In this review, we will be comparing SC800D and RC85i, two Passive In-wall speakers from OSD and Polk Audio. Let's have a brief look at the main features
of OSD Black Series SC800D and Polk Audio RC85i first before getting into our more
detailed comparison.
What size room are the OSD Black Series SC800D and Polk Audio RC85i speakers good for?
The size of the room in which you are planning to use these loudspeakers is an important decision factor. Here we have compared their suitability to various sizes of environments considering their size and max power parameters:
In the following sections, we will get into more detail in order to better understand how the OSD Black Series SC800D and Polk Audio RC85i compare and hopefully end up with enough arguments to decide which one of these loudspeakers is the better choice for you.
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Drivers
One of the fundamental differences between these two speakers is that SC800D is a 1-way design whereas the RC85i is a 2-way speaker. 3-way designs utilize a midrange driver in addition to the tweeter and woofer on 2-way designs. Designing a crossover for a 3-way speaker is a complicated process and generally increases the overall cost of the speaker.
| Driver |
OSD Black Series SC800D |
Polk Audio RC85i |
|
Driver Setup
|
1-way
|
2-way
|
|
Tweeter
|
-inch
|
1-inch
|
|
Midrange
|
- |
- |
|
Woofer
|
1 x 8-inch
|
1 x 8-inch
|
SC800D features a " 0 Tweeter and 1 x 8" Polypropylene Woofer . On the other hand, the RC85i features a 1" Hard-Dome Tweeter and 1 x 8" Polypropylene Woofer .
Frequency Response
SC800D has a frequency range of 40-500Hz whereas RC85i has a frequency range of 50-20kHz. With a minimum frequency of 40Hz, the SC800D can go significantly deeper on the low side and provide stronger bass compared to the RC85i's min frequency of 50Hz.
Below graphs depict how these two speakers compare with the max, min and average values of the Min and Max Frequencies of other speakers in the In-wall class in our database.
Low Frequency
In-wall Speakers
High Frequency
In-wall Speakers
None of these speakers achieves full range experience which is commonly agreed as 20Hz-20kHz. In order to achieve lower lows / deeper bass, we recommend you pair these with a subwoofer. Visit our Powered Subwoofers section to find out more about the available options.
Impedance and Sensitivity
SC800D and RC85i have the same Impedance of 8 ohms but where they differ is the sensitivity levels. SC800D sensitivity is rated at --- and the RC85i's is at 90 dB. This 90 dB difference makes the Polk Audio RC85i a more sensitive speaker compared to OSD Black Series SC800D, hence will play louder with the same amount of watts.
Sensitivity
In-wall Speakers
Power Range
Power
range is the range of input power in watts RMS that a loudspeaker is designed to handle. While using an amplifier within this range ensures the nominal performance , inputting a power that is higher than the max wattage can result in a damaged speaker.
SC800D can handle a max power of 300 watts RMS from the amp the whereas RC85i has a max power handling value of 100 watts RMS, 200 watts less than the SC800D.
Keep in mind that a higher max power handling value doesn't necessarily make that a louder speaker
compared to a lower max handling speaker. Loudness or the sound level is also impacted by parameters
such as Impedance, sensitivity and system efficiencies.
Input Type and Bi-Amping / Bi-Wiring
SC800D features Spring clip type posts and RC85i has a Spring clip type posts. None of these speakers feature bi-amping/bi-wiring.
Physical Specs
Size of a speaker can sometimes become an important decision factor due to space constraints or in some cases purely for esthetic reasons. In this section, we are going to compare OSD Black Series SC800D's and Polk Audio RC85i's external dimensions. OSD Black Series SC800D has external dimensions of 515.0 x 369.0 x 104.0mm ( 20.2500-inch x 14.5000-inch x 4.0625-inch) whereas Polk Audio RC85i has external dimensions of 324.0 x 221.0 x 89.0mm ( 12.7500-inch x 8.6875-inch x 3.5000-inch) .
OSD Black Series SC800D is clearly the larger of the two speakers. Its body is 148mm wider, 191mm taller and 15mm deeper than Polk Audio RC85i.
What's in the Box of OSD Black Series SC800D?
Here are the items that are included inside the box of SC800D:
In-wall passive subwooferGrille10 Screws2 Self-adhesive rubber padsCutout TemplateInstall Guide
What's in the Box of Polk Audio RC85i?
Here are the items that come with the RC85i:
2 White in-wall speakers2 White grilles1 Cardboard Mounting TemplateOwners ManualOnline registration sheetProduct Registration Card