- Q Acoustics has introduced a trio of in-ceiling speakers
- Designed to be easy to install; also affordable
- A fourth, larger (slightly more expensive) model will arrive later in 2026.
Good in-ceiling speakers are something of a luxury: Sonos options run a four-figure price tag, and B&W and JBL options are largely for professionals (or at least, professional spaces full of socializing and gambling), not for you or me at home. That’s no longer the case, thanks to a new release from Q Acoustics.
The brand, known for its stereo speakers like the Q Acoustics 3020c, has just introduced a trio of affordable ceiling speakers designed to be easy to install. Your installer will thank you (or, for the more DIY-ers, your roof will thank you), as they apparently don’t require any kind of power tools.
The range, which we’ll look at in a moment, is designed to connect to existing audio systems, so you can continue listening to your playlist (or podcast or the news) as you wander through the rooms of your home. Some models even have an IPX4 splash rating, so they’ll work in the shower or kitchen.
The three initial models will be available soon, starting at the end of March, in Hi-Fi stores and from Q Acoustics itself.
New Easyfit speaker series from Q Acoustics: what you need to know
There are three initial entries to the new Easyfit line: QI65CE, QI65CWE IPX4 and QI65CWE Stereo IPX4. They are all 6.5-inch options with a power rating of 65W.
The most affordable purchase is the stereo, which costs £199 (around $270, AU$380), as it only comes in one model, designed to offer stereo sound on its own. It has a mid/bass woofer cone and a rotating tweeter, which can be tilted during installation to a chosen listening position. It also has a built-in equalizer switch so you can adapt the sound to any room you install it in.
Spend £299 ($400, AU$570) and you’ll get a couple of things, to arrange however you like. Then there’s the QI65CE, for £249 (around $330, AU$475), which doesn’t have waterproofing.
There will also be a fourth, more powerful model coming out later this year. This is the QI80CE, an 8-inch model that will cost £349 (around $470, AU$660) a pair. We didn’t receive a full list of specifications for that model, but the name suggests that it is not waterproof.
While architectural speakers like these can be great ways to save space in your home, it’s hard to imagine they can compete with the best stereo speakers in terms of audio quality. Still, who doesn’t want music literally blaring from the structural walls of their home?
My colleague recently returned from a trip to the Winter Olympics in Milan, where he says a speaker in the ceiling of his hotel room’s bathroom played what was on the TV, and it’s interesting how quickly you come to rely on listening to news headlines in the shower. She also stayed at a place in Cornwall that had a Sonos One for the initial connection, but then two ceiling speakers (one in the kitchen, one in the shower) that allowed her and her other half to discuss a shower/morning playlist every day, in a way that simply can’t be done when you have a single Bluetooth speaker at your desk.
And I think it’s not that expensive to get that kind of musical assimilation into your life.
The best stereo speakers for all budgets.
Follow TechRadar on Google News and add us as a preferred source to receive news, reviews and opinions from our experts in your feeds. Be sure to click the Follow button!
And of course, you can also follow TechRadar on YouTube and tiktok for news, reviews, unboxings in video form and receive regular updates from us on WhatsApp also.
