About the Polk Audio 90-RT
... but you'll know they're up there the moment you fire up tunes from your favourite artist. Polk's Vanishing Series 90-RT speakers stand out audibly — not visually. Your favourite rooms don't have to remain silent, just because you can't or don't want to put free-standing speakers there.
You may never see your speakers again...
... but you'll know they're up there the moment you fire up tunes from your favourite artist. Polk's Vanishing Series 90-RT speakers stand out audibly — not visually. Your favourite rooms don't have to remain silent, just because you can't or don't want to put free-standing speakers there.
Polk's clever design yields big bass from a smaller space
Polk ingenuity fills their Vanishing Series speakers to overflowing with clear, full-range sound. Each model has three drivers — a tweeter, a midrange and a woofer — packed into a smaller than average space. Dual port bandpass technology ensures that you'll get deeper sound with a compact speaker. Their paintable, seamless-profile magnetic grilles make it simple for these speakers to fit perfectly into your surroundings.
Might as well invite the whole speaker family over
Get two 90-RTs to listen to music in the den, or add more for a great sounding home theatre. They're also a pretty close sonic match to Polk's renowned free-standing RTi speakers. Any way you choose, you'll get harmonious results.
An optional in-ceiling bracket is recommended for installing the 90-RT speaker in a home with new construction.
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Shop our selection of in-wall speaker wire.
Product highlights:
- sold individually
- frequency response 43-25,000 Hz (-3dB)
- three-way speaker design includes:
- 3/4" silk/polymer dome tweeter
- 3-1/4" midrange speaker
- 6" x 9" Dynamic Balance® woofer
- dual-port bandpass enclosure for better bass response
- handles up to 125 watts RMS
- sensitivity 90 dB
- 8-ohm impedance
- paintable Sheer-Grille for stealth installation
- cutout diameter: 8-3/16"
- overall diameter: 9-5/8"
- mounting depth: 9-1/2"
- warranty: lifetime
- MFR # AW1190-A
What's in the box:
Polk Audio 90-RT owner's manual
- In-ceiling speaker
- White metal grille
- Mounting template
- Owner's Manual
- Sheer-Grille Painting instructions
- Online Registration Card
- Polk Audio product brochure
Reviews (35)
Customer reviews for Polk Audio 90-RT
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Average review:
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More details on the Polk Audio 90-RT

Features & specs
Features | ||
---|---|---|
Quantity in Package | Single | |
Tweeter | Soft-Dome | |
Aimable Tweeter | No | |
Woofer Composition | Polypropylene | |
Woofer Surround | Rubber | |
Connector Type | Spring post | |
Bi-Amp Inputs | No | |
Built-in Back-box | No | |
Moisture Resistance | ||
Indoor (Moisture-resistant) | No | |
Outdoor (Partial Exposure) | No | |
Outdoor (Full Exposure) | No | |
Specs | ||
Tweeter Size | 0.75 | |
Midrange Size | 3.25 | |
Speaker Shape | Round | |
Woofer Size | 6 x 9 | |
Cutout Width | 8.1875 | |
Cutout Height | 8.1875 | |
Mounting Depth | 9.5 | |
Power Range (Watts) | 10-125 | |
Sensitivity | 90 dB | |
Impedance (Ohms) | 8 | |
Frequency Response | 43-25kHz | |
Parts Warranty | Lifetime | |
Labor Warranty | Lifetime |
Product Research
Features
Dynamic Balance Technology: Laser-imaging technology allows Polk Audio engineers to see the entire vibrating surface of a driver and tweeter. This allows the engineers to actually see performance-robbing distortion develop on the speaker cone. Using this data, they can determine the Dynamic Balance of their high-tech materials, and alter the geometry and construction of the speaker to effectively tune out the offending resonance. Exclusive Dynamic Balance Composite Material Technology delivers sound that is effortlessly clean and clear, even at lifelike volume levels.
Klippel Optimized Motor Structures: The Klippel Distortion Analyzer allows Polk engineers to optimize each driver's motor structure, voice coil alignment and suspension to insure smooth, unimpeded movement even at extreme listening levels. This is especially important in the shallow depth area afforded an in-ceiling loudspeaker.
Full-Range 3-Way Driver Array: The Vanishing Series 90-RT in-ceiling loudspeaker employs a new innovative patent-pending design from Polk that's like having a full-range, full-size speaker in a small inset lighting fixture. To do this, Polk designed a deep well and mounted a 'Cassini Oval' woofer above & behind the main driver array. By adding a woofer for low frequency response, the midrange & tweeter is freed up to provide more efficient detail. This innovative deep diagonal positioning allows the 90-RT cutout to be just 9" in diameter. This full-range 3-way driver array results in the kind of broad coverage and big performance usually achieved only with bigger box speakers. The 90-RT in-ceiling loudspeaker features the following three drivers.
- Tweeter: One 0.75" Dynamic Balance silk/polymer dome tweeter
- Midrange: One 3.25" Dynamic Balance mineral filled polypropylene cone.
- Woofer: One 6"x9" Dynamic Balance 'Cassini Oval' mineral filled polypropylene woofer.
Reflective Room (Tweeter) Compensation Control: An easily accessible Reflective Room (Tweeter) Compensation switch allows you to make detailed adjustments to optimize the sound for any installation. The switch can be used to digitally compensate for harsh reflective surfaces. The switch doesn't merely reduce high frequencies, it actually allows you to "notch-out" a specific area of the spectrum (3,500-6,000Hz) where room acoustics most often interfere with performance. The switch has two settings:
- Reflective Setting: If your listening room is very reflective, with smooth sheetrock walls, hardwood floors, and non-cushioned furniture, the sound will be overly "bright" and unnatural. Selecting the "Reflective" setting compensates for the effect of reflectivity in a hard room. Tweeter attenuation flattens room response, without hindering higher frequency response, for warmer, more realistic sound and more accurate imaging.
- Normal Setting: If your room is not reflective, with curtains, artwork, lots of cushioned furniture and carpeting, sound will be absorbed by the room, resulting in more realistic reproduction and more accurate imaging. In this case, select the Normal setting.
Timbre-Matched: The Polk Audio Vanishing Series RT in-ceiling loudspeakers have been timbre-matched with Polk's RTi Series loudspeakers. Timbre-matching with the same internal components, and the same lightweight polymer composite cone material, insures utterly seamless blending from speaker to speaker. Timbre-matched speaker components will insure the same true response throughout your system.
Frequency Response: The overall frequency response of the in-ceiling speaker is 30Hz to 27kHz, and the -3dB frequency response is 43 to 25kHz.
Dual Bandpass Ports: The Vanishing Series in-ceiling speaker employs dual Bandpass Bass Ports, smoothly funneling the angled woofer's detailed low-frequencies down around the midrange and tweeter array. The port design eliminates "chuffing", so the small, practically invisible in-ceiling speakers achieve superior full-range blending and broad coverage with surprisingly deep bass.
15° Angled Baffle: A 15° angled baffle allows you to direct the mids & highs for the particular application; simply by rotate the speaker in the desired directions and tighten down the rotating cams.
Wafer-Thin Sheer-Grille: The Polk Audio Vanishing Series in-ceiling speakers feature Polk's exclusive wafer-thin Sheer-Grille, a magnetically secured grille that protrudes only 7mm from its surroundings. The Sheer-Grille can be painted to match your décor, making it virtually indistinguishable from its surroundings. The Sheer-Grille has nearly transparent, ultra-small perfs, and are acoustically inert, for dynamic, unimpeded sound and more uniform coverage, even in larger rooms.
Note: When painting the grille, it is highly recommend that you use a can of spray paint matched to the color of the surrounding ceiling. Brushes or rollers should not be used to paint the grille, as this will clog the perf holes.
Gold-Plated Spring-Loaded Posts: The 90-RT has a gold-plated pair of spring-loaded binding posts that can accept up to 12-gauge wire, single banana plugs, or pin connectors.
Applications: You can use the Polk Audio Vanishing Series in-ceiling loudspeaker as in-ceiling rear surrounds or overhead channels to complete an RTi Series speaker system, or for superior dynamics in practically invisible multi-zone music systems.
Rotating Cam System: The speaker utilizes a rotating cam system to ensure a secure, vibration-free installation. There are four rotating cams to hold the speaker securely to the ceiling. The 90-RT can be installed in new or existing construction. In existing ceilings, use the included cardboard template for one-cut, drop-in simplicity. Pre-construction brackets (107PBLTC60, sold separately) are available for new-build or open-ceiling retro-fitting.
Overall Dimensions (with grille) | Diameter =
9.625" Depth = 9.625" |
Cutout Dimensions | Diameter = 8.1875" |
Total Mounting Depth | Depth = 9.5" |
Mounting Depth (using 1/2 drywall) | Depth = 9.375" |
Note: There is an eyebolt on the back of the speaker that can be used for an extra measure of installations security.
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Customer Q&A
8 questions already asked
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I installed this speaker as my center channel. Very easy to install when using the template, just got to get thru cutting the hole in the ceiling. Speaker sounds great! Very clear sounding, loud and I have not heard any distortion when cranking it up.
JP from Chula Vista, CA