For rooms larger than 140 square feet, an 8" in-ceiling speaker is an excellent choice, although our 6.5" models also perform well in large areas. A 5-1/4 cone is excellent for small rooms and whole house audio, but the larger the cone the  greater frequency response (the range of musical tones a speaker can produce) you'll get. Bass response or the ability of a speaker to crank out those low notes will improves as cone sizes increase. An 8-inch speaker can be used in home theaters and distributed audio, which is where an 8-inch cone shines. After all, whole house audio systems don't have the benefits of a separate subwoofer like home theaters so the added bass really makes a difference in sound quality.

Surrounding the speaker cone, Butyl Rubber Surround is a tough, moisture-resistant rubber that helps reflect energy and provides excellent sound damping characteristics. Most professional agree that Butyl Rubber Surround is a step up from typical form surrounds and benefits include superior durability. Butyl Rubber gives the speaker more excursion capability featuring a deeper bass with a wider frequency response, and its shelf life is closer to 25 years compared to the foam at 12 to 15 years.