Last week’s CEDIA Expo was a loud one. Besides thousands of show attendees, there was plenty of audio and video equipment going off from just about every angle—including up. One of the companies showing off an overhead solution was Harman’s Revel brand.

The company just announced a slew of new in-wall and in-ceiling speakers, for its 2-Series line. All seven (!) of the new models boast a better overall value and an easier installation process.

The new line includes:

• C263 in-ceiling speaker: 1-inch tweeter, 6-1/2-inch woofer
• C283 in-ceiling speaker: 1-inch tweeter, 8-inch woofer
• C263LP low-profile in-ceiling speaker: 1-inch tweeter, 6-1/2-inch woofer
• C283LP low-profile in-ceiling speaker: 1-inch tweeter, 8-inch woofer
• W263 in-wall: 1-inch tweeter, 6-1/2-inch woofer
• W283 in-wall speaker: 1-inch tweeter, 8-inch woofer
• W253L horizontal/vertical in-wall LCR speaker: 1-inch tweeter, dual 5-1/4-inch woofers

According to Revel, all of the above models (except the low-profile C263LP and C283LP) have the company’s new C-2 dog-leg-type clamping mechanism to lock the speaker into place on materials up to 2 inches thick. All seven use PEI dome tweeters in conjunction with a computer-designed waveguide, and have zero-bezel magnetically removable paintable grilles.

Revel’s in-ceiling models come with both round and square grilles to match both ceiling fixtures and lighting.

“Our new 2-Series architectural speakers offer superb sound quality at attractive price points that represent a new value standard for Revel,” said Jim Garrett, director of marketing and product management for Harman Luxury Audio Group and Loudspeakers. “In addition, the speakers feature our newly-designed C-2 mounting system that accommodates 2-inch material thickness and provides greater installation flexibility.”

Revel expects its 2-Series architectural speaker line to start selling in the first quarter of 2013.

Rachel Cericola - Contributing Writer

Over the past 15 years, Rachel Cericola has covered entertainment, web and technology trends. Check her out at www.rachelcericola.com.