For decades now, the intelligence community has used the term “overhead assets” to refer to space-based reconnaissance machinery, but that term has evolved to identify a new, if less exotic realm of value in meeting spaces. A basic strategy for conference room success includes avoiding too many participants, limiting table clutter, and simplifying system operation. Unless the conference is mighty highenergy, one no one is going to be on the ceiling and that makes it the perfect area for tools that can work unobtrusively close to the action. Custom coverage ceiling speakers and beamforming microphone technology have raised these devices in functionality as well as physical height.
Among point-source ceiling speakers, the AtlasIED IsoFlare FC-8T stands out with its integral back can, C-Ring, and included Tile Bridge. The edgeless grille is magnetically secured and available in black or white but it is also paintable to match the room. Its Ferrofluid cooled titanium HF section with neodymium magnet system is harmonically aligned with the 8in. LF cone driver and the low insertion loss 30W 70/100V transformer has easy access for power settings. An audio network addressable and self-amplified ceiling speaker system, the AMK Innovations DS84 simplifies installation by using a PoE+ network switch. The powered unit can run alone on the internal Class D amplifier, or it can operate as many as three connected passive speakers. This combination can be used for paging, background music or in conference room ceilings. This model is Dante Domain Manager ready with each one on a separate IP address.
The Audio-Technica ATND 1061 beamforming ceiling array microphone can provide first-class sound pickup whether it is used alone or in multiples to cover larger meeting spaces. The Digital Microphone Manager app is used to configure its six individual output channels into as many as 32 user-defined microphone pickup zones. Other features include onboard DSP including automix, acoustic echo cancellation (AEC), noise reduction, automatic gain control (AGC), and 4-band EQ. The January firmware update brought VISCA (Video System Control Architecture) over IP and Voice Lift technology.
When paired with a Vocia voice communication system, the economical Biamp CM10TB can find a great meeting room home. This one uses its preassembled back can design to make it easy to mount in suspended tile or drywall ceilings. It can be used in low impedance or 70V/100V systems and the wattage selector is right on the front face, hidden by the grille. The 120Hz to 20kHz (± 10dB) frequency response allows full bodied sound from playback devices and remote participants.
Flexibility and easy installation are huge design points of the Bogen CSD2X2U-V2 8-ohm/70V/25V drop-in ceiling speaker. It can be converted into a Nyquist passive IP speaker or IP intercom speaker and it can function as a 25V/70V audio amplifier source and speaker combo unit. Multiple 25V/70V speakers can be daisy-chained for wider coverage in a larger room. With a dispersion pattern of 100 degrees and a frequency response of 95Hz to 20kHz, it offers clear voice reproduction.
Bringing Dante PoE and AES67 to the ceiling, the Clockaudio C303-D tri-element back electret condenser microphone also has RF filtering, 50Hz – 20kHz (± 3dB) frequency response, and maximum SPL of 125dB. Its three elements each have a pickup pattern of 120 degrees, combining their coverage to 360 degrees. Available in satin black or gloss white, this model has a transmission speed of 100Mpbs and is Dante Domain Manager ready.
Classrooms and conference facilities are just a few of the venue types in which the Crestron Saros IC6T two-way ceiling speaker can find a perfect home. Its 6.5in. polypropylene woofer with damped cloth surround and the wide-dispersion, horn-loaded 1in. dome tweeter team up to provide 50Hz to 20kHz (±3 dB) frequency response. The 60 W multi-tap transformer can be used in 70V and 100V distributed speaker systems and there is low impedance capability as well.
Featuring a unique HF waveguide design that integrates the HF driver with a 6.5in. LF driver, the EAW CIS400 two-way ceiling speaker has the sound of a high-end studio monitor. A sealed zinc-coated steel backcan provides a very durable housing while cam-style installation clamps and two steel T-Bar support channels make installation a breeze. A tight sound connection is made through a Euroblock input connector with detachable mating plug.
For smaller conference spaces the Electro-Voice EVID-C4.2LP is a 4in. coax two-way loudspeaker with an internal line-matching transformer and low-Z bypass. The 4in. polypropylene LF driver is coupled with a 0.75in. titanium coated dome tweeter to produce a frequency response of 60Hz to 20kHz over a 130-degree coverage pattern. The baffle and bezel are constructed from UL 94V-0 rated ABS and the grille is semigloss white powder-coated enamel.
The Extron SF 228T Plus 8in. two-way SoundField ceiling tile speaker is a UL 2043 plenum rated enclosure that contains an 8in. long-throw woofer and a 1.1in. silk dome tweeter. These combine and work with a tuned bass reflex port for 47Hz to 22kHz frequency response. The 2x2ft. unit is designed for US-style suspended ceilings. It is capable of handling 90 watts continuous pink noise and 180 watts continuous program output.
Designed to put big sound into a small space, the JBL Control 12C/T consists of an easy-install pre-attached blind-mount backcan fitted with a vented paintable baffle and a 3in. wide-bandwidth cone driver. The whole unit is capable of handling 40W continuous program power, operating on 70/100V or low impedance, and delivering a frequency response of 95Hz to 15kHz (±3dB). The nominal coverage area is a 130-degree cone.
An 8in. injection molded (IMG) woofer and 1in. Pivot Aluminum Dome ABS Tractrix horn-loaded tweeter work together to produce a frequency response of 56Hz-23kHz (± 3dB) in the Klipsch PRO-18RC ceiling speaker. Bezel-free square and round paintable magnetic grilles are available and this speaker can fit into some tight places with only 6.35in. mounting depth required. Running at 8 ohms with a coverage angle of 100 degrees, it can be used in a wide range of applications.
Forget all the cutting and measuring with the Lowell Manufacturing LT2-810-BB 8in. dual cone lay-in tile ceiling speaker and its 2x2ft. fine perforation grille. The 8in. 15W dual cone driver fits into a 147 cubic foot steel backbox with quick connection speaker leads. The grille and its white powder epoxy finish allows maximum freeair space for sound transmission and blends with any room. The assembly features four restraint tabs for code compliance tie-offs.
Acoustics are not always perfect in the conference location and the Martin Audio C8.1T is made to deal with high ceilings and reverberant rooms. This two-way high performance flush mounted ceiling speaker brings its UL94V-0 carbon fiber loaded polypropylene cone bass, wide 90-degree conical dispersion pattern up to 7kHz, and 1in. horn-loaded dome tweeter to deal with acoustic challenges. The sturdy steel backcan houses a system that has 125W power handling capacity.
Ceiling speakers are largely put there to keep them out of the way but the OSD Audio ICE1080HD 3-way 10in. model was designed to belong overhead. Handling power up to 150W, the unit teams a 10in. paper woofer, 2.5in. pivoting paper cone mid-range, and pivoting 1in. Ferrofluid cooled silk dome tweeter for 30Hz – 20kHz frequency response. Dog ear installation brackets hold the 8-ohm system solidly in place.
The QSC AC-C8T has a low saturation 70/100V transformer with 8-ohm bypass and a 4-pole Euroblock connector for simple installation. For highs, the .86in. silk dome tweeter is coaxially mounted with an 8in. Polypropylene cone that includes a butyl rubber surround. These components allow a 52Hz – 20kHz frequency range and a maximum continuous SPL of 108dB. The ported baffle design enables LF extension down to 52Hz.
A 6.5in. woven fiberglass woofer and 30-degree swivel aluminum dome tweeter form the basics on the RBH Sound VF-615 in-ceiling speaker and from there its dual sound contour switches are used to tweak the response and custom tailor it to the specific room. Once in place, this unit can be magnetically fitted with a square or round, black or white grille to visually blend. This model can handle 15 to 100W and produce a frequency response of 50Hz to 20kHz (±3dB).
Designed specifically to use bending wave physics to turn flat surfaces into full range audio speakers, the Revolution Acoustics SSP6 Multiducer is easy to install. The RevLoc mounting plate adheres to the flat mounting surface and the SSP6 screws into the back of it. Used with the RevNet 2140 amplifier, the SSP6 can be deployed with others in 70V mode to cover large areas. Otherwise, it can be connected in 8-ohm configuration. The frequency response is 45Hz – 20KHz and the unit is IP66 certified.
After easy mounting with patented SwiftLock by Swarm technology, the Russound IC-830 gets the 1in. pivoting titanium tweeter and 8in. injectionmolded polypropylene cone working to reach 38Hz – 25kHz response and handle power up to 130W. Included is a ± 3dB tweeter adjustment switch to adjust for room acoustics and a woofer stabilizing inverted parabolic surround. Neodymium magnets secure the paintable edgeless grille.
In January, the Shure Microflex Advance MXA901 Conferencing Ceiling Array Microphone launched, with a low profile round form factor, available in white, black, and aluminum finishes. Following the launch of MXA902 in 2023, MXA901 expands the Microflex Ecosystem portfolio with enhanced directional voice capture and reproduction with minimal setup required. Zoom and Teams certified.
Employing patented BroadBeam Ring waveguide technology, the SoundTube CM890i 8in. two-way, blind-mount ceiling speaker generates 80Hz22kHz (±3dB) frequency response with maximum continuous power RMS handling capacity of 125W. This system can be configured with its 60W, sixposition selectable tap transformer for distributed operations or the transformer can be bypassed for 8-ohm compatibility. The tool-free magnetic grille and bezel assembly finish it out.
For system designers who like to conceal all the tech stuff, the Stealth Acoustics LR8G 2-way in-wall or in-ceiling full-range speaker is a good choice. This system has a rigid rectangular frame that firmly attaches to standard structural material. The grille can be room-matched using latex paint, light wallpaper, fabric and selected texture coats. The output has 45Hz-20kHz frequency response with 120W RMS power handling.
The Tannoy CMS 803DC PI full bandwidth 360-Watt high sensitivity loudspeaker features an 8in. dual concentric point source driver with Omnimagnet technology and a Torus Ogive Waveguide. The self-aligning 5-way clamp system makes the installation very easy and for thicker ceiling panels, an extra clamp extension is included. A 60 W transformer mounted in the optional CMS 803 PI 16-ohm backcan is controlled through a front panel tap. Dust protection is provided by a paintable powder coated steel mesh grille.
It is always interesting to see how microphone manufacturers handle sound pickup of random conversation from a distance in a system designed to be as automatic as possible. The TOA AMIO beam steering microphone array is an example of how this challenge has been met. Along with a user friendly 2-color on/off LED and improved on/ off switch, there is access via PC browser software to let users configure the sound source tracking.
Hanging discreetly above the fray, the Vaddio EasyIP CeilingMIC D sends conference voices via Dante network to wherever they need to be routed. 360-degree coverage is assured by its three-element mic array and the drop cable allows the mic to be hung at exactly the height desired. The number of microphones that can be hung in the room is only limited by the availability of network switch ports. Once the system is configured with Dante Controller software, it handles everything.
Attendees are not intimidated by the appearance of microphones when using the ClearOne BMA 360D microphone array ceiling tile. Operating seamlessly with any Dante enabled DSP mixer, the unit provides uniform gain response across all frequency bands. A smart-switched output is used on a separate Dante transmit channel allowing echo cancellation, noise cancellation, and level control. The structure fits two different ceiling grid types: 24in. and 600mm.
Covering large rooms and staying out of the way are dual specialties of the Sennheiser TeamConnect Ceiling 2 ceiling microphone. Once it replaces a ceiling tile, the device offers 28 Electret condenser capsules, Dante or analog output, PoE, and exclusion zones as well as a priority zone. It can handle sound pressure levels up to 104dB while using just 8.8W and delivering 160Hz to 18kHz frequency response. In December it was announced that the TCC 2 sister product the TeamConnect Medium for mid-sized conference rooms has been integrated into the Crestron Automate VX voice-activated speaker tracking solution.
The Yamaha RM-CG ceiling array microphone uses its Multi-beam Tracking to follow the voices of several speaking conference members simultaneously. A color-coded system in the Web UI is used to configure pre-set beam-tracking zones. Other features include adaptive echo canceller, noise reduction, de-reverberation, automatic gain control, auto mixer, and Yamaha’s original HVAD (Human Voice Activity Detection) technology. While very simple and easy on the user end, there is a lot automatically going on behind the scenes.
