Replacing the Sonos Era 300 is a new speaker in the lineup of best Sonos speakers Unfortunately, it's a tough nut to crack: according to a press release sent to Tom's Guide, the new 8-inch in-ceiling speakers will only be available through installers

The good news is that, surprisingly, the speakers are not that expensive at $999 per pair and have reasonable specs

According to Sonos, they feature custom enlarged woofers and high-excursion motors for a "smooth midrange," as well as 30mm tweeters When paired with Sonos amplifiers, they can also take advantage of Sonos' TruePlay EQ calibration algorithm It has also been designed and tuned in collaboration with Sonance, a company that specializes in wall- and ceiling-mounted speakers

If 8-inch speakers are a bit too large for your space, Sonos also manufactures a 6-inch model with the same look that can be paired together

If you have room and a power supply, in-ceiling speakers are ideal for home theater setups

As we discovered in a recent THX Home Theater Installer Training Course, they are the icing on the cake of a good speaker system The front three channels are primarily responsible for reproducing faithful sound, while the rears and overheads fill in the critical audio cues Basically, invest in the front speakers first and foremost, followed by the rears and overheads if there is any budget left over

As anyone who has ever set up a home theater knows, the costs add up quickly, and importantly, Sonos speakers are passive, so you need an amplifier to power them They make some pretty solid amplifiers that work well with the rest of the ecosystem, but if you want something more affordable, don't think that's your only option

Looking to upgrade your home theater audio equipment this year, check out our list of seven of the best audio products debuting at CES 2024