Ceiling Speaker Fire Hoods & Acoustic Hoods - What is the Difference?

There are two main types of ceiling speaker hoods available on the market.

These are ceiling speaker hoods that are only to protect against the spread of fire such as the Hoody 7, and ceiling speaker acoustic hoods such as the Hoody 1, which also acts as an acoustic barrier to prevent sound from travelling to other areas of your home or commercial building.

Each type of ceiling speaker hood has its own benefits, and they are essential in both domestic and commercial installations.

Installation of ceiling speaker fire hoods is essential in commercial buildings where speakers are installed to follow fire safety regulations, and they also help to enhance the sound of the speakers while stopping the sound leaking to other rooms and areas of your building.

Ceiling speaker fire hoods’ main purpose is to reduce the spread of fire through ceiling voids where each speaker has been installed so that the fire protection of the ceiling remains the same as it would have been pre-installation.

Without fire hoods being utilised, in the unfortunate event of a fire, the ceiling speakers and the gaps in the ceiling will increase the spread of fire, meaning that the fire safety of your home or commercial building is not as secure.

The Hoody 1 ceiling speaker acoustic hood protects both against the spread of fire and the leaking of sound. It helps to minimise the sound spreading into adjacent rooms, as well as rooms above where each speaker is installed – perfect for houses and commercial buildings with offices or workspaces above the ceiling speakers.

In addition to minimising sound leaking to other rooms in the building, acoustic ceiling speaker hoods also enhance the sound quality of the speakers in the room. This is due to the hoods acting as a backbox for the speakers, therefore centralising the sound to project down into the room with increased bass response.

This is fantastic for home installations where the highest sound quality is desired, with the Hoody 1 hoods also slowing down the spread of fire to keep in line with fire safety regulations.

By massively reducing the spread of sound through ceiling voids, ceiling speaker acoustic hoods are perfect for terraced housing in order to avoid disturbing your neighbours.

They are also great for homes and offices where you want to listen to music in one area, but want to avoid inconveniencing other people who are working or relaxing in different rooms.

If sound quality isn’t as important as fire safety to you, then you can keep costs low by sticking with fire-proof exclusive ceiling speaker hoods, such as the Hoody 7.

They still help to reduce sound leaking into adjacent rooms, but their main purpose is to reduce the spread of fire for as long a time as possible.

To decide if you need to use ceiling speaker fire hoods or acoustic hoods, you should first look at the room(s) you are installing ceiling speakers in. For example, if you have upstairs neighbours, then you should definitely consider getting acoustic hoods to help prevent the spread of sound. If you are in a bungalow, or there aren’t any rooms above where you will install ceiling speakers, then fire hoods won’t be necessary.

If your installation is in a commercial building, there will be fire regulations that you are required to adhere to. This is where fire hoods are essential. They ensure that the integrity of your ceiling is not compromised by the cutouts made for each speaker, therefore keeping the spread of fire as slow as possible to allow people to escape in good time.

Acoustic hoods are fantastic in any environment, as they make the speakers themselves sound better, as well as stopping the spread of sound into external rooms and areas. Ceiling speaker acoustic hoods are ideal for rooms like bedrooms and offices, as they mean that you can enjoy the highest quality sound without disturbing anyone else in surrounding rooms or buildings.

For instances where it is important to stick to fire safety regulations as well as reduce sound bleeding into other rooms, the Hoody 1 is a fantastic option. It combines fire protection with acoustic dependency to achieve a dual fire and acoustic hood design. The versatile nature of the Hoody 1 ceiling speaker hoods makes them more expensive than standard fire or acoustic hoods, but they are definitely worth the extra cost to achieve the best results in your building.

Yes! Ceiling speaker fire hoods, as well as acoustic hoods, can be used in any type of ceiling, as long as there is a void above the ceiling that it can fit into. There are some examples where a fire hood won’t be necessary, such as in a bungalow or single-story commercial building, but they can still be installed easily if you prefer.

The installation process of ceiling speaker hoods is extremely straightforward. Cutouts are made in the ceiling, where you can then run all of your cables back to the amplifier. Before connecting the cables to your ceiling speakers and hanging them from the ceiling void, all you need to do is place the speaker hoods above each unit.

Both Hoody models of ceiling speaker hoods have holes in their sides for cables, making it extremely quick and easy to install your in-ceiling system at home or in the workplace.

If you are still unsure whether you need ceiling speaker fire or acoustic hoods, or if you are still in need of some advice, please feel free to contact us by telephone or email, and our experienced sales team will be happy to go through any questions you may have.