Installing speakers in drywall/metal structure

In my new-build 19x34 great room, I am setting up for a 5.1.4 ht. Planning on using RC80is in the 12’ ceiling. Thing is, it is not the usual wood construction with joists 16”oc. It’s all steel. The roof is supported by 17” I-beams on 5’ centres and from those a grid work of hatchannel every1’ will accept the drywall. Therefore there are lots of metal-to-metal connections and way more airspace than usual up inside, (which also includes 4” of polyurethane spray foam applied to the underside of the roofing panels).

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From other finished rooms in the house, I know the ceilings are *drummy*, so I wonder if I have to take extra measures to make sure speakers perform ok (like back boxes, etc). The engineer says owners of similar houses don’t report any complaints with their ceiling speakers, but I thought I would check with audio people. Thx

Comments

  • verb
    verb Posts: 10,176
    I would put boxes in for sure. Easier to do now since no drywall is installed. Could even tie em into the joists too. IMO, of course. I installed some in wall speakers this year and had to cut the drywall out to make pseudo boxes in between the 2x4’s, lots of spackling and sanding afterwards!
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  • VR3
    VR3 Posts: 28,755
    When I was doing the preliminary stuff in the living room, I fabricated some wooden boxes to go over the in ceiling speakers, I insisted in the box and on top of the box.

    Another consideration is to buy a speaker already in a box 😜
    - Not Tom ::::::: Any system can play Diana Krall. Only the best can play Limp Bizkit.
  • mdaudioguy
    mdaudioguy Posts: 5,165
    ^^^ Insisted.... Or insulated?
  • mdaudioguy
    mdaudioguy Posts: 5,165
    Btw, @Jasper7, nice room! What speakers and other gear are you putting in? Get yourself a couple of good subwoofers...
  • VR3
    VR3 Posts: 28,755
    Insulated, yes

    Go infinite baffle on the subs, rock N roll
    - Not Tom ::::::: Any system can play Diana Krall. Only the best can play Limp Bizkit.
  • Thx for the advice. It is in the direction I was thinking too. Id stretch a couple of 2x8s Between the joists and top it with Roxul. The drywall would also attach to the wood as well. I’m leaving subwoofer(s) decision for another day—like when I learn what an infinite baffle is.
    Completion is a ways off, but I have a Denon avrx4400h, and a bunch of legacy speakers—large Advents I bought in 1979, a pair of PSB B5s, and the Polk RC80is for the ceiling. Centre channel speaker to be determined—to match the Advents
  • F1nut
    F1nut Posts: 50,656
    edited December 2018
    Those Advents will not make for good HT speakers. You need something far more dynamic. The Polk RTiA or Signature series would be an excellent choice.
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