Polk Audio RC85i 2-Way Premium in-Wall 8" Rectangular Speakers, Set of 2 Perfect for Damp and Humid Indoor Placement - Bath, Kitchen, Covered Porches (White, Paintable Grille)

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!

Yeah, you just can't beat these guys for the price and the sound. I use them as Atmos speakers in my home theater room. They sound great and almost disappear into a white ceiling. Super easy installation. The directional tweeters offer a nice level of sound adjustment you just won't get with a fixed tweeter. My room is on the smaller side, so I only needed a pair of them. Well worth the money. They would also work well as stand alone ceiling audio speakers.

Love, love, love these speakers. They changed my movie watching experience. It feels like I’m actually there in real life when watching movies. They sound better than the speakers at my local theater. They are an excellent value for the money as well. Being able to paint the speaker grilles makes it so I don’t even notice them. They look fantastic.They are a great value for the price. I never imagined they would sound this good at this price. They work very well. II highly recommend for them your home theater room. Very simple installation.

I was really impressed with how easy these were to install. The user's guide clearly walked me through the process even though these were the first in-wall speakers I've installed. It also comes with a very handy template to ensure it's a "cut once" process with no regrets (or spackle). Since there's a lip on the frame you don't need to be worried about making a perfectly smooth cut through the drywall since the rough edges are hidden.I was torn between these and the RC80i model. Both had identical tech specs on the Polk site. What sealed the deal in terms of the RC85i model is that it is a bit more shallow than the RC80i (depth of 2 and 7/8 inches for the RC85i versus 3 and 1/4 inches with the RC80i). More importantly, the tweeter assembly on the RC85i is a bit different. According to Polk, the tweeter in the 85i has a plate underneath it that helps project the sound. This is not found in the 80i.But the proof is in the sound, and these sound wonderful. I'm using them in a basement wired to a Denon AV receiver in the LR. While the sound can't compete with the Kef's I have in the LR, the Polks sound far better than I expected given the price. Very pleased!They also are very aesthetically pleasing. The grill is nicely made, and can be painted. As with installation, clear and detailed instructions on painting the grills are in the user's guide.Good sound, good looks and good price - can't ask for more! Highly recommend.