A:AnswerI don't think the enclosure will help with bass. I installed the 6-1/2" versions with and without the enclosures, and they sound better to me without the enclosures. The enclosures make the most difference with reducing the sound transmitted thru the ceiling to other rooms. The 8" speakers have an incredible amount of bass in my opinion. If you need more bass, consider using an inceiling subwoofer. I just installed four of the 6-1/2" inch versions with a Skywalker dual 8" in-ceiling sub and it sound amazing. Driving the sub with a little OSD 100w subwoofer amp.
A:AnswerI bought these to replace 20-year-old speakers that used a rough in bracket with a bigger hole than these require. I was impressed at how well the mounting hardware adapted to the larger hole. So bottom line there is likely something out there that will work.
A:AnswerNo. The cutout dimension for in-ceiling mounting is 8-1/4", and the speaker has barely enough room to fit that. The 8" hole-saw I bought was not large enough to create the opening - you need the extra 1/4".
