In-Ceiling
RC80i
Round in-ceiling speaker with 8-inch driver.
10 3/4" Diameter
27.30cm Diameter
RC80i
You can quickly use up your entertainment budget these days by building a stealth sound system with built-in speakers. (But you can also use up your entertainment budget by taking your whole family out to the movies; go figure.) The big, bold, yet completely inconspicuous RC80i in-ceiling loudspeaker gives you more options for your money. With the performance you’d expect from a traditional speaker, this built-in speaker lets you build systems, add to systems, extend systems, and take great sound all over your home. Dynamic, wide dispersion sound covers whole rooms, and its aimable tweeter allows for better imaging and real detail, in any listening environment. Stay home, and be entertained.
In-Ceiling Audiophile Beast
The beefy big 8-inch woofer of the RC80i makes a big beastly impact, with the maximum amount of bass you’re likely to encounter from an in-ceiling speaker. The RC80i is perfect for areas requiring big, rich sound with good coverage, but with no room for traditional speaker clutter. Designed for superior wide dispersion, you’ll hear great sound no matter where you are in the room.
RC80i Features:
Easy 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.
With 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.
Lightweight and stiff blue polymer cones deliver excellent damping and bass response.
Durable, computer-modeled, injection-molded butyl rubber surrounds suppress unwanted cone resonances for a lifetime of reliable sound.
Aimable swivel tweeters for greater accuracy and more realistic imaging. (All models except RC6s.)
Polk’s proprietary, patented Dynamic Balance® technology allows our engineers to design out distortion-causing driver and system resonances, so you only hear the good sounds.
Klippel 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.
Rustproof 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.)
Paintable grilles let you build them in, and then forget all about them; RCi Series speakers practically disappear into any room.
RCi 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.
All Polk products are made using the best materials and the most advanced manufacturing techniques. They pass the industry’s most exhaustive quality tests, including drop testing, extreme signal response and UV & salt exposure testing. Polk loudspeakers are built to perform for a lifetime.
Driver Complement | |
|---|---|
| Tweeter | |
| Quantity | 1 |
| Diameter | 1" (2.54cm) |
| Type | Dynamic Balance tweeter with metalized soft dome in ball-and-socket swivel mount |
| Mid / Woofer | |
| Quantity | 1 |
| Diameter | 8" (20.32cm) |
| Type | Dynamic Balance driver with mineral-filled polymer cone with rubber surround |
Electrical | |
|---|---|
| Total Frequency Response | 35Hz - 20kHz |
| Upper -3dB Limit | 20 kHz |
| Lower -3dB Limit | 50 Hz |
| Nominal Impedance | 8 ohms |
| Efficiency | 90 dB |
| Recommended Amplifier Power | 20 - 100 watts per channel |
| Inputs | Spring-loaded clips |
Dimensions | |
|---|---|
| Cut-Out Diameter | 9 3/8" (23.81cm) |
| Overall Diameter | 10 3/4" (27.30cm) |
| Mounting Depth (includes 1/2" drywall) | 3 1/8" (7.94cm) |
| Pre-Construction Bracket | PB LC80i |
| Overall Depth | 3 5/8" (9.21cm) |
Shipping | |
|---|---|
| Unit of Measure | pair |
| Total Shipping Weight | 10 pounds |
Warranty | |
|---|---|
| Speaker Warranty | Lifetime |
Specifications, dimensions and features subject to change without notice. For more information call us at 1-800-377-7655 (USA and Canada). Outside of North America call +1 (410) 358-3600.
Customer Reviews
12 reviews with an average of 5
Write your own reviewby Julio ONeill, August 19, 2008
6 out of 6 people found this review helpful.Strengths:
Right now im upstairs listening to my newly installed POLK AUDIO RC80i, and i set the voulume at 35% they sound so clear strong and with a powerful thumping base.
Weaknesses:
Instructions should have specified which cut-out pattern to use. The print in the manual was extremely small.
Review:
I was surprised at the price I got these babies for, and I was even more surprised when I heard the sound. Especially the lower tones the base sounds are really thumping. I replaced a pair of Boston Acoustics for my new POLK AUDIO RC80i in ceiling speakers, you have to ensure you have the correct settings on your amp/avr or whatever it is you’re connecting these to. The only reason why I didn't score it a 5 star is because the instructions weren’t specific enough as to which cut-out pattern to use, so my bro-n-law and I didn't want to take any chances, so we used the smaller pattern first only to find out we had to use the larger cut-out pattern, so live and learn right, for the second speaker installation it was much easier. The sound rocks, I’m using a old PIONEER VSX-D812 which allows me to switch A or B speakers simultaneously or not cause I installed the B.A. in the master bedroom. AND, hmn I think I may change them out for another pair of POLK AUDIO ceiling speakers. I almost can't tell where the base thumping sound is comming from it sounds as if it were comming out the walls.
by Philip George, March 25, 2006
2 out of 2 people found this review helpful.Strengths:
Bass response, clarity, easy to install.
Weaknesses:
None.
Review:
These speakers are excellent. I bought 4 sets of these to be placed in my kitchen, family room, dining room, and the master bedroom. I am using them for music throughout the house. I am quite eclectic in my collection of music so the speakers I needed to have should handle a wide range of sounds. I play everything from classical guitar to chirstian hip-hop. In all forms, the music is crystal clear and bass response is very good. And with low amount of volume to them, they fill the room quite well.
by Ryan Owad, May 2, 2009
2 out of 3 people found this review helpful.Strengths:
This speaker has defined bass, and mids and highs so crisp & perfect.
Weaknesses:
Review:
My dad had 4 of these jus sitting in one of the rooms in our house, i decided to check them out. THEY WERE AWESOME WHEN I HOOKED THEM THROUGHT OUR STERO!! my dad got them for a lot less proce, and when i saw the price for a brand new one i was stunned! I wanted to try to use it for a P.A. speaker, but that wouldn't be a good idea because it's small in comparison to standard P.A. speakers. I definetly recomend this speaker to anyone who wants surround sound. I myself am going to make 2 cabinets for the 4 speakers my dad owns so that in the summer when we are listening to the radio, we can use polk instead of bulk XD!
by michael, March 28, 2002
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.Strengths:
easy to install. full range sound and dispersion.
Weaknesses:
none
Review:
installed them in my ceiling as rear surrounds, could not be happier. excellent sound. like the aimable tweeters.
by Chris Corbett, April 6, 2004
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.Strengths:
Weaknesses:
Review:
I just bought a new home and paid extra for the sourrond sound pre-wire. The problem was that the speaker wire was in the ceiling. After doing extensive research on speakers that could be used in the ceiling for sorround sound, I chose the POLK audio. These speakers are everything I could of wanted. They sound AWESOME!!!
by Ron, March 17, 2008
1 out of 2 people found this review helpful.Strengths:
In-ceiling and hidden. Directional tweeter for those surround highs.
Weaknesses:
None.
Review:
Purchased these for surrounds and surround backs and and very happy with the sound and the ability to point the highs (tweeter) to the seating location. I've got these mounted in the ceiling and unlike some of the other reviewers, didn't have any issue with the grill removal. I originally had the monitor 30's suspended from the the ceiling but didn't like the looks due to the clunkiness of the monitor 30's. I therefore removed the 30's and purchased these RC80i's as they're voice matched to the monitor line. I have the monitor 50's for fronts, cs1 for center and DSW Pro 500 for sub and very satisfied with this combination.
by Matt, February 16, 2004
0 out of 0 people found this review helpful.Strengths:
Ease of install; Appearance
Weaknesses:
None
Review:
The speakers are exactly what we wanted. Just installed them in our living room and they look and sound great. Installation could not have been easier. We are using these for general listening, not surround sound, and they work perfectly.
by Matthew, December 5, 2005
0 out of 0 people found this review helpful.Strengths:
Great sound - and nearly invisible in the room.
Weaknesses:
none
Review:
Great for all around listening. No regrets - just crisp clean sound. I run a Carver amp and the RC80i provides clear highs and solid bass at all volume levels.
by Brad, August 9, 2006
0 out of 0 people found this review helpful.Strengths:
Blends in nicely. It's great to see people looking for the speakers! Price!
Weaknesses:
None as of yet.
Review:
We installed 8 pairs in our new house. They sound GREAT! I am running 4 in our great room with a 404 sub. It really makes the room good for all around use. Music, cable, gaming etc. The rest went into a master bedroom, master bath, computer room, kitchen, dining and garage. We have a dedicated theater room so I felt like I was "cutting back" using celing speakers on the main level. Was I ever shocked to see this kind of performance! Awsome bang for the buck!
by R. Stofinski, March 12, 2007
0 out of 0 people found this review helpful.Strengths:
Excellent bass response and clear highs too. Very cost competitive.
Weaknesses:
None that I can determine.
Review:
Installed a pair of these yesterday as my primary speakers in a small vacation house. Installation was very straightforward and was completed in just over an hour. I am very impressed with the sound quality of these, especially for the price!
by Walter B., December 20, 2007
0 out of 1 people found this review helpful.Strengths:
Price, Easy installation.
Weaknesses:
My wife won't let me buy a pair for each room of the house.
Review:
My buddy told me these were very easy to install. He kept telling me what a smart design the locking mechanism is. They sound great. The Omni directional tweeters make up for any problems that might arise from less than ideal speaker placement due to shape of your A/V room. My ceiling is textured white, so these speakers almost disappear until you turn them on.
by Ken Rose, March 15, 2013
0 out of 0 people found this review helpful.Strengths:
Flush fit, sound seems to come from everywhere.
Weaknesses:
Nothing
Review:
Installed 4 of the RC80i into the ceiling of our living space floor (Open kitchen, lounge, dining). Got to say I'm pleasantly surprised at the quality of the sound. OK, it's not at the level of my tower speakers but for the purpose of background music covering a large area they are awesome.
RC80i Media
RC80i Literature
Want to know more? Want to dig just a little deeper to learn about this product? Here's a list of source material that will give more detail, other perspectives, and answer questions you may have.
Frequently Asked Questions
- Where do in-wall and in-ceiling speakers go?
- Why are my speakers distorting and popping?
- What's the best way to install in-wall or in-ceiling speakers?
- What wire should I get? What gauge?
- How do I choose between all the different home audio speakers?
- What floorstanding speakers match in-wall speakers?
- How long is the warranty on Polk loudspeakers?
- How do I obtain service for my loudspeakers?
- The Challenges of Custom Installation (PDF)
