About Home Theatre Speakers:
There is a lot to know about home theatre speakers, so much so that several books can be written on the topic and not cover all the information one might need.
The majority of today's home theatre systems use either in-wall or more compact sized speaker cabinets that are usually hung on speaker mounts. Larger sized speaker cabinets are still being used but with today's minimalist style flat panel TV's and modern decor they are becoming less popular.
In-wall home theatre speakers come in 3 basic configurations, in-wall speakers, in-ceiling or ceiling speakers, and in-wall subwoofers. In-wall speakers are normally mounted into a cut out in the wall and must be carefully placed for proper sound. Ceiling speakers are mounted into cut outs in the ceiling which also require strategic placement but have an advantage for people that have more elaborate decor and artwork hung on walls. In-wall subwoofers are mounted into walls but closer to the floor and can be hidden behind furniture and artwork. Subwoofer bass in none directional they there is alot of flexibility for speaker placement.
Smaller bookshelf speakers and powered subwoofers are still popular and offer the flexibility to move you home theatre when you move homes without starting over buying and entire new system.
Prices way wildly on speakers which are mainly due to the components and construction materials the speakers are made out of. For woofers Kevlar is the best sound giving you a smoother bass with out much distortion. Polypropylene speakers are great for damp location areas but do not offer the same fidelity are Kevlar speakers. For high frequency silk dome tweeter give you very smooth high frequency tones and normally accompany Kevlar subwoofers. Another factor in speaker pricing is the protection circuitry used in preventing speaker damage. Ferrofluilds and more advanced cut off loudspeaker protection does much better than a standard crossover.
Lastly in-wall speakers come with a variety of options, swivel tweeter for aiming sound, closed back designs for smoother bass, angled speaker for directional sound control are some of the options. Take you time and read all speaker specifications before making a speaker purchase.