From the Manufacturer
The RC80i features a beefy 8-inch woofer to produce the maximum amount of bass and a one inch dome tweeter for depth and detail, resulting in rich lifelike sound from an in-ceiling speaker—performance unheard of just a few years ago. An ideal solution for areas requiring big, room-filing sound without the big speaker cluttering up your room, The RC80i’s wide dispersion capability means you’ll hear great sound no matter where you are in the room.
key features
- Paintable grilles allow you to make your speakers disappear completely into your painted walls (but you can always leave them white too).
- Out of the box into the ceiling installation. The RC80i uses rugged stainless steel hardware and powder-coated aluminum grille for years of dependable performance. (Please note that RCi Series loudspeakers are not suitable for exposed outdoor use. For outdoor applications, use our Atrium Series speakers).
- Swivel tweeter. The RC80i features a swiveling tweeter so you can aim it toward the listening area for greater accuracy.
take a look inside this product
technology
Dynamic Balance® and Klippel Optimization Like all Polk speakers, the transducers in the RC80i speakers are products of Dynamic Balance technology and Klippel Optimization. A Dynamic Balance tweeter or driver has been designed using microscopic testing, materials science, and precision-designed interfaces to reduce or eliminate mechanical breakup that adds distortion and colors the sound. Klippel Optimization ensures the speaker will perform well at both low and high volumes levels.
Blue Polymer Woofers with Rubber Surround Provide excellent damping and bass response while resisting deterioration. Your RCi speakers should last longer than your house. Other speakers use flimsy paper cones and foam surrounds that fall apart due to time and exposure.
Timbre Matched The RC80i, like all RCi series speakers, is timbre matched to our freestanding speakers – such as Polk Monitor, TSi and OWM series, just in case you need in-ceiling surround speakers to match your freestanding fronts.
why you should consider this product
If you’re looking to fill a room or your home with life-like sound, you should seriously consider the RC80i for its high performance audio, ease of installation, and amazing value. Use RC80i’s all around your home where you care about good sound or as rear channel surround speakers in your home theater system.
technical specifications
Driver Complements Tweeter 1″ Diameter (2.54cm)
Dynamic Balance tweeter with metalized
soft dome in ball-and-socket swivel mount Mid/Woofer 8″ Diameter (20.32cm)
Dynamic Balance driver with mineral-filled
polymer cone and rubber surround Electrical Total Frequency Response 35Hz – 20kHz Upper -3dB Limit 20Hz Lower -3dB Limit 50Hz Nominal Impedance 8 ohms Efficiency 90 dB Recommended Amplifier Power 20 – 100 Watts per channel Inputs Spring-loaded clips Dimensions Overall Depth 3 5/8″ (9.21cm) Overall Diameter 10 3/4″ (27.30cm) Shipping Unit of Measure Pair Total Shipping Weight 10 pounds Installation Cut-Out Diameter 9 3/8″ (23.81cm) Mounting Depth (assumes 1/2 in) 3 1/8″ (7.94cm) Pre-Construction Bracket PB LC80i Warranty* Speaker Warranty Lifetime
*To ensure a valid warranty, Polk loudspeakers must be purchased through an Authorized Polk Audio home or car loudspeaker Dealer (such as Amazon.com). (If you’re not sure a dealer is “authorized,” call Polk Audio at 1-800-377-7655, and ask us.) The warranty is not transferrable, that means it applies only to the original purchaser. If you purchase your speakers from a private individual, that product is considered “used” and has NO factory warranty, no matter what the seller implies. The warranty is VOID if the serial number of the speaker has been removed or defaced. If you have any questions about your warranty coverage, or you think you need service, call Polk Customer Service at 1-800-377-7655. We’re here to help you get the most from your new speakers!
in the box
- 1 pair RC80i in-ceiling loudspeakers
- Owner’s manual
- Online registration card
use with these products
RCi In-wall/In-Ceiling loudspeakers
TSi Series of freestanding loudspeakers
Monitor Series of freestanding loudspeakers
downloads
Manual
Roughin’ It –
Great priced and high qualityI purchased these to add the finishing touches to my 5.1.2 Atoms/DTS-X audio system. They installed easily in my ceiling, despite being 0.75″ thick drywall. The mounting system was perfectly easy to understand and use, but you may need to loosen the screws a bit before installing the speakers.I have watched several movies taking advantage of the speakers and find that they sound great with my other Polk speakers. Absolutely no issues with their intended purpose. If you’re planning on a super hifi audio system, you might consider a more expensive option, but for movies, these are great! A+
G. Nassif –
If you aren’t installing in drywall, good luckGreat speakers, but if you are installing them in something other than a drywall ceiling or drop ceiling, be prepared to be creative. They are heavy, and there are no “support bracket” kits that are readily available. For my outdoor pavilion project, I made my own support brackets out of OSB boards, nailed to 2×4, then cut down and placed between the ceiling joists. Used the speaker cutouts to create wholes. Tricky part was measuring center of pavilion to where the speakers will go, and keeping them equally distanced…and taking into account where the joists where, etc. Each support was custom for the proper placement.
Dr. Z –
Better than I had hopedEveryone talks about how ceiling speakers are not as good. I did not want ugly speakers down low so I was willing to sacrifice some sound quality for the aesthetics. These are great though. I am glad I purchased them.
Randy –
Damn these sound goodI almost went with the 8” for better bass response but it’s a small room in a mobile home so I got the 6”. The bass is more than adequate. I don’t know if they would rattle your trunk lid but that’s not what I’m looking for in a speaker. I already owned a set of Polk bookshelf speakers and sub so I expected to be happy with the sound and I am not disappointed.The cheapies that were built in from the factory were a lot smaller so I had to enlarge and reinforce the ceiling openings. Once that was done the installation was a breeze. I loved the remodel style mounting wings.
Chris Tinnell –
Exact FitThe previous owner had some Niles speakers in the ceiling already but the sound coming from one pair of them was a little “tinny” while the same speakers in other rooms sounded okay. I wanted to replace this one pair with a cheaper brand but glad I didn’t. They look almost identical to the Niles (wouldn’t be surprised if they were manufactured by same company) but these sound much better for some reason. I replaced one set with these and it was an exact fit. The sound is night and day and we enjoy hearing music in that room again.
Amazon Customer –
Amazing quality for price margin. Exceed expectation.Absolutely love these speaker. The quality at the price is unmatched. Purchased two pair for a home movie room. You can not go wrong.
cesalio45g –
Created a wireless System With These.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
Amazon Customer –
Awesome speakers but speaker grills need improvementLove the sound quality of the speakers. Recommend the mounting tab account for larger wall thickness but I got around it by digging out some of the dry wall. Completely adequate for normal wall thicknesses. The speaker grills bent easily when trying to put them on the mounted speakers – be very careful installing them.
CarlosECarlos –
One speaker bad – huge distortionBought three pairs of these speakers – one of them bad right out of the box – huge distortion – too late to return as I bought them and did not install right away – sending back to Polk…:-(
kenski –
Perfect for my newly finished basementI bought these to install in the basement we just finished. They are mostly to play music during parties and also to hook into the tv if we have parties for the “big game” etc. so the sound can be broadcast though-out the entire basement. We pre-wired three speaker locations to cover the entire 1500 sq ft. These two speakers sound great. You walk from area to are and the sound just carries from one location to the next. The sound is consistent through-out. No loud spots / quiet spots. Turn the sound up loud (I have a high quality Dennon receiver that is probably overkill) and there is no distortion.They were very easy to install. Take the little card board template, draw your circle, drill a pilot hole, and cut it out. (I used a fine tooth saw-zaw blade by hand since we had already painted the ceiling and I didn’t want it to chip/scuff the ceiling, but a jig saw would have probably done fine. Either way is ok, dry wall is easy to saw. On a ladder I used one hand to hold the speaker and the other to easily make the connections. The connecters are easy to work with one hand. I then just inserted into the ceiling, pulled the screw drive our of my pocket (don’t forget to do this or you will be down the ladder with your speaker dangling from wire)… screwed in four screws that snap out and then down the little brackets that hold the speaker snug to the ceiling from inside the ceiling, and inserted the grill (which covers the speaker and the screws). Easy as can be.Another point: circles are easier to install then rectangles. If you are considering buying rectangle speakers, consider how good you are and making things square, plumb, etc. And also consider that even if you are good at it, your drywall installers, even if they worked for a good builder, may not be. So you ceiling and/or wall may not be at right angles to each other. If you install in ceiling close to a wall, or in wall close to a ceiling, you may end up with a speaker that looks crooked one way or another. And even if the walls and ceiling are all straight, it’s still hard to stand on a ladder, measure the how far each corner is to your nearest reference point, set the template etc. With circles, these problems go away.Two quick wiring tips:1. When you do the initial wiring, make sure you leave enough slack so that the wire hangs and least three feet down lower then the ceiling. It makes connecting the wire to the speaker much easier when standing on a ladder to not have to be making the connections over your head. You’d rather have it waist high. So leave enough slack, it easily tucks up into the ceiling when the speaker is installed.2. I mentioned that I wired for three speakers. Since these come in pairs, I wanted to buy a single 3rd speaker instead of buying a second pair and having one left over. I made the mistake of buying the very similar “Polk Audio RC6s” for my third speaker without reading enough of the description or reviews. That speaker probably works fine, but it requires two sets of speaker wire, not one. I of course had one set of wire to each speaker location. This “Polk Audio RC6s” I now find out is both a left and right speaker all in one little package. So it didn’t work for me. I ended up buy and second set of the product we are talking about here, and it now works perfectly. So if you do the same, either run two sets of wire or just buy yourself a second set… The set is not much more money then the single “Polk Audio RC6s” anyway.
Polk Audio RC6s In-Ceiling Stereo Speaker (Single, White)