Polk Audio 65 RT vs Polk Audio RC55i Comparison

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Polk Audio 65 RT

Passive In-wall | 50-25kHz

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Polk Audio RC55i

Passive In-wall | 70-20kHz

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Polk Audio 65 RT

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Polk Audio RC55i

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Polk Audio 65 RT

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Polk Audio RC55i

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Polk Audio 65 RT vs Polk Audio RC55i Speaker Comparison

In this review, we will be comparing 65 RT and RC55i, two Passive In-wall speakers by Polk Audio.

Let's have a brief look at the main features of Polk Audio 65 RT and Polk Audio RC55i first before getting into our more detailed comparison.

Key Specs	Polk Audio 65 RT	Polk Audio RC55i
Brand	Polk Audio United States · founded 1972	Polk Audio United States · founded 1972
Design	2-way	2-way
Tweeter	1" Soft-Dome	0.75" Hard-Dome
Woofer	6.5" Polymer Composite	5.25" Polypropylene
Frequency response	50-25kHz	70-20kHz
Sensitivity	90 dB	89 dB
Impedance	8 ohms	8 ohms
Power range	10-125 watts	20-100 watts
Dimensions (H x W x D)	12.7500" x 7.2500" x 3-1/2" 324.0 x 185.0 x 88.9mm	9.6250" x 6.1875" x 2.0120" 245.0 x 158.0 x 52.0mm

What size room are the Polk Audio 65 RT and Polk Audio RC55i 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	Polk Audio RC55i
Near-field	Poor	Average
Small Room	Average	Good
Mid-size Room	Good	Average
Large Room	Average	Poor
Very Large Room	Poor	Bad

(* 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 RC55i are 2-way speakers.

Polk Audio 65 RT

Polk Audio RC55i

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	Polk Audio RC55i
Driver Setup	2-way	2-way
Tweeter	1-inch	0.75-inch
Midrange	-	-
Woofer	1 x 6.5-inch	1 x 5.25-inch

65 RT features a 1" Soft-Dome Tweeter and 1 x 6.5" Polymer Composite Woofer. On the other hand, the RC55i features a 0.75" Hard-Dome Tweeter and 1 x 5.25" Polypropylene Woofer.

Frequency Response

65 RT has a frequency range of 50-25kHz whereas RC55i has a frequency range of 70-20kHz. With a minimum frequency of 50Hz, the 65 RT can go significantly deeper on the low side and provide stronger bass compared to the RC55i's min frequency of 70Hz.

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

RC55i

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 RC55i 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 RC55i's is at 89 dB. This 1 dB difference makes the Polk Audio 65 RT a more sensitive speaker compared to Polk Audio RC55i, hence will play louder with the same amount of watts.

Sensitivity

In-wall Speakers

65 RT

RC55i

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 RC55i has a max power handling value of 100 watts RMS, 25 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

Polk Audio RC55i

Input Type and Bi-Amping / Bi-Wiring

65 RT features Spring clip type posts and RC55i has a Spring clip 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 Polk Audio RC55i'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 Polk Audio RC55i has external dimensions of 245.0 x 158.0 x 52.0mm (9.6250-inch x 6.1875-inch x 2.0120-inch).

Polk Audio 65 RT is clearly the larger of the two speakers. Its body is 27mm wider, 79mm taller and 36.9mm deeper than Polk Audio RC55i.

Size, drawn to scale

Both speakers and both views share one scale, so everything here is directly comparable. Hover a box for its dimensions.

One scale for both, standing on the same surface and pushed back to the same wall, so the deeper one visibly sticks out further.

Polk Audio 65 RT needs about 100% more floor or shelf area. Polk Audio 65 RT is 37mm deeper, so it stands that much further out from the wall. Polk Audio 65 RT is 79mm taller.

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 Polk Audio RC55i?

Here are the items that come with the RC55i:

2 White in-wall speakers
2 White grilles
1 Cardboard Mounting Template
Owners Manual
Online registration sheet
Product Registration Card

Reasons to choose Polk Audio 65 RT over Polk Audio RC55i

Max Input Power	125 watts vs 100 watts	Handle more power from your amplifier
Sensitivity	90 dB vs 89 dB	Play louder with same amount of amplification power
Woofer Size	6.5 inches vs 5.25 inches	Larger woofer
Low Frequency Response	50 Hz vs 70 Hz	Generates deeper bass
High Frequency Response	25k Hz vs 20k Hz	Generates higher frequency

Reasons to choose Polk Audio RC55i over Polk Audio 65 RT

Height	245mm vs 324mm	Easier to fit in smaller spaces
Base Surface Area	82cm² vs 164cm²	Takes less floor space
Price per pair*	129USD vs 398USD	costs less (*prices may change depending on the seller, location and time)

Polk Audio 65 RT vs Polk Audio RC55i Specs Table

Detailed comparison of specifications

General	Polk Audio 65 RT	Polk Audio RC55i
Brand	Polk Audio	Polk Audio
Speaker Type	Passive In-wall Speaker	Passive In-wall Speaker
Power Range	10-125 watts	20-100 watts
Sensitivity	90 dB	89 dB
Impedance	8 ohms	8 ohms
Frequency Response	50-25kHz	70-20kHz
Drivers
Woofer Quantity	1	1
Woofer Size	6.5"	5.25"
Woofer Composition	Polymer Composite	Polypropylene
Woofer Surround Material	Rubber	Rubber
Tweeter Size	1"	0.75"
Tweeter Type	Soft-Dome	Hard-Dome
Aimable Tweeter	Yes	Yes
Midrange Driver	No	No
Physical Specs
Height	324.0mm (12.8")	245.0mm (9.6")
Width	185.0mm (7.3")	158.0mm (6.2")
Depth	88.9mm (3.5")	52.0mm (2")
Enclosure	In-wall	In-wall
Moisture Resistancy	No	Yes
Connections
Biamp Inputs	No	No
Other
Parts Warranty	Lifetime	Lifetime
Labor Warranty	Lifetime	Lifetime

Verdict

These sit in different price classes - Polk Audio 65 RT costs roughly 3.1x what Polk Audio RC55i does. Expect it to lead on paper; the question is whether the gap is audible enough in your room to be worth it.

Area	Better	Why
Bass	A	Polk Audio 65 RT digs deeper - 50Hz against 70Hz.
Amplifier needs	evenly matched	Similar sensitivity (90dB vs 89dB) - both want much the same power.
Headroom	A	Polk Audio 65 RT takes more power (125W vs 100W) - more in hand in a big room.
Size	depends	Polk Audio RC55i is easier to place; Polk Audio 65 RT is bigger, which usually goes with fuller bass. Your room decides.
Price	B	Polk Audio RC55i is cheaper - $129 against $398, about 68% less; arguably a different class.

A Polk Audio 65 RT B Polk Audio RC55i
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?

The usual trade-off: Polk Audio 65 RT measures better, Polk Audio RC55i costs about about 3.1x the price% less. Whether that gap is worth the money is the call only you can make - and in a normal room it is often smaller than the numbers suggest. If a subwoofer is in your plans, the bass gap largely stops mattering - you would be crossing over above 70Hz anyway, which makes the cheaper Polk Audio RC55i much easier to justify. Match it to your room: we rate Polk Audio 65 RT the better fit for a mid-size room and a large room, and Polk Audio RC55i for near-field listening and a small room.

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.