What is the Difference Between In-Ceiling and In-Wall Speakers?
In-Ceiling vs. In-Wall Speakers. We are often asked what the difference between an in-ceiling speaker and an in-wall speaker is, and the answer really is quite simple. Not a great deal!
What is the Difference?
There is no real difference between in-wall and in-ceiling speakers, with a few rare exceptions (an example being niche products for home cinema use). The speaker drivers are identical between comparable models such as the W165 and C165 (shown below), with the only difference being that the tweeters are not mounted in front of the bass drivers with wall speakers. This means the circular speaker can be narrower and that the rectangular speaker can be shallower, with these attributes benefitting their respective installations.
They even share the most common installation method - dog-leg fixings - which clamp the speaker to the plasterboard wall or ceiling. This means that installation into a solid wall or concrete ceiling can be onerous unless a stud wall or false ceiling can be created to house the speakers, however anything is possible in most cases.
Generally, in-ceiling speakers are perfectly capable of being installed in a wall and vice versa, they will sound identical.
Why Separate Them
The reason for separating in-ceiling and in-wall speakers into two categories is simply that a square or rectangular outline is preferable when installing speakers into walls, usually to achieve aesthetic parity with other wall furniture such as TVs, windows and pictures. In-wall speakers are often shallower, because of the bigger chassis size which allows the technology to be spread out.
Circular speakers are usually preferred for in-ceiling installations, mainly because in the UK people tend to have circular light fixtures. However, if you have square light fixtures then a square outline may be preferable, and if the speakers are to be installed either side of a roof lantern or Velux window a rectangular chassis may well look more natural.
As always, we are more than happy to help you with any questions you have about any of our products, or planning an audio system in general. You can submit a contact form here, email us at sales@ceiling-speakers.co.uk or just give us a ring on 03456 803 802