AudioSource IC8S Round Ceiling Speakers

Rating:
Summary: Great speakers for the price
Review: Ok, let's not get caried away... These are not exceptional speakers. They're not even great speakers. Furthermore, I wouldn't even think of using them in a surround sound system. On the other hand, they are a tremendous value for speakers with good enough sound quality for a whole house system. They are also very easy to install, as they clamp onto the drywall, and no recessed enclosure is needed. I have purchased 6 pair, and now my entire home is awash in glorious ambient music. If this is what your after, you cannot find a better value. However, if you're looking for good surround speakers, you'll find better sound if you loosen up the wallet a bit. later.

Rating:
Summary: Good Quality + Affordable
Review: 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.

Rating:
Summary: Excellent Speakers and a Great Value
Review: 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.





Rating:
Summary: Good For the Price
Review: These speakers are nothing exceptional, but for the price they cannot be beat. I have heard many cheap speakers in my life, but most either have a very tiny treble or just weak sound overall. I would say that these speakers have a fairly round and warm overall sound as well as a good solid range. As a musician, I like to think that my ears are a little bit more fine-tuned than the average American, and for 60 dollars, these speakers are great for my ears.

Rating:
Summary: Good For the Price
Review: These speakers are nothing exceptional, but for the price they cannot be beat. I have heard many cheap speakers in my life, but most either have a very tiny treble or just weak sound overall. I would say that these speakers have a fairly round and warm overall sound as well as a good solid range. As a musician, I like to think that my ears are a little bit more fine-tuned than the average American, and for 60 dollars, these speakers are great for my ears.

Rating:
Summary: Good speakers for the money
Review: 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.