Definitive Technology had some really intelligently designed and great sounding in-ceiling speakers in their room. Most in ceiling speakers we've seen are appropriate for the shoe department Muzak at Macy's, but I wouldn't let them near the home theater. Sandy Gross of Definitive puts a whole can and a half of whump-ass in these babies. I blew up a picture of the speaker and put it in the bottom right of the photo for you to get an idea. The baffles are angled, looking like what the roof looks like in the attic. Two woofers and a tweeter are angled down and towards the back of the room, while on the other other side of the "roof" you'll find two passive radiators. I was tremendously impressed by the timbre and solidness of the midrange and upper frequencies. Sandy also used some in wall subwoofers to round up the bass. I actually thought the bass was a little on the high side, but I guess that shuts up anyone who is worried that a 4" deep subwoofer can't keep up with the action.

We watched some Gladiator and a Steely Dan video and it all sounded great from the back row. Moving up to the front row of this three row theater, I noticed the music was more immediate, but the height of the left and right channels was more noticeable. Oddly, though, it was not objectionable. The center channel, even though at the same height (the ceiling) as the others, felt firmly fixed to the projection screen, so it all worked.

Leave it to Sandy to figure out how to turn a compromise into an asset!