Active Bluetooth in-ceiling speakers have a built-in amplifier and don't require any additional equipment to function. They are powered by a 240V mains supply* and connect wirelessly to source devices via Bluetooth.
Bluetooth only speakers are the simplest, and therefore the most cost effective type of active in-ceiling speaker. A Bluetooth speaker can connect to any Bluetooth source such as a phone, tablet or TV. However the limitations of Bluetooth mean that a source cannot connect to more than one speaker at a time. As a result, Bluetooth speakers are great for single room applications or fully independent zones, but will not work for multi-room applications where audio needs to play across multiple zones simultaneously. For multi-room audio or open plan configurations requiring multiple speakers, we recommend Wi-Fi In-Ceiling Speakers.
Active speakers are perfect for retrofitting and for smaller audio projects. However for large multi-room audio solutions, and those requiring greater flexibility or a higher quality audio experience, we recommend a system like Sonos which consists of passive (non-amplified) speakers and a separate amplifier.
PLEASE NOTE: When purchasing an active in-ceiling stereo pair, you will receive one master speaker and one slave speaker. The master speaker contains the amplifier, while the slave speaker is simply a non-amplified passive speaker which is driven by the master. Therefore, when installing a stereo pair, the slave speaker must be connected to the master speaker via a length of speaker cable (5m is supplied).
*The power supply must be protected by a 3A fuse or circuit breaker. If powering from an existing circuit (including lighting circuits) then a 3A fused spur must be used.