Best Budget Ceiling Speakers For Surround Sound and 5.1 Gaming Audio

Are you searching for budget ceiling speakers for cinematic audio experience in the budget? This post is for you. Adding a ceiling speaker to your existing 5.1 or 7.1 surround sound system is an easy and budget-friendly fix to get the cinematic sound quality at home. Whether it is your family room, living room or kitchen, ceiling speakers can deliver high-quality sound stereo sound or surround sound depending on the configuration without a hefty price tag. Moreover, they look cool and does not take your floor space or shelf space.

Fortunately, these days no matter what gadget you are buying you will see plenty of options. With plenty of choices comes confusion, fakes and a lot of other terrible things. You have to choose what is best for you sensibly. We cannot precisely tell you that this one is the best for you. But we can provide you a list of best budget ceiling speakers so that you can quickly filter out the best as per your requirement and budget. Still, if you are confused, we are always here for you, drop your query in the comment section or on our social media handles. Here is our list of best ceiling speakers for surround sound that won’t leave a hole in your pocket.

Budget Ceiling Speakers

As our picks, in-ceiling speakers are budget oriented so we will start the list in order of low to high price.

1. Pyle PDIC60

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Pyle PDIC60 might be an excellent pick for you if your budget is meager, below $50. Less cost does not always mean low quality. Pyle’s PDIC60 is a stylish 6.5-inch speaker system which includes a 1-inch titanium dome tweeter. This impressive unit has an impedance rating of 4-8 ohms and delivers up to 250- watts peak output. You get two options to install this speaker either mount on the wall or flush mount in-ceiling.

That’s all about the design and specifications but what about the sound quality. Well, the sound quality is not as crisp and soothing as of the big brands like Klipsch or Polk Audio Ceiling speakers which are way more pricey than this one. But for the price you pay, it produces the loud and clear sound which is praiseworthy. Plus, the white color finish matches with the ceiling color that makes it perfect for indoor usage. The integrated wiring and amplifier transformer switch allows quick and hassle-free speaker connection. It works in the extended frequency range for better response to the low frequencies.

2. Micca M-8C 2-Way In-Ceiling Speaker

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Just by raising the budget a bit, you can buy Micca M-8C 8-inch ceiling speaker with a 2-way design. Underneath the white color elegant yet straightforward housing, you will see a high excursion 8-inch poly woofer and 1-inch soft dome tweeter. For perfect integration between these two, a 6dB crossover network is used. As a result, you get smooth and natural sound without compromising with the robust natural bass for overall impactful listening.

It is ideal to extend your existing home theater system for a cinematic experience and louder sound. The installation is straightforward, use the included templates to mark the cuts. The built-in mounting tabs are also a breeze, all you need is a screwdriver. The best thing about this ceiling speaker is how well it handles the lows for natural rich bass output. Each unit has a power handling capacity of 100 watts which might be as much as the former one. But the sound quality is a bit better on Micca M-8C.

3. Pyle Home PIC8E

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Pyle Home PCI8E is another excellent pair of ceiling speaker that produces exceptional sound and comes at a lower price. This pair has a power handling capacity of 300 watts that makes it ideal for home and office use. A poly cone woofer made for UFLC material and an adjustable 1-inch tweeter helps to deliver a more rich & full sound.

These ceiling speakers pair also features a treble control knob that lets you quickly adjust the treble. The cut-out templates make the whole installation lot easier. Grills are stain resistant, means you need not worry about the cleaning part frequently.

4. Klipsch R-1800-C

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Klipsch, a big name in the audio industry needs no introduction. Klipsch R-1800-C features a simple design and comes with Horn-loaded technology for loud and clear sound. The 8 inches cerametallic woofer and one-inch tweeter deliver impressive sound. You can use them for as surround sound speakers in an all-Klipsch home theater or in a pair for stereo listening with you existing multi-room audio system.

The outer grill is white, but if you want to give them a different look, you can paint them. It has a peak power handling capacity of 160 watts, and a max RMS value is up to 40 watts. These speakers offer an impedance of 8 ohms and pose a sensitivity of 89 dB. The extended frequency range (56-20,000 Hz ) helps in balanced sound output. Its moisture-resistant design makes them ideal to use even in bathrooms and kitchens.

5. Polk Audio RC80i

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Polk Audio RC80i is my recommendation out of all the best ones here. This 2-way ceiling speaker can either be mounted on the wall on in-ceiling. It can handle peak power up to 200 watts without any sign of distortion. It is equipped with 8-inch polymer composite cone woofer along with 1-inch tweeter pumps high-quality audio in the frequency range of 35 Hz to 20 kHz.

You don’t have to worry about the dust, moisture and all that as the housing is dust and moisture resistant and made of durable materials. It delivers incredible stereo sound in your home speakers that you rarely see in any speakers of this range that too without using floor or shelf space. Also, the swivel mounted tweeter delivers spacious sound with high clarity in any listening position.

6. Yamaha NSIC800WH 2-Way Ceiling Speaker

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Yamaha NSIC800WH 2-way ceiling speaker pair can handle maximum power up to 140 watts RMS. This specific Yamaha speaker is available in various configurations and power ratings. So the one that we choose is a pair that comes with a 2-way design and is one of the most selling ceiling speakers under $200. It offers an impedance of 8 ohms and 2.5 kHz crossover frequency. Yamaha NSIC800WH goes as low as 50 Hz and as high as 28 kHz for deep lows and ultra clear highs without compressing the mids.

It has a slim profile that fist easily in any the ceiling and the white color finish matches with the roof, so you would not need to repaint the grills. The back cover is sealed pack preventing any dust and moisture from getting in. Sound quality is one more thing that will make you consider this speaker. At heart lies an 8-inch polypropylene mica cone woofer for high-performance mid/low sound reproduction. The one-inch tweeter swivels to let the user adjust for most effective high-frequency output.

7. Polk Audio 70RT (Ea) 3-way In-ceiling Speaker

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Polk Audio 70RT features a unique 3-way driver array for the big sound and seamless audio quality in a compact form factor. The sheer-grille are wafer-thin and magnetically secured to deliver unimpeded sound. Getting deep rich bass from the ceiling speakers is not an easy task. But thanks to the dual bandpass bass ports, the Polk Audio 70RT pumps out the precise, rich bass in a small enclosure.

It design extends its coverage area for dynamic sound coming from the Cassini oval woofer. You can paint it to match your decor, and it is quite easy to install with everything you need on the place. The lower tweeter levels offset reflective surfaces to avoid any chance of distortion in sound quality. When we talk about the specs, this unit offers an impedance of 8 ohms and high sensitivity of 90 dB. It can handle maximum power channel up to 125 watts and operates in the frequency range of 34 Hz to 27 kHz.

8. Yamaha NS-IW480CWH

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To give fierce competition to the Polk Audio 70RT, Yamaha NS-IW480CWH comes with a 3-way design. Inside the speaker housing, there is an 8-inch polypropylene mica cone woofer and dual 3/4 inches dome tweeter. This pair can handle maximum power up to 120 watts. The tweeter is swivel for a wider dispersion of the sound to get the surround sound effect.

Yamaha NS-IW480CWH ceiling speakers have a sensitivity of 86 dB which could have been better. The broad frequency response range of 50 Hz to 28000 Hz keeps them ahead of its competitors. The installation process is DIY, all you require a few essential tools and the ceiling speaker unit. The tweeters can be focused to deliver sound to the listening area by the pressing the edge of the tweeters. Even the woofer can also be directed which has a 12° pre-tilted construction. All you have to do is rotate the speaker’s enclosure.

9. JBL SP6CII 2-way Ceiling Speaker

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JBL SP6CII is ideal choice to further enhance the quality of your 5.1 or 7.1 surround sound system or either pair them with your multi-room speaker system for stereo listening. The tweeter is titanium coated for excellent high-frequency sound. The rubber surrounds reduce the distortion to a right margin. It packs a 6 inches woofer and a 1-inch tweeter. It handles power in the range of 25 watts to 80 watts per channel.

Now, this might feel less as compared to the other ones here. In fact, the sound output is a bit less loud, but the clarity is excellent. The extended pole pieces produce deep and powerful bass without any distortion. So for crystal clear sound with durability and support of the JBL, JBL SP6CII is worth to be on this list of best budget ceiling speakers for surround sound.

The EOS waveguide that is imported from the JBL Professional series LSD studio monitors distributes the sound evenly throughout the playback area. So you are not left with the sweet spots, your whole room becomes the perfect listening position. With a mounting depth of 108 mm and a weigh of 2 kg it offers maximum installation flexibility.