Customer Reviews

AudioSource IC8S Round Ceiling Speakers, White (Pair)

5 star:		(14)
4 star:		(6)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

We bought four pairs of these to put in the ceilings of our addition. We're using them for surround sound in the family room, and they work great ... for stereo in the breakfast room and bedroom, and no complaints. They handle anything we put through them w/no distortion & good sound.

Reason for purchase:

I am in the process of finishing my basement and had purchased the IC8S speakers to use a surround speakers in my designated home theater area. The in-wall / in-ceiling mounting was an absolute must for me, since I wanted a "clean" look for the room; however, I didn't want to spend a fortune on Infinity, JBL, or similar since the prices for those start at $200/pair. I stumbled onto the Audio Source speakers on Amazon and decided to take chance on these speakers based on the good reviews. I was hesitant, though, because I didn't recognize the brand and the price seemed "too good to be true", so I didn't get my hopes up.

Background on the install:

The Audio Source speakers serve as surronds (right, left and back) in a setup that includes a Denon AVR 883 receiver, JBL Northridge series bookshelfs, JBL northridge center speaker and a JBL powered subwoofer. I used monster cable or similar quality speaker cable throughout the room.

Review:

These speakers are very good --- in fact I'd say they are outstanding given the price you pay for them. I can't imagine you'd find anything better for under $200/pair. They produce very clean, crisp highs and nice warm mid-range sound. The directional tweeter is a very nice feature that I did not expect to see on speakers of this price. Obviously you won't get much bass response out of these speakers, but you don't need that if you pair these with good full range front speakers and a good powered subwoofer. The sound I am able to get out of these speakers in conjucntion with the rest of the setup is tremendous. I am totally pleased with these speakers and would recommend them to anyone looking for great sound on a "budget". Obviously there are some "audiophiles" who will find shortcomings with these speakers, however, the average consumer, like myself, should be pleased with these speakers.

Other thoughts:

The packaging included with these speakers indicates that Audio Source is a division of Phoenix Gold. This made me feel a lot better about these speakers. I have had good experiences with Phoenix Gold audio components for mobile installs I have done in the past.

The IC8S speakers are quite large-- approx 10 - 11 inches in diameter. Take good measurements to make sure you have no obstructions in the area where you are mounting. Make sure you have room for these speakers before you buy.

I also bought a pair of the IC6S for background listening in a second room. These are also very good, but don't sound quite as "rich" as the IC8S. The IC6S are considerably smaller than the IC8S --- so I would consider these speakers if you have space constraints.

I purchased several pairs from another vendor and installed them in new houses as home theater 5.1 packages. They sound excellent with plenty of bass. Movie soundtracks sound excellent on these. I then purchased a pair for myself from Amazon since they seem to have the best item + shipping price out there. I installed these in my garage and WOW. I have the coolest garage around! I think I will install another pair later!

Make sure you tell Amazon to ship these double-boxed, otherwise they come shipped in their retail box which doesnt offer much protection. The edges were cracked on both speakers in the pair I purchased. =(

I know what youre thinking. A no-name brand. Well these are no 'white van' speakers. I decided to try some when I determined to put two in my master bath. I already have two 5.1 theaters (neither uses AS hardware). Ten bucks times seven and they were from eBay to my house. Easy install. I ran 14 ga wire to them and drive them with an old Technics stereo reciever that is 80W on two channels.

I lit these up and they rawked! I mean the kind of sound you would expect from speakers costing 5 times more. Rich, deep and clear bass (wow). crisp highs and obvious mids. The only difference I can possibly tell against high-priced speakers is that they don't have quite the "headroom" the others do. Meaning, you can sense that they don't have the ability to absolutely crank up (distortion free) and run you screaming out of there. Modest volumes to loud are very good. Don't try to overdrive these however, as in see-how-loud-they-can-get or "stereo wars" with the boys.

I highly recommend these budget performers. They shocked me.

Ok... Ask yourself one question before you buy these speakers. Am I an audiophile? If you answer "Yes" or if you have a subscription to "The Absolute Sound", then keep looking. For the rest of us, these are really good speakers. If you're looking (as I was) for moderately priced, good sounding, in-wall, paintable-grilled speakers then this is a solid choice. For a retrofit into a smaller room, I'd suggest the 6" speaker instead of the 8". Also, if you're doing a whole-house audio thing on a budget (as I am), then you can save $$ and effort by buying the "dual voice coil" model which accepts both the left and right channel into one speaker. Not as good as separates, but you only pull one 4-wire cable and drill one hole into your drywall. 5 stars minus one to aknowledge my audiophile brothers and sisters who know their stuff about high quality sound.

I was skeptical about these speakers but I have listened to so many in the past couple of months in stores I couldn't decide. After reviewing and comparing the specs and prices I decided to give these a try. I mounted them in the celing as my front pair angeled the tweeters and WOW! What a great sounding pair of speakers and the price is about $150 less than I was going to spend. I am very happy and they are so easy to install in your ceiling. It is a well worth saving the money and getting these two. You could spend alot more money and get the same quality of sound.

I knew I was rolling the dice with these rather than buying a well known brand. The sound is awesome! Installation was very easy and the adjustable tweeter helps dial in your sound. Words can only say so much...you will be shocked by the sound coming from these speakers. I have mine hooked up to both a stereo system and a home theatre. Whether you talk movies or music the sound is crisp and tight. Add in the price and this is a no brainer.

I bought two pairs of these for installation in a new house, one pair for the living room, one pair for the kitchen. They produce brilliant highs and a clean midrange. Don't take that 28 hz figure too seriously though; no 8" speaker I know of will give really convincing lows without an elaborate enclosure (which these don't have). Having said that, I still think the bass is good, just don't expect to shake the walls unless you add a subwoofer to the system. The speakers are excellent on vocals, speech, and background music, which is how I plan to use them. Considering the price and performance, They are an outstanding buy.

I bought 3 pairs for my basement. I have suspended ceiling. The speakers are made for installing on sheetrock ceiling. So, the installation was not straightforward. I used the same metal wires used for hanging suspended ceiling to secure the speakers to the joist. Used SIMA SSW-6 1 x 6 Speaker Selector to connect the 3 pairs to the Amp. The bass is not that great but the speaker has good high frequency response. Mids are ok. The adjustable tweeters are nice. I use it only for music. I added my old sub woofer to the B out of the Amp and, WOW !! it rocks !!.

Good speakers for general use, and great value. I used 2 pairs of these as front and back speakers to create a surround set up so I have no speakers on the floor. It has really cleaned up the look of my room which is a family room about 20x12. I have a center speaker sitting on the TV. I get plenty of volume from these speakers (Sony STR695DE amplifier)and the sound is true and clear...but...the bass volume is not that great from where I sit. I think this is because, obviously, they point down from the ceiling and are not facing you in the way floor standing speakers do. If you go stand under the speakers and listen the bass is much better, so I'd have to conclude this is an inherent aspect of choosing to mount ceiling speakers, and not due to these specific speakers. In my original setup I did not have a subwoofer because the whole goal here was to keep the floor clear. Now I have added a YST-SW215 ($100) to add back the bass, because this subwoofer is small enough (yet still 100w) to sit next to the TV on the cabinet. It faces forward and has added back the bass I was missing. Again, these speakers have great bass, but it was quite directional. I should say that I like loud R&B (like Stevie Ray Vaughn and 3 Doors Down) and loud trance and techno, so my need for bass may be more than others! Conclusion...I think ceiling speakers are ideal for back surround speakers, but you may prefer forward facing speakers for the front. If you do choose ceiling speakers, I can recommend these highly. I love my current setup. Cheers


Latest news: I bought 3 more pairs! 2 more pairs for the basement and 1 pair for the dining room...guess I'm hooked. Now, maybe I could fit a pair in the garage...