The Best Ceiling Speakers of 2024

Best Overall

Polk Audio RC80i

$200 at Amazon $249 at Walmart $250 at Best Buy

Manufactured from moisture-resistant, durable material, the Polk Audio RC80i can be used indoors or in a sauna or porch area (although they're not suitable outdoors). We chose them as our top pick because they offer design and sound quality benefits, yet they come at a much lower price than higher-end speakers. 

Our product tester Erika found the RC80i had exceptional sound comparable to speakers double their price. They produce a warm sound that fills an entire room and are adjustable on a 15-degree swiveling mount, so it's easy to make the sound hit precisely where you want. Their white coloring helps them blend in and makes them hardly noticeable on a white ceiling, but you can paint the grilles to match your ceiling if it's a different color (although the grilles are not magnetic). They also come as a pair.

_{Channels: L and R | Bluetooth: No | Physical Connection: Push-down spring clips | Paintable/Magnetic Grills: Paintable | Waterproof: Humidity resistant}

Easiest Installation

Polk Audio 70-RT

$180 at Amazon $199 at Walmart View on Rcwilley.com

Known as 'the vanishing series,' the Polk Audio 70-RT is a single speaker outfitted with a super-thin grille that magnetically secures the speaker together while protruding a mere 7mm from the ceiling. This makes for a speaker that's barely noticeable from a distance. 

Despite its small diameter, it sounds good overall, with a robust sound profile.

_{Channels: L and R | Bluetooth: No | Physical Connection: Spring-loaded cylinders | Paintable/Magnetic Grills: Paintable and magnetic | Waterproof: No}

Best Budget

Pyle PDIC60 In-Wall/Ceiling Speakers

$60 at Amazon

Designed for wall or ceiling installation, the Pyle PDIC60 speakers are about as cheap as you can go while still getting a decent ceiling speaker. They come as a pair of 6.5-inch speakers, and while you won’t get upgrades such as magnetic grilles and the sound isn’t as powerful as more expensive speakers, they will still serve as an upgrade over most regular TV speakers. They’re also a good choice for a kitchen or other areas in the home. However, we would not recommend these for someone who wants speakers for a premium home movie theater.

The bass delivered from the Pyle isn’t bad, but it does tend to distort slightly when you crank the volume up to full blast, so it’s best to go with a separate, affordable subwoofer if you want full bass.

_{Channels: L and R | Bluetooth: No | Physical Connection: Push-down spring clips | Paintable/Magnetic Grills: Paintable | Waterproof: No}

Best Sound

Klipsch CDT-5650-C

$135 at Amazon

This Klipsch series is a favorite among our reviewers, as the speakers sound so good. The CDT-5650-ii comes at a steep price and is only a single speaker. 

The audio is crisp and accurate, with the highlights being the mids and lows. There's also a surprising amount of bass, which is unexpected for in-ceiling speakers. 

Remember that you'll need to buy at least two for stereo sound, as they don't sound good paired with non-Klipsch speakers.

_{Channels: L and R | Bluetooth: No | Physical Connection: Spring-loaded clips | Paintable/Magnetic Grills: Paintable and magnetic | Waterproof: No}

Best Theater

Acoustic Audio by Goldwood 3-Way In Ceiling Home Theater Speaker Set

$150 at Amazon $150 at Walmart

The Acoustic Audio CS-IC83 is a decent set of five solid entry-level home theater ceiling speakers.

As with most ceiling speakers, you’ll want to add a separate subwoofer if you like booming bass. 

The paintable frame and grille offer easy installation and the flexibility to change the look to match your home’s paint coloring.

_{Channels: L and R | Bluetooth: No | Physical Connection: Push-down spring clips | Paintable/Magnetic Grills: Paintable | Waterproof: No}

Best Splurge

Bose 791 In-Ceiling Speaker II

$599 at Amazon $599 at Walmart $599 at Adorama.com

The Bose 791 speakers are 7 inches wide and have Bose's signature Stereo Everywhere technology for balancing the sound in an entire room. 

The easy installation pairs with an ultra-slim bezel that makes this Bose model drop right into the ceiling (via a precut hole) and is secured in its position with dogleg clamps. They have a detachable speaker grille that can be removed and painted to fit your room's decor. As with the Bose 591, we appreciate the Bose 791's design and build quality.

_{Channels: L and R | Bluetooth: No | Physical Connection: Spring-loaded cylinders | Paintable/Magnetic Grills: Paintable and magnetic | Waterproof: No}