Customer Ratings & Reviews

Sonance makes always great quality speakers! Bought 2 of these

Clean and easy install and great price. Sonance allows for speakers to be grouped and tuned

I love the sound and like the way the speakers look in ceiling

Amazing speakers with a Kevlar cone. Highly recommended esp at the sale price!

We just purchased a new home, and I've been installing a whole-home audio system. Our house already had 3 sets of in-wall speakers installed, and I needed quite a few more sets for our 14 zone audio system. The Sonance MAG6R were on sale at Bestbuy for a ridiculous price, and I purchased 6 pairs and installed them. Build quality is stellar, as noted in the other review, with nice features such as good side protection, wonderful easy to use mounting tabs (especially with a power driver), and easy-mount brackets that hold them in the ceiling while you're installing them. The magnetic grill is fantastic, and very slick and slim when installed. They mount basically flush on the surface, and the wife approved of the look. On first listen, it was just a jaw-dropping WOW, you've got to be kidding experience. The bass was so deep and clear, and the "voice" of these speakers so natural, I was extremely impressed. These speakers sound fantastic, including (and especially) at low-volume for ambient background music throughout our home. We tend to keep the XM Classical channel or XM "The Bridge" on as ambient music, and these speakers are wonderful. We have them installed as both stereo speakers (in various bedrooms and living areas) as well as mono-speakers (in hallways, entryways, and offices). They shine in either application They can handle a decent amount of volume as well, such as for the occasional party; we're driving them with very good (though older) B&K CT610 amplifiers at 60W/channel (with a total of 18 zones of available amplification - it's taken me a month to get this all installed and running). One last important point: these are advertised as "ceiling speakers" and they mean it! They are quite deep, and will NOT fit onto a standard wood-framed wall without some modification. As several speakers I was installing required a wall-mount (not ceiling), I had to do a bit of modification to get these to fit my standard depth walls. This is not a simple DIY project, and requires some tools and skill. I removed the rear cover and circuit board, and ground down the circuit board mounts to place the circuit board below the level of the rear driver magnet. Finally, I traced the position of the magnet inside the mounting hole, and routed about 1/2" of depth off the drywall on the OPPOSITE SIDE of the speaker cutout to allow just enough room to wall-mount these speakers (I used a DeWalt drywall cutter with depth guide for this, with tons of drywall dust in the process). In sum, mounting is possible on a standard-thickness wood-framed wall, but not recommended for a novice DIY installer.

Got them when they went in discount and they paired great with my system.

Had a 7.1 and a 5.1 installed in the living room, and the kitchen very satisfied with the ceiling speakers from sonace

Bought 14 speakers for my new house. waiting to install it by January. will give a proper review by that time

Ceiling speaker sounds amazing, I love it and looking forward to add more

For speakers that are originally priced at $599 per pair, the construction is very flimsy and on one of the speakers, the circuit board was cracked, resulting in a dead speaker. This is not what I expect from $600 speakers. I am laughing that the original price is $599, because I bought these speakers "on sale" for $150 per pair, which it is a stretch to say they are worth even that much. I just want you to know what you are buying. You are not buying $600 speakers. Why do manufacturers and retailers feel they can earn our trust when they advertise a speaker for $1,000,000.00 and its on sale for $999,850 off of the original price (sarcasm) anyway? Yes, I am sure I am saving $999,850. The speaker that did work out of the box sounds about what a $100 speaker should sound like. Not that you shouldn't buy this speaker, just know what you are getting into.

They are average speakers. I though because the retail price was very high, they would sound better. It is okay for my outdoor covered deck. I have to minió the sound to get them from having a distorted sound.

First off, let me say that I purchased these when they were on sale at a very steep discount versus the MSRP (as it appears did the other reviewer). I was shopping for speakers for my new house at around the $400 a pair price point, so I can't really speak to how these size up to others in the $600 a pair/$300 each category. That said, I have been able to compare these side by side (in a test wall built for this purpose) to Polk V60s (not the VT60s which are half the price), Polk MC60s, Outdoor Speaker Depot MK-650s, Infinity CS60Rs, and Russound RSF-610s. I have also compared the Polk V60s to Klipsch R-3650s and R-1650s, and previously ruled them out for my purposes as in my opinion they placed too much emphasis on the high end of the frequency spectrum. What I think can easily be lost in someone who picked these up at a discount rate is how good these really are. As a general matter, if you were to just purchase in-ceiling speakers from any manufacturer and install them in your home, you probably will think they sound good (or, as I think some who purchased these might think, these sound "good for the money" as they are skeptical of the deal they got on the speakers and don't want to give too positive of a review). But, when you do a real comparison, side by side, with switch buttons to allow you to go from speaker to speaker mid-song (and test a broad range of music you will listen to), that's when you really notice where a speaker fails miserably or shines. Okay, up-front qualifiers and level-setting out of the way, here are my thoughts. Build Quality. Amazing. This is one of those things you will CERTAINLY overlook if you are not auditioning various speakers (and seeing the physical unit outside of the box and not just mounted in a display). Most manufacturers build these with very thin plastic, and handling from the back feels like you're going to break something. You also typically see a circuit board on the back that's completely unprotected (with the better speakers having some sort of protection and/or the board being a full circle around the speaker to add strength as opposed to just a portion. This thing has a complete encasement of the board, and you can actually set the speaker on its back and it will be completely supported. Also note the nearly complete encasement of the speaker from the side (this is important because (1) you get more bass response and (2) you avoid bits of drywall crumbling off on your speaker and getting behind your cone). Also note that with these speakers you are able to pivot the tweeter (a given for higher priced speakers), but you can also pivot the cone itself (a very high priced feature). Next, take a look at the connectors on the back. Gold plated, push-down connectors (not the flimsy tab-types you see on most speakers), and they are incredibly smooth versus those of the Polk V60s for example. Also, note that the grills are magnetic (so you don't have the lip of the speakers showing when mounted), and the magnets are impressively strong versus what I've seen of competitors. You also have metal spring tabs that come with these (pulled them out in the photos I took, as they are a bit too tight with these on for my pre-construction brackets), which hold the speaker in place in the ceiling in order to give you time to pick up your tools to finish the install (just, wow). Next up, sound. Cheaper speakers usually have a color to the sound (typically a pronounced mid-range). Think 80's music played through stock speakers on an old truck. More expensive speakers tend to lose that color. To some this can sound like you're "missing" part of the sound, but if you listen to a live album you can really see that "live" sounds right on a speaker such as this, whereas on a more entry level speaker it will still sound like an album recording. As your ears adjust more to a speaker like this, you really see how tainted you've been by other speakers, and when you switch between them you'll hear that color I've been describing. Also, note that these speakers actually have a very impressive amount of bass for ceiling speakers (due in large part to the mostly encased enclosure). When I say "for ceiling speakers" I don't mean to suggest you're lacking at all with these speakers. You won't get the same sound you will if you had an additional subwoofer in your mix, or something like an 8" shelf speaker. But, you'll still have rich, full sound. I'm not going to add anything to these in my whole home setup. Now, let's talk value. Sonance is a pretty expensive speaker brand. This particular model, the MAG6R, appears to be a Best Buy/Magnolia exclusive ("MAG" probably means "Magnolia," 6 is the size, R is for "round"). The comparable "rest of the world" line appears to be the Visual Performance series. If you compare the features (pivoting woofer, pivoting tweeter, woven woofer cone, silk tweeter, etc.), you come to the conclusion that this shares features from the 62R, 64R, and 66R speakers (coming in at $400, $500, and $725 a pair, respectively at MSRP). In other words, the MSRP price is probably accurate for this set. If you got them on sale, you got an amazing deal. If you're thinking about them at MSRP, check them out and compare to comparably priced speakers and see what you think. But, please do yourself a favor and do a side by side to whatever else you're considering.

You get what you pay for. Honestly the sound is BAD. I had to return them right away. That's the good thing about them, that you can return them once you hear how muffled they sound. I hooked them to a really nice brand new Yamaha receiver on the zone 2 (so 100 S each speaker,) and unfortunately the sound disappoints. Please look for a speaker with the tweeter completely off the woofer. Like the Polk 2-way or a Bowers and Wilkins

I recently installed the Sonance 6 1/2" speakers, and I have to say—they're fantastic! The sound is crisp, clear, and well-balanced across all frequencies. Whether you're listening to music, watching movies, or just filling the room with background sound, these speakers deliver impressive performance. Bass is punchy without being overwhelming, mids are warm and natural, and the highs are detailed without any harshness. They also blend in nicely with the room thanks to their clean design. Overall, Sonance nailed it with these. If you're looking for high-quality in-wall or ceiling speakers, the 6 1/2" model is a great choice.

I recently installed the Sonance MAG6R in-ceiling speakers, and they have exceeded my expectations! The sound quality is fantastic, with rich bass and clear highs that fill the room beautifully. Installation was a breeze, and I love that the paintable grilles allowed me to match them seamlessly with my ceiling. Their sleek design is unobtrusive, making them a perfect addition to my home decor. For the price, these speakers offer incredible value and performance. Highly recommend for anyone looking to enhance their audio experience!

I first noticed these speakers when they were on sale for the "Deal of the Day" a few months back. I didn't buy them at the time because I just couldn't find enough detailed reviews on them. After several months, the sale was back ($130/pr), so I just decided to pull the trigger and bought two pairs. I figured they must be pretty decent if Magnolia carries them, and if they didn't sound great, I could return them. My biggest concern was sound quality and timbre matching to my existing system. Here are my thoughts: Build quality: They are built surprisingly well. The housing is substantial (not flimsy) and the connectors are binding posts and not cheapo spring connectors. They are built better than after-market car speakers, for example. In addition, the speaker and the tweeter can be aimed separately so that helps with placement. Installation: The actual installation of the speaker itself is pretty easy. The screws lock onto the ceiling nicely, and the magnetic speaker cover works well. Almost too well. I recommend making sure you're happy with the speaker directional tilt before attaching the magnetic grill, because you just can't reach up and take it off with your hands/fingers. You have to use a slim tool to pry it off because it sticks well and it's pretty flush. You don't want to use a screwdriver or anything because you could mess up your drywall. Now fishing speaker wires...not as easy. :) Sound quality: I wouldn't go so far as to say that they "sound incredible" when playing music as some reviewers have said. I did test them with music, and they sound decent. They do sound good for Atmos sound objects, but I wouldn't use them as mains, a center, or rear surrounds. They're not THAT good. You have to remember that the speaker housing is plastic and it's using the ceiling as a "cabinet." You're not going to get a full range of sound or deep bass from ceiling speakers. You're just not. Atmos: I bought two pairs so I'm running the MAG6Rs in 5.1.4 surround with the following: Receiver: Marantz SR6013 L-R Mains: B&W 603s Center: B&W HTM6 Rear: B&W 606s Sub: SVS PB-2000 Again, as Atmos speakers they sound great. They blend pretty well with the B&Ws as long as the speaker levels are set correctly. You don't want them louder than the rear surrounds; you just want them to augment the sound to create the 360 sound bubble. The downside is that there isn't a whole lot of content encoded with Atmos, at least as far as regular blu-day discs are concerned. For example, on 3D blu-ray sets, you have to choose between the 3D version or the Atmos version due to the data capacity of the discs. If you don't have 3D movies, I guess that isn't much of a concern. None of the Marvel MCU blu-rays have Atmos encoding, despite what some websites contend. You have to get the 4K versions for that. For Netflix, you have to subscribe to the Premium service to get Atmos sound. For regular TV, forget it. My receiver does "upconvert" audio to use the 5.1.4 channels, and it's pretty neat. For example, during the "Match" between Tiger/Phil/Peyton/Tom, it was raining at the beginning. The rain droplets hitting the umbrellas actually sounded like they were coming from overhead. The downloadable Dolby Atmos demos sound really cool (especially to show off to your friends), but they were specifically recorded to highlight the Atmos capability. You'll find that in regular Atmos movies, they add to the realism (helicopters really do sound like they're hovering above you), but it's not an earth-shattering difference because they don't receive a lot of sound. Bottom line: When these are on sale, they are a steal for what you get. I'm happy and satisfied with what I spent on them and the sound quality they produce. Regarding Atmos in general, it's cool to have, but not cool enough to pay full price for due to the lack of content. For example, I would have felt I overpaid for Atmos even if I had bought the cheapest B&W ceiling speakers at $350/pr. If you have a budget and you're trying to decide whether to get cheaper speakers just to be able to have Atmos, I would definitely recommend spending more money on quality 5.1 speakers instead.

I can’t believe how great these speakers sound. They were easy to install and look incredible. I primarily use these as surround speakers but when I use them for music the fill the entire living room. The bezel is really slim and they blend really well into the ceiling.

These speakers perform amazingly well. While table top testing I was worried about clarity and tiny sound, once installed in the lower level ceiling and with fiberglass insulation behind them (not against them). They are crystal clear and have impressive bass. I like how the woofer and tweeter are adjustable. I am a big JBL fan and was hesitant to try Sonance. There was a sale on them that enticed me to try them. They actually performed as good or better than the many JBL speakers that I have used over the years. Installation was a snap and the trims fit nicely too.

These are a great speakers the clarity is amazing... The price point was spot on for the pair for $150 they are very crisp in mids and highs not much on bass I would recommend a sub if doing surround sound as I already have also the woofer in the speaker moves so u get a more precise sound were you want it and to top it off the tweeter moves as well it supprised me on how good you can tune these speakers where u want your sweet spot to be for the price. Great investment in sound if your looking for not a bank buster but you also get great quailty as well...also love the look of the magnetic flush grills it makes it blend so much better in the room.

These are amazing speakers. So much better than expected. The amount of bass these things put out is surprising. I took a chance that they would blend with my Klipsch 450c and rm160s. The adjustable mid driver and tweeter allow for easy placement as Atmos speakers. The quality and sound took me by surprise. I can not speak for other in ceiling speakers in this category. But these clean well built and designed speakers fit the bill. As for stand alone stereo listening. I would say it depends what your trying to achieve. They are equivalent to a quality 6.5 inch bookshelf. Excellent warm tonal highs effortless mids and a hard thumping bass that hits hard enough to make a point but yet refined enough to be enjoyable. These are not 15 inch woofers. But they are excellent mid drivers.