I'm an Audio Engineer by trade. I purchased 4 sets of these because Amazon was throwing in the 8" subwoofer and I couldn't be more pleased. I created a 7.1 environment. One speaker didn't get used but whatever. I paid under $600 for the entire setup with shipping n' all that. Forget paying the $300+ for a center speaker. IF you have all of the same, then the timber of the should should be even. When I score films, I use the same speaker types for the 5.1, 6.1, 7.1.
Installation:
The installation was a walk in the park! I had to cut into a wall stud to make the center speaker fit but that was the hardest and most time consuming part. Installing them in the dry wall took all of a few minutes for the 3 speakers (L/R/C).
I do recommend getting some insulation and putting that in first before you install your speakers. It dramatically increases the performance and sound. The wall I was installing them in didn't have any so I went up in the attic and cut out some small pieces from a part of my ceiling. IT worked like charm. :-)
Once those were done we cut into the ceiling and started installing them there. Those were a little tricky because in some parts I had Drywall and in another I had some form of concrete or something like that. It had wires n' all that. After we broke through it (extremely messy) the installation of those speaker went just as smooth as the others. Just had to patch and paint a little but it wasn't too much of a pain.
Running the wires weren't too much of a pain. There was a closet on the other side so I just drilled a hole and ran the speaker wires into the closet. THEN I drilled another larger whole over by the receiver and ran all of the wires through that. I have an attic so when I ran the wires from the ceiling ones, I drilled another whole in the closet (top) and dropped all of the wires down form there and then into the larger hole by the receiver.
Eventually I'm going to use wall plates but I didn't have them and I was too excited!
I recommend getting 200 feet of speaker wire. Be liberal with it because more wire is better than less wire.
These speakers have tweeters that can be angled. I recommend you angle them to your listening position.
Sound:
Once I turned on the receiver I said "oh... I guess it sounds ok". Then I started to justify it... "I only paid $500 for it so I get what I pay for...". DON'T GO DOWN THAT STREET! I started to play with the receiver (Sony) and I started tweaking the levels: FLAT EQ and adjust volume settings according to your room.
FOR THE RECORD, LOUD BASS doesn't mean your system is good. You want to have an even sound. The bass will stand out but too much bass can really mess up the listening experience.
Anywhoo, after making the adjustments I realized that I was watching my regular cable 1080i on an OLD movie that didn't really have too much 5.1 let alone 7.1, SO I did some tests:
** Avatar: 4 of 5 - I liked it a lot but it didn't have enough for me.
The speakers performed very well. I had it about a quarter of the way up in total volume. No issues...
** G.I. Joe: 4 of 5... Explosions, lasers, sword fighting the works!
I was starting to get hooked on the speakers! I had this one turned up about half way because I wanted to hear all the crazy stuff that goes on in the fighting scenes. Speakers performed very well
** Star Trek: 5 of 5... They did a WONDERFUL job on this.
In this movie I cranked the speakers up about half way as well. It was "loud" but no fatigue or signs of distortion.
** 2010: 5 0f 5... This movie had so much CGI and destruction I just had to try it.
This was cranked up about 3 quarters of the way up. It was LOUD but you can REALLY HEAR EVERY SPEAKER in the 7.1 playing something different. AWESOME TEST! The speakers held in there and at that point I was satisfied completely satisfied with my purchase.
Conclusion:
The 7.1 (Polk RC65i and the 8" sub) is a WONDERFUL combination. I'm very pleased with the performance and sound. I would recommend this particular configuration to anyone looking. You will not be disappointed.
Make sure you get the right receiver that puts out the right amount of wattage. I have a Sony STR-DH810. It puts out enough power to do these speakers justice. Onkyo makes some good ones as well. If you under power these speakers you WILL lose out on sound. GET A GOOD RECEIVER WITH THE RIGHT POWER.
If your room is larger and you decide to get the 8" version of these speakers, get a larger sub like a 12". The others will go deep enough to capture most of what your looking for and you can tweak the larger subs crossover and have it push out the REALLY low frequencies.
I hope this helps anyone out there looking!
Add to your order
-
Coverage for accidental damage including drops, spills, and broken parts, as well as breakdowns (plans vary) -
24/7 support when you need it. -
Quick, easy, and frustration-free claims.
Cover this product:
2-Year Protection $21.99
3-Year Protection $28.99
Cover all of your eligible devices:
Asurion Complete Protect: One plan covers all eligible past and future purchases (Renews Monthly Until Cancelled) $16.99/month
Select a plan
Add to your order
- Coverage for accidental damage including drops, spills, and broken parts, as well as breakdowns (plans vary)
- 24/7 support when you need it.
- Quick, easy, and frustration-free claims.
Cover this product:
Select a plan
Enjoy fast, free delivery, exclusive deals, and award-winning movies & TV shows with Prime
Try Prime
and start saving today with fast, free delivery
Add a debit or credit card to save time when you check out
Convenient and secure with 2 clicks. Add your card
Consider a similar item
$51.50 ($25.75/Item)
Climate Pledge Friendly Frequently bought together
$198.00
Get it as soon as Sunday, May 12
In Stock
Total price:
To see our price, add these items to your cart.
Choose items to buy together.
Similar items that may deliver to you quickly
Page 1 of 1 Start overPage 1 of 1
From the manufacturer
|
|
|
|
|---|---|---|
Low Profile PerformancePaintable grilles let you build them in, and then forget all about them; RCi Series speakers practically disappear into any room. |
Virtual EnclosureWith infinite baffle tuning, RCi speakers utilize the “virtual enclosure” of your in-wall and in-ceiling space to enhance their bass response and smooth low frequency blending with the midrange. |
Timbre-MatchingRCi Series speakers are timbre-matched to other Polk speakers to insure utterly seamless blending from speaker to speaker in systems that combine traditional and built-in speakers. |
|
|
|
|
|---|---|---|
Streamlined DesignKlippel motor optimization uses laser measurement technology to ensure a smooth excursion path at either end of the volume spectrum for uniform performance at both low and high volumes. |
Superior ComponentsRustproof stainless steel hardware, durable butyl rubber surrounds and powder coated aluminum (in-ceiling) & painted steel (in-wall) grilles make RCi Series speakers suitable for high moisture areas like bathrooms, transitional spaces or even under eaves or in the ceiling of an enclosed porch. (RCi series are not suitable for exposed outdoor use. For outdoor speaker fun, use our Atrium Series.) |
Simple SetupEasy one-cut, drop-in installation puts built-in audio within reach, with Perfect Fit templates, a precision flange, and (available) pre-construction brackets; achieve secure, vibration-free efficiency with a simple turn of the patented Rotating Cam system. |
Compare with similar items
This Item  Polk Audio RC85i 2-Way Premium in-Wall 8" Speakers (Pair) | Perfect for Damp and Humid Indoor/Outdoor Placement (White, Paintable Grille) |  |  |  |  |  | |
| Price | -29% $198.00 List: $279.00 | $194.99 | -15% $219.99 List: $259.99 | -29% $224.99 List: $317.99 | $58.20 | $119.99 |
| Delivery | Get it as soon as Sunday, May 12 | — | Get it as soon as Tuesday, May 14 | Get it May 9 - 13 | Get it as soon as Sunday, May 12 | Get it as soon as Sunday, May 12 |
| Customer Ratings | ||||||
| Sound quality | ||||||
| Easy to install | ||||||
| Value for money | ||||||
| Sold By | Amazon.com | Audio Tech, Inc. | Sound Distributors Inc. | Electronics Expo (Authorized Dealer) | Amazon.com | Amazon.com |
| speaker size | 8 inches | 6.5 inches | 8 inches | — | 8 inches | 8 inches |
| power source | Corded Electric | Corded Electric | Corded Electric | Corded Electric | Corded Electric | Corded Electric |
| connectivity tech | Auxiliary | Powerline | Powerline | Infrared | Auxiliary | Wired |
| speaker type | In Wall | Component | Component | Woofer | In Ceiling | In Ceiling, In Wall |
| mounting type | Ceiling Mount | Ceiling Mount | Wall Mount | Wall Mount | Ceiling; Wall-Mount | Wall Mount |
| weight | 2.5 kilograms | — | — | 8.62 kilograms | 8.9 pounds | 17.61 pounds |
| model name | RC85i | R-3650-W II | R-5800-W II | R-5800W-II | Sound Around | 106816 |
| surround channels | 2 | — | 2 | — | 2 | 2 |
Videos
Page 1 of 1Start OverPage 1 of 1
Videos for this product
4:20
Click to play video
Polk Audio 2-way In-Wall 8" Surround Sound Speakers Review
Jason McCoy
Videos for this product
0:34
Click to play video
How have these speakers held up over 8 years? Our review
Claire Rachel
Reviews with images
Really nice speakers
We purchased our house and it came wired with a whole home speaker system with in-wall speakers throughout. One spot that they missed however was the attached garage, so I ran some speaker wire out there and wanted to go for some in-wall units to match the rest of the house. I purchased the two pack of these and have both controlled by a Niles in wall volume control (shown in picture). They're easy to install and include a template to trace out on the wall. I used a Milwaukee oscillating multi-tool to cut out the drywall which works very well. I'm no audiophile but these do sound fantastic and have impressive bass for being so low profile. I just bought two more to fill in some "dead spots" in the house. Great speakers!
Top reviews from the United States
There was a problem filtering reviews right now. Please try again later.
Reviewed in the United States on January 3, 2011
Style: RC65iPattern: SpeakersVerified Purchase
I'm an Audio Engineer by trade. I purchased 4 sets of these because Amazon was throwing in the 8" subwoofer and I couldn't be more pleased. I created a 7.1 environment. One speaker didn't get used but whatever. I paid under $600 for the entire setup with shipping n' all that. Forget paying the $300+ for a center speaker. IF you have all of the same, then the timber of the should should be even. When I score films, I use the same speaker types for the 5.1, 6.1, 7.1.
Installation:
The installation was a walk in the park! I had to cut into a wall stud to make the center speaker fit but that was the hardest and most time consuming part. Installing them in the dry wall took all of a few minutes for the 3 speakers (L/R/C).
I do recommend getting some insulation and putting that in first before you install your speakers. It dramatically increases the performance and sound. The wall I was installing them in didn't have any so I went up in the attic and cut out some small pieces from a part of my ceiling. IT worked like charm. :-)
Once those were done we cut into the ceiling and started installing them there. Those were a little tricky because in some parts I had Drywall and in another I had some form of concrete or something like that. It had wires n' all that. After we broke through it (extremely messy) the installation of those speaker went just as smooth as the others. Just had to patch and paint a little but it wasn't too much of a pain.
Running the wires weren't too much of a pain. There was a closet on the other side so I just drilled a hole and ran the speaker wires into the closet. THEN I drilled another larger whole over by the receiver and ran all of the wires through that. I have an attic so when I ran the wires from the ceiling ones, I drilled another whole in the closet (top) and dropped all of the wires down form there and then into the larger hole by the receiver.
Eventually I'm going to use wall plates but I didn't have them and I was too excited!
I recommend getting 200 feet of speaker wire. Be liberal with it because more wire is better than less wire.
These speakers have tweeters that can be angled. I recommend you angle them to your listening position.
Sound:
Once I turned on the receiver I said "oh... I guess it sounds ok". Then I started to justify it... "I only paid $500 for it so I get what I pay for...". DON'T GO DOWN THAT STREET! I started to play with the receiver (Sony) and I started tweaking the levels: FLAT EQ and adjust volume settings according to your room.
FOR THE RECORD, LOUD BASS doesn't mean your system is good. You want to have an even sound. The bass will stand out but too much bass can really mess up the listening experience.
Anywhoo, after making the adjustments I realized that I was watching my regular cable 1080i on an OLD movie that didn't really have too much 5.1 let alone 7.1, SO I did some tests:
** Avatar: 4 of 5 - I liked it a lot but it didn't have enough for me.
The speakers performed very well. I had it about a quarter of the way up in total volume. No issues...
** G.I. Joe: 4 of 5... Explosions, lasers, sword fighting the works!
I was starting to get hooked on the speakers! I had this one turned up about half way because I wanted to hear all the crazy stuff that goes on in the fighting scenes. Speakers performed very well
** Star Trek: 5 of 5... They did a WONDERFUL job on this.
In this movie I cranked the speakers up about half way as well. It was "loud" but no fatigue or signs of distortion.
** 2010: 5 0f 5... This movie had so much CGI and destruction I just had to try it.
This was cranked up about 3 quarters of the way up. It was LOUD but you can REALLY HEAR EVERY SPEAKER in the 7.1 playing something different. AWESOME TEST! The speakers held in there and at that point I was satisfied completely satisfied with my purchase.
Conclusion:
The 7.1 (Polk RC65i and the 8" sub) is a WONDERFUL combination. I'm very pleased with the performance and sound. I would recommend this particular configuration to anyone looking. You will not be disappointed.
Make sure you get the right receiver that puts out the right amount of wattage. I have a Sony STR-DH810. It puts out enough power to do these speakers justice. Onkyo makes some good ones as well. If you under power these speakers you WILL lose out on sound. GET A GOOD RECEIVER WITH THE RIGHT POWER.
If your room is larger and you decide to get the 8" version of these speakers, get a larger sub like a 12". The others will go deep enough to capture most of what your looking for and you can tweak the larger subs crossover and have it push out the REALLY low frequencies.
I hope this helps anyone out there looking!
Installation:
The installation was a walk in the park! I had to cut into a wall stud to make the center speaker fit but that was the hardest and most time consuming part. Installing them in the dry wall took all of a few minutes for the 3 speakers (L/R/C).
I do recommend getting some insulation and putting that in first before you install your speakers. It dramatically increases the performance and sound. The wall I was installing them in didn't have any so I went up in the attic and cut out some small pieces from a part of my ceiling. IT worked like charm. :-)
Once those were done we cut into the ceiling and started installing them there. Those were a little tricky because in some parts I had Drywall and in another I had some form of concrete or something like that. It had wires n' all that. After we broke through it (extremely messy) the installation of those speaker went just as smooth as the others. Just had to patch and paint a little but it wasn't too much of a pain.
Running the wires weren't too much of a pain. There was a closet on the other side so I just drilled a hole and ran the speaker wires into the closet. THEN I drilled another larger whole over by the receiver and ran all of the wires through that. I have an attic so when I ran the wires from the ceiling ones, I drilled another whole in the closet (top) and dropped all of the wires down form there and then into the larger hole by the receiver.
Eventually I'm going to use wall plates but I didn't have them and I was too excited!
I recommend getting 200 feet of speaker wire. Be liberal with it because more wire is better than less wire.
These speakers have tweeters that can be angled. I recommend you angle them to your listening position.
Sound:
Once I turned on the receiver I said "oh... I guess it sounds ok". Then I started to justify it... "I only paid $500 for it so I get what I pay for...". DON'T GO DOWN THAT STREET! I started to play with the receiver (Sony) and I started tweaking the levels: FLAT EQ and adjust volume settings according to your room.
FOR THE RECORD, LOUD BASS doesn't mean your system is good. You want to have an even sound. The bass will stand out but too much bass can really mess up the listening experience.
Anywhoo, after making the adjustments I realized that I was watching my regular cable 1080i on an OLD movie that didn't really have too much 5.1 let alone 7.1, SO I did some tests:
** Avatar: 4 of 5 - I liked it a lot but it didn't have enough for me.
The speakers performed very well. I had it about a quarter of the way up in total volume. No issues...
** G.I. Joe: 4 of 5... Explosions, lasers, sword fighting the works!
I was starting to get hooked on the speakers! I had this one turned up about half way because I wanted to hear all the crazy stuff that goes on in the fighting scenes. Speakers performed very well
** Star Trek: 5 of 5... They did a WONDERFUL job on this.
In this movie I cranked the speakers up about half way as well. It was "loud" but no fatigue or signs of distortion.
** 2010: 5 0f 5... This movie had so much CGI and destruction I just had to try it.
This was cranked up about 3 quarters of the way up. It was LOUD but you can REALLY HEAR EVERY SPEAKER in the 7.1 playing something different. AWESOME TEST! The speakers held in there and at that point I was satisfied completely satisfied with my purchase.
Conclusion:
The 7.1 (Polk RC65i and the 8" sub) is a WONDERFUL combination. I'm very pleased with the performance and sound. I would recommend this particular configuration to anyone looking. You will not be disappointed.
Make sure you get the right receiver that puts out the right amount of wattage. I have a Sony STR-DH810. It puts out enough power to do these speakers justice. Onkyo makes some good ones as well. If you under power these speakers you WILL lose out on sound. GET A GOOD RECEIVER WITH THE RIGHT POWER.
If your room is larger and you decide to get the 8" version of these speakers, get a larger sub like a 12". The others will go deep enough to capture most of what your looking for and you can tweak the larger subs crossover and have it push out the REALLY low frequencies.
I hope this helps anyone out there looking!
Images in this review
Reviewed in the United States on March 6, 2024
Style: RC85iPattern: SpeakersVerified Purchase
We purchased our house and it came wired with a whole home speaker system with in-wall speakers throughout. One spot that they missed however was the attached garage, so I ran some speaker wire out there and wanted to go for some in-wall units to match the rest of the house. I purchased the two pack of these and have both controlled by a Niles in wall volume control (shown in picture). They're easy to install and include a template to trace out on the wall. I used a Milwaukee oscillating multi-tool to cut out the drywall which works very well. I'm no audiophile but these do sound fantastic and have impressive bass for being so low profile. I just bought two more to fill in some "dead spots" in the house. Great speakers!
Images in this review
Top reviews from other countries
Ernesto Casillas Gómez de Orozco
EXCELENTE CALIDAD DE SONIDO
Reviewed in Mexico on May 29, 2023Style: RC85iPattern: SpeakersVerified Purchase
Ray Ulbikas
Easy install with Great sound!
Reviewed in Canada on October 20, 2022Style: RC85iPattern: SpeakersVerified Purchase
Ray Ulbikas
Reviewed in Canada on October 20, 2022
Images in this review
peter Brady
Great value speakers!
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on August 3, 2023Style: RC65iPattern: SpeakersVerified Purchase
Stella Smith
Good sound
Reviewed in Australia on April 23, 2021Style: RC65iPattern: SpeakersVerified Purchase
Miguel Flores
Muy buenas
Reviewed in Mexico on July 18, 2020Style: RC65iPattern: SpeakersVerified Purchase
