RC85i

by Ted Villegas, June 26, 2006

Strengths:

Ease of installation, perfect template for the cutout, well written instructions. The sound is nearly transparent, no directional harshness. These speakers must have a pretty decent crossover to create such a smooth and full spectrum of sound. Quality of this speaker is not only heard but seen as well! Excellently crafted with nice components. A real bang for the buck too! You would almost think you would have to pay twice as much to get sound this nice! Save your money and just get the Polk RC85i. Trust me there is no need to spend anymore than necessary. Put the extra money you save on a nicer surround sound receiver!

Weaknesses:

None really to speak of. Just be careful though when painting the grill of the RC85i. It's real easy to clog up the holes especially if you're not spray painting it! If you cannot spray paint it use a smooth 6" roller with multiple ultra thin coats!

Review:

I just purchased 2-pairs of these in-wall speakers (RC85i) for my front and rear surround sound speaker setup. What an amazing sound I heard when I fired up these bad boys! Smooth clean bass, excellent midrange along with crisp clean highs! Sweet and smooth! No boominess or harshness here baby, nothing but pure audio ectasy for the ears! I never thought that In-Wall speakers can achieve the sound quality of audiofile components! These Polk RC85i's sure do!

by Rick, March 12, 2003

Strengths:

True audiophile sound. Easy to install. Pivoting tweeters. Solid construction.

Weaknesses:

None.

Review:

NOTE: As a point of reference, my RC85i speakers are powered by an Onkyo TX-DS797 110 watt/channel receiver. When my wife and I were having our house built, I had visions of installing a “stealth” home theater system that would have neither bulky floor speakers nor a subwoofer taking up precious floor space, and it would have no unsightly exposed wires to trip over. I wanted the TV, as well as all of the components, to be housed in wall niches. I wanted it to look customized, not like an afterthought. I wanted it to compliment and flow with our living space, not dominate it. Well, with a little help from the homebuilder and Polk speakers I got my wish. The TV and A / V component niches that are built into the wall beneath the stairway (It’s a two-story home) were constructed to my desired specifications, providing a truly customized appearance, especially for the big screen TV. I also paid the builder to run wire for all of my speakers, as well as for the subwoofer. The look? Fantastic. The sound quality? Also fantastic, thanks to my Polk RC85i high performance in-wall loudspeakers. Many people believe that true audiophile sound is only achieved through big floor standing tower speakers, however, after listening to what the RC85i speakers have to offer, that line of thinking may very well be altered. They produce rich, clean powerful sound, with accurate true-to-life bass, midrange, and highs. And when paired with a Polk center channel speaker and Polk rear speakers, the imaging is seamless and room filling. The RC85i loudspeaker consists of an 8” woofer that is constructed of a mineral filled polymer cone with a rubber surround and a 1”metalized soft dome tweeter that is in a swivel mount. They have a frequency response of 30Hz to 20kHz, are compatible with 8-ohm amplifiers, and they have an efficiency rating of 90 decibels. Comparable Klipsch, Niles, Boston Acoustics in-wall speakers also produce 90 decibel or better efficiency, but the Polk is capable of much lower frequency response. They measure 14” H x 10” W x 2 7/8” D and the mounting cutout measures 12 ¾” H x 8 11/16” W. The grilles and flanges are white and can be painted to match any décor, allowing them to virtually disappear into the walls. They are moisture resistant, so they can be safely used in areas where this is a concern, such as bathrooms, kitchens, saunas, or outdoors under roof eaves. The infinite baffle tuning enables the RC85i to use the enclosure of the in-wall space for better bass response (the wall space acts as the speaker cabinet). They are timbre-matched with Polk center channel speakers for seamless imaging in home theater applications. The RC85i comes with a 5 year limited warranty that covers both parts and labor. Installation is simple and requires only a few tools. Each pair of speakers comes with a template for the necessary cutouts. After selecting the desired mounting location, hold the template on the wall and trace around it with a pencil. Then, using a drywall saw (or other appropriate cutting tool), cut out the opening. Now the speaker wire (assuming that it has already been run) is connected and the speakers are placed into the openings. The RC85i speakers come with a rotating cam mounting system that truly makes the installation a snap. The rotating cam mounting system is basically a vise that secures the speaker by gripping the wall between the cam and the flange. After placing the speakers in the wall, the cam screws are turned until the cams tighten against the drywall inside the opening, producing an almost flush-to-the-wall appearance. That is all there is to it. After all, Polk’s motto is: “Out of the box and into the wall”. Because of room design and my desire to create the “stealth” look that I mentioned earlier, I had no choice but to mount my RC85i speakers in a very off-axis position. They are actually on the sides of the room, rather high up on the wall, firing sideways, instead of in the front, firing directly at the main listening area, which would be optimal. But, the reason that I chose these speakers, aside from Polk quality, is for their ability to produce spacious imaging and a well-balanced sound in an off-axis mounting application. This is achieved through the wide dispersion design and swivel-mounted tweeters. The wide dispersion design spreads the sound out to fill the room, instead of focusing the sound to a particular “sweet spot”, and the swivel-mounted tweeters can be aimed directly at the main listening area. This is important because the high frequencies produced by tweeters are far more directional than the frequencies produced by woofers or midranges. In other words, because tweeter frequencies don’t bounce off walls that well, they need to be fired right at your ears so you can hear them. The sound produced by the RC85i is so clean, well balanced, and room filling that, if you close your eyes, you swear it’s coming from floor standing tower speakers. High frequency reproduction efficiency is further improved with the addition of a subwoofer to remove the low frequency signals from the speakers. I had the advantage being able to run speaker wire while the house was under construction. Running wire is certainly the biggest headache when installing in-wall speakers, as far as I’m concerned. Since I did have fairly long runs (50-60 feet), I chose an oxygen-free, all copper 12-gauge speaker wire with a very thick sheathing to minimize signal loss as much as possible. Although Monster Cable is considered by many to be the top speaker wire around, I find that the bulk sold-by-the-foot wire at Home Depot works just as well at a fraction of the cost. Polk has been manufacturing high quality loudspeakers for years, and that quality is seen and heard in the RC85i. With wide dispersion design, swivel-mounted tweeters, and 90-decibel efficiency, The RC85i speakers produce clean, rich room-filling sound for movies and music. So, whether you are going for the “stealth” look or you just don’t have the floor space for large towers, take a listen to the Polk RC85i in-wall speakers. They truly produce “Audiophile sound from speakers you can barely see”.

by JT, November 2, 2007

Strengths:

Amazing sound for the price. I was comparing the sound from these to the much more expensive floor and bookshelf speakers in the store. Flipping from A to B several times before realizing that the waste of real estate in my Theater room from large speakers would provide me bragging rights but would not provide better sound quality. Yes the 1,300.00 Towers sounded great. But not that much better. IMHO I love the near invisible speakers.

Weaknesses:

They have to stay at home when I go to work.

Review:

These sound great. I did notice there one of the speakers did not sound as good as the other. There was a reason for this and I was just trying to be cheep and was in a bit of a hurry. One wall void had no insulation the other did. It makes a difference. I fixed the problem and I am very pleased with these speakers. The sound is full and very clean. One more thing. These speakers need to be placed at the correct listening height for the biggest impact and best listening quality. Don't just cut some holes and expect the adjustable tweeters to correct your mistake. They help but not if the speakers are to low or way to high. I made a card board speaker box and stuffed it with polyfill and had my daughter and wife move the speakers around around while I sat and listened prior to install. For my install the best sound for the rear speakers was obtained by installing the speakers upside down with the tweeter at the bottom of my speaker. Sounds strange but it worked. If you plan to install in the wall you should verify where you will be sitting and install them at the proper listening height.

by Kevin Misius, February 24, 2007

Strengths:

BIG SOUND out of a near invisible speaker. Crystal clear clarity.

Weaknesses:

I agree with other post, could use extra clamps if they break during install, or in the future if you move them.

Review:

I installed these as my R/L front channel surround speakers for a 5.1 home theatre setup. They are powered by a Denon 2307CI receiver, and everything is hooked up through a Pioneer PDP-5070HD Plasma. I am very impressed by the range of these speakers, they are a perfect set of in-wall speakers in every way. They are crystal clear, and have BIG SPEAKER sound. My wife is even impressed, and she is tough to please

by Mike Lambert, February 4, 2003

Strengths:

Very musical, very clear, the best in-walls you can buy.

Weaknesses:

Review:

I have 4 of these speakers: as my left and right surrounds and as my two back channel surrounds. Unbelievable sound! I compared these to every other inwall I could find and these were BY FAR the best sounding. I have owned various polk speakers for over 12 years and am always very impressed with their products.

by Mike Cason, February 16, 2003

Strengths:

Clearly defines musical instruments and fills in the rear home theater surround like it needs to be.

Weaknesses:

None noticed.

Review:

I have used these RC85I in wall speakers for my rear surround and mounted them in the ceiling. Great sound and easy installation. Some reviews criticize the spring loaded terminals, but I found them to be of superior quality and certainly aided in the installation process. Tech support for questions was instant and polite. Thanks Ken

by MC, May 24, 2010

Strengths:

Great quality sound for an in-wall speaker.

Weaknesses:

None.

Review:

I have these speakers mounted almost half way up a 20' wall in a 40' x 24' room, and they sound amazing. Powered by a 100w Yamaha A/V receiver as my 2nd zone, they more than fill the room with very high quality audio.

by PHILIP LAFRANKCIS, February 14, 2003

Strengths:

GREAT QUALITY MATERIAL, EASY INSTALL

Weaknesses:

NOT AS CLEAN AS I WOULD LIKE THEM TO BE

Review:

NICE EASY INSTALL. THE SPEAKERS SOUND GOOD, BUT DONT HAVE THE DEPTH AND IMAGERY THAT I WOULD EXPECT FROM A SET THAT COST ALMOST $400.A PR.

by Deane Nelson, December 23, 2004

Strengths:

Everything

Weaknesses:

My son( a professional musician) adjusted the direction of the tweeters, becaue I couldn't tell the difference

Review:

Unbelievably powerful,crisp, rich and full. Don't mess with home theatre set ups. If you only have two ears- pick these. Couldn't tell there were only two speakers. They fill the whole 18x18 room. Powered by a Yamaha, I popped in a Coletrane disc and then a music score- - and bango. They even give great sound to trombones. So clear. I tested with all different types of music. Extremely responsive and clear to a female voice that had bongos. (Nina Simone), but handled the french horns in the movie score(Ghost and the Darkness) It was amazing to be able to hear the vibratto in the voices. I don't buy speakers that often(bought these because of the Polk uprights that I currently have, that my wife won't let put them in the living room), but I will always buy Polk from now on. I checked these out a different retail outlets. One tried to steer me to an inferior brand on special. Don't let them do it. Bring your own disc to sample these puppies. I was very nervous putting the holes in the wall and handling the speakers for fear that I might puncture the speakers, but all went well.

by Sonny B., March 4, 2005

Strengths:

Ability to stretch the sound field in a mid to large size room.Reproduction quality for both movie surround and Matrix 6 music.

Weaknesses:

None to speak of.

Review:

Decided to upgrade with in wall/ceiling speaker set for surround and surround back (6.1) speakers. Was a little nervous about cutting holes in the ceiling to add the speakers but post the installation , was stunned by the sound quality of this upgrade to the RC85i.The 85i's not only added depth in the high ends (pointable tweeters), but the 8" woofers added bass resonance to the surround field that surprized me. My front speakers are massive(Eosone 1000s with two each 10" woofers, 225 watt internal amps)driven by a JVC RX-8030V, 130 watts to front phase with 100 watts pushed to the surround speakers.The RC85i's not only hold their own but with the set up, added a room filling depth that litterally sounds better in my my set up than the theater. I tested it using Chapter 21 of Pearl Harbor with my bass from the Eosones boosted and crossed over low, and I was ABSOLUTELY THRILLED how well the surround bass filled!!!(also Episode I and II Star Wars, which places a tremendous amount of music to the surounds was incredible). Thank you Polk and congrats to the team for a excellent product at a GREAT price.

by john zambrano, May 25, 2005

Strengths:

Bass warmths, treble consisitancy, good looking discreet.

Weaknesses:

could use spare clamps, just in case one breaks during install.

Review:

I was asked to provide a discreet looking, but amazing sounding system in a expensive home. Having been aware of Polk's reputation for stellar quality I looked to them once again. The RC85I was so simple to install and when the receiver was turned on, and the first note of the cd played instant gratification. Warm sound filled the 20x25 room w 10 foot ceilings. The speakers out perform all others (front) (rear) the simplicity speaks fopr itself. If your looking to have an amazingly easy install warm sound and overall durability, make the right purchase Polk.

by Brian Pontius, October 20, 2005

Strengths:

Speakers are small easily hideable, and produce big sound for the money, they are a good buy.

Weaknesses:

Not a very crisp sound. When a glass shatters or chimes sound it could definately be better.

Review:

I bought these off of amazon.com for a good price to replace my polk 6100 bookshelf speakers (which were awesome for their size.) I installed these in my new home and can't be happier. My theater is 35'X16' and I am using these in the rear. They sound brilliant and the midrange is pretty good.

by Jeff Stephenson, January 25, 2006

Strengths:

Clear sound, good bass, attractive speakers.

Weaknesses:

None that I can come up with as of now.

Review:

I installed these speakers 3 days ago as my rear surrounds for home theater(although they could easily serve as front surround speakers). The installation was very easy, just cut the hole, pop the speakers in, and tighten the screws. After installation, I inserted Star Wars Episode III in the DVD player. After about 15 minutes into the movie I kept hearing a rattling noise. I traced down the noise and found that it was the wall phone that was in the same wall cavity on the opposite side of one of the speakers!!! LOL. The low bass put out by the speaker was causing the handset to shake. Needless to say, these speakers do very well as rear surrounds, just make sure you don't have any phones or anything hanging on the wall opposite of these bad boys!

by John C, February 19, 2006

Strengths:

Easy Installation, even the template is simple and convenient to work with. Directional tweeters are a great innovation.

Weaknesses:

These speakers are user-seductive. The more I listen, the more I want. That's my weakness.

Review:

I was looking for reasonably priced in-wall speakers for a basement home theater. The RC85i speakers are more than expected to hear and less than I expected to pay; these are my front L&R speakers. The sound is clean and fills the room, bass is true. My next step is to install either RC55i or RC60i speakers as the rear surrounds. As you can see, I won't mix multi-brand speakers. And why should I? The Polks fill my ears with what I want to hear.

by YoSD, April 28, 2008

Strengths:

Great sound and price.

Weaknesses:

A little more definition of highs would have been nice but no speaker is perfect.

Review:

Sounds great with my CSI3 center and PSW303 sub and Denon AVR888. Awesome value and easy installation.