Can I test my ceiling speakers before I put them in the ceiling void?

As ceiling speakers are essentially driver units with no cabinet around them, they will sound like they’re lacking bass if you are testing them outside of the ceiling void.

Once installed, the ceiling speaker relies on the ceiling cavity to extend the bass response and deliver the sound as normal. Outside of the ceiling void, the sound will remain thin and flat.

Ceiling Speaker Fire Hoods

When installing ceiling speakers we recommend using fire hoods. These not only limit the spread of a fire in a worst-case scenario, but also help to limit sound leakage into the rooms above, maximising the ceiling speaker’s overall performance.

More on ceiling speaker fire hoods can be seen here: What is a ceiling speaker fire hood?

Ceiling Speaker Back Boxes

For Monitor Audio ceiling speakers you can also install a Monitor Audio back box to tighten and enhance the bass response, making for a greater sound accuracy overall.

The Monitor Audio CMBOX-R still requires a fire hood to be used when installing ceiling speakers.

Controlled-Performance Ceiling Speakers

If installing a back box is impractical, Monitor Audio’s controlled-performance speakers feature their own integrated back box design, offering Hi-Fi sound characteristics from a ceiling speaker. The Monitor Audio Creator Series C2M-CP is a good example of this.