misskel Posted December 6, 2003 Share Posted December 6, 2003 Be gentle, I'm a newb to this sound system stuff and tired of getting the run around from salesmen that talk around me to my husband - assuming he's the geek in the family when he can barely operate the remote. We want to put surround sound in our new family room, but I'd like to do it with the speakers all in the ceiling. Can I do this with Klipsch speakers? The hubby and I both liked the Klipsch over at least 10 other brands, but did not hear a full set up in the ceiling. I know SpeakerCraft says you can use their new "aim" technology in the ceiling with just 5 speakers, but I didn't like their sound. Since Klipsch lets you "aim" their tweeters I'm wondering if it will work the same. I know this is probably a totally moronic question, but not having bought audio equipment in twenty years can be a bit of a hinderance! Any help or suggestions would be appreciated!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
slowjoe24 Posted December 6, 2003 Share Posted December 6, 2003 I will be installing my RCR-5's in the ceiling for my surround soon! I'll keep you posted after the install! I do have a 9ft. smooth ceiling! Good Luck.......these will be my first try at ceiling speakers Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Klipschfoot Posted December 6, 2003 Share Posted December 6, 2003 If I may ride along on this post, I am interested in finding a ceiling speaker for the bathroom. I want only ONE speaker to produce the stereo sound. That may avoid the boring sound of monophonic sound. I think I have seen one that has two tweeters and one woofer built into one unit. I don't want or need two holes for left and right. Any help? I don't care about brand or high end sound. I will run it from the bedroom system into the master bath. Thanks. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hz536n Posted December 6, 2003 Share Posted December 6, 2003 I have RCR-3 for rear surrounds and a single RCR-5 for a rear center in my 6.1 HT. The room is large with 10' ceilings and the Klipsch ceiling speakers are outstanding for movies and DVD Audio materials. My system does utilize a SVS 22-31 subwoofer, so I really do not rely on the fullrange of the ceiling speakers (and mains and center). I would not hesitate to try a full ceiling Klipsch system with RCR-5 all around. The Klipsch speakers can also be "aimed". Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
misskel Posted December 6, 2003 Author Share Posted December 6, 2003 Thanks for the help. I think I will go ahead with the RCR-5's. It will be awhile before I can try it out as we still have the walls down, but will let you know how it turns out. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dbb Posted December 6, 2003 Share Posted December 6, 2003 Dear Misskel: Sorry about the hubby; I'm in the same boat with my wife... At any rate, I had my house wired for HT when it was built. The installer terminated the surround speaker wiring in the ceiling, to the left and right of the seating area. I've rewired everything since then to put it all on the sides and rear (7.1). In all actuality, you;'ll probably be fine - very few of us can say that we've got the perfect acoustical environment in which to place our gear, and for whatever twisted reason, you gals just don't appreciate the aesthetic beauty of exposed, free-standing speakers...! ;-) I think it all boils down into what works for you, and how serious you are about your listening environment, and how much you want it to replicate the true cinematic (and life-like) experience. The side surround speakers should be filling in the "wide angle" left & right "aural" stage that you get in real-life, and at the cinema. Audiophiles get all wrapped up in harmonics, standing waves, etc., but speaker placement IS important; with the surround speakers overhead, a car that is driving from left to right on the screen will sound like it's passing overhead. The center channel speaker (which reproduces dialog) doesn't make sense unless it's positioned straight ahead, as near to the screen as possible. I think you see what I mean... So it's all about tradeoffs and preferences. I hope all of this has helped you in some way. Sometimes, you just have to sit down and take the common sense approach. By the way, I'e heard that in-wall speakers tend to lack bass, because the sound out of the back of the speaker may be going into the attic, or dispersed into the full wall caviity, and not get "ported" back into your listening environmet. -D 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
htxpert Posted December 7, 2003 Share Posted December 7, 2003 Hi All Installing In ceiling speakers? Here is a little tweak for folks who have attic crawl space and a little DIY in them. In ceiling speakers are very good from an architectural stand point; but, even the best ones on the market (Klipsch being one of them) fall a little short when compared to inwalls or conventional box book shelf speakers. Here is a solution that will greatly increase their performance. Its called a back box and it is very easy and inexpensive to construct. It can be made rough and does not need finishing. It works by minimizing back transmission through out your attic or bleed out and it also reduces ringing . There are a couple of ways to construct them. Here is one way: Material available at all Home Depots 1ea length of 10x5 sono tube $8 1ea 1/2x4x8 particle board or MDF $10 1 tube Liquid nails $2 1 box coarse #6 1/2 drywall screws $2 2 bags poly fill (Wal-Mart) $4 Tools : Skill Saw Screw Gun with Phillips bit Utility Knife Caulking gun Construction : Cut Sono Tube into 4 equal lengths. Trace inside diameter of sonotube on the 1/2 sheet of particle board so you have 4 circles on the sheet. Cut out the circles with a jig saw. They don't need to be perfect but try to get them close so they fit nicely in the end of the sono tube. Fasten the cut out circle to the end of the sonotube by using the 1/2 drywall screws. You may want to drill pilot holes to minimize the chance of splitting . You now should have a sonotube that is open on one end and closed on the other. Run a bead of Liquid nails on the inside of the sonotube bottom (where you connected the circle) this will fill all voids where the circle is attached to the sono tube. Fill the sonotube loosely with polyfill. Place the open end of the back box over the magnet structure of the speaker. You may wish to drill a small hole in the top of the back box to run your wires to the speaker. You can attach the back box to the back side of the drywall or use a simple strap to the joyce. project time: 1/2 day for four speakers You will need one more length of sono tube for a 5 channel system The other way is to construct a 5 sided box out of 1/2 particle board or MDF. Disclaimer : I make no claims as to the fire rating of this project. Common sense is best used when constructing and installing these. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bill H. Posted December 7, 2003 Share Posted December 7, 2003 Hy, do you have any Pictures of Your project for all to see? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fini Posted December 7, 2003 Share Posted December 7, 2003 htxpert, Very nice construction description! The only change I would make is the circle material. 1/2" particle board of MDF are impossible to edge screw without splitting. I'd recommend using a 1/4 sheet of 3/4" CDX plywood (or a 4- or 5-foot length of 1X12 pine). Here's another little Home Depot tip. They sell damaged goods (plywood, boards, etc.) at drastically reduced prices. Ask to see the "culls." This is a great option if you only need, say, 1/4 of a sheet of plywood. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
htxpert Posted December 7, 2003 Share Posted December 7, 2003 Hi You can use plywood for the circles but partical board and mdf are denser material and cheaper if you have to buy it you can drill a small pilot hole before you put the screw in I dont have pictures we have installed these throughout the years in various applications Good tip on the scrap at Home Depot I have also seen precut circles in the Lumber Department for $3 each but I have never tryed one to see if it fit in one of the Sono Tubes The Sono Tube is an excellent material to use and is simular to the type of material that HSU and SVS used to build there subs Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
misskel Posted December 8, 2003 Author Share Posted December 8, 2003 htxpert, Thanks for the tips on the "boxes". My hubby may not be a techno or audio geek, but he is a carpenter! I'm going to print this out and show it to him. We have chosen the worst possible room for surround sound - lots of windows and wood floors, but since the whole house is like that, we're determined to make it work. We don't need an exact replica of theater sound, I think "good enough" will do it for us. Plus, we haven't bought new stuff in 20 years, so anything new is bound to sound better! misskel Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
misskel Posted December 8, 2003 Author Share Posted December 8, 2003 Hey dbb, It was the hubby that said everything had to be hidden! But, yes, I prefer that, too. And, cute "matchy, matchy" paint! Thanks for the response! misskel Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Antagon Posted December 8, 2003 Share Posted December 8, 2003 You have to deal with a HAF factor, thats a first if i ever heard one I think the RCR speakers will be fine, although they wont match up to a nice set of floorstanding speakers, i demo'ed a set and they sounded great. You will need a nice sub though, which arent really hide-able. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cyclonecj Posted December 8, 2003 Share Posted December 8, 2003 Actually, someone does make an attic or floor mount sub. I can't remember who it is at the moment, but a google search found this: DIY Attic mount sub Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
htxpert Posted December 9, 2003 Share Posted December 9, 2003 Hi If you need the sub to be hidden go for an in wall or in floor if possible. I cant think of one sub that is marketed for higher performing Home Theater that I would place in the ceiling. A DIY rig may be a different story (with critical planning and installation ) Here are a few in floor and in wall subs to look at The in floor is a good design that is well concealed and these in walls are top notch performers as well, keep in mind that you will need a rack mounted subwoofer amp for these careful planning is also need for placement of any in wall / in floor sub for good performance. A careful choice of an in wall or in floor sub with proper installation will make or break your home theater system simply put there will be no WOW effect if you skimp on this part of your system You have to remember that it will need to be crossed over at a pretty high level because you are installing In Ceiling speakers for your system therefore the sub will picking up the slack from about 30Hz to 120Hz or so depending on the speaker you choose hope this helps Check out RBH MCS-88 In wall subwoofer dual 8 high excursion woofers RBH SI-12 In Floor Subwoofer www.rbhsound.com and Triad Bronze 10 Triad Silver 15 www.triadspeakers.com Hope this helps RLA Home Theater & Hi-Fi Your Inland Empire THX Certified Dealer / Installer www.rlahometheater.com Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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