Polk Audio 65 RT vs Focal 100 IW 6 Comparison

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Polk Audio 65 RT

Passive In-wall | 50-25kHz

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Focal 100 IW 6

Passive In-wall | 60-23kHz

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Polk Audio 65 RT

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Focal 100 IW 6

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Polk Audio 65 RT

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Focal 100 IW 6

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Polk Audio 65 RT vs Focal 100 IW 6 Speaker Comparison

In this review, we will be comparing 65 RT and 100 IW 6, two Passive In-wall speakers from Polk Audio and Focal.

Let's have a brief look at the main features of Polk Audio 65 RT and Focal 100 IW 6 first before getting into our more detailed comparison.

Key Specs	Polk Audio 65 RT	Focal 100 IW 6
Brand	Polk Audio United States · founded 1972	Focal France · founded 1979
Design	2-way	2-way
Tweeter	1" Soft-Dome	1" Inverted Hard-Dome
Woofer	6.5" Polymer Composite	6.5" Polyglass
Frequency response	50-25kHz	60-23kHz
Sensitivity	90 dB	89 dB
Impedance	8 ohms	8 ohms
Power range	10-125 watts	25-120 watts
Weight	—	1.86kg / 4.1lbs
Dimensions (H x W x D)	12.7500" x 7.2500" x 3-1/2" 324.0 x 185.0 x 88.9mm	10.7500" x 6.6250" x 3.3750" 274.0 x 169.0 x 86.0mm

What size room are the Polk Audio 65 RT and Focal 100 IW 6 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:

Listening Environment*	Polk Audio 65 RT	Focal 100 IW 6
Near-field	Poor	Poor
Small Room	Average	Average
Mid-size Room	Good	Good
Large Room	Average	Average
Very Large Room	Poor	Poor

(* Approximate Room sizes: Small < 100sq. ft / 9 m², Mid-size: 100-220 sq. ft / 9-20 m², Large 220-400 sq. ft / 20-36 m², Very Large: > 400 sq. ft / 36 m². Average Floor Height: 9" / 2.7m. Typical room sizes differ from country to country, and the actual listening experience changes depending on floor height, room shape, surface materials, listening position, speaker locations, etc.)

The sections below take each area in turn: drivers, frequency response, physical size and what you get in the box.

Drivers

Both 65 RT and 100 IW 6 are 2-way speakers.

Polk Audio 65 RT

Focal 100 IW 6

TweeterWoofer

Front view, drawn to scale - cabinets and drivers share one scale, so sizes are directly comparable. Hover a driver for its size.

Driver	Polk Audio 65 RT	Focal 100 IW 6
Driver Setup	2-way	2-way
Tweeter	1-inch	1-inch
Midrange	-	-
Woofer	1 x 6.5-inch	1 x 6.5-inch

65 RT features a 1" Soft-Dome Tweeter and 1 x 6.5" Polymer Composite Woofer. On the other hand, the 100 IW 6 features a 1" Inverted Hard-Dome Tweeter and 1 x 6.5" Polyglass Woofer.

Frequency Response

65 RT has a frequency range of 50-25kHz whereas 100 IW 6 has a frequency range of 60-23kHz. With a minimum frequency of 50Hz, the 65 RT can go significantly deeper on the low side and provide stronger bass compared to the 100 IW 6's min frequency of 60Hz.

The graph below depicts how these two speakers compare with the max, min and average Low Frequency values of other speakers in the In-wall class in our database.

Low Frequency

In-wall Speakers

65 RT

100 IW 6

Min

Average

Median

Neither pair reaches down to 20Hz, the usual definition of full-range, which is normal for speakers of this size. If you want the bottom octave for movies or bass-heavy music, add a subwoofer to whichever you choose. Visit our Powered Subwoofers section to find out more about the available options.

Impedance and Sensitivity

65 RT and 100 IW 6 have the same Impedance of 8 ohms but where they differ is the sensitivity levels. 65 RT sensitivity is rated at 90 dB and the 100 IW 6's is at 89 dB. This 1 dB difference makes the Polk Audio 65 RT a more sensitive speaker compared to Focal 100 IW 6, hence will play louder with the same amount of watts.

Sensitivity

In-wall Speakers

65 RT

100 IW 6

Min

Average

Median

Power Range

Power range is the range of input power in watts RMS that a loudspeaker is designed to handle. Staying within that range gives nominal performance; driving the speaker beyond its maximum wattage can damage it.

65 RT can handle a max power of 125 watts RMS, whereas 100 IW 6 has a max power handling value of 120 watts RMS, 5 watts less than the 65 RT.

Note that higher power handling does not make a speaker louder: that depends mainly on sensitivity and impedance. The calculator below shows how loud each of these actually plays on a real amplifier.

Which plays louder on your amplifier?

Starting with a popular amplifier - change it to the one you own, or any you are considering, and watch both numbers move.

Amplifier - change this

Distance

Playing as

Polk Audio 65 RT

Focal 100 IW 6

Input Type and Bi-Amping / Bi-Wiring

65 RT features Spring post type posts and 100 IW 6 has a Spring post type posts. None of these speakers feature bi-amping/bi-wiring.

Physical Specs

The size of a speaker can sometimes be an important decision factor due to space constraints or in some cases purely for esthetic reasons. In this section, we are going to compare Polk Audio 65 RT's and Focal 100 IW 6's external dimensions. Polk Audio 65 RT has external dimensions of 324.0 x 185.0 x 88.9mm (12.7500-inch x 7.2500-inch x 0.0000-inch) whereas Focal 100 IW 6 has external dimensions of 274.0 x 169.0 x 86.0mm (10.7500-inch x 6.6250-inch x 3.3750-inch).

Polk Audio 65 RT is clearly the larger of the two speakers. Its body is 16mm wider, 50mm taller and 2.9mm deeper than Focal 100 IW 6.

What's in the Box of Polk Audio 65 RT?

Here are the items that are included inside the box of 65 RT:

Rectangular in-wall speaker
Foam rubber port plug
White metal grille
Mounting template
Owners Manual
Sheer-Grille Painting instructions
Online Registration Card
Polk Audio product brochure

What's in the Box of Focal 100 IW 6?

Here are the items that come with the 100 IW 6:

One in-wall speaker
1 metal-mesh grill (white)
Cut-out template
User manual

Reasons to choose Polk Audio 65 RT over Focal 100 IW 6

Max Input Power	125 watts vs 120 watts	Handle more power from your amplifier
Sensitivity	90 dB vs 89 dB	Play louder with same amount of amplification power
Low Frequency Response	50 Hz vs 60 Hz	Generates deeper bass
High Frequency Response	25k Hz vs 23k Hz	Generates higher frequency
Price per pair*	398USD vs 498USD	costs less (*prices may change depending on the seller, location and time)

Reasons to choose Focal 100 IW 6 over Polk Audio 65 RT

Height	274mm vs 324mm	Easier to fit in smaller spaces
Base Surface Area	145cm² vs 164cm²	Takes less floor space

Polk Audio 65 RT vs Focal 100 IW 6 Specs Table

Detailed comparison of specifications

General	Polk Audio 65 RT	Focal 100 IW 6
Brand	Polk Audio	Focal
Speaker Type	Passive In-wall Speaker	Passive In-wall Speaker
Power Range	10-125 watts	25-120 watts
Sensitivity	90 dB	89 dB
Impedance	8 ohms	8 ohms
Frequency Response	50-25kHz	60-23kHz
Drivers
Woofer Quantity	1	1
Woofer Size	6.5"	6.5"
Woofer Composition	Polymer Composite	Polyglass
Woofer Surround Material	Rubber	Rubber
Tweeter Size	1"	1"
Tweeter Type	Soft-Dome	Inverted Hard-Dome
Aimable Tweeter	Yes	No
Midrange Driver	No	No
Physical Specs
Height	324.0mm (12.8")	274.0mm (10.8")
Width	185.0mm (7.3")	169.0mm (6.7")
Depth	88.9mm (3.5")	86.0mm (3.4")
Weight	n/a	1.86kg (4.1lbs)
Enclosure	In-wall	In-wall
Moisture Resistancy	No	Yes
Connections
Biamp Inputs	No	No
Other
Parts Warranty	Lifetime	5 Years
Labor Warranty	Lifetime	5 Years

Verdict

No single best speaker here - they are built to different priorities, and the right one depends on your room, your amplifier and what you listen to.

Area	Better	Why
Bass	A	Polk Audio 65 RT digs deeper - 50Hz against 60Hz.
Amplifier needs	evenly matched	Similar sensitivity (90dB vs 89dB) - both want much the same power.
Headroom	evenly matched	Similar power handling (125W vs 120W).
Size	depends	Focal 100 IW 6 is easier to place; Polk Audio 65 RT is bigger, which usually goes with fuller bass. Your room decides.
Price	A	Polk Audio 65 RT is cheaper - $398 against $498, about 20% less.

A Polk Audio 65 RT B Focal 100 IW 6
depends neither is better in the abstract - it turns on your room, your system or how you will use them. Only specs published for both speakers are judged; anything missing on either side is left out rather than guessed.

Which should you choose?

Polk Audio 65 RT has the edge on paper, though the margin is not large. The rows marked "depends" may matter more to you than the score does. If a subwoofer is in your plans, the bass gap largely stops mattering - you would be crossing over above 60Hz anyway, so judge these on the other rows instead.

And remember what a spec sheet cannot show: how each looks in your room and whether the finish suits it, what dealer support and warranty are like where you live, and how they actually sound to you. If you can hear them first - ideally with your own music - that will tell you more than any number above.