnetic | Waterproof: No Best Budget Pyle PDIC60 In-Wall/Ceiling Midbass Speakers Amazon View On Amazon What We Like Very affordable Reasonably good sound Easy install What We Don't Like No magnetic grilles Designed for wall or ceiling installation, the Pyle PDIC60 speakers are about as cheap as you can go while still getting a decent ceiling speaker. They come as a pair of 6.5-inch speakers, and while you won’t get upgrades such as magnetic grilles and the sound isn’t as powerful as more expensive speakers, they will still serve as an upgrade over most regular TV speakers. They’re also a good choice for a kitchen or other areas in the home. However, we would not recommend these for someone who wants speakers for a premium home movie theater. The bass delivered from the Pyle isn’t bad, but it does tend to distort slightly when you crank the volume up to full blast, so it’s best to go with a separate, affordable subwoofer if you want full bass. Channels: L and R | Bluetooth: No | Physical Connection: Push-down spring clips | Paintable/Magnetic Grills: Paintable | Waterproof: No Best Sound Klipsch CDT-5650-C Amazon View On Amazon View On Abt.com What We Like Phenomenal sound Gorgeous design Quality build What We Don't Like Don't pair well with non-Klipsch speakers This Klipsch series is a favorite among our reviewers, as the speakers sound so good. The CDT-5650-ii comes at a steep price, and it's only a single speaker. The audio is crisp and accurate, with the highlights being the mids and lows. There's also a surprising amount of bass, which is unexpected for in-ceiling speakers. Remember that you'll need to buy at least two for stereo sound, as they don't sound good paired with other non-Klipsch speakers. Channels: L and R | Bluetooth: No | Physical Connection: Spring-loaded clips | Paintable/Magnetic Grills: Paintable and magnetic | Waterproof: No The 5 Best Klipsch Speakers of 2023 Best Theater Acoustic Audio by Goldwood 3-Way In Ceiling Home Theater Speaker Set Amazon View On Amazon View On Walmart View On Home Depot What We Like Come as a set of five Thin, paintable grilles Good value What We Don't Like Push-down clip connections The Acoustic Audio CS-IC83 is a decent set of five solid entry-level home theater ceiling speakers. As with most ceiling speakers, you’ll want to add a separate subwoofer if you like booming bass. The paintable frame and grille offer easy installation and the flexibility to change the look to match your home’s paint coloring. Channels: L and R | Bluetooth: No | Physical Connection: Push-down spring clips | Paintable/Magnetic Grills: Paintable | Waterproof: No Best Splurge Bose Virtually Invisible 791 In-Ceiling Speaker II Amazon View On Amazon View On Walmart View On B&H Photo Video What We Like Come as a pair Blend well into ceiling Magnetic grilles What We Don't Like Pricey The Bose 791 speakers are 7 inches wide and have Bose's signature Stereo Everywhere technology for balancing the sound in an entire room. The easy installation pairs with an ultra-slim bezel that makes this Bose model drop right into the ceiling (via a precut hole) and is secured in its position with dogleg clamps. They have a detachable speaker grille that can be removed and painted to fit your room's decor. As with the Bose 591, we appreciate the Bose 791's design and build quality. Channels: L and R | Bluetooth: No | Physical Connection: Spring-loaded cylinders | Paintable/Magnetic Grills: Paintable and magnetic | Waterproof: No FAQ Will the distance of your speakers from the audio source affect your sound quality? Yes—while it's not always possible, for the best audio quality, you'll want to keep the length of cable tethering your speakers to your receiver as short as possible. Although your sound quality won't suffer very much unless they're 25 feet or more from your receiver. For any wired speakers, you should use a 14-gauge cable, and potentially use a 12-gauge cable for any speakers extending past 25 feet from the receiver. What are the best in-ceiling surround sound speakers? Most of the ceiling speakers on this list are good options for a surround sound setup, but we particularly like the Klipsch CDT-5650-C-ii. You’ll get phenomenal sound if you pair the ceiling speakers with a Klipsch woofer, but it’ll cost you quite a bit of cash. If you want a more affordable option, Polk and Pyle are typically good brands to look at. Does Best Buy do in-ceiling speaker installation? Best Buy does offer wall and ceiling speaker installation through Geek Squad. You can consult with a Best Buy Home Expert for free to get an estimate of how much the installation will cost. Best Buy will do everything from mounting and securing the speaker, concealing the wire, organizing the cables, properly positioning the speakers, and showing you how to use them. What to Look For in a Ceiling Speaker Style If you want your speakers to be as discreet as possible, choose a style that matches the color of your room. Paintable grilles let you match the ceiling speaker's color to that of your ceiling, while thin profile designs help the speaker blend into the ceiling. "The size of the room where you want to install a ceiling speaker will determine the type you choose. Ceiling speakers come in two different sizes; 6.5 inches and 8 inches. The smaller speakers typically work well in small to medium-sized rooms. An 8-inch ceiling speaker is better suited to spacious rooms, as the bass volume is higher," says Sylvia James, Designer at HomeHow. Installation This isn't as big of an issue if you're paying for professional installation. Still, if you're putting these ceiling speakers in yourself, you want to choose a model that has simple instructions and provides for easy mounting, with dogleg clamps and a template for cutting a hole. The last thing you want to do is accidentally cut too large of a hole for your speakers, so pay attention to how easy (or difficult) installation is on the speakers you're interested in. Sound Quality When choosing ceiling speakers, you’ll probably have to balance price and sound quality. The question is, how much are you willing to pay for a great sound? You can choose stereo sound and go with just a pair of speakers, or go with a full surround sound setup with five speakers and a woofer. Also, pay attention to metrics such as frequency response, which indicates the range of tones the speaker can produce. Was this page helpful? Thanks for letting us know! Get the Latest Tech News Delivered Every Day Subscribe Tell us why! Other Not enough details Hard to understand Submit