Ceiling Speakers – Polk Audio Vs. Boston Acoustics
Just for a little educational experiment, I want to go through an analysis and comparison of two very differently priced in ceiling speakers. The first one is the so-called budget friendly Boston Acoustics DSi255 and the second one is the Polk Audio LC80fx. The first can be had for around $100, while you’ll probably have to pay closer to $900 for the Polks.
For those of you who aren’t so well-versed in the subtle (but major) distinctions between different components and aspects of ceiling speakers, this should tell you a lot, and hopefully inform your purchase if that is what you want to do. I am not trying to pick a side, necessarily. I’m just trying to illustrate how there could be a price discrepancy of oh about 800% between the low-end and the high-end in this sub-sector of the ceiling-based audio field.
First let’s look at the Boston Acoustics offering. This one is rather cheap, I’d say. I mean who would think you could get anything from that stalwart of Boston, MA, sonic engineering for $99. Not me. I was surprised to see this deal when I first spotted it.
The BA DSi255 has a 5 ¼” woofer and a ¾” dome tweeter for your ears to hear sweet, sweet music through. Like many ceiling speakers they run flush to the rest of the ceiling, a feature I personally like. I prefer it over the ones that kind of stick out like an upside down semi-globe, but maybe that’s just me. Anyway.. These speakers are designed to disperse sound through as wide an area as possible. Most people who use them are using them in places like an office or a hallway. In other words, because they’re not ultra amazing sonically, people tend to relegate them to background music status. Now, the thing is, these speakers really aren’t bad at all. Like many things in life, don’t just assume they’re bad because the price is lower than some of their competitors. Remember: a lot of pricing is just based on what the company thinks they can get away with by making you think they’re so amazing through their advertising.
Now let’s have a look at our buddies on the other side of the spectrum. The Polk Audio LC80fx ceiling speakers are not just normal speakers. They are actually specifically built for surround sound, an entirely different animal. So that is why upon closer inspection in many of these cases, the prices seem so wildly divergent. But still, we ought to have a closer look at the actual quality of this offering from Polk.
Not only do these speakers serve up surround sound, they also have an advanced tweeter lodged in each one of them. These also have many if not all of the same features that our previous example had, as you would expect: things like the flat in-line with the ceiling, etc. But these high-end ceiling speakers also can be switched into two different modes: a diffused mode which basically spreads sound out over the whole room, or a pinpoint mode which will make different sounds come from much different places in your whole setup. Obviously you don’t want to get these if you’re not planning on implementing them in a bigger overall surround sound system galore.
In conclusion, I’d just say that much of the time you have to wade through some technical jargon to find out what’s really inside (and outside) of various ceiling speakers. You also must have a real clear vision of how you’re going to be setting these things up.
About the Author
Will writes about many different home electronics in his blog, and one of his favorites is
ceiling speakers
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CyberData RAL 9002 VoIP Ceiling 2 SIP Speaker V2 NEW $150.00 |
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OEM SYSTEMS ISF-147 CEILING SPEAKER PROTECTIVE COVER $17.27 |
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Omnimount – 20.0 CEILING-B Universal Ceiling Speaker Mounting Kit $40.55 |
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M6R MODERNO 6 1/2″ 2 -WAY IN CEILING SPEAKER PAIR $129.00 |
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Bogen ASUG1 Amplified Ceiling Speaker $30.45 |
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Omnimount – 300CAIFKB – OmniMount Universal Speaker Ceiling Mount Kit – Mounting $60.95 |
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Nutone SS-626DS 2-Way Dual Voice Coil Ceiling Speaker $49.00 |
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Omnimount – 200CEILINGB – OmniMount Universal Ceiling Speaker Mounting Kit – Mou $32.95 |
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Martin Audio 6.8T Ceiling Loud Speaker $90.00 |
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Pair of MA Audio MA52iWR 140 Watt 2-Way Home Theater In-Wall/Ceiling Speakers $39.99 |
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New Wholesale Lot of 7 1400W In-Wall/Ceiling Speakers $147.77 |
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7 New Wholesale Lot 1750W 6.5” In-Wall/Ceiling Speakers $177.77 |
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New 2100W Wholesale Lot of 7 8”In-Wall/Ceiling Speakers $217.77 |
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New 1500W Wholesale Lot of 5 8”In-Wall/Ceiling Speakers $148.88 |
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10 New Wholesale 140 Watt 5.25″In-Wall/Ceiling Speakers $127.77 |
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12 New Wholesale 140 Watt 5.25″In-Wall/Ceiling Speakers $149.99 |
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24 New Wholesale 140 Watt 5.25″In-Wall/Ceiling Speakers $297.77 |
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20 New Wholesale 140 Watt 5.25″In-Wall/Ceiling Speakers $248.88 |
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PAIR OF Niles DS7MP In-Ceiling Theater Speakers $270.00 |
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Conextion – z100c In-Ceiling (Single) Speaker $100.00 |
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Conextion – z200c In-Ceiling (Single) Speaker $150.00 |
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Conextion – z500c In-Ceiling (Single) Speaker $250.00 |
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Conextion – r2L-65c In-Ceiling Speakers (Pair) $120.00 |
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Conextion – r2L-50c In-Ceiling Speakers (Pair) $50.00 |
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Bogen Ceiling Speaker 1×2 Panel w/Vol. Ctrl CSD1X2VR $38.70 |
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AES wall/ceiling speakers 6 1/2″ High End Audio Sound $110.00 |
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Bogen Drop-In Ceiling Speaker CSD1X2NB $25.00 |
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Bogen Drop-In Ceiling Speaker CSD1X2NBVR $31.30 |
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Bogen Drop-In Ceiling Speaker CSD2X2 $45.00 |
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Bogen Drop-In Ceiling Speaker CSD2X2/U $45.00 |
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Bogen Drop-In Ceiling Speaker CSD2X2L $44.40 |
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Bogen Drop-In Ceiling Speaker CSD2X2VR $51.70 |
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Complete Bookshelf Speaker Mounting Kit WALL&CEILING $12.80 |
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Valcom Clarity S-500VC 25/70V 8″ Ceiling Speaker S500VC $44.88 |
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Bose UB-2 Wall/Ceiling Speaker Mounting Bracket Kit $29.95 |
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Bogen High Fidelity Ceiling Speaker HFSF1 $48.60 |
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Bogen S810T725PG8U Ceiling Speaker – Bright White $18.10 |
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Ocean Daven Wave LED Night Light Ceiling Projector Speaker Lamp $17.45 |
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Sea Wave LED Light Bathroom Ceiling Projector Cell Phone Smartphone MP3 Speaker $17.45 |
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Bogen S86T725PG8UVK Ceiling Speaker – Vol. Ctrl w/Knob $23.90 |
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Audio Research Ceiling 2-Way Architectural Speakers NEW $116.95 |
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NEW KLIPSCH CDT-2650-C II 6-1/2 INCH IN-CEILING HOME SPEAKER CDT2650CII (WHITE) $144.44 |
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PYLE 8” Two-Way In-Ceiling Speakers PDIC80T $86.00 |
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Niles DS7-FX In Ceiling Home Theater Rear Surround Sound Effects Speakers DS7FX $319.95 |
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Yamaha NS-IW360C Stereo Speakers wall ceiling Pair New $287.99 |
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JBL Control 24CT MicroPlus Ceiling Speaker, Pair $80.00 |
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KLIPSCH IK-650-C IN CEILING SPEAKER MOUNTING BRACKETS – NEW IN BOX!! $22.49 |
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SoundTube RS80B 8″ 2-Way Open Ceiling Black Speaker, a $290.00 |
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New Viking 8 Ohm Ceiling Speaker With Volume High Quality Excellent Performance Popular $86.56 … |
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Wiremold C210 White Cordmate II Kit $16.21 The Wiremold White Cordmate II kit contains everything you need to hold wires and cords within a space-saving cord channel that’s flexible and hinged, and easily snaps opens and shut. The peel and stick self-adhesive backing is easily attached onto baseboards or walls, and the white PVC components can be painted or stained to match a room’s color. This kit is ideal for holding networking cables an… |
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Vanco 120614X Custom Two-Piece Bulk Cable Wall Plate (Single, White) $1.75 The Vanco Reversible signal cable wall plate provides a clean, attractive looking alternative to signal cable wall entrance/exit points for home theater projects, including flat panel TV installation. The reversible cable cover can either extend from the wall or extend into the wall for tight spaces such as behind the flat panel TV…. |
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Pyle Home PVC1 Wall Mount Rotary Volume Control Knob $59.99 100-watt power handling10-position light touch adjustmentsStandard and Decora wall platesIncludes mounting ring and wire nuts for installation… |
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Home Theater: Audio $1.99 … |
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I Want That 207 … |
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ViewSonic PJD5133 SVGA DLP Projector – HDMI, 2700 Lumens, 3000:1 DCR, 120Hz/3D Ready, Speaker $345.51 With new slim design at only 3.2 inches high, makes it ideal to move from room to room on campus or throughout the office. This ViewSonic PJD5133 SVGA 3D DLP Projector offers a variety of hardware and software features including HDMI, multiple PC and video input options, 1.1x manual optical zoom, vertical keystone correction, 120Hz/3D-ready, support HD video signal and integrated speaker. Filter-l… |
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Advanced HD Port ready LCD Projector,1080i Resolution HDMI input,Playstation, Xbox, DVD, cable/satellite tv $202.00 Advanced HD Port ready LCD Projector,1080i Resolution HDMI input,Playstation, Xbox, DVD, cable/satellite… |
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1 Pair 6.5′ Resonate In-Ceiling Speakers $50.99 1 Pair 6.5′ Resonate In-Ceiling Speakers |
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Insignia 6-1/2 In-Ceiling Speakers (Pair) $109.98 Fill out your home theater setup with these in-ceiling speakers that blast up to 100 watts of clear, rich sound. |
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Bogen CSD1X2 Drop-In Ceiling Speakers $93.17 10 lb 10 oz 110 Hz 12.88″ 20 kHz 23.75″ 4.75″ 94 dB CSD1X2 Drop-In Ceiling Speakers Support Rail Crossbar Wire Nuts Power Taps: 4, 2, 1, 0.5, 0.25 Watts Easy assembly saves installation time, effort and cost Fully enclosed, industrial grade steel construction For use with both 2 ft. x 4 ft. and 2ft. x 2ft. suspended tile ceilings Seismic attachment point Bogen CSD1X2 Drop-In Ceiling Speakers are full-range speakers that allow for fast and easy installation. Just make one simple cut to the ceiling tile, lay the support rail crossbar across the ceiling grid, and drop the CSD1X2 into place. Bogen Bogen Communications International, Inc CSD1X2 CSD1X2 Drop-In Ceiling Speakers In-ceiling Metal Off-white Paper Speaker www.bogen.com |
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Pyle PylePro PDIC60T In-Ceiling Speakers $57.99 2 2-way 22 kHz 250 W 4.63″ 65 Hz 8 Ohm 9″ 70V Transformer, Tapping at: 8 Ohm,30W,20W,15W, 10W,5W 1” High Temperature Voice Coil PylePro PDIC60T In-Ceiling Speakers Grilles Strips of adhesive Template PDIC60T Pyle Pyle Audio, Inc PylePro PylePro PDIC60T In-Ceiling Speakers Speaker Titanium Midrange www.pyleaudio.com |
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Pyle PylePro PDICS8 In-Ceiling Speakers $30.99 12.80″ 16 kHz 2 200 W 3.15″ 60 Hz 8 Ohm 1” High Temperature Voice Coil 100V Transformer Tapping At 10W PDICS8 Pyle Pyle Audio, Inc PylePro PylePro PDICS8 In-Ceiling Speakers Speaker www.pyleaudio.com |
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Califone CS308 ClearSound Ceiling Speakers $181.64 Efficient sound distribution in any room should begin at the top with ClearSound ceiling or wallmounted speakers. ClearSound speakers are designed to provide the clearest classroom audio amplification. Engineered with a frequency response that s optimal for vocal reproduction and multimedia presentations the twoway ClearSound speakers create whole room audio immersion with superior coverage. Teachers and students will notice the improved sound quality whether the speakers are connected to the Califone Infrared Classroom Audio System or to other sources. Each ClearSound package includes two speakers two brackets (one pair of each). Their flushmount installation and paintable grilles help blend ClearSound speakers into the architecture (indoor or outdoor installations) so they ll be heard but not noticed. Springloaded terminals for professional and fast installation. UL firerated ABS plastic for durability. Paintable grille. Polypropylene with Mica cone. 6 Woofer with 1 tweeter. Included tile bridge made with 18 awg steel for strength and fits standard 24 x 24 or 24 x 48 panels. 4 Tensioning points create a solid connection with the ring and bracket. |
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Bogen CSD1X2 Drop In Ceiling Speakers $119.16 Bogen s CSD1X2 DropIn Ceiling Speakers are 1 X 2 speakers that allow for fast and easy installation.Just make one simple cut to the ceiling tile lay the support rail crossbar (included) across the ceiling grid and drop the speaker into place. Finely perforated grille over the entire front of speaker. Fully enclosed industrial grade steel construction. Enclosed Back Can. 8 main cone with secondary highfrequency cone. 70V/25V 4watt transformer (4 2 1 0.5 0.25 watt) taps; selected by rotary switch. Seismic attachment point. Available in offwhite and bright white ( U versions) grille finish. VR versions have a Recessed Volume Control (frontmounted). Complies with Requirements of UL2043. Support Rail Crossbar (included). |
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Boston Acoustics Dsi 255 2-Way In-ceiling Speakers DSI255 $42.29 Boston Acoustics Dsi 255 2-Way In-ceiling Speakers DSI255 |
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Valcom 2'x2' lay-in Ceiling Speakers With Backbox V9022A2 $125.67 Valcom 2'x2' lay-in Ceiling Speakers With Backbox V9022A2 |
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Yamaha 8 2-Way In-Ceiling Speakers (Pair) – White $149.95 These Yamaha NSIC800WH 8″ 2-way in-ceiling speakers feature 8″ polypropylene mica woofer cones and 1″ fluid-cooled soft dome tweeters for powerful sound. The flush ceiling installation and paintable grilles ensure a stylish appearance. |