Bose Virtually Invisible 791 In-Ceiling Speaker II Review - Why Not to Buy!

The Bose Virtually Invisible 791 In-Ceiling Speakers II is an overpriced, underperforming set of in-ceiling speakers from one of the biggest brands in home audio. With an RRP of $599 for a set of two speakers, they certainly push the limits of what I think is “worth it” in the world of home audio. In this review, Im taking a look at these ceiling speakers before telling you the models from other companies you really should buy instead.

The Concept

The Bose 791 in ceiling speakers feel like they have been on the market forever. I remember hearing them years ago and being mightily impressed, but at that time, I hadn’t started installing ceiling speakers yet. I didn’t have the knowledge that I do have now and revisiting them after some time leaves me scratching my head as to how Bose thinks they can get away with such astronomical pricing.

The 791 is a set of in-ceiling speakers consisting of a large 7-inch woofer and a 1-inch multi-directional tweeter. They are designed to be installed in ceilings, but you can also place them inside a wall if so required. They are not active, so they will need to be connected to an amplifier or receiver to get them to play, and when routing the cables internally in walls and ceilings, you will need to use special fire-resistant cabling to conform to building codes.

Build Quality & Aesthetic Impressions

The build quality of the Bose 791 is probably where you get some of your money back because they are very well made and use better materials than the cheaper competition (with the exception of Polk Audio listed below.) There is no cabinet to speak of, so the only thing we can really discuss is the mounting system and the framing for the drivers.

The locking system is a twist design where you install the speaker and then twist to lock it. It was easy to use and is a quick and easy dog leg system.

The grills are quite nice because the mesh extends fully to the edge. Typically on cheaper models from Herdio or even Klipsch, you will see a more pronounced lip that affects the styling. This looks far sleeker, and I love that the grills are magnetically mounted instead of requiring clips.

The grills are, of course, paintable, the 791 only comes in white, but the finish allows you to use most paint types on them, even emulsion. We recommend getting the best finish. You remove the grills for painting and don’t do it when installed in the ceiling. This gives an even coating on both sides and lets you do multiple layers faster.

The speaker mount is high-quality ABS plastics. By the nature of ceiling speakers, they won’t really see any damage, but high quality is more resistant to cracking over the years.

Sound

Let me clear this up from the start. The sound is really good. Like I would say up there with the best ceiling speakers I have ever used, but at the end of the day, they are still ceiling speakers. The Bose Virtually Invisible 791 II do not and will never sound as good as a real hifi system for the same price.

With that said, there is another issue. The price. There was very little competition when they were originally released, but since then, Klipsch and Polk Audio have stepped up their game. The competition now matches them on sound but destroys them on price by usually more than 20% depending on various discounts you can find online.

So what do they sound like? Well, right in Bose’s wheelhouse, actually. They are a rich and full-sounding audio experience with a bold and deep bass presence. Some tones of warmth are felt throughout the midrange, and the highs are fairly easygoing. They are not what I would call an audiophile stereo experience you would get from the Stereo speaker set; it’s a more room-filling all-encompassing experience than rather than being hit with a wall of sound.

The bass, for me, was the highlight of the whole speaker. It displayed a good sub-bass response to the point that you don’t need to consider using a separate subwoofer. It gets down and dirty enough to work well with EDM and rap tracks, but when things don’t require as much low-down thud, they reign in quantity and lean more towards a harmonic curve tuning.

Mids are just good, with lots of detail and clarity, and the dual tweeters manage to define higher notes clearly.

Setup was a little frustrating as while I like the dual directional tweeters, I am accustomed to installing variable direction tweeters that give me more freedom to dial in the positioning for an optimal listening experience.

Final Verdict

The Bose Virtually invisible 791 ceiling speakers are a fairly standard Bose formula product. They sound good, though not as refined as a hifi experience, they have elevated bass, and they cost a fortune. I have no problem at all recommending them because they are well made and sound good, but since they have been on the market a while, it’s probably time Bose takes something off the price to stay competitive. At the RRP, I would say no, but if you can find them at a discount, then they become far more appealing.

Official Website of Bose 791 Speakers: www.bose.com