The best speakers for Pubs & what to consider when choosing a Pub music system

Having the correct speaker placement is arguably the most important factor when selecting the right speaker for your public house.

Having too little speakers can create an unbalanced flow of sound creating dead spots in certain areas of your pub. This will then lead to you having to turn the speakers up to accommodate these dead spots resulting in an uncomfortable listening experience for patrons situated near to the speakers.

• They are discrete and don't standout
• Low-profile design that sits flush-mount to the ceiling
• Non-directional and disperse their sound 360°
• Grills can be painted to coordinate with your decor
• Good for small room like toilets and corridors
• Good value for money

Disadvantages of in-ceiling speakers are:

• Low-end sound frequency can be lacking
• Tend to have lower RMS power outputs compared to on-wall speakers
• Being non-directional it's harder to tailor the sound to the room
• Not suited to the corner of a room because of the sound bouncing of the walls

• Perfect for the corner of the room
• Mounting brackets can offer a number of mounting options
• Good low-end sound quality 
• Larger power outputs with more SPL (sound pressure levels)
• Attractive speaker designs and branding can add value to your interior design
• Choice of cabinet colours
• Easier to run speaker wires and no holes in the ceiling required
• Suited to a louder, higher SPL music system
• Need fewer speakers compared to in-ceiling speakers

• Hard to hide when a discrete system is required
• They do not disperse their sound 360°
• Can be harder to coordinate with your decor
• Not suited to small rooms like toilets and corridors
• Can be easier for a patron to tamper with compared to in-ceiling speakers

When searching for the right speaker for your pub we recommend you to use the RMS Power specification as this is the continuous output from the speaker and will be more relevant to your requirements.

Peak Power can be quite misleading as it can only be sustained for a short period of time – in some cases for just 5 seconds!

1. Monacor EDL-620 a great value 20W 100V flush-munt in-ceiling Speaker at £24.95 each

An everyday ceiling speaker perfect for low-level background music in small pubs & cafes. Has a low-profile design that sits flush-mount to the ceiling. Multiple power tappings for balancing each speaker to suit the surrounding. Quick and easy for installers to fit. 3-Year warranty.

2. Apart/Biamp OVO5T Wall Speaker 100V Wall Speaker at £69 each

The Biamp (formerly Apart) OVO5T speakers offer great sound quality, stylish aesthetics and easy installation, for a very reasonable price.

They are well suited to restaurants, pubs and cafes looking for a decent quality speaker which is designed to last. The modern design will fit into any environment, and the included mounting brackets make installation a breeze.

100V and 16 Ohm operation also provide wide flexibility, with the option to run on multiple types of amplifiers. This is great if you're only looking to replace the speakers and keep an existing amplifier.

3. Audiokraft PCS-40 & PCS-60 6.5” High-Performance in-ceiling Speakers at £40/£69 each

The Audiokraft PCS-40 & PCS-60 8 Ohm ceiling speakers offer great sound quality and cover a wide range of applications.

The PCS-40 is suited for low-mid volume environments and is primarily designed for background music. The PCS-60 can be driven much louder, and will be great for karaoke, or nights when the music needs to be pumped up.

Both will offer a very good quality of sound are both are easy to install with their 'dog-leg' mounting method. They also each come with a choice of black or white removable magnetic grilles.

1. Monacor Background Music System with Bluetooth & FM Radio

A compact and simple-to-use speaker system from Monacor ideal for comfortable background music in pubs, cafes & restaurants.

Comes supplied with an ultra-compact 60W desktop mixing amplifier, a choice of 4, 6 or 8 in-ceiling or wall-mount speakers, and 100 metre drum of high-quality speaker cable.

Features a built-in Bluetooth receiver for pairing a smartphone or tablet for wireless audio streaming as well as an FM tuner for playing the radio. In addition to this there is an integrated USB/SD card reader for playing downloaded music files.

A range of inputs located to the rear of the amplifier provide a direct connection of external media devices such as a CD player, Sky Box & projector etc. A microphone input with Vox Priority is also provided ideal for pubs quizzes.

We are pleased to bring you one of our best-selling Monacor Background Music Systems with a 3-year warranty.

2. Monacor 4-Zone Background Music System with Volume Control & Source Selection

Our Monacor 4-Zone Background Music System is supplied with a choice of in-ceiling or wall-mount speakers and is perfect for multi-room audio applications in pubs, bars & restaurants.

Provides volume control and audio source selection for each of the 4-zones meaning you can play different music in each room/area of your pub. For example, you could have the Sky TV playing the football in the main bar area and then a Spotify playlist playing some comfortable background music in the main restaurant area.

Features 2 line-level inputs (RCA/Phono) for connecting an external media player such as a Sky Box, CD player, laptop or TV. Also has 3 XLR/Jack combo inputs for connecting an additional media player or a microphone. Input 1 has priority over the other inputs ideal for pub quizzes.

We are pleased to bring you one of our best-selling Monacor Background Music Systems with a 3-year warranty.

Looking for a pub music system that packs more of a punch?