Plastic Clips Break, Cheap design
Marc from Waco, Tx on 7/26/2023
Plastic clips Break-cheap framing Love the sound quality and speakers! Do not like how cheap and fragile the plastic clips/screw design is. These speakers are not meant to be installed and removed, if so the clips are so fragile that they will break. Meaning even if you are doing a mock up install can damage the clips. I can say you can try and be as careful as you want to be, but they break off so easily. Wish they spent a little more time to make it out of metal, or beefier.
Pros: Great speaker sound. Love the sounds quality.
Cons: Hate the cheap plastic clips, they break easily. Even when being super careful and applying low torque to the screws. The clips can lock up and not be in the correct position, and yet the screw could still start to lock in, allowing you to think your getting close to being tight. And snap the clips break and now your speaker is loose and no other option to secure the speaker.
0 of 0 found this helpful
Polk Audio RC85i
Edwin from Southington, CT on 4/2/2023
Hi everyone !! Well again, I received my 3 products I ordered on March 29th, by the afternoon of March 30th the speakers, the speaker control box, and all hard wiring were done !!! The easy installation and quality of the products saved me a half day of labor if I had to fabricate brackets, have a helper hold things, or need extra hardware. I did it by myself, an had fun doing it . THANK YOU !! ED KANIA
Pros: Nice products to work with.
Cons: N/A
0 of 0 found this helpful
Great product
Richard from Austin, TX on 3/31/2023
Great product only issue was was to small for my space and had to return
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1 of 1 found this helpful
Polk Audio RC85i
James from Vicksburg, MI on 2/26/2023
These speakers are a great improvement over the 6 inch that I replaced. Thesy have a lot more bass and overall nicer sound.
Pros: These are easy to install and sound great.
Cons: None
1 of 1 found this helpful
Polk Audio RC85i
Victoria from Columbia, PA on 12/21/2022
0 of 0 found this helpful
Unimpressive
robert from Redding on 12/18/2022
While these will get the job done, their performance, even lower expecttaions for the in wall application, are unimpressive. they are reasonable mid rangers, but both the top and low end frequencies are clipped noticeably. the result is thin sound. A sub can only do so much, and in this case fails to round out the sound while emphasizing the lack of tweet.
Pros: price, ease of install, adjustability of tweeter dome.
Cons: the sound, specifically the lack of bass and tweet.
0 of 0 found this helpful
Submit
Darrell from Portland, OR on 12/2/2022
Just installed them and they sound great with a subwoofer
Pros: Sounds
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0 of 0 found this helpful
Polk in wall speakers
Michael from MYRTLE BEACH, SC on 10/22/2022
Purchased these in wall Polk speakers on 10-10-2022. Highly pleased with performance of these speakers, and ease of installation. Would recommend these to anyone looking for a reasonably priced, good sounding in wall speaker. Crutchfield tech support and customer service are also top notch.
Pros: Great sound, ease of installation, excellent quality
Cons: None
1 of 1 found this helpful
Polk Audio RC85i
John from Los Angeles, CA on 10/12/2022
Outstanding pair of speakers! I wanted some in wall speakers for ambient sound in several rooms of my house and I didn't have the budget for really expensive speakers, but I wanted something good at a reasonable cost. All the audio experts I talked to at the big box stores had me spending a thousand dollars EACH or more for good speakers. I took a gamble on these and WOW was I surprised by the results. These are extraordinary speakers with a wide dynamic range, adjustable tweeter, and have beautiful rich base tones, clean mid tones and crisp clear response in the upper range. Expertly designed, to fit in a wall with a cutout template, easy to use rotating holding mounts that grab and hold the speaker in place in the wall. The grilles are easy to paint, come out of the box in a nice off-white color. What's more I am able to drive these speakers with a 40 watt amp and still get excellent sound. I couldn't have asked for more especially for the money. Very impressed!
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Polk Audio RC85i
Rick from Celina, TX on 9/26/2022
Two of the six clips on the back of the speaker holding it to the sheet rock broke. Right now I have four clips holding the speaker tied to the sheet rock and I'm not certain that they will stay. It appears that the clips are a bit brittle and or do not have the correct strength to secure the speaker. I believe I have a quality issue with a Clips
Pros: Great sound
Cons: Poor securement method and retention clips appear to be brittle.
0 of 0 found this helpful
Polk Audio RC85i
Joseph from Newtown, PA on 7/11/2022
0 of 0 found this helpful
Polk Audio RC85i
Hector from Lexington, KY on 6/28/2022
I think these speakers are a great value for the price. I like the sound reproduction so far. They are very easy to install too and they are hardly noticeable.
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Why I deal with Crutchfield
Daniel from Fairfield, OH on 5/18/2022
I replaced the Polk 5.25 with these. More volume, that much better.
Pros: better sound
Cons: none!
0 of 0 found this helpful
excellent!
Charles from Bristol, VA on 4/13/2022
Great sound. I was surprised I had to boost the treble just a little bit for it to stand out.
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Polk Audio RC85i
Bret from Bend, OR on 4/11/2022
0 of 0 found this helpful
Great speakers when you don't want to see speakers
Stephen from Brooklyn, NY on 3/16/2022
I've been using these speakers since 2002. One of them finally went bad this year (2022). They have a lifetime warranty but they're so affordable that I simply bought another pair so I'd have a backup. They were the perfect solution for me in a smallish living room where I didn't have ideal accommodations for floor-standing or bookshelf speakers. They do require some construction skill with wall openings and pulling speaker cable. I did it but it's also something a good handyman could do. The RC85is are also supported by a Polk center speaker, a Polk 10" subwoofer and a Denon AVR-1912 amp. I love the sound of Polks and have been a faithful fan of them since the 1980s.
Pros: Great sound, bulletproof, inexpensive, disappears into any room decor.
Cons: Probably not the best choice for a bombastically loud, full-range speaker.
2 of 2 found this helpful
Tacky skrim
Daniel from Columbia, MO on 2/25/2022
Price and quality are excellent. It is somewhat difficult to remove the "skrim" from the speaker grill.
Pros: Well built speakers, easy to install. Polk customer support excellent.
Cons: Polk instructions of how to remove the skrim on the rear side of the speaker grills could improved.
1 of 1 found this helpful
Polk Audio RC85i
Barry from Greer, SC on 1/23/2022
They are decent sounding speakers bass not rich enough
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1 of 2 found this helpful
Polk Audio RC85i
Crutchfield customer from Waxahachie, TX on 11/17/2021
0 of 1 found this helpful
Polk Audio RC85i
Crutchfield customer from Plattsmouth, NE on 10/26/2021
These speakers are high-quality, great sound and last forever. Just added another pair to upgrade from 5 to 7 channel surround.
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0 of 0 found this helpful
Polk Audio RC85i
Crutchfield customer from Ankeny, IA on 10/26/2021
0 of 0 found this helpful
Polk Audio RC85i
Crutchfield customer from Tappan, NY on 9/26/2021
Great sound, easy to install and as always great customer service
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0 of 0 found this helpful
Polk Audio RC85i
Crutchfield customer from Fort Calhoun, NE on 9/1/2021
Great product for the price. I highly recommend this speaker. Installation is easy.
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0 of 0 found this helpful
Polk Audio RC85i
Crutchfield customer from Linden, MI on 7/27/2021
good sound easy to install but grills fall out will not snap in place like instructions say
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Polk in- wall
Crutchfield customer from Aurora, CO on 7/8/2021
System fits perfectly in betwee studs. Perfect system if you're designing a system for your living room as it will give you the ability to hide wires in the wall. Your better half will not want the wires visible
Pros: Nice clean look, easy to paint to match wall
Cons: A little harder to install for diyers
0 of 0 found this helpful
Polk Audio RC85i
Crutchfield customer from La Fayette, GA on 6/22/2021
Installed them in 2x6 walls with insulation behind, the sound fantastic.
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Crisp highs and deep lows.
Crutchfield customer from Seattle, WA on 5/22/2021
Great sounding. Plenty of bass and crisp highs. Super easy to install.
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0 of 0 found this helpful
Polk Audio RC85i
Crutchfield customer from Bolingbrook, IL on 5/13/2021
0 of 0 found this helpful
Polk Audio RC85i
Crutchfield customer from Robstown, TX on 4/19/2021
0 of 0 found this helpful
Good sound great price
Crutchfield customer from Charlotte, NC on 4/10/2021
This is the second set of these I've purchased. Couldn't be happier. Good sound at a great price, what more can you ask? Bass response is good with the 8" woofer...some reviews mention a weak/problematic mounting system..I think it's fine, just be aware of what's in the wall and don't crank them super tight. And as always amazing crutchfield customerservice...
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1 of 1 found this helpful
Polk Audio RC85i
Crutchfield customer from Pine, CO on 3/23/2021
I installed four of these in my living room. The full sound is amazing. I prewired the house while it was being framed and used the pre-installation brackets sold here by Crutchfield and final installation was a breeze.
Pros: Great sound and a very subtle look.
Cons: None so far.
2 of 2 found this helpful
RC85i is by far the best value with great sound
Crutchfield customer from SAINT JOHNS, FL on 3/23/2021
These Polk RC85i in-wall speakers are a fantastic value. They sound absolutely amazing with great clarity, nice deep lows from the 8" drivers, clear vocals, crisp smooth highs, and incredible dispersion...I can literally stand in front of one speaker and still hear the other speaker quite clearly. I purchased this pair for my garage and while they are intended to be mounted "in-wall", instead I built custom enclosures so that they could be mounted higher and angled downward (see pics). I had tried a pair of Klipsch conventional outdoor speakers with 6-1/2" drivers in relatively small self contained plastic enclosures, but was very unhappy with the sound and returned them...they sounded like playing out of a tin can and it actually hurt my ears to listen to them for very long. I also tried conventional bookshelf speakers with ported enclosures, but bass was disappointing and I wasn't wanting to spend a fortune for garage music. The Polk RC85i's sound amazing with the 8" drivers and cost considerably less than anything even remotely comparable in sound quality. I have them powered by a 100 Watt 2-Ch Yamaha receiver which is more than adequate for my purpose...at only 60% volume, my garage sounds like a sound studio. The enclosures I built were a pain to make, but I am very happy with the end result. I've now purchased a second pair of the smaller RC65i's for my covered patio which will go in similar but much smaller enclosures. Crutchfield is awesome!
Pros: 8" drivers deliver very nice lows, excellent sound dispersion, by far the best value for great sound.
Cons: None
4 of 4 found this helpful
Polk RC85i
Crutchfield customer from Maineville, OH on 3/22/2021
Installed over the weekend, and immediately started playing. They have decent low end extension and great clarity. They went into a garage and fill the space perfectly.
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0 of 0 found this helpful
Great sounding speakers.
Crutchfield customer from Rochester, MN on 3/17/2021
Very nice sounding speaker. They are worth every penny.
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Polk Audio RC85i
Crutchfield customer from Winchester, VA on 3/14/2021
work great. It was a bit of struggle to get the grills back in after taking them out to install, but other than that, they were easy to paint and install.
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0 of 0 found this helpful
Polk Audio RC85i
Crutchfield customer from Friendswood, TX on 3/9/2021
these speakers replaced 18 year old Jamo's. They sound great!!
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Polk Audio RC85i
Crutchfield customer from Show Low, AZ on 1/24/2021
Great sound and easy installation. Conrad nailed it with his recommendations and advise!!
Pros: Clear and crisp sounds .
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Polk Audio RC85i
Crutchfield customer from Ontario, NY on 1/24/2021
Over all great speakers!! I have 4, Beautiful crystal clear highs and the 8" woofer delivers perfect mid bass with the correct setting on your receiver . Looking to add a powered subwoofer to complete the setup and lister to all varieties of tunes !! You won't be disappointed
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1 of 1 found this helpful
Polk Audio RC85i
Crutchfield customer from Delano, MN on 1/10/2021
Easy to install and great full sound with nice bass and crisp highs
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0 of 0 found this helpful
Polk Audio RC85i
Crutchfield customer from Longmont, CO on 12/16/2020
I was very impressed with how quickly I was able to receive my order and the cost savings of dealing with Crutchfield directly. A great overall experience!
Pros: Selection and pricing. Website was easy to navigate too.
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0 of 0 found this helpful
Rear surround speakers
Crutchfield customer from Jim Falls, WI on 12/10/2020
I purchased these to use as the rear speaks for my surround system. They were easy to install, I had run wires prior to sheet rock so I just used the provided template to cut the hole. Great sound, and I like the adjustable tweeters. Reasonable priced.
Pros: Easy install, good sound, reasonably priced
Cons: None
0 of 0 found this helpful
Fantastic Speakers
Crutchfield customer from Hampstead, NC on 12/2/2020
Awesome Speakers! I replaced a pair of cheaper speakers that were terrible with the RC85i speakers, what a difference, it was like night and day! I would buy them again in a heart beat!
Pros: All Pros, great sound!
Cons: No Cons what so ever!
0 of 0 found this helpful
Polk Audio RC85i
Crutchfield customer from Olathe, KS on 11/15/2020
0 of 0 found this helpful
Klipsch Replacements
Crutchfield customer from Lubbock, TX on 10/24/2020
Not quite as warm sounding as the sound demo I did with high end headphones. Despite that, the sound is better to me than the previous high end Klipsch system I had. I've got four of these paired with four height, center, and two subs. The room is now filled with amazing clarity and definitions I've never had before. I would definitely recommend these.
Pros: Great clarity, easy install
Cons: Not low profile as I thought, should have optional enclosures.
0 of 0 found this helpful
wall speakers
Crutchfield customer from Dix Hills, NY on 10/18/2020
They didn't have as much bass as I expected or treble. I definitely needed a subwoofer.
Pros: good sound
Cons: not enough bass and treble
0 of 1 found this helpful
Polk Audio RC85i
Crutchfield customer from Cleveland, OH on 10/4/2020
0 of 0 found this helpful
Polk Audio RC85i
Crutchfield customer from Katy, TX on 9/5/2020
Sound really good better than advertise. We are really happy with these speakers. Thanks to crutchfield for helping me choose this in-wall speakers for my living room set up.
Pros: Easy to install Rustproof Moisture-resistant High-end sound quality
Cons: Grille cover are hard to remove
1 of 2 found this helpful
Polk Audio RC85i
Crutchfield customer from Lincoln Park, MI on 8/30/2020
Easy install and they sound amazing. Add the fact of the great price, it's hard to beat the value of these speakers.
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Great speakers-worth buying
Mark from Mcdonough, GA on 7/15/2020
I have everything SONOS but ended up buying these because I needed to upgrade the original wall speakers I installed in my basement years ago. WOW. These do not disappoint, they are quality speakers. I am pushing them with the latest SONOS amp with a Polk Audio 12 inch sub and they sound awesome. My only complaint is now I want to and will buy 6 more of these speakers to replace all my speakers in the basement. They are well worth the cost. Trust me. With only 2 of 8 speakers installed in my basement the sound is rich and fills my entire basement with quality music. I could stop at the two I just installed and it would be ample sound but that's not going to happen.
Pros: For the quality of sound they produce, the price is decent.
Cons: No complaints at all besides my decision to buy more of these, but that's my problem.
1 of 1 found this helpful
Couldn't be happier!
Crutchfield customer from Ethel, WA on 7/5/2020
These wall speakers are awesome! The tweeters can be pointed towards the listener. The mounting is pretty straightforward. Make sure you have the room in your walls. Not just for the depth of the speakers, but also to avoid wiring and anything else that is hidden beneath your walls. Paintable is a huge plus!
Pros: Crisp and clean! Paintable. Movable tweeters.
Cons: Removing the grill is slightly difficult. Since you dont want to scratch them. It could be beneficial to be able to have an access hole to push the grill off from the underside. This would only be useful for your initial install. But for installation, you have to remove the grills at least once. Eitherway this is a MINOR con.
0 of 0 found this helpful
Unbelievable speakers.
Crutchfield customer from Holden, MA on 6/27/2020
Awesome sounding speakers. Already have a pair for fronts.. Now using this second set for rear speakers. Unbelievable! I show off the sound and everyone wonders where the sound is coming from.
Pros: The sound. Takes up no space. High quality.
Cons: Putting them in is tricky. The screw clamps don't always turn to latch the back of the drywall. If the screw feels tight to turn right away, back it out and try again.
0 of 0 found this helpful
Polk Audio RC85i
Crutchfield customer from Marysville, CA on 5/19/2020
Speakers sound great and are very easy to install. Highly recommend.
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Polk Audio RC85i
Crutchfield customer from Boone, NC on 5/11/2020
Great sound for the price, in a 9x17 space.
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Pleased with Polk
Crutchfield customer from Madison, MS on 5/6/2020
Great speakers that fit my needs exactly. Shipping was very quick and free. I bought these to replace some cheaper speakers. The Polk's were much better built and sound great. The price was great as well.
Pros: Fit my existing cutouts exactly Great sound
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1 of 1 found this helpful
Polk Audio RC85i
Crutchfield customer from Loveland, CO on 5/4/2020
Easy to install using the provided template, sound amazing.
Pros: Template makes placement a breeze sound great
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0 of 0 found this helpful
Polk Audio RC85i
Crutchfield customer from Holualoa, HI on 4/27/2020
Great in wall speaker system. These are replacements for the originals which are now 15 years old
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0 of 0 found this helpful
Polk Audio RC85i
Crutchfield customer from Exton, PA on 4/16/2020
Great speakers for a surround system. They replaced some old Polk bookshelf speakers and what a huge difference in quality. Installation was pretty easy, though I found the included template was stand smaller than the hole to actually need to cut.
Pros: Great sound quality
Cons: Included template to cut hole is a tabs too small.
0 of 0 found this helpful
Polk Audio RC85i
Crutchfield customer from Bowling Green, KY on 4/15/2020
I am very satisfied with the quality & value of this purchase
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0 of 0 found this helpful
Polk Audio RC85i
Crutchfield customer from Georgetown, IN on 4/5/2020
Fantastic speaker that emits quality sound.
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Polk 5.1 setup with RC80i, RC85i and S35 speakers
Crutchfield customer from Red Oak, TX on 3/13/2020
I used these in a 5.1 system. These are the front left and right. I used a Polk S35 for the center and two RC80i speakers for an overhead rear setup. Powered by a Yamaha RX-V683 receiver. The sound is incredible. We are using a Samsung QLED tv with it. Makes movies great!
Pros: Installation is very straight forward. No problems at all. Fit inside a normal 2x4 framed wall and surrounded by insulation with no issues. I did use 12 gauge speaker wire for my runs with 16ga at the amp. I used a wall port so I could use banana plugs for connections.
Cons: Really had none. Working with Crutchfield was painless. It was their recommendation to use the S35. Worked great.
2 of 2 found this helpful
Polk Audio RC85i speaker addition very nice quality
Crutchfield customer from Knoxville, TN on 3/8/2020
I installed a pair of Polk Audio RC85i a year ago. Impressed with build quality & sound. Upgraded my DENON AVR with another pair. Looking forward to hearing my newer system.
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Polk Audio RC85i
Crutchfield customer from Saint Louis, MO on 2/12/2020
Sound is great. Speakers sit perfectly in the wall and no problems. Blend right in
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Very pleased!!
Crutchfield customer from Indian Springs, AL on 11/26/2019
Very quick order processing and shipping. Everything arrived undamaged thanks to the great packing. I have not installed these as of yet, but can't wait. I will follow up later after setup and installation.
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1 of 2 found this helpful
Polk audio in wall speakers
Crutchfield customer from Haddam, CT on 11/4/2019
I have been a fan of Polk audio for decades and never previously owned any in the wall speakers. I had a perfect application for a large room with 20 foot ceilings did a little research, bought the speakers, they were extremely easy to install. The company sent me a video showing exactly how to install them in it was as simple as can be and now the room is completely full of sound. I would highly recommend the speakers.
Pros: Adjustable tweeter helpful for speakers above head
Cons: Base woofer could be stronger
0 of 0 found this helpful
Holtsville
Ralph from Holtsville on 10/2/2019
I was nervous about buying in wall speakers as opposed to regular tower or bookshelf speakers. Wow was I impressed. the vocals are clean and smooth with surprising good bass. they were installed very easy and my wife likes that they do not take up the whole den like tower speakers. the detailing and voice are perfect for movies and music. great purchase . Crutchfield had these delivered to me in only 2 days. these replaced my martin logans which I thought I would miss but not at all.
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4 of 4 found this helpful
Big Bang
Crutchfield customer from Murfreesboro, TN on 9/16/2019
Great speakers!! Great that the are loud for my space and do not take up any space on the floor!! Great price as well!!! Would stronly suggest to anyone
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0 of 0 found this helpful
Polk Audio RC85i
Crutchfield customer from Rochester Hills, MI on 9/9/2019
these speakers sound great ! i put them in the wall next to tv for the front on surround sound system , and it sounds really good . added feature with these is the adjustable tweeter that I aim at the center of the coach used for viewing the tv . I used the same size speaker in the round version for the rears in the ceiling . the system sounds great !
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1 of 1 found this helpful
Amazing immersive experience with movies
Crutchfield customer from Sarasota, FL on 7/31/2019
Just received and tested my new gear and am amazed at the sound quality. Movies in this house will never be the same again. My son is hearing new sounds in a batman movie he has watched almost everyday for 2 years.
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2 of 2 found this helpful
Polk Audio RC85i
Crutchfield customer from Newport, NC on 6/6/2019
Purchase for a new house (new build). I won't have a full review available until late July when the house is finished and I get to hear them for the first time.
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0 of 52 found this helpful
Great Sounding Speakers.
Crutchfield customer from Pierceton , IN on 5/26/2019
Compact with a great sound. Very happy with these speakers!
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0 of 0 found this helpful
Great speakers!
Jason from Tucson, AZ on 5/12/2019
I love these speakers. Had RC65i in a previous house and those were great too. Been missing them at the new house. Gradually getting my surround sound setup in place starting with these for the rear surround speakers. Great depth of sound, really fills the space too. Will be adding another pair of these for the front channels.
Pros: Install was easy and the speakers produce great sound
Cons: The mount arms that hold the speakers to the wall are plastic so you need to be a little careful with them when you are tightening.
2 of 2 found this helpful
Polk Audio RC85i
Crutchfield customer from Lake George, NY on 3/13/2019
These speakers are great so far. They hide away nicely in our family room. I'll order a similar set to instal in the soffits over our deck. This is my first set of in-wall speakers, so I'm not sure what to expect. They sound fine, just maybe not quite a full as the bookshelf speakers they replaced.
Pros: Easy installation, look fine, sound pretty good.
Cons: Maybe not as good as my older speakers, but my wife is happy she doesn't have to see the system!
0 of 0 found this helpful
Looks and sounds great. Good overally value
Crutchfield customer from Alpharetta, GA on 2/17/2019
Look great recessed in the wall. Sound great as well. Only cons is the tightening mechanism behind the wall is a little cheap and broke for me if not completely open space.
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0 of 0 found this helpful
Polk Audio RC85i
Crutchfield customer from South Jordan, UT on 1/29/2019
0 of 0 found this helpful
Polk Audio RC85i
Crutchfield customer from Dacula, GA on 1/22/2019
Great sounding speakers and an even better price for the pair!
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0 of 0 found this helpful
Polk Audio RC85i
Lou from Middleton, MA on 12/15/2018
Easy to install and sound great. Recently renovated home and blended in perfectly
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0 of 0 found this helpful
Polk Audio RC85i
Bob from Byron, MI on 12/13/2018
My wife hated my surround speakers energy c10 center cb20 bookshelf's and cb10 rears. So I installed Polk RC85i fronts with RC65i rears a S35 center and a 12" sub wow what a sound package love it
Pros: Awesome
Cons: Non
3 of 3 found this helpful
Polk Audio RC85i
Crutchfield customer from Cheyenne, WY on 12/13/2018
I am very pleased with my new PolkAudio RC851 stereo speakers, there may be better speakers but the wife & I think they sound wonderful. The installation was so easy with absolutely no frustration. I give these two thumbs up! We are planning on buying 5 more for the Surroundsound system also!
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1 of 1 found this helpful
Great sound and almost complete hidden
Steve from Pensacola, FL on 12/12/2018
I upgraded my surrounds from the RC65i to the RC85i to get a little better base (moved my 65i's to high surround rear). I was pleased with the new sound with the RC85i. They blend well with my main and center speakers and do seem to have significantly better base than the 65i's. Using as surrounds, there is not a huge amount of volume normally coming from these speakers except for when a car seems to drive my your chair (the dog still jumps up and barks). But it I manually set the surround mode to 9 channel stereo or party mode, I get the full benefit of the 85i's and can fully utilize the 85i's. The sound is clean and well balanced. I installed in walls that already had fiberglass insulation. As with the 65i's, the installation was easy. The only thing to watch out for is that you have plenty of clearance on both sides of the cutout for the mounting tabs to turn out. That isn't stated clearly enough on the mounting template. If there isn't enough room, the tabs will not turn out.
Pros: Great surround sound. Out of the way and nearly hidden. Easy in wall installation.
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1 of 1 found this helpful
Polk Audio RC85i
Crutchfield customer from Orland Park, IL on 11/23/2018
Great sounding speakers for the price.The adjustable tweeters are really nice.Installation was easy and the cam locking clips were not a problem.
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Polk Audio RC85i
Crutchfield customer from Denmark, WI on 10/8/2018
These are great front right and left speakers in my new home theater room. Love the sound!
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Polk Audio RC85i
Brady from Spokane, WA on 8/9/2018
Overall very nice sound. Primary use is music throughout house. These are installed downstairs with separate volume control and work very nice.
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0 of 1 found this helpful
Polk Audio RC85i
Crutchfield customer from Derry, NH on 6/25/2018
It's so nice that we sound back in that room again. The Boston Acoustic speakers that I put in 20 years ago where Fried and I didn't even know it. Just slowly over time took it for granted that that's just the way they're supposed to sound. Now I have new Polk in-wall speakers and it is nice. Totally awesome once again.
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0 of 0 found this helpful
Polk Audio RC85i
Scott from Kingwood, TX on 5/20/2018
Very nice sound -- easy to install. Primary use is music but suspect with the addition of a subwoofer, they would be really nice theater speakers.
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0 of 0 found this helpful
Polk audio in wall speakers rc85i
Harry from Gloucester, MA on 5/17/2018
RC85i in wall speakers by Polk Audio. Simple to install, the sound quality is # 1 amazing and the directional tweeter makes all the difference, very pleased with this product. I Will be buying a second pair for my rear channel in a few weeks.
Pros: # 1 quality
Cons: None
1 of 1 found this helpful
Polk Audio RC85i
Crutchfield customer from Norwich, VT on 4/12/2018
I just installed my twin RC85i speakers in a new 13 x 23 foot sunroom. The speakers are in a soffit that runs about 23 feet along a wall; the speakers are aimed outward (not downward) toward a sloping roof.. The installation was very easy. I've decided for now not to paint them as they are already a light gray-white color that works well with the white wall. The volume for this size room is not overpowering, but more than just OK. The clarity is excellent. I'm not an expert, but I like music of many types, and these speakers crank it out very well. Yes, I'd buy more Polk speakers (if I needed them) based on this experience.
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0 of 0 found this helpful
Great sound and clarity
Bryant from American Fork, UT on 12/9/2017
Great clarity!! Very impressed!!
Pros: Great sound.
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1 of 1 found this helpful
Polk Audio Speakers
Tim from Seminole, Florida on 11/19/2017
Excellent speakers and sound. Great price!
Pros: Good sound! Good price!
Cons: None
0 of 0 found this helpful
7.1 sound quality you've been missing out on
Alan from South Jordan, UT on 8/10/2017
Love these in-wall speakers!! Just painted and installed these speakers and they look and sound amazing. Easy to paint to my existing wall color and installation took about a half hour each. These are the ones you want to add to your 5.1 system for that 7.1 sound you've been missing out on.
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2 of 2 found this helpful
14 Years and Still buying them
Lance from Reno, NV on 7/31/2017
For the money, you can't find a better In Wall speaker. Even if Money wasn't a factor, I would still buy these speakers again and again. I just installed a home theater in my new house and for the 3rd time I am using the RC85i speakers in the ceiling. They are crisp, clear and have a decent amount of lows. Match these with a solid subwoofer and you cannot be disappointed. They are easy to install and look great. I haven't ever had to paint the grills, because they match the ceiling, but you can do it easily, if you want.
Pros: Great Sound, Great Price
Cons: None
5 of 5 found this helpful
Polk Audio RC85i
Marc from Big Rock,il on 5/15/2017
0 of 0 found this helpful
Polk Audio RC85i
Crutchfield customer from Illinois on 3/20/2017
0 of 0 found this helpful
Outstanding Sound and Quality
David from Loganville, GA on 2/23/2017
My wife asked me to update the looks of our house so I thought I would add an accent wall of reclaimed wood. This meant that I could update my speakers too. The old, small, cube type speakers just hung on the wall. (You can probably understand why my wife wanted a new look.) It was time for in-wall speakers. After doing some research and reading numerous reviews I decided purchase the Polk 85i speakers. I couldn't be happier with this choice. I didn't realize how much sound I was missing. The sounds are crystal clear and seem more vibrant. And installation was a breeze. I recommend these speakers without any reservations.
Pros: Paintable, Ease of Installation, Quality, Price
Cons: None
6 of 6 found this helpful
Polk Audio RC85i
Crutchfield customer from Marlboro, NJ on 2/20/2017
0 of 0 found this helpful
Polk Audio RC85i
jonathan from Walnut Creek, CA on 2/3/2017
1 of 1 found this helpful
Polk Audio RC85i
Joe from Middletown, CT on 1/9/2017
The wall speakers were added to our existing system. Which I purchased from Crutchfield. Excellent products.
Pros: Very easy to install. Great price. Excellent listing.
Cons: None
0 of 0 found this helpful
Surprisingly great sounding speakers
Mark from Buffalo, NY on 12/18/2016
Color me more than a little surprised and more than a little impressed. I've been using a pair of bookshelves in my basement workshop for casual listening while I work but always hated that they occupy precious bench space. The obvious solution was to put up a couple shelves for them to rest on but the "look" didn't sit well with me. In walls would be great but how can a skinny boxless speaker sound decent. I decided to give them a shot but rather than cut a gaping hole in my nice drywall I built a demo wall (I just happened to have 2x4's and drywall hanging around) and installed one speaker in my temp wall with a little owens corning in the cavity. Listening for a while made me comfortable enough to open the real wall, run the wire and install both speakers. Running off a Sonos Connect Amp (another Crutchfield purchase) I couldn't be happier. I'm absolutely amazed at how these speakers sound as a stereo pair. For point of reference my living room system is a Marantz SR7010 AVR (Crutchfield again) Def Tech Mythos ST fronts, Mythos 1 rears, Mythos 9 center and a Rythmik audio sealed sub. Now, this little pair of Polk in walls can't hang with my better systems but that doesn't mean they don't sound very good. For my background, casual listening they're fantastic. I'd be surprised if they wouldn't do a very satisfying job as theater speakers if they had a sub do the heavy lifting for them. As always Crutchfield rocks. Thank you once again Dallas.
Pros: Easy install, very nice sound, space saving
Cons: None at all
5 of 6 found this helpful
Polk Audio RC85i
George K from Danielsville Pa on 11/21/2016
Great buy from Crurtchfeild and Polk Audio! Great sound and good looks,nothing to complain about!
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0 of 0 found this helpful
Polk Audio RC85i
Simple installation. Excellent stereo with the pair. Purchasing more for 7.1 surround.
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0 of 0 found this helpful
Polk Audio RC85i Review
Carlos from fishers, IN on 3/5/2016
These speakers were a breeze to mount and paint. They are a great set of speakers to use as the rear surround, which is what I am using them for, with the rest of the Polk in wall speakers I have installed. Once you go through the calibration the sound is seamless and clear. My only negative (and it should not be counted as such really) is that the speaker grill is not magnetic like the 265crt series but I could have gotten the vanishing series for the surrounds if I had wanted to spring for the extra cost
Pros: ease of installation cost look sound
Cons: none really
0 of 0 found this helpful
RC85I great surround speakers
Steve from danville, CA on 2/29/2016
These speakers sound great. Need rear speakers for my surround system and having them in the wall really helped with keeping the floor space open. I liked that the tweeter could be pointed toward you while being placed behind a little behind you. My advisor suggested the RC85I over the RC65I for better sound quality.
Pros: Great sound, easy installation, good value.
Cons: None
2 of 3 found this helpful
Excellent In Wall Speakers
Michael from oakland, TN on 2/10/2016
These Polk speakers are exactly what I was looking for. Good quality at a reasonable price. I have a theater room with a set of very high end Definitive Tech speakers that are hard to beat, but these speakers were installed in my living room for everyday TV viewing and maybe an occasional Netflix when the kids are upstairs in the theater room. They serve their purpose well. I am pretty handy and only ran into a couple issues when I installed them. Word of caution: ya never know what's behind the sheetrock. I had to do some minor sheetrock work and painting to cover a hole where a stud wasn't supposed to be. Other than that they painted up very easily and have a nice custom and clean look.
Pros: Good looking. Easy to install. Easy to paint.
Cons: None
2 of 2 found this helpful
Great product/Price
Rob from sartell, MN on 2/9/2016
Love the sound have them on my positioned as my rear speakers in my 5.1 surround and they sound awesome. Install was a breeze and they look great.
Pros: Price, Installation , look
Cons: None
0 of 0 found this helpful
Surround Sound Speakers complete the room!
KellIHarrison from Lebanon, TN on 2/1/2016
I ordered these speakers to go with the Polk tower speakers and additional in ceiling speakers. This makes our bonus room and surround sound system complete and it sounds amazing. The speakers came exactly when promised and were packaged perfect. No Damage at all !!
Pros: Price Delivery Time Reliable Company
Cons: N/A
0 of 0 found this helpful
Polk Audio RC85i
pete8503 from portage, mi on 1/31/2016
Very good value. Sound is good, quality is above average and astetics is nice. Would buy again.
Pros: Cost, sound
Cons: low end frequencies not the best. Have a subwoofer
1 of 1 found this helpful
Great Sound
JimR from Holly Springs, NC on 1/21/2016
Installing my own surround sound system. These speakers are good quality with great output. Very easy to install.
Pros: Ease of installation. Sound quality. Heavy duty.
Cons:
0 of 0 found this helpful
Polk RC85i
Big Johno from Ohio on 1/17/2016
Ordered 3 pairs for our golf course clubhouse. Speakers sound amazing! Easy to install and love the feature of being able to aim the tweeters. This purchase was a HUGE upgrade from our old speakers.
Pros: Great speakers for the money!!
Cons: No Cons at all!
0 of 1 found this helpful
Polk Audio RC85i
ChrisP from Georgia on 12/28/2015
Great speakers.
Pros: Sound, ease of installing, reasonable price.
Cons: None
0 of 0 found this helpful
Polk Audio RC85i
bob from Florida on 12/25/2015
0 of 0 found this helpful
RC85i
Joe from New Jersey on 12/14/2015
Excellent speakers for the money.
Pros: Excellent sound.
Cons: The template for the RC65i is easier to align.
1 of 1 found this helpful
Polk Audio RC85i
The speakers are fantastic for the price you can't go wrong
Pros: Easy install
Cons: None
0 of 0 found this helpful
OMG - Best Bang for the Buck
JWNJ from New Jersey on 12/8/2015
I bought these to provide stereo audio to my main living space. I am a former audioholic with some very expensive audio gear - speakers, amplifiers. etc. After living with these for about a month I can honestly say these speakers "deliver the goods" and consider them the best purchase I've made in years.
Pros: Great price, the absolute best online vendor I have ever done business with .
Cons: Absolutely none.
5 of 5 found this helpful
Great Enough
JimM from Oregon on 11/18/2015
Installed a pair of Polk Audio RC85i as front L&R speakers for my mid-range home theater. Excellent value for the money, no regrets.
Pros: sound quality, especially for the money
Cons: take some care tightening the tabs - use a manual screwdriver
1 of 1 found this helpful
polk audio rc85i
DT from Washington on 11/17/2015
Easy to install and sound great
Pros: price and quality
Cons: none
0 of 0 found this helpful
Needed wall speakers with bass
Gary S from Cincinnati on 10/26/2015
I needed to replace a pair of bookshelf speakers with wall units. I was able to talk with Paul who helped me decide between two speakers. They do not have the bass that the bookshelf pair did but I knew this going in that they would not. They look good and my wife likes them better since they do not have the real deep bass sound that she said was overbearing so they are now considered the right speakers. Thanks Paul
Pros: Easy to install has a good look sounds good and does have enough bass and movable tweeter to make my surround system sound just as good as before.
Cons: none
3 of 3 found this helpful
Good build quality and sound
KenG from Georgia on 8/11/2015
Bought these to replace older Sonance 8 inch wall speakers. So they were easy to install since I already had run wires and had the holes. The old Sonace speakers were experiencing crossover board issues. Surprise, when I removed the Sonance they had the exact same mounting bezel! The crossover and drivers on the Polks do appear to be better quality.
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1 of 1 found this helpful
Polk Delivers Again
I installed MC80 Ceiling speakers in my last house and thought they were great. When we purchased our current home, the builder had wiring for wall mounts, so I purchased RC85i's for 3 rooms of install. Install was super easy, hookup a cinch, and sound is great, again. These speakers are very affordable, especially when compared to the some of their competitors and the sound quality is comparable. As always, Crutchfield came through with great information to make my decision and an added freebie! Polk PSW111 power sub was added in the center room and compliments all 3 with good lower response.
Pros: Price Ease of installation Sound quality for money
Cons: Not great lower end response, but what in wall's do
1 of 1 found this helpful
Very impressed
Dan from Nevada on 6/29/2015
Very satisfied. Great midrange sound and the tweeters are clear. I have 4 of these (2 fronts in the wall, 2 surrounds in ceiling) with my 5.1 system hooked to an Onkyo receiver and the sound really fills the room.
Pros: Easy to install Sound is awesome They blend in well
Cons: None
4 of 4 found this helpful
RC85i review
Crutchfield customer from the Washington, DC Area on 5/18/2015
Easy to install with speaker cables already previously run behind the walls. Used a stud finder to center between wall studs and used template provided and traced around it to mark the area to be cut. It took about 1 hr per speaker to make all the connections and mount.
Pros: Pretty clear directions on how to install and speakers sound fantastic installed very focused sound and creates a great main speaker set up in lieu of using towers or large bookshelf speakers. Installed they look clean and sleek.
Cons: If you are not confident in your handyman abilities you may want to have professionally installed.
3 of 3 found this helpful
Great speakers at a great value
mchicago from Beaver Creek, CO on 4/11/2015
Excellent speakers with great sound for the price.
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1 of 1 found this helpful
Polk Audio RC85i
Ken from California on 4/5/2015
First, let me say something about the retainer clips... Don't over tighten the clips! It says so right on the package. If Polk made a mistake here, it was providing an illustration of an electric screwdriver for use with tightening the screws. The screws require some feel to know when they have been sufficiently tightened and an electric screwdriver does not provide the necessary feel. Tighten the screws by hand and stop when the screws get 'just a bit' harder to turn. So far, no broken clips for me and I have had to remove a speaker and put it back in and no broken clips. As for the speakers, they are OK but I can't really tell how good they can be. I put them into a small room of poor audio quality. My purpose in buying these speakers was to free up some space in this small room. As for a comparison, the Polk speakers replaced a pair of Bose 301 series III speakers and I can't tell the difference.
Pros: They give me more space in my room
Cons: None, not even the plastic retainer clips.
6 of 7 found this helpful
Sweet Speakers
Crutchfield customer from Texas on 3/24/2015
Very well engineered. Clean fit and great sound.
Pros: No bracket or special mounting frame required to install. Cut hole and tighten tabs, very simple
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1 of 2 found this helpful
Great purchase
GC from texas from Canyon Lake, TX on 9/27/2014
1 of 2 found this helpful
Speakers
Baron from St George, Utah on 8/26/2014
2 of 4 found this helpful
The Polk Audio RC85i Speakers
CecilC from Russellville, Arkansas on 8/5/2014
The Polk Audio RC85i Speakers are phenomenol!! Crisp highs and dramatic midrange and base response for the dollar gives the audiophiler more "Bang for the Buck" Truly an amazing pair of speakers for the indoor or outdoor music lover since these are also weatherproof under a patio!
Pros: Indoor or out on the patio wall or ceiling mountable!
Cons: None
3 of 3 found this helpful
Great value
Samburch from The woodlands, tx on 5/31/2014
These speakers are easy to install and exactly what we needed!
Pros: Easy to install; great sound
Cons: Only available in white; must be painted to match media room.
1 of 2 found this helpful
Polk Audio RC85i
Crutchfield customer from Boston, MA on 3/24/2014
Great sound for the money. The pair I purchased are part of a whole home audio system and they are perfect in that application. These are not "critical listening" quality speakers but they are great for listening to your favorite tunes ate low to moderate volume.
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4 of 4 found this helpful
Solid In-Wall Speakers
BrandonB from Cedar Rapids, IA on 3/18/2014
Solid in wall speakers - can really delivery lots of range. The pivotable tweeters also allow you to direct your sound even more directly.
Pros: Good value Easy to install LOUD (with clarity)!
Cons: I didn't have them sooner.
2 of 2 found this helpful
Review of Polk RC85i
SK from Minneapolis on 3/11/2014
Product arrived on time and in excellent condition. Bought these speakers for the media room in my basement which is being finished. Only reason for the 4 star is because I have not hooked this up yet.
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1 of 25 found this helpful
Polk RC85i
Taro from Yosemite, CA on 2/16/2014
Good sound for the money. Add a subwoofer and center speaker to round out the package. Easy install for either new construction or retrofit. Crutchfield had the best price and lightning quick shipping and their service is second to none.
Pros: Value, ease of install, decent sound
Cons: None
2 of 2 found this helpful
Great Speakers!
Awesome! I took these out of the box, followed the directions, and had them installed and working in no time. I also found spray paint to match and they blended into my wall and look great. I highly recommend them.
Pros: Easy to install Sound great
Cons: None
1 of 1 found this helpful
Very good sound
Sam S from Maryland on 12/18/2013
Very nice range of sound!
Pros: Good range of sound with bass. very clear.
Cons: Paiting grille will not be an easy task. have to use a toothpick to make holes after grille was painted.
1 of 2 found this helpful
Polk Audio RC85i
J from Philly on 11/19/2013
Good sound quality, average bass, clean looking grille
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2 of 2 found this helpful
Polk Audio RC85i
BrianP from Marietta, Ga on 11/8/2013
Great Speaker for the price, I installed these in wall speakers in my living room to provide sound for my 50" samsung tv, I am powering them with a denon 1912 avr they were a breeze to install and give a very nice finished look compared to a home theater in a box. My wife was happy, I am happy. I only gave it a four star rating because I have heard better sound but the speakers would easily cost twice as much. Great speaker for the value.
Pros: Ease of installation, price, appearance, clear sound
Cons: none
5 of 5 found this helpful
Polk Audio RC85i
Crutchfield customer from deptford nj 08096 on 11/4/2013
0 of 2 found this helpful
Amazing sound.
JDW from Tejas on 11/3/2013
I am a budget audiophile. Long story short, these speakers provide a sonic experience that is _unbelievable_ for the price. I got two pair, mainly for stereo listening. I've only taken the time to install one pair. After dialing them in with my Denon receiver (and tight but small pioneer 8" sub).... they sound amazing. The imaging.... spectacular. I installed one with polyfill and the other without. Not much discernible difference. And I'm not sure the stuffed one is the better one. Anyway: I just zeroed in on speaker distance/crossover point on the receiver, and I am being blown away with just two of these plus the small sub in a 20x15 room. Can't wait to get the other two installed (though they're probably overkill--- which is not a bad thing). Warm sound. Big sound stage. _Precise_ imaging if you want it. These blow away the (entry level) tower speakers I bought and returned.
Pros: Warm, expansive sound, *especially* for an in-wall.
Cons: Nope. What do you want? Them to come with like chocolate bars and vodka?
3 of 3 found this helpful
good ceiling speaker for the price.
sammag from Lake St Louis on 10/14/2013
Speaker works very well for HT ceiling Speaker. Good highs.
Pros: Good highs. Great price
Cons: RMS
0 of 0 found this helpful
Awesome Polk Audio Wall Speakers RC85i
Motobman from Tucson, AZ on 10/6/2013
I bought these in wall speakers because of Polk's reputation AND they fit exactly in the holes I had already cut. I purchased them because my Emotiva in wall, 8" speakers sounded like I had TONE controls and like AM Radio... YUCK. These Polk's were less expensive, easy to install and sound amazing. I plan to buy more. Thank you Crutchfield !!!
Pros: Clean highs and lows. Simple install. Great Looks. Awesome product!
Cons: None.
1 of 1 found this helpful
Polk Audio RC85i
John S from Asheville, NC on 9/6/2013
Another great Polk product - easy installation, full rich sound. Very nice addition to the bedroom!!
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0 of 0 found this helpful
Amazing!
Crutchfield customer from Texas on 8/11/2013
I'm an audiophile and these speakers are amazing! I have installed them with and without insulation and they sound great both ways but if u want some bass out of them insulate them. I have them installed in wall and In ceiling... Install is easy, and Sound is amazing!!!!! Buy these now!
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2 of 2 found this helpful
Polk Audio RC85i
GregS from Hendersonville,NC on 6/3/2013
I have 4 of the Polk RD85i speakers in the walls of the bonus room along with 2 Polk RC80i speakers in the ceiling and a Polk TSI CS10 hooked up to a Onkyo TX-NR515. The sound is amazing and would like to thank the Crutchfield customer service for their help getting this all together.
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1 of 1 found this helpful
looks ok
DH from sioux falls, sd on 5/25/2013
looks like decent quality, haven't installed the speakers yet only the brackets.
Pros: quality
Cons: none noted yet
0 of 10 found this helpful
Great for a beginner
Chase from Arizona on 5/15/2013
Great price and they sound much better than what I was using before (Home theater in a box). Haven't tested much more expensive models. Also, I have installed and uninstalled them about 10 times and have not had one clip break. I guess just realize that you are in fact dealing with plastic and be realistic when tightening it.
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0 of 0 found this helpful
Polk Audio RC85i's
Danny from Boone, NC on 4/16/2013
I up-graded my old stereo receiver from 5.1 to a new Denon 7.1 for a complete surround system. I purchased Polk Audio speakers for the 5.1 system years ago and they still sound as good today as they did the day I bought them years ago. I purchased the Polk Audio RC85i in wall speakers to complete the 7.1 package and I'm not disapointed! 7.1 surround has the sound bouncing all over the walls!
Pros: Two day delivery and no shipping.
Cons: None so far.
0 of 0 found this helpful
Really happy
MM from Grand Haven, Michigan on 3/11/2013
I'm very happy with my pair of speakers. It was a little difficult fishing the wire up the wall and somehow I battled with a stud and waterpipe issue but it all worked out in the end. luckily it was an exterior wall. Make sure you do your stud finding first. The speakers themselves seem very well built and sound great in my theater room. I will certainly be adding more of these this year.
Pros: Built well Look very professional Very clean sound
Cons: None, other than running wire up a wall can be problematic.
0 of 0 found this helpful
Sound great, but...
Jon from Omaha, NE on 3/3/2013
These speakers sound pretty good. I would describe them as a neutral sounding speaker. I have them installed in my bathroom so it's hard to determine how they would sound in a normal listening environment. The sound echos a lot in the bathroom but that was to be expected. However, I did not expect the speaker grill to start rusting after 2 years. The description says, "moisture-resistant materials allow safe use in bathrooms, kitchens, saunas, and under outdoor eaves". While it is "safe" and the sound has not been affected, this is seriously misleading. Why they would use metal grills rather than aluminum is beyond me but I am not too happy about it. This review does not reflect the service I have received from Crutchfield over the past 10 years. Amazing would be an understatement.
Pros: Great sounding set of speakers.
Cons: Speaker grills are not rust proof.
10 of 18 found this helpful
As promised
CSW from Frisco, TX on 1/20/2013
Due to an engineered beam in our house making our living and kitchen area one, we were very limited on our surround capabilities in the family room (22x21 with open kitchen behind). Since I have rti12's for the front channel I wanted something with some size to not sound too different. These work GREAT. We mounted them above the structural beam which made them high so we inverted them, placed them about 2 feet from the side walls and angled the tweeter a few different times until we got what we wanted. It turns out that angling the tweeter downward slightly and toward the reflecting wall was best for several reasons: it helped disperse the sound to not sound so high or directional and it helped with time alignment from tweeter to woofer since they were upside down. Couple of other tricks that helped tremendously: Since the hole is so big get some R13 insulation and just keep shoving up or down as far as you can leaving it about 8-12 inches from your hole. Then take polyfill and apply generously in the remaining area to create your "box". This helps with sound waves in the wall, any rattle issues, resonant frequency bumps, and hearing too much from the other side of the wall. These are well worth the money for those that need a larger in-wall speaker.
Pros: Pivoting tweeter Ease of installation Polk's timbre-matching Woofer size with shallow depth
Cons: plastic tabs can be tricky if you over crank them
3 of 3 found this helpful
Polk RC85i
MPG21 from NYC on 1/16/2013
Excellent sound & quality for the money. Well worth it!!!
Pros: Love the in-wall speakers. Excellent for the bedroom - it gives our bedroom a sleek modern look without bulky speakers.
Cons: A bit larger than I expected. But they are awesome!!!
1 of 1 found this helpful
Great in-wall speakers
BrianD from Shelton, CT on 1/13/2013
I researched these a lot and am very pleased. I installed in a finished basement. Install was simple. Took ~10 minues per speaker (walls were pre-wired). These speakers sound great in both the insulated exterior walls as well as the open-back walls to the utility room. Highly recommended.
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0 of 0 found this helpful
Polk Audio RC85i
Chris from Mesa, AZ on 1/9/2013
Awesome set of speakers. The install was very easy and the sound is superb. For the price and the quality, I'd highly recommend these to anyone on a budget. I read some reviews on here and other sites and some had mentioned the clasps/mounts were cheap and they would break easily...I found this not to be true, but be sure to hand tighten them with a screw driver, not a drill as that could have been their issue with them.
Pros: Great Speaker, Great Price, AWESOME sound!
Cons: None
0 of 0 found this helpful
RC85i
Tony 7.1 from San Antonio Texas on 12/31/2012
Awesome Speakers especially for the price! I bought this along with the RC 55, 65, and 265RT Center Channel Speaker in wall speakers for my 7.1 system and it sounds amazing! My suggestion though would be to get a great receiver to get the maximum sound you are looking for. I lucked out as i have a friend who upgraded to an 11.2 system and sold me his $1500 Pioneer receiver for $400! God is Good and my system sounds Great! The installation was easy as i had my room pre-wired for a 7.1 system so all i had to do was cut out the holes in the walls and install. Once installed I painted the grill as the instructions said with spray paint and my Theater Room looks amazing! I'm not one to pay somebody to do what I can do myself and I'm no professional but the installation was a breeze and my room looks professional grade! Also, they sent me the Polk PSW111 for free with my purchase and OMG! My room is booming! Thanks Crutchfield! My wife told me to upgrade to 7.1 and I'm so glad she did! I'm one Happy Customer!
Pros: Easy installation...just follow the directions.
Cons: none so far
0 of 0 found this helpful
Polk Audio RC85i
bigdrive5 from Kauai, Hawaii on 12/16/2012
Purchased a pair of these speakers for my 12x18 covered deck. My living room stereo would have to be turned up real loud to get adequate volume out on the deck. Planned to install them about 2 ft. up on a double wall railing pointing back toward the living room to give us sound all around us. Before installing, I did some testing. I set the speakers on deck chairs to test positioning for the final installation. They sounded very good and had good bass for an 8" woofer. Then I tested them by placing the up high on the beam that supports the exposed rafters and pointing them down at a 45 degree angle. Wow! They really sounded good up there once I found the placement that gave us a balanced sound. There was quite a sound difference between having the speakers 2 ft. up and 8 ft. up. At 2 ft., the sound is right about at sitting head height. The speakers kind of compete with conversation and need to be played at lower volume. Up high, the sound seems like it is above us and kind of envelopes the room with sound and does not occupy the avenues for conversing. The bass is also enhanced from the high up position----probably getting reflected off the open beam roof. Anyway, I could not install these in-wall speakers up where they sounded best. So I have returned them and ordered a pair of PSB CS1000's that can be mounted on the beam. I encourage you guys to do a lot of testing with speaker placement before you install them---it really makes a difference.
Pros: Strong balanced sound. Good bass for an 8" woofer. Appears to be quality construction.
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2 of 2 found this helpful
Great speakers, reasonable price.
Crutchfield customer from Colorado on 12/9/2012
Have four in-wall. Awesome sound. Bought these two to replace same model Polk Direct refurbished that failed and I returned. 200 square foot room sounds better than a movie theater. Matched with Polk center and sub.
Pros: Great sound, compact, easy install, great price.
Cons:
0 of 0 found this helpful
Polk Audio RC85i
Steven from Phoenix, AZ on 11/24/2012
The worst and cheapest mounting system ever! No matter how careful you are with the mounting tabs, they will break off with the slightest bit of pressure on the screwdriver. I even bought the overpriced mounting brackets in the hope they would make the installation easier. The tabs should be metal. Poor product design by Polk Audio. Don't ruin Crutchfield's reputation by carrying this junk.
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7 of 25 found this helpful
One for the money...
CHillinSA from San Antonio on 8/25/2012
Similar to another reviewer, we purchased these speakers for a covered patio. We installed them in the ceiling, which bugs the interior designers but is perfectly legite from a technical standpoint. They look good even being adjacent to round recessed lighting. The speakers have great sound and can play very loud when driven hard. We enclosed the attic side of the speaker in a 0.6 cubic foot box in hopes of maximizing bass response. Although that is a small volume, we were afraid too much sound would be dispersed into the open attic space (uninsulated area). They sound so much better than the shoe-box speakers we replaced (which were an entry level Sonance product that died after about six years). We are very happy with these Polk's so far, just hope they can endure the heat and humidity of South Texas...
Pros: Excellent sound quality for the price.
Cons:
1 of 1 found this helpful
Good sound
Gary D from Charlotte, NC on 7/19/2012
I love the speakers. I love the ease of instillation. I love that I could paint them to match my wall.
Pros:
Cons: None
3 of 5 found this helpful
Great speakers for the $$
Ethan from Eau Claire, Wi on 6/25/2012
Great speakers for the money !!!
Pros: Easy installation,cut out plate in the box..
Cons: none..
1 of 5 found this helpful
great standard in-wall speaker
Duane D from Apex, NC on 6/11/2012
I bought this pair to use for one zone of a distributed audio system at my church. 2 of the other zones use ceiling tile speakers, and the third has some 6.5" in-walls by Moderno. I went with the Polk 8" for the fourth zone because I have one firing into the kitchen and the other to the serving area. These spaces are bigger than the other zones and I was concerned about getting as much sound out of one pair of speakers as possible. Bigger is not always better in this regard, but this particular model is built with a VERY lightweight woofer and surround, so it is very efficient. I am using a Xantech Digi-5 system which has 30W per channel digital amplifiers built into the keypads. This is not a ton of power, but the speakers sound quite good, even before adjusting the tone controls. I would have liked the newer-style mounting and grilles, but aesthetics in this area were not a priority. And really, to get a pair of decent-sounding in-walls at this price it's hard to complain about looks. If you're looking to use these for your 5.1 or 7.1 home theater system and have a beefy receiver I would spend a few more dollars and get one of the nicer (more expensive) 6.5" models. While the 8" would give you more bass response, a well-powered 8" in-wall will produce more (unwanted) resonance in the sheetrock and you can avoid some of that with the smaller 6.5", leaving the bass to your sub.
Pros: GREAT value in terms of sound quality and volume per dollar spent very efficient speakers, great for distributed audio or a second/third zone off your main A/V receiver. also a good choice for low-wattage surround speakers
Cons: old-style mounting/grilles don't blend in or "disappear" as nicely as newer thin magnetic grilles.
7 of 7 found this helpful
Best Price/Performance Combination Available
Joe P from Nesconset, NY on 6/10/2012
You just can't beat these speakers if you are looking for solid performance at a great price. I'm sure there are better speakers out there but I suspect I couldn't tell the difference between RC85i speaker and some high end speaker that 5x the price. Love these speakers! I have them in the billiard room, masterbedroom, workout room and garage. Great match with my Sonos system.
Pros: Great sound. Affordable. Crazy easy to install. Directional tweeter. Crutchfield! Aren't these people the best?
Cons: I guess it would more impressive if the grill said "Bose" on the outside. Base is acceptable but sub does help when your in the mood to feel the thump
1 of 1 found this helpful
Amazing sound and easy install
Eric R from Salt Lake City on 5/25/2012
Truly amazing sound. Will need a sub, but definitly fill the room with full, clean and crisp sound. Cannot believe how simple these were to install. Just follow the template. Highly recommended. Thanks Crutchfield
Pros: Mid range and highs, installation
Cons: None
3 of 3 found this helpful
Polk RC85i
JimD from North Hampton, NH on 4/2/2012
I was very impressed with the overal quality of the product and the installation was a breeze. You can't do better for the price and having listened to some more expensive options I could not justify the added cost. I have a combination 8 of Polk in wall and in ceiling speakers (and growing) and a couple of Boston Acoustics Voyager6 outdoor speakers matched to a Yamaha RXA2000 all purchased through Crutchfield. I am very pleased with the system and the advice I have recieved as I continue improve on my home audio experience.
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1 of 1 found this helpful
Polk Audio RC85i-Awesome Speakers
Scott T. from Medford, OR on 2/19/2012
I bought one pair of these speakers, got them installed and i was quickly hooked. One week later, I bought another set to complete my room. The installation is very easy, except the exterior wall wall fish, and the literature that comes with the speakers is very clear and easy to understand. I have no complaints with this product, as I have had none with any of my other POLK products. Just make sure when you purchase these, that you get UL rated in-wall wire too.
Pros: Easy installation with plenty of manufacturer literature. Extremely clear, full sound.
Cons: None
1 of 1 found this helpful
Polk Audio RC85i
Jlee from Baltimore MD on 2/6/2012
Great sound quality and an affordable price
Pros: Easy mounting installaytion
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0 of 0 found this helpful
Polk Audio RC85I
Darrell from Aberdeen wa on 1/23/2012
1 of 1 found this helpful
Easy Purchase
MartyC from Elmira, NY on 9/10/2011
A no brainer. I needed a pair of in ceiling speakers for my outdoor patio area. My Crutchfield online advisor was able to quickly recommend these Polk Audio speakers that were designed for outdoor use. After watching Crutchfield's video on these speakers I was sold. They arrived at my doorstep within a few days and now that they are installed, my whole family loves them. Crutchfield made the purchase for these speakers very easy....and they sound great. Thanks Crutchfield.
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4 of 4 found this helpful
Polk Audio RC85i
David from San Diego, CA on 4/26/2011
This is an early review. (Just installed yesterday). I put for of these in a weight room that is approximately 1000sqft at work. they are hooked up to a Harman/kardon HK3390 stereo reciever. the room is a large rectangle so there are two on one long wall and 1 on each of the two short walls. the sound quality in the room is great. they need to be loud as it is a loud room and the sound is still clear. there are two massive (loud) industrial blade fans in the wieght room and even with those on the volume only needed to be turned up a couple db's to compensate. completely happy with these so far.
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1 of 1 found this helpful
Polk Audio RC85i
Peter from New Hampshire on 4/24/2011
These speakers are great . Plenty of bass , some people said not enough bass . I have no idea what they are talking about . Maybe their reciever doesn't have enough power . What a major pain to install , snaking wires in a home with insulated interior walls . Then end result was worth it.
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1 of 1 found this helpful