Are you looking to augment your current home audio system or install a new system in a recording studio or office space? How do you know which system will work best for your needs? How will ceiling speakers enhance your audible experience? While each system has its unique function and setup, you don't have to overwhelm yourself with all the different choices and fancy terms. The research has already been done for you! This guide explores several essential items to consider before purchasing your next set of ceiling speakers. 
What to Consider Before While Ceiling Speakers
Ceiling speakers are modest, easy to install and add just the right ambiance to your listening environment. They are ceiling-mounded speakers that vary in size and color. These speakers add audible enhancement to the listener's experience and are a great way to plunge into cinematic or musical bliss.
There are two main types of ceiling speakers, powered and passive. A powered speaker requires the use of a power source, such as AC, and they often come equipped with built-in amplifiers, AUX speaker cable ports, or mics and can be used independently. Passive units are systems that do not require an external power source and are much more adaptable.
Ceiling speakers are not a complex add-on to your system, but they do add audible texture that will allow you to enrich your environment. From hosting dinner parties at home to marble entryways in a hotel, ceiling speakers will transform any space into an inviting place to welcome everyone.
Here are the top 11 things to consider before buying ceiling speakers. Follow along below.
1. Are Ceiling Speakers Good for a Home?
Yes! Ceiling speakers are a great addition to your home. They are aesthetically pleasing in design and can be installed inside and outside your home. When installed correctly, ceiling speakers may add to the home's value by offering a unique feature indoors and outdoors. Specific speakers can also be integrated with your other devices, like Amazon Alexa, Apple Music, Spotify, or any other services you may use. Ceiling speakers can be great for listening to music on a Sunday morning, brightening the mood on cleaning days, and creating a surround sound system effect in your living room to enhance your movie-watching experience.
These speakers can also connect to other speaker systems and can be great for practicing your guitar or any other instruments because they give you a more full and immersive sound. Outside, these speakers can help add some musical ambiance to your backyard BBQ, holiday party, or celebration. Another great feature of ceiling wall speakers is that they take up less space than a traditional standing device, so they won't be an eyesore. Instead of occupying space around your television, bedroom, or home office space, you can install high-quality speakers on your ceilings without taking up unnecessary space. 
2. Are Ceiling Speakers Good for A Business?
There's a science behind music and consumers; music sets the stage for businesses to subconsciously drive the message of a product or the environment. Ceiling speakers can help produce subtle background music that isn't too intrusive but still recognizable. A steak house may play country music, a bar may play jazz, and a medical waiting room may play meditative melodies. How about worker productivity in the office? Studies have shown that productivity has increased within the business sector where ceiling speakers play background music due to copyrights and royalties.
Partnering with a reputable organization to design and install your ceiling speakers is vital to a system that will serve you throughout the life cycle of the building and space, making your investment worthwhile. If you intend to add a set of ceiling speakers to a commercial building, you'll need to consult an engineer if the space is outside of a basic installation scope. If you are looking to install ceiling speakers in a smaller area, you may be able to buy a set of speakers at your local electronic store and install them yourself.
3. Should You Buy Your Ceiling Speakers In-Store or Online?
With all the online deals and mobile app coupons, it's hard to know the best route to purchase your ceiling wall speakers. While there is no correct answer to this question, here are a few things to consider when making a purchase.
Buying online means you won't be able to have a first-hand look at the device, its size, and the sound quality of the material. Always make sure you buy from a reputable brand if you purchase your devices online. Otherwise, the product may not be in alignment with the actual photos and described sound quality.
If you're not tech-savvy, doing your research online can be difficult. Without having someone in person helping to explain the functions and help align you with a product that best meets your needs, you may not know the best product for you.
When you buy in person, you'll be able to consult with a salesperson who is well-versed in technology, allowing you to make an intelligent purchase. They can also help answer any specific questions you have promptly in real-time rather than waiting on customer service to respond.
If you don't know much about tech, you may want to buy your speakers in person. If you need help with installation, you can set up an appointment to have a representative install them for you.
Online, there are many more options and often lower prices. You can buy directly from the manufacturer while exploring all the different options they offer and make much quicker comparisons.
Also, the price of a system doesn't always correlate to what quality it will have. Roger Sanders, owner of the sound systems company Sanders Audio, had this to say when asked about high-end systems and if they're better quality than lower-priced speakers:
"The high-end audio industry is now focused totally on making money. For example, power conditioners do not do anything that the power supply in any component does not already do. So they cannot and do not improve the sound. Yet the high-end audio industry has convinced most audiophiles that a power conditioner is necessary to get immersive sound. This is a hoax. Worse yet, while power conditioners do not improve the sound, they can degrade it. This is because they insert series resistance between the mains and powerful amplifiers. As a result, a powerful amplifier will have its current restricted, which will cause it to clip at a lower power level than it would if you just plugged it directly into the mains. So power conditioners should not be used — yet the audio industry manages to convince audiophiles to buy them. I could go on with endless examples (like fancy power cords, expensive fuses, outboard DACs, etc.). All are unnecessary and don't improve the sound". – Roger Sanders, Mono, and Stereo
4. Speaker Size
Ceiling speakers tend to come in a standard size of 6.5 to 8. These measurements are for the cones or canisters themselves, and the speaker will be much smaller. Each manufacturer will have size options available depending on your intended use for the speakers and your space. You'll want to consider the speaker placement and their aesthetic to ensure they'll fit into a room without being too noticeable or sticking out from the rest of your furniture and electronics. You can even have custom speakers made if you have a specific look that you are going for. This can be especially helpful in professional recording studios, a home theater system, and office spaces. 
5. Volume
When you are looking at purchasing a ceiling speaker, you want to make sure they are equipped with volume control. If not, you will need to configure your volume control manually. While adding on to a device is not expensive, it is time-consuming and may void the manufacturer's warranty. Check with your local supplier or favorite manufacturer for a ceiling speaker that you can easily adjust from the comfort of your smartphone or wall-mounted controller. 
6. Online Reviews
How do you find reputable reviews online? Your best option is to go directly to the manufacturer's website and see if they display customer reviews. You can also check out sites like Amazon to verify if a study was from an actual customer. Most online stores also show reviews of others who have bought their products. This is an excellent feature as it allows you to get an inside look into how the speaker performs at home, any issues that may occur later down the road, experienced advice, and any other answers you may need.
You can also check out some online forums dedicated to audio speaker systems. They are a great source of information and can help connect you with people with first-hand experience working with these products. They are also a great place to find answers to questions you can't find anywhere else online.
7. Blue Tooth Capability
Bluetooth speakers are controlled via a wireless signal from your ceiling speakers and streaming devices, such as a phone, TV, or laptop. Always make sure to read the product details to see if it includes a Bluetooth feature or if this is a feature you would like to have. Not all speakers will come equipped with Bluetooth, although most speakers likely will. If you do purchase a ceiling speaker without Bluetooth or currently have one, there are Bluetooth adapters you can buy and connect them to your devices.
8. Assembly and Setup
It's important to understand that some systems may need to be installed by a professional technician, depending on the power required and the location. By using a certified installation technician, you will have the opportunity to avoid the mess of working in the attic. You will also know that your system was installed correctly and was tested proficiently.
If you do not use a certified technician from the manufacturer or supplier, there are many online resources that you can use to help you install the equipment on your own. Some speakers are designed for easy setup and shouldn't take too much time or effort to assemble. Always follow safety precautions while working in high areas and follow the manufacturer's instructions to ensure you do not void any warranty. A few things to have while installing ceiling speakers are eye protection, tools, and a safety ladder. 
9. Size of Your Space
Consider the size of space you'll be installing your speakers. What's in your area makes a difference in the results you'll receive from your speaker system. It's essential to be aware of any obstructions, like ceiling fans and lighting fixtures. If you're looking to install speakers in a smaller room with no ceiling space, you may want to come up with a new plan.
In a small, carpeted room, you may not necessarily need a ceiling speaker because the audio will be easy to produce in this smaller space, even if the speaker is situated on the ground. Also, adding subwoofers and additional sound equipment may be needed to balance the system if you are setting up a recording studio or a home theater system.
If you are installing speakers in a dining room with tile floors and granite countertops, you may need to adjust your spacing to reduce the echo in the room. However, suppose you have a fully finished basement converted into a kid's playroom. In that case, you may need to adjust the locations of the ceiling speakers to get maximum coverage with the sound absorption.
10. How Many Speakers Will You Need?
Figuring out how many speakers you will need for your space is a bit of an art because there are a variety of factors involved. For the average home, all that is needed is one pair of speakers for an average-sized bedroom, whereas a living room space may require multiple speakers. It all depends on the size of the room and the type of listening environment you're trying to create. The best solution to this question is to look at the ceiling speaker system you want to install and the coverage diagram included in the product's description. Many devices outright tell you the square footage to speaker ratio, which is a great guide to follow if it's your first time installing ceiling speakers.
If you have a unique space to design, you may need to reach out to a design engineer to make sure your vision is possible. The experts can help turn your vision into a reality. When planning your outdoor space, look at the type of structure you would like the ceiling speakers to be mounted on and consider the sound projection. If you live outside the city limits, you may not have an issue with higher volume, but inside city limits, there are often sound ordinances that you must comply with.
11. The Aesthetic
The intended use of a ceiling speaker system should be considered when looking for the right aesthetic. While a commercial business system may need speakers to be durable enough to last in a harsh warehouse environment, a home system may need to be discreet and almost invisible.
Ceiling speakers are typically available in the basic colors, such as black and white, but if you're looking for a custom color, you can also have specific speakers custom-made to fit your color scheme if your speaker is mounted into a structure. 
Ceiling Speakers Are More Than Just Another Speaker
Ceiling speakers, as with any product, will have pros and cons, but with some research and diligence, you can make the right choice for your home. On the positive side, a ceiling speaker home setup creates an excellent surround sound system, looks less cluttered, makes the sound an experience, and offers new connectivity possibilities. The downside to home ceiling speakers may include putting holes in the ceiling, damaging the product if you are unfamiliar with the installation process, and not having enough good coverage.
Ceiling speakers in a business setting heighten the consumer or client experience; therefore, they can be used as a tool to serve the business better. Business ceiling Speakers also have benefits such as steering a consumer to a product or feeling, and commercial ceiling speakers can be a 2-way device for paging and emergencies. The drawback to the commercial ceiling speakers may fall in the ability to access for installation or maintenance.
Whether you need ceiling speakers for your home or office, the benefits outweigh the few negative points. Always ask questions about warranties, expected life cycle, and installation precautions. Look into product and consumer reviews while keeping an eye out for the key features you want, such as Bluetooth, easy assembly, and aesthetic presentation.
The future of sound is changing, and the world is moving towards a much more customizable listening experience in every environment. A ceiling speaker is the next best way to enhance your listening experience. Whether at home, in the studio, or at the office, ceiling speakers can help create an ambiance of sound unlike ever before!
