Pyle PDIC81RD PDIC Series 8 Ceiling Speaker Review
Carrying on with our latest series of reviews, we have just finished testing a fresh install of the Pyle PDIC81RD PDIC Series ceiling speakers. It’s possibly the worst-named speaker of all time, but we won’t let that deter us because it does feature something interesting. At its heart is a whopping big 8-inch diaphragm powering the sound. This thing is a mammoth in a world where most of the ceiling speakers we test are 3/5/6 inches.
The Concept
Ceiling speakers are often criticized for their lack of bass. They are ultimately limited by the driver size and weight of the unit. The bigger driver usually entails bigger magnets which in turn equals higher weight. Pyle hasn’t done anything to reduce the weight. Instead, they just leaned into it and put the speaker out there, so a little more care should be taken to get the installation done right.
Pairing the large driver, which is designed to perform well with a 1/2 inch tweeter, is odd. Usually, those five and 6-inch speakers have a one or 0.75-inch tweeter to handle high notes. This made me wonder if they would be able to portray music; as it turns out accurately, they do not, but that’s not a reason to stop reading because the price is important here, and there are cases where a speaker like this has its uses.
Build and Aesthetic
The speakers are cheaply made, which is obviously reflected in their cost. However, one of these products leaves you scratching your head how they can even be produced in the first place. How can you design, build and ship a functioning speaker for what is essentially around $25 per unit based on their RRP.
When installed, they do look like any other ceiling speaker when you have the grills installed. They only come in white, but the grills are paintable, so you have the option to color match them to your room if so desired. In the ceiling, they look huge, with a diameter of a full 10.5 inches.
The PDIC81RD is almost fully made of plastic even the mount for the driver is plastic, along with the system to mount them in the ceiling. To get them installed, you want to place the feet pointing inwards, push the speaker into the ceiling, cut out and turn the mount feet outwards. The system is acceptable and provides a secure fit, but speakers with a pressure clamp are easier to install because there is only one adjustment to be made.
Sound
The sound is meh at best when im looking at it as a home speaker for enjoying audio. It’s what I would describe as fine for background listening, and I would definitely advise you to read our review of Herdio’s budget speakers if you are considering a more budget-orientated setup. The Pyle, despite producing larger quantities of bass, does it in an unrefined manner. It lacks tightness, and when paired with that small tweeter, it overwhelms the mids and highs.
So there’s no real point in me getting to into depth with the sound portion of this review. Instead, let’s talk about where they would work well because these are seriously cheap and still sound ok. They are perfect for setups in shops or offices for background music. They can be used in tannoy systems in factories and warehouses. They are perfect for any of those use cases because they get surprisingly loud enough to fill large open spaces.
Negatives
Cheap construction
Poor tonal balance
High notes muffled
Positives
Great price
Gets loud with little distortion
Perfect for use in offices and waiting rooms where sound quality isn’t a priority
Final Thoughts
Anyone thinking this might be a bit of a budget banger was wrong. Yet its useful for industry setups, especially where the number one goal is not to sit back and listen to music, background music definitely, but if it was part of my home setup for a little extra money, I could get a set of Herdio I mention above or even a set of Goldwoods R191. For these, they are an ok sounding speaker at a great price that will work ok in the right environment. Enough said.
Official Website of Pyle PDIC81RD: www.pyleaudio.com
