I added these to my home theater setup as part of an overall system refresh. I had no idea of what I was missing.
The last time I tinkered with my HT setup was in 2012 and I focused on quality at each stage (i.e., sound, visuals, control). That attention to detail served me well over the last nine years, as I did not see the need for incremental upgrades. But with the increase/proliferation of 4K (and even 8K) material, I started focusing on both my TV and sound. I was very interested in Atmos, which is a standard that was not available when I added my last in-ceiling speakers. I’m glad I did.
I added four of these, replacing two other speakers and adding two new locations. The difference between my prior setup and the new Sistines is night and day.
My prior in-ceilings acted as more of a “suggestion” — if that’s the way to put it. More accurately, they provided sound from discrete locations but not particularly accurate or engaging sound. They did well with mood or ambiance, where music or background sounds were important to the scene, but never were great with creating an accurate soundstage or imaging or voices. The best way to describe would be that you got sound from the speakers, but you never felt that you were part of the scene.
The Sistine 4XC is completely different. The first thing that I noticed is the accuracy of the sound — voices, sounds and effects sound like what they are supposed to be, not like “suggestions” coming through a tube. Sounds also do not feel like they are coming from the speaker but from everywhere. Voices sound so natural that I have actually believed that there was someone in the room (when listening from another room).
This leads to my next comment – sound imaging. Working together, the speakers are able to create a very realistic sound stage. If the scene is showing a storm, expect to feel like you are in the center of the storm from the Sistines. If the scene places you in the middle of a forest, with wildlife all around, expect to hear chirps, rustling, breezes, calls, drips, movement and sounds from all around (mind you, it also depends on the use of good sources and your AV processor). I have been duly impressed.
One of the most remarkable aspects of the speakers is their “invisibility” or “transparency.” To explain this, I don’t need to know where the speakers are to get great sound. They seem to know my space and are able to convey great sound to every seating position. Sound just envelops you — it does not seem like it comes from a discrete location in your ceiling. I also do not feel like they sound electronic or artificial — they just sound natural, alive.
Finally, (and this may sound paradoxical), I have enjoyed how well they handle silence. With other speakers, you can hear the faint electronic hum when they are on. The Sistines provide sound only when the sound is demanded. I have marveled at the control over sound (and silence) that really creates moving experiences. This means that I have listened to them at volumes much lower than before, but I still hear faint details — a chime, a distant tinkle, the suggestion of distant action. It’s crazy when you actually think that someone is talking outside your house or in another room, only to press pause on the source to realize it’s coming from the speakers! I’ve already been fooled many times and found myself immersed in a world created by these speakers.
I have had them about two weeks as of the time of this review. To be sure, they are expensive and may be overkill — (always negotiate!). Add to that, make sure that you pair them with adequate power/amplification — speakers such as these will need a robust power source to get the best performance from them. That said, I have been impressed and look forward to going through my collection of movies again to hear what I may have missed!