Mounting Speakers Overhead Becomes Easier While Audio Quality Improves

Making integrators’ lives easier seems to be the underlying trend speaker manufacturers have employed in their latest ceiling speaker models. Various creative tools are rigged to help further ease installation, but this is just one common feature enhancing today’s ceiling speakers. Weather resistance, higher performance at more competitive pricing, and generally more bang for buck balance out new offerings.

Community’s Distributed Design D-Series is a family of seven, high-performance ceiling loudspeakers ranging from a 4.5-inch, low profile model, designed for restricted ceiling space, to a 10-inch subwoofer. Distributed Design Series six full-range models are true coaxial loudspeakers with real compression-driver high-frequency sections and Community’s patented carbon ring cone LF.

The Stealth Acoustics LR6 is a well-suited choice for distributed audio applications and is the smallest footprint speaker from Stealth at 12x16-inches. It is a flat-panel design that is at home either in the ceiling or wall and is designed to mount directly to framing and finish just like sheetrock. When properly finished, no portion of the speaker will be visible. The LR6 is a two-way speaker featuring a direct-coupled tweeter driver and an acoustically coupled 6.5-inch woofer.

QSC’s AcousticDesign “C” Series ceiling speakers employ a 5.25-inch weather-resistant LF transducer incorporating a low distortion fiberglass cone, a 25 mm voice coil, and a rubber surround. The HF driver is a one-inch pure titanium dome tweeter utilizing a neodymium magnet structure. With its larger, ported enclosure, the AD-CI52ST provides greater low frequency extension and is suited for installations requiring shallow install depth—such as cruise ships. The AD-CI52T has a smaller footprint, so it is less visually intrusive.

The new VXC ceiling speakers are available in four-, six-, and eight-inch models. The Yamaha VXC speakers are easy to install with patent-pending anti-drop tabs for temporary installation and secondary safety, as well as double threaded screws for faster installation.

JBL Professional’s Control 321C is a 12-inch ceiling coax loudspeaker with a power rating of 250 watts and frequency response down to 34 Hz. The EZ-Rail feature holds the loudspeaker in place while fastening, often eliminating the need for a second installer. A multi-pin connector allows for pre-wiring with simple click-on connection during installation.

EVID ceiling speakers are high-performance problem solvers that deliver quality sound in the most challenging situations. From the compact power of the C4.2 to the exclusive waveguide- coupled design of the C8.2HC, each EVID solution is suited to handle installer needs across a specific range of intended applications. The C10.1 features a high-excursion woofer in ported enclosure for extended lows, a low pass network with overload protection, supplemental LF for ceiling systems, and an integrated transformer.

Bose FreeSpace DS loudspeakers are designed for a range of business and retail environments. Three models, the DS 16, DS 40, and DS 100, flush- and surface-mount loudspeakers provide three distinct levels of audio performance and are available for indoor, as well as outdoor installed applications. These products are engineered with patented and proprietary technologies developed specifically for delivering music and speech with warmth and clarity, along with high reliability and easy installation options.

The LT-series has a patented design made specifically for fast installation in suspended tile ceilings. The 1x2-foot and 2x2-foot assemblies include new corner restraint tabs for code compliance. The LT is available with eight-, six-, or four-inch coaxial drivers for pro sound, eight-inch or four-inch drivers for music/paging, or eight-inch drivers for music/paging with soundmasking.

The OCV Series was engineered specifically for applications where predictable, high quality audio coverage is required in high or open-ceilinged spaces. The OCV Series was also conceived to meet demand for a pendant style loudspeaker that delivers competitive performance without being compromised by price. Available in black or white as standard and comprising of two models, the OCV 6 and OCV 8, OCV Series is by design a full-bandwidth open-ceiling speaker system.

The FAP42TC-UL2043 is a 16W four-inch speaker that features an integrated 7 0 . 7 V / 1 0 0 V transformer with power taps ranging from 1W to 16W (front selectable). This high performance coaxial speaker offers 130-degree dispersion and a frequency response range of 75Hz-20kHz. The integrated back can improves low frequency reproduction.

The Model Q-CA speaker features a 6.5- inch coaxial driver and proprietary diffuser produce a hemisphere of full range coverage. The Model Q-CA speaker is suitable for low finished ceilings where clear voice announcements and full-range music are required. UL listing makes it appropriate for emergency evacuation systems. The Model Q-CA speaker installs in minutes in a standard tile bridge for eight-inch speakers or a 9.125-inch hole in a finished ceiling.

The Extron SoundField SF 228T is a twoway ceiling tile speaker for low impedance and 70 volt/100 volt systems. This design features a low profile, 2x2-foot by 5.3-inch deep enclosure that is UL 2043 plenum rated, weighs less than 20 pounds, and drops directly into standard suspended ceilings. The two-way ported design includes an eight-inch woofer and a one-inch silk dome tweeter that provides a frequency response of 50 Hz to 20 kHz for high fidelity music and speech reproduction. The SF 228T offers 60 watts continuous pink noise and 120 watts continuous program output.