Recessed subwoofers

A

Adam Kane

Freshman
Apr 8, 2011
16
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I'm working on a project for a customer and they would like all the speakers recessed in the plaster/drywall ceiling...including subwoofers.

It's an older building and the framing is 12" centers leaving about 11"-ish to mount speakers in. I'm having trouble finding a subwoofer that will fit into a cavity that narrow. I've looked at JBL, Atlas, and a few others.

Appication is BGM but a touch louder...would prefer to stay away from 70-volt, but if that's all that fits...

Any help would be appreciated.
 
Re: Recessed subwoofers

How deep is the ceiling? Could you cut out a section of joist and frame out a square for a bigger sub? Is there any way to get a bigger sub into the ceiling without cutting it?

The Community VLF208 absolutely rocks for being a dual 8" subwoofer, and would easily fit in your space. You would probably have to make a custom grille for it.
 
Re: Recessed subwoofers

Silas Pradetto said:
How deep is the ceiling? Could you cut out a section of joist and frame out a square for a bigger sub? Is there any way to get a bigger sub into the ceiling without cutting it?

The Community VLF208 absolutely rocks for being a dual 8" subwoofer, and would easily fit in your space. You would probably have to make a custom grille for it.
Click to expand...

The space above the ceiling is attic...so several feet.

I've considered cutting/re-framing, but I'm not sure if the owner will be OK with the extra cost or not. I'll just give it to him both ways I guess: Pay this much if you want it recessed, or pay this much if you're OK with something surface-mounted.

That community sub does sound good...almost forgot about it.
 
Re: Recessed subwoofers

Silas Pradetto said:
How deep is the ceiling? Could you cut out a section of joist and frame out a square for a bigger sub? Is there any way to get a bigger sub into the ceiling without cutting it?

The Community VLF208 absolutely rocks for being a dual 8" subwoofer, and would easily fit in your space. You would probably have to make a custom grille for it.
Click to expand...

I've done custom bandpass type box subs above the joists with an external port tube ducted between the joists to the drywall. Then treated the opening with an el-cheapo 6" ceiling speaker grille (just removed the driver so all that was left was a grille, frame and dogleg tabs)
The danley dual-8 box would work great as you would only need a small opening in the finished ceiling -furnace register or plain atlas 8" grille would probably work.
 
Re: Recessed subwoofers

Thanks for the suggestions. To clarify, I'm looking for something similar in form factor to the Atlas FAP or JBL control recessed units. Cut a hole, shove it in, done. I'd rather not mess with making and/or coming up with some sort of custom grill to put over a hole for what we're going to make on this job.

I see a lot of home theater in-wall subs that would fit, but they are all open-back style and are intended to use the wall stud bay as an enclosure...so an entire attic probably isn't ideal. Again, having to build some sort of rear enclosure for the thing is more work that I need to put into this.
 
Re: Recessed subwoofers

Adam Kane said:
I'm working on a project for a customer and they would like all the speakers recessed in the plaster/drywall ceiling...including subwoofers.

It's an older building and the framing is 12" centers leaving about 11"-ish to mount speakers in. I'm having trouble finding a subwoofer that will fit into a cavity that narrow. I've looked at JBL, Atlas, and a few others.

Appication is BGM but a touch louder...would prefer to stay away from 70-volt, but if that's all that fits...

Any help would be appreciated.
Click to expand...

Cutting it close but perhaps this would work:

http://qscaudio.com/products/speakers/acoustic_design/c_series/ad_c81tw_dimensions.htm
 
Re: Recessed subwoofers

Well I'll just throw this out there - piece of 8" sonotube, baltic cap in the top. Baltic ring inside the tube glued to a 12" dia flange which would screw directly into the joists and a 12" dia spacer ring for excursion on the bottom, generic 12" round ceiling grill. Passive low pass filter. Tang Band W6-1139SI6-1/2" subwoofer. You'd probably have room for a vent if the woofer was offset. Pretty quick little project if you have a circle jig and a router. Hmmmmm.....maybe I'll add it to my offerings.
 
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