Gadgets Magazine

Best Ceiling Speakers for Atmos – Reviews and Guide 2020

Posted on the 17 October 2020 by Palmgear @PalmgearBlog

Dolby Atmos is, doubtlessly, the hottest cake in regard to great surround sound technology for your home. If you're reading this post, you're probably planning to install the best Atmos ceiling speakers to give you a movie theater-like sound experience.

Choosing the perfect ceiling speaker system for use in an Atmos setup, however, isn't an easy task as the market has numerous options to choose from.

To ensure you get the most suitable Atmos speaker system for your Atmos receiver, we have searched the market and found the following top-rated models for incredible Dolby Atmos surround sound performance.

Best Ceiling Speakers for Atmos Reviews:

1. Pioneer SP-T22A-LR Add-on Speaker

The Pioneer SP-T22A-LR features on our list as one of the best ceiling speakers for Dolby Atmos currently available at the market. This add-on speaker comes at a budget-friendly cost while being fully optimized to add a dimensional sound experience to your room.

The set comes as a pair. And each of the speakers has an excellent power handling capacity of up to 80 Watts. The system incorporates a top-firing 4-inch concentric driver plus a 0.5-inch tweeter.

The speaker features an elegant and discreet design and won't take up too much space in your home. You'll quickly notice the curved cabinet design, which not only adds to the overall elegance but also helps reduce vibrations and enhance the performance.

With the top-firing driver, you can trust this speaker system to beam overhead sound effects off your ceiling to give you truly immersive listening experience.

Setting up the speakers is pretty easy as you only need to connect the cables to the indicated ports, which aren't too many.

Highlighted Features:
  • 4-inch structured surface woofer
  • 80 Watts power handling
  • 1/2-inch high-efficiency soft dome tweeter
  • Curved cabinet design
  • Great for Dolby Atmos enabled systems

2. JBL 8128 | Full-range In-Ceiling Loudspeaker

JBL is one of the most reputable brands worldwide for top-performance speakers. This JBL 8128 model is rated as one of the best ceiling speakers for Atmos for commercial applications. It's a cost-effective option and will give you clear, high fidelity performance.

The in-ceiling speaker comes with Atmos capability and features an 8-inch full-range driver. The system boasts a high sensitivity driver, which translates to maximum sound levels while using minimal amplifier power.

For the looks, this JBL comes with a contemporary grill design, open back design, and 70V/100V taps. These give it great elegance and performance you expect for a speaker system intended for commercial use.

Because it has a small and compact design, you can hassle-freely fix it to any ceiling or even corners of your roof, if required. The dog ears design ensures easy blind mount installations.

Highlighted Features:
  • Clear, high-fidelity performance
  • Dog ears for easy mounting
  • 6 Watt transformer
  • 8-inch full-range driver
  • High sensitivity for max. power efficiency

3. Klipsch RP-140SA Elevation Speaker

Do you desire to introduce Dolby Atmos surround sound experience to your floor standing or bookshelf speaker? If yes, this is the best Dolby Atmos in ceiling speakers for you.

These speakers boast proprietary Klipsch's speaker technology designed to work with Dolby Atmos soundtracks to recreate a high-impact, immersive listening experience.

Each of the speakers features a cerametallic 4-inch woofer plus a Hybrid Tractrix horn tweeter atop of the speaker. The drivers come angled and feature a controlled dispersion, enabling them to reflect the sound off your ceiling all the way back down to your listening position.

Keep in mind that these speakers are also designed to sit on top of your exciting floor standing speakers. Alternatively, you can mount on the wall for use as standard, high-performance surround speakers. Too much setup flexibility, right?

The Klipsch RP-140SA speaker comes in a contemporary aesthetic with exceptional durability and will seamlessly integrate with just any décor. The grille attaches magnetically to add elegance to your speaker and transform it from a powerful showstopper to a discrete performance piece!

Highlighted Features:
  • Dolby Atmos add-on speakers
  • 4-inch cerametallic cone woofers
  • Durable brushed polymer veneer finish
  • Acoustic suspension cabinet design
  • 1-inch linear travel suspension titanium tweeter
  • 90° x 90° Hybrid Tractrix horns
  • Power handling up to 50 Watts

4. Onkyo SKH-410 Home Audio Dolby Atmos-enabled Speaker

These speakers will also offer you an affordable path to unlocking Dolby Atmos' listening experience in your home theater. They come in a set of two and seamlessly integrated with your existing system to give you an optimal listening experience.

We rate them as the best ceiling speakers for Atmos because they produce an incredible sound experience. They easily connect to your Atmos receiver's high channels to deliver an engulfing Atmos surround sound.

Each module comes with a full-range 3 ¼ -inch driver. And the drivers are angled upward and feature controlled dispersion to reflect the sound of your ceiling and back down to where you're listening from.

The dedicated Dolby Atmos-enabled speakers are made from wooden cabin plus a high-grade fabric grille to offer an attractive look and deliver clearer sound. The black vinyl hairline finish completes the great looks of these speakers. Not to forget, it features anti-vibration rubber feet.

Highlighted Features:
  • Dolby Atmos compatible
  • Wall-mount capability
  • 100 Watts max. input power
  • 3 ¼-inch (8cm) cone transducer
  • Wood cabinet construction
  • High-grade cloth grille construction

5. Acoustic Audio CSic83 in Ceiling 8″ Speaker

The Acoustic Audio CSic83 in ceiling speaker will be your ticket to a thrilling surround sound experience. These speakers define high-quality Atmos compatible speakers found in a compact package.

One of the great things about this speaker set is that it comes in the form of a 3-way stereo speaker with a 1-inch poly dome tweeter to provide you with quality sound. It also boasts a good frequency response (of 40Hz 20 kHz) and up to 350 Watts rated peak power.

With an impedance rating of 8 Ohms and sensitivity of up to 95dB, you can rest assured that these speakers will give you clean and detailed highs and midranges. The 13mm soft dome tweeters let you easily adjust the sound projection to any specific spot in your room.

The speakers feature a butyl rubber surround for enhanced performance and durability. They also feature a durable metallic grille that you can paint to match your ceiling colors.

You can easily install these speakers using simple hand tools. The full instructions included in the box make the installation process easy for you. The spring-loaded speaker wire facilitates easy connectivity. The speakers can also be easily mounted on your wall easily and work with other home theater applications.

Highlighted Features:
  • Includes 8-inch woofers
  • Efficiency/sensitivity: 95dB at 1 watt 1 meter
  • Frequency response: 40hz-20 kHz
  • High rigidity polypropylene cones
  • Poly mica midranges
  • 3-way passive crossovers for high fidelity
  • 13mm soft dome tweeters

6. Micca M-8C 8 Inch 2-Way in-Ceiling in-Wall Speaker

If you're still looking for the best in ceiling speakers for Dolby Atmos with an affordable price tag, this is another top option worth considering. This great speaker easily mounts to your ceiling for Dolby to give you that makes your movie watching experience similar to that of a movie theater.

The complete set comprises a 2-way in-ceiling speaker plus a high excursion woofer system to act as the source of base you need in your home theater system. The subwoofer itself appears larger compared to the other elements and features a really professional design and look.

Performance-wise, this speaker system is engineered to deliver high audio fidelity regardless of your room size. It delivers a smooth and natural sound to your room with a robust bass output-resulting in a truly impactful listening experience.

Installing this speaker is easy and quick for you. It comes sized to easily integrated into any space where you wish to set it up. It even features a compartment to let you play with the option of mounting it on the wall if you don't want to install it on your ceiling. And, remember, you can always paint to make it blend with your home décor.

Highlighted Features:
  • 2-way in-ceiling speaker
  • High excursion 8-inch poly woofer
  • 1-inch soft-dome tweeter
  • Features 6dB crossover network
  • Optimized for smooth, natural sound
  • Easy to install

Buying Guide on Ceiling Speakers for Atmos

Find below the most important factors to consider when looking for the best in ceiling Atmos speakers:

Power rating

The power rating of a given speaker system will determine the amount of bass you'll get from the woofer element. For a great performance, consider going for a system that outputs not less than 100 Watts

Size

Before you settle on a speaker, you should make sure your ceiling will accommodate it. You'll come across speakers with varying diameters, from 6 to 12 inches, and they'll likely work with your ceiling since most ceiling joists measure around 16 inches apart.

The height/depth of the speaker is also worth considering. Old homes where builders usually feature massive wooden joists that measure around 9 inches tall or more, unlike modern homes with less space to deal with and might not accommodate some speaker depths.

Design

These speakers come in many designs, so it's essential to consider what design you want. Most homeowners prefer coaxial speakers. These can be either 2-way speakers or models with additional drivers.

Build quality

The quality of construction materials used to make your ceiling speakers affect their performance and durability. Check the woofer cone; the ideal material should feature high sensitivity. The speaker surround should be flexible to ensure clean sound and great performance. Make sure the materials used to make the speakers can withstand high temperatures.

Positioning and adjustability

Given that you'll be installing these speakers to your ceiling, you don't want them to be always fixed straight to your floor. The sound will be bouncing off the floor and getting dampened in the process. Consider a set of speakers with an angled design that targets the listening space and not the floor. Alternatively, you can look for adjustable speakers that allow you to turn them differently depending on where you want the sound to go.

Easy installation

Installing ceiling speakers isn't all easy. Remember, you're positioning them overhead. You'll need to do some drilling, wiring, and piping. With this in mind, you should make sure you get a speaker system that you can easily install with simple hand tools. Models that come with an easy to follow user manual make the installation even easier.

Frequently Asked Questions:

Q: What is Dolby Atmos?

If you're not familiar with Dolby Atmos, it refers to the latest surround technology from Dolby. It was designed by movie and theater sound experts at Dolby Lab. The main reason behind this technology's popularity is that it introduces a height dimension to your home theater, resulting in enhanced spatial effect and immersion. Using ceiling speakers compatible with Atmos will let you enjoy dynamic surround sound that elevates your entire home theater!

Q: How often should I change in-ceiling speakers?

The good thing about ceiling speakers is that they don't require regular replacement. If you get good quality speakers from a reliable manufacturer, they'll serve you for a long period of time without any issues. The only time you'd want to replace your ceiling speaker is when they get damaged (shorts or blows) or starts underperforming due to old age.

Q: How many Atmos speakers do I need?

Some Atmos receivers can support as many as four height ceiling speakers, but you can only choose to use two speakers. It all depends on your preferences. If you got two speakers, then be sure to place near the sitting/viewing area or near the front/screen for optimal listening experience.

Q: How do I install in-ceiling Atmos speakers?

Installing ceiling speakers for Atmos can get tricky if you don't know what you're doing. Do it wrongly, and you end up with a messed up ceiling and cables that hang all over the place. For a successful installation, you'll need to come up with a well thought-out plan first.

Go through the user manual to learn the basics of installation. Arm yourself with all the necessary tools and consider factors like how many speakers you want, speaker placement, speaker placement, and your wiring path.

Final Verdict

so, these are the top best Atmos ceiling speakers you can find on the market today. Though these speakers have varying designs and sets of features, all of them will yield greater performance when you connect them to your Dolby Atmos receiver. Get one of these speakers today and start enjoying the immersive movie theater listening experience right in your home.


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