In this review, we will be comparing RC55i and R-5800-W II, two Passive In-wall speakers from Polk Audio and Klipsch.
Let's have a brief look at the main features
of Polk Audio RC55i and Klipsch R-5800-W II first before getting into our more
detailed comparison.
| Key Specs | Polk Audio RC55i | Klipsch R-5800-W II |
|---|
| Brand | Polk Audio
United States · founded 1972 | Klipsch
United States · founded 1946 |
|---|
| Design | 2-way | 2-way |
|---|
| Tweeter | 0.75" Hard-Dome | 1" Horn-loaded dome |
|---|
| Woofer | 5.25" Polypropylene | 8" Cerametallic |
|---|
| Frequency response | 70-20kHz | 40-23kHz |
|---|
| Sensitivity | 89 dB | 94 dB |
|---|
| Impedance | 8 ohms | 8 ohms |
|---|
| Power range | 20-100 watts | up to 50 watts |
|---|
| Weight | — | 3.58kg / 7.9lbs |
|---|
| Dimensions (H x W x D) | 9.6250" x 6.1875" x 2.0120"
245.0 x 158.0 x 52.0mm | 14.6875" x 9.1250" x 3.9375"
374.0 x 232.0 x 101.0mm |
|---|
What size room are the Polk Audio RC55i and Klipsch R-5800-W II 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 RC55i |
Klipsch R-5800-W II |
| Near-field |
Average |
Good |
| Small Room |
Good |
Good |
| Mid-size Room |
Average |
Average |
| Large Room |
Poor |
Poor |
| Very Large Room |
Bad |
No way |
(* 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.
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Drivers
Both RC55i and R-5800-W II are 2-way speakers.
Polk Audio RC55iKlipsch R-5800-W II
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 RC55i |
Klipsch R-5800-W II |
|
Driver Setup
|
2-way
|
2-way
|
|
Tweeter
|
0.75-inch
|
1-inch
|
|
Midrange
|
- |
- |
|
Woofer
|
1 x 5.25-inch
|
1 x 8-inch
|
RC55i features a 0.75" Hard-Dome Tweeter and 1 x 5.25" Polypropylene Woofer. On the other hand, the R-5800-W II features a 1" Horn-loaded dome Tweeter and 1 x 8" Cerametallic Woofer with a Crossover frequency at 2600 Hz.
Frequency Response
RC55i has a frequency range of 70-20kHz whereas R-5800-W II has a frequency range of 40-23kHz. With a minimum frequency of 40Hz, the R-5800-W II 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
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
RC55i and R-5800-W II have the same Impedance of 8 ohms but where they differ is the sensitivity levels. RC55i sensitivity is rated at 89 dB and the R-5800-W II's is at 94 dB. This 5 dB difference makes the Klipsch R-5800-W II a more sensitive speaker compared to Polk Audio RC55i, 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. Staying
within that range gives nominal performance; driving the speaker beyond its maximum wattage can damage it.
RC55i can handle a max power of 100 watts RMS, whereas R-5800-W II has a max power handling value of 50 watts RMS, 50 watts less than the RC55i.
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.
Input Type and Bi-Amping / Bi-Wiring
RC55i features Spring post type posts and R-5800-W II 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 RC55i's and Klipsch R-5800-W II's external dimensions. 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) whereas Klipsch R-5800-W II has external dimensions of 374.0 x 232.0 x 101.0mm (14.6875-inch x 9.1250-inch x 3.9375-inch).
Klipsch R-5800-W II is clearly the larger of the two speakers. Its body is 74mm wider, 129mm taller and 49mm deeper than Polk Audio RC55i.
What's in the Box of Polk Audio RC55i?
Here are the items that are included inside the box of RC55i:
- 2 White in-wall speakers
- 2 White grilles
- 1 Cardboard Mounting Template
- Owners Manual
- Online registration sheet
- Product Registration Card
What's in the Box of Klipsch R-5800-W II?
Here are the items that come with the R-5800-W II:
- In-wall speaker
- White metal mesh grille
- Cardboard template
- Owners Manual (En/Fr/Sp)