Acoustic Audio CS-IC83
The Acoustic Audio CS-IC83 by Goldwood is a set of 3-way ceiling speakers that can usually be picked up in packs of 5 for around $30 USD per speaker. As we saw with the Acoustic Audio R191 cheap doesn’t always equal poor performance. Over the past year, we have installed many of these units on clients’ properties and for the money, they are very hard to beat. Let’s get into the full review.
Specification
The CS-IC83 is an in-ceiling speaker. It is designed to be installed in walls and ceilings and thus requires you to cut an appropriately sized hole in your property to accommodate them. As with any speaker of this sort where cabling is routed internally through walls please be sure to use an wall speaker cable. This is a specialist cabling designed to protect you and your family from fire damage.
The IC83 flush mount in your ceiling uses a pressure mount system that uses springs to clamp to drywall. It is a round speaker requiring a hole to be cut that is 9.45 inches with an available mounting depth of 3.78" inches. Once installed the size of the speaker with the grill on is 10.83 inches.
Installation is simple enough for people familiar with the tools required but if you are unfamiliar with working on drywall or with routing cables internally in walls we would advise you have a specialist or an electrician perform the installation for you.
Each speaker has an 8-inch dome woofer unit covering full spectrum sound but in the center of the unit, you also find a 13mm dome tweeter designed to replicate mids and highs only.
There is a 3-way passive crossover used, the frequency response is claimed to be 40Hz-20 kHz with 95dB at 8ohm and you will need to connect to an amplifier of your choice as they are passive speakers.
Build / Design
As with most ceiling speakers, there is very little to discuss in terms of design. Once installed they are meant to sit flush with your ceiling and remain as unobtrusive as possible. To aid this low profile look Acoustic Audio and Goldwood have made the speaker grills paintable so you can color match the speaker to your room, regular emulsion wall paint can be used and it’s usually the option that provides the most seamless aesthetic on installations.
The build quality is surprisingly good. It’s not on a par with the Klipsch CDT 5800-C-II reviewed last week but that’s a speaker that costs far more. The IC83 on the other hand is looking to compete against other acoustic audio products or those from Heirdo who also offer good performance on a budget.
The housing is of ABS plastic and the mounts feel reasonably strong. It is a pressure-mounted system so be careful of tolerances during the installation process so as not to cause damage to the enclosure.
No branding is visible from the outside once the speaker is mounted which is always the right choice on any product designed not to attract attention. Once installed you can’t really differentiate the look from more expensive options from Bose or Polk Audio.
Sound
Once again we were blown away by how good these types of speakers can sound on a budget. The more expensive models we have tested recently produce fuller depth to the sound but these punch way above their weight (or price). Variances, it seems, between budget and more expensive Hifi speakers can be quite a gulf but in the ceiling, speaker world it’s less easy to distinguish.
On our music playback tests, the sound was punchy and vibrant. The clarity was strong and there was a slight lean towards an emphasis on the bass over the midrange. The vocal performance was where you will notice the refinements on more expensive models that deliver clearer throws and sharper imaging. Detail retrieval was also ok but where they really excelled was in our volume distortion tests.
Pushing the speakers through our small Fosi Audio amplifier we observed them get really loud before distortion to the low end became obvious. I think they would be suitable for parties but best suited to background music and chilling out with the family.
Another use I have seen with the Acoustic Audio CS-IC83 was in a home theater setup. Here they really do well when set up with a bit of room planning and using an additional subwoofer for impact. with these speakers and an inexpensive 10-inch subwoofer, you can have a great, cheap home cinema experience.
Weakness probably comes most from the treble extension. They don’t get sibilant which is good but this frequency could use a higher quality tweeter to enhance the detail in the highs.
Overall I really can’t say enough good things about the sound. Honestly looking at the price I was almost sure I would hate them. However, I suspect that if you have people who are not familiar with audio they would never be able to tell the difference between these and a unit costing two or three times the price.
Positives
Price to performance is unmatched
Low distortion at high volume
Can be used as part of a home theatre system
Simple design blends with any room
Easy to install
Negatives
Highs need more extension
Warm sound signature is not true to the source
Cheaper material choices than on more premium speakers
Final Thoughts
Again we find another ceiling speaker that offers excellent value to the consumer. Without having to provide for a big marketing budget that Polk, Boston Acoustics, and Klipsch have to accommodate Acoustic Audio with the CS-IC83 is able to bring the price right down. If speaking to someone on the fence I would suggest you buy a 5 pack and install it in one room, I’m going to bet you will be impressed. From there you can go on to buy more units for a multi-room setup or upgrade in rooms where you maybe want a little more refinement.
Official Website of Acoustic Audio by Goldwood CS-IC83: www.goldwood.com
