Polk Audio RC80i 2-way Premium In-Ceiling 8″ Round Speakers, Set of 2 Perfect for Damp and Humid Indoor/Outdoor Placement – Bath, Kitchen, Covered Porches (White, Paintable-Grille)
$300.00
About this item GET SEAMLESS AUDIO QUALITY & POLK’S EXCELLENT SOUND REPRODUCTION with these timbre-matched overhead speakers that elevate the sound quality. ADD TO YOUR EXISTING HOME THEATER SETUP or build your own Polk collection for THE SAME GREAT POLK SOUND EVERYWHERE EXPERIENCE MORE BALANCED & LIFELIKE SOUND – Features an 8″ Dynamic Balance woofer & a 1″ aimable tweeter for more depth & detail in your music. Mineral-filled polymer cone & strong composite driver baskets create wider dispersion for EVEN-SOUND COVERAGE THE RUBBER SEAL DRIVES better response and PREVENTS MOISTURE ACCESS, a key feature for USE IN A BATHROOM, KITCHEN, SAUNA AND COVERED PORCH OUT OF THE BOX & RECESSED INTO THE CEILING – no mess, no extra assembly – in 3 simple steps QUICKLY & EASILY INSTALL these speakers. Leave the paintable aluminum grilles as is or spray paint to MATCH YOUR EXISTING INTERIOR and virtually make them disappear Polk’s UNWAVERING COMMITMENT, RELIABILITY, AND CRAFTSMANSHIP, has made it one of the most trusted names in home audio speakers and entertainment systems. They bring out the BEST IN TECHNOLOGY, so you can SIT BACK, RELAX AND LISTEN WITH YOUR HEART!
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Description
Product information
| Product Dimensions | 12.1 x 11.8 x 9.8 inches |
|---|---|
| Item Weight | 4.3 pounds |
| Manufacturer | DEI Holdings |
| ASIN | B00006BMQT |
| UNSPSC Code | 52161512 |
| Item model number | AW0080-B |
| Customer Reviews |
1,995 ratings 4.8 out of 5 stars |
| Best Sellers Rank | #2,897 in Electronics (See Top 100 in Electronics) #2 in Ceiling & In-Wall Speakers |
| Is Discontinued By Manufacturer | No |
| Date First Available | August 1, 2005 |
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Additional information
| Product Dimensions | 12.1 x 11.8 x 9.8 inches |
|---|---|
| Item Weight | 4.3 pounds |
| Manufacturer | DEI Holdings |
| UNSPSC Code | 52161512 |
| Item model number | AW0080-B |
| Customer Reviews | 4.3 out of 5 |
| Is Discontinued By Manufacturer | No |
| Date First Available | August 1, 2005 |
WST –
These RC80i’s always impress me on their sound quality. We have some off-brand speakers the same size as these RC80i’s and the sound quality just doesn’t compare. This is the second home and the 6th time we’ve installed this same speaker model. It’s my go-to for an in-ceiling speaker that won’t disappoint.
Trey Carpenter –
This review will be cross-posted.I bought a pair of Polk RC80i’s for my bathrooms (one in each) and two Klipsch CDT-5800-C II’s for my great room, all driven by an Elan A1240 12 channel amplifier.To understand any mileage (“may vary”) differences, you need to understand the room you’re installing in compared to mine: one bathroom (guest) is about 8 feet by 15 feet with standard 8 foot ceilings; the other (master) is much longer and has vaulted ceilings, varying depth, but not beyond 10 feet; finally, my great room has 20 foot vaulted ceilings in an L shape that is mostly unimpeded from the ceiling outward, sort of like an inverted bi-directional amphitheater.I’ve put about 20-30 hours on each speaker before writing this review. Some say break-in periods are over 100 hours, so bear that in mind, but I feel this has been sufficient.First, a technical spec comparison:- Polk: 8 inch woofer, rated to +-6dB @ 35Hz – 20kHz; 90db@1W,1m; 100W RMS; (110dB max); $125 each on Amazon- Klipsch: 8 inch woofer, rated to +-3dB @ 49Hz – 23kHz; 95dB@1W,1m; 50W RMS; (112dB max); $200 each on AmazonKlipsch has the additional beneficial features over the Polk of a rotating woofer assembly and a -3dB switch for woofer and tweeter independently. Both have 360deg adjustable tweeters. Klipsch also has a very nice flush magnetic grill, whereas Polk has the traditional internal circumference friction fit (which I already had fall out).Polk has dropped the ball on providing adequate technical specs for people who know how to shop to compare audio equipment. I assume their frequency response is +-6dB, but as they do not specify, it could be worse.Now the opinion:At first and for a while after installation, I was shocked to find myself vastly preferring the Polks. I thought I must have done something wrong…or maybe my ears are so biased from cheap speakers my whole life that I can’t respect good quality. Maybe it was my source audio, so I found well enconded FLAC files to test, which didn’t yield any changes. I eventually reached the realization that the Klipschs were really proximity-dependent and you had to be within about a 20 degree conical radius under them to get their full potential. The Polks did not have such a substantially strict range. I also realized that the Polk in the guest bathroom was giving a much more substatial bass response, which was playing into why I preferred it so much. That room is a massive bass trap, I realized. Now that I’ve sort of figured out the magnitude of effect the rooms and distances are playing, I can finally filter and determine the real quality of each.While the Polks are extremely good at their price point, well made, and specifically advertised as for wet environments, they do lack a slight clarity in that the Klipschs overtake them on. I may try the -3dB on the Klipschs just because of the expansive room they’re in to see if biasing towards lower frequencies helps my ears prefer them more.To describe the speakers in comparison: the Polks can be tinny at highs and more muddy at lows and mids, while the Klipschs can almost be described as lacking fullness… there’s something I can’t quite put my finger on with them aside from the need for an additional subwoofer in the room to compensate for lack of low frequency propagation.The lack of low frequency response is not something I will attribute to the Klipschs, however. I beilive the Polks would experience the same problem in the same room, as the master bath starts exhibiting a similar issue with it’s ceiling height somewhere between the other two. It is a room issue. It’s actually extremely impressive sub-50Hz can be achieved at -3dB with the Klipsch (can’t vouch for the Polk unless I measure some sweeps).So in conclusion, if you have standard 8-foot ceilings across the house you probably will have a better experience than me. The Klipschs are undoubtedly more clear and crisp, yet I can forsee even better speakers in my future. The question is, is the extra $150 per pair (+60%) worth it for the Klipschs? And I would say probably not, unless you have money to blow. The Polks perform outstandingly and the sound quality differences are measurable, but nearly negligible from an enjoyment perspective.
The Rio Rancho Kid –
I purchased six of these speakers (3 pairs) along with the Polk Audio 255C-RT center channel speaker to switch my surround sound set up from traditional floor/shelve speakers to in-ceiling. Bought these based on reading Amazon reviews and not wanting to pay at least twice as much for Bose. They speakers are fantastic, sound like a dream. Very easy to install once you plot out where to locate them. I had the advantage of an attic space above my great room to ensure there were no obstructions in my preferred locations, so I was able to do a self install project. Turned out beautifully! I HIGHLY recommend these speakers.
MarkoMarko –
Ask any audiophile what kind of ceiling speaker you should get and they will say, “don’t get ceiling speakers, dumb a%#,”I love music and like surround sound and these things serve their purpose. These are great for most of us human beings and look better than a bunch of four foot tall black boxes in our living rooms.Installation was relatively easy. The manual suggests sticking a cork screw in the middle of the speaker grille to remove it, so I did. Ruined that grille in the process by warping the hole I pulled on. The best way to remove grille is to slightly lift (with corkscrew) on the very edge hole and then rotate, pick another hole and lift some more (like opening a can of paint, but slowly).I called Polk to get a new grille to replace the one I ruined expecting to pay a few bucks but they sent me one for free!
VJS –
Still cranking out music and movies over the last 10 years. I have 5 of these mounted in ceiling as the surround speakers for a 7.1 system. They still sound great since I installed them in 2007.
S. MatsushigeS. Matsushige –
Purchased two pairs for small diner. Very easy to install in the drop ceiling using template provided. I also added a 1/4″ plyboard which I glued a flexible covering to keep dust off the back of the speakers. I own a bunch of Polk Audio speakers for my home and their sound build quality is great. I have a couple pairs I’ve owned since the 90’s which are still going and sound great. The RC80i didn’tdisappoint. I can feel and see quality in the materials used on these speakers. I was considering adding a powered subwoofer, but after listening to them, decided it has more than enough low end for me. I have the tweeters firing straight down. I think they sound great wherever I sit in the dining area. Cannot go wrong for the price. Very satisfied with this purchase.
SarahM –
We have 4 of these on our decks and powered by a Crown amplifier at 4 ohm per channel (150w x 2). They sound so amazing that you boarder line don’t need a sub (but that helps). What will say is we had a OSD amplifier powering them and it’s rather at 100 per channel and at the time it was only powering 2 of these and it’s not even close to how it sounds with a proper amplifier, doesn’t even sound like the same speakers. So, make sure you have a nicer amplifier to see the full potential of these. Lastly, we have them in a roof with 10 inch beams and we boxed in the speaker for a quasi enclosure, this helps out with the bass in my opinion.
Ken G. –
I’m using these in a 7.1.2 system powered by an Onkyo. They sound great and come with everything you need except the wire. Just make sure you wife isn’t home when you cut the ceiling especially if you have blow in insulation and no way to get to it from the attic. the mess was,,,,,,,It was bad! Still totally worth it for Dolby Atmos theater sound. At least for me it was, She is still a little upset but were getting through it.
cesalio45gcesalio45g –
I bought 4 of these speakers (two pair) 2 years ago (129.99/pair) with the following:1 Sonos Connect (used: 99.00)1 pair RC85i 2 way premium 8” speaker (199.99)One 8 Channel 4000 watt Pyle Amplifier (239.99)Connected the Sonos to the Amp aux 1 input and connected power to all speakers via channels 1 – 6. This configuration powered my first floor open concept area (zone 2)I also have a Sonos Beam connected to the TV (zone 1)Now when using the TV, I have the Beam plus 2 RC85i speakers plus 4 RC80i speakers. Total surround sound (zone 1 and 2). I can play Apple Music, YouTube, TV anything over WiFi thru Sonos, it’s great.The quality is good and power to each speaker is more than enough, I only need about 50% power from amp.2 years ago, I bought these speakers at 1/2 the price, now that I am finishing my basement, I will do a similar configuration but with Pyle speakers. About 1/3 the current price (May 20, 2022)I would of recommended these speakers to anyone 2 years ago, but the price increase just negates that in my opinion.The installation is pretty easy, had wires pre-installed. Simply cut some Sheetrock and screw tight.The look is great, flush to the ceiling and any of the speakers have not come loose in over 2 years.Draw a floor plan to know how many speakers you need and the type of speaker.Should the price drop, please pick them up, otherwise there are other brands which are just as good for a more affordable price
MG –
When our house was built, we had it pre-wired for ceiling speakers. We just didnt have the builder over charge us to install cheap speakers. I’ve owned Polk bookshelf speakers and I love the sound of them. Very crisp/clear highs. So I bought these w/o listening to them first. My assumptions were correct that Polk puts quality in all their speakers big and small. These were easy to install and they sound fantastic. Perfect highs and mids, and a decent amount of bass from a small speaker. Very happy with this purchase and highly recommend.