Bowers&Wilkins Active Ceiling Speaker CCM663

Discreet without compromise
The CI600 range by Bowers and Wilkins are high performance integrated speakers which are also virtually invisible when installed. This is achieved by the extremely small 4mm protrusion from the installation surface, the frame and grille in which the speaker unit is installed can also be painted to match the surrounding surface. Making them ideal for many areas where you want a discreet audio system.

Often a scrim is used to hide the speaker unit behind the grille. The downside of this is that it can cause deterioration in the sound. What Bowers and Wilkins have done is made the speaker itself a dark colour. The normally yellow Aramid drivers are now a dark blue and the aluminium tweeters are black. This negates the need for a scrim while providing the same level of subtlety.

Unfortunately the grille can sometimes still be slightly visible if you look hard enough. To mitigate this Bowers and Wilkins have provided a choice between square and round grilles, so you can choose which matches the room best. The most useful part is that if you find one shape doesn't match once the unit is fitted, you can simply retrofit the other one into your set-up.

Easy and flexible installation
Installing your system couldn't be easier. Bowers and Wilkins' innovative QuickDogs fastening system allows you to install your speakers without the need for tools, and in seconds rather than minutes. Along with this the speakers are designed to perform very well with many types of plasterboard or solid constructions.

The frame is secured simply by pushing the "dogs" down, no tools needed. The speaker cable is conveniently installed into the frame so once you've connected your main cables to the frame, no more wiring is needed. The speaker itself is simply attached, and then you're good to go! The final touch is the grille.

With other audio systems the grille is often attached using friction fixings. This can be time-consuming as well as potentially damaging to the grille. To alleviate this Bowers and Wilkins have opted for magnetic fastenings. Making the process of installation and removal for maintenance as easy as possible.

The best sound quality throughout the range
The CI600 range provides the premium sound quality you'd expect from Bowers and Wilkins. The highest spec speakers (CCM662, CCM682, CCM663, CCM663SR and CCM663RD) feature the blue Aramid Fibre cone driver for the bass/midrange. The material is specially designed to reduce standing waves, minimise colouration and leaves transients unblurred. This results in a remarkably clear sound.

These two speaker models also feature Bowers and Wilkins Nautilus Swirl tweeter. The 25mm aluminium dome tweeter uses the same design of the Nautilus tube found on other Bowers and Wilkins speakers, only the engineers have been able to flatten the design. This allows for the same focused and natural sound whilst also being shallow enough to fit in the form factor of the CI600 series speakers.

The lower priced models (CCM664, CCM664SR and CCM665) use a glass fibre speaker cone, this also provides a level of clarity and protection from standing waves and colouration that will impress any listener. These models also opt for the soft dome tweeter, while not the Nautilus cone, these still will provide exceptional quality highs and will not disappoint any listener.