Polk Audio RC65i vs Polk Audio RC85i Comparison

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Polk Audio RC65i

Passive In-wall | 60-20kHz

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Polk Audio RC85i

Passive In-wall | 50-20kHz

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Polk Audio RC65i

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Polk Audio RC85i

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Polk Audio RC65i

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Polk Audio RC85i

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Polk Audio RC65i vs Polk Audio RC85i Speaker Comparison

In this review, we will be comparing RC65i and RC85i, two Passive In-wall speakers by Polk Audio.

Let's have a brief look at the main features of Polk Audio RC65i and Polk Audio RC85i first before getting into our more detailed comparison.

Key Specs	Polk Audio RC65i	Polk Audio RC85i
Brand	Polk Audio United States · founded 1972	Polk Audio United States · founded 1972
Design	2-way	2-way
Tweeter	0.75" Hard-Dome	1" Hard-Dome
Woofer	6.5" Polypropylene	8" Polypropylene
Frequency response	60-20kHz	50-20kHz
Sensitivity	89 dB	90 dB
Impedance	8 ohms	8 ohms
Power range	20-100 watts	20-100 watts
Dimensions (H x W x D)	10.7500" x 7.3125" x 2.4070" 274.0 x 186.0 x 62.0mm	12.7500" x 8.6875" x 3.5000" 324.0 x 221.0 x 89.0mm

RC65i and RC85i are members of Polk Audio's RC series of speakers. Below you can find the loudspeakers from this series.

Polk Audio RC Series History

Model	Body	Frequency	Sensitivity	Impedance	Woofer
Polk Audio RC85i	In-wall	50-20kHz	90 dB	8Ω	1 x 8"
Polk Audio RC55i	In-wall	70-20kHz	89 dB	8Ω	1 x 5.25"
Polk Audio RC65i	In-wall	60-20kHz	89 dB	8Ω	1 x 6.5"

What size room are the Polk Audio RC65i 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:

Listening Environment*	Polk Audio RC65i	Polk Audio RC85i
Near-field	Average	Average
Small Room	Good	Good
Mid-size Room	Average	Average
Large Room	Poor	Poor
Very Large Room	Bad	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.

**This post contains affiliate links, and we will be compensated if you make a purchase after clicking through our links. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

Drivers

Both RC65i and RC85i are 2-way speakers.

Polk Audio RC65i

Polk Audio RC85i

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 RC65i	Polk Audio RC85i
Driver Setup	2-way	2-way
Tweeter	0.75-inch	1-inch
Midrange	-	-
Woofer	1 x 6.5-inch	1 x 8-inch

RC65i features a 0.75" Hard-Dome Tweeter and 1 x 6.5" Polypropylene Woofer. On the other hand, the RC85i features a 1" Hard-Dome Tweeter and 1 x 8" Polypropylene Woofer.

Frequency Response

RC65i has a frequency range of 60-20kHz whereas RC85i has a frequency range of 50-20kHz. With a minimum frequency of 50Hz, the RC85i can go significantly deeper on the low side and provide stronger bass compared to the RC65i'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

RC65i

RC85i

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

RC65i and RC85i have the same Impedance of 8 ohms but where they differ is the sensitivity levels. RC65i sensitivity is rated at 89 dB and the RC85i's is at 90 dB. This 1 dB difference makes the Polk Audio RC85i a more sensitive speaker compared to Polk Audio RC65i, hence will play louder with the same amount of watts.

Sensitivity

In-wall Speakers

RC65i

RC85i

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.

RC65i and RC85i have the same power range of 20-100 watts.

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 RC65i

Polk Audio RC85i

Input Type and Bi-Amping / Bi-Wiring

RC65i features Spring clip type posts and RC85i 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 RC65i's and Polk Audio RC85i's external dimensions. Polk Audio RC65i has external dimensions of 274.0 x 186.0 x 62.0mm (10.7500-inch x 7.3125-inch x 2.4070-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).

Polk Audio RC85i is clearly the larger of the two speakers. Its body is 35mm wider, 50mm taller and 27mm deeper than Polk Audio RC65i.

What's in the Box of Polk Audio RC65i?

Here are the items that are included inside the box of RC65i:

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 Polk Audio RC85i?

Here are the items that come with the RC85i:

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 RC65i over Polk Audio RC85i

Height	274mm vs 324mm	Easier to fit in smaller spaces
Base Surface Area	115cm² vs 196cm²	Takes less floor space
Price per pair*	229USD vs 279USD	costs less (*prices may change depending on the seller, location and time)

Reasons to choose Polk Audio RC85i over Polk Audio RC65i

Sensitivity	90 dB vs 89 dB	Play louder with same amount of amplification power
Woofer Size	8 inches vs 6.5 inches	Larger woofer
Low Frequency Response	50 Hz vs 60 Hz	Generates deeper bass

Polk Audio RC65i vs Polk Audio RC85i Specs Table

Detailed comparison of specifications

General	Polk Audio RC65i	Polk Audio RC85i
Brand	Polk Audio	Polk Audio
Speaker Type	Passive In-wall Speaker	Passive In-wall Speaker
Power Range	20-100 watts	20-100 watts
Sensitivity	89 dB	90 dB
Impedance	8 ohms	8 ohms
Frequency Response	60-20kHz	50-20kHz
Drivers
Woofer Quantity	1	1
Woofer Size	6.5"	8"
Woofer Composition	Polypropylene	Polypropylene
Woofer Surround Material	Rubber	Rubber
Tweeter Size	0.75"	1"
Tweeter Type	Hard-Dome	Hard-Dome
Aimable Tweeter	Yes	Yes
Midrange Driver	No	No
Physical Specs
Height	274.0mm (10.8")	324.0mm (12.8")
Width	186.0mm (7.3")	221.0mm (8.7")
Depth	62.0mm (2.4")	89.0mm (3.5")
Enclosure	In-wall	In-wall
Moisture Resistancy	Yes	Yes
Connections
Biamp Inputs	No	No
Other
Parts Warranty	Lifetime	Lifetime
Labor Warranty	Lifetime	Lifetime

Verdict

Siblings in Polk Audio's RC series, so they share a family sound. It comes down to size, output and price.

Area	Better	Why
Bass	B	Polk Audio RC85i digs deeper - 50Hz against 60Hz.
Amplifier needs	evenly matched	Similar sensitivity (89dB vs 90dB) - both want much the same power.
Headroom	evenly matched	Similar power handling (100W vs 100W).
Size	depends	Polk Audio RC65i is easier to place; Polk Audio RC85i is bigger, which usually goes with fuller bass. Your room decides.
Price	A	Polk Audio RC65i is cheaper - $229 against $279, about 18% less.

A Polk Audio RC65i B Polk Audio RC85i
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 RC85i measures better, Polk Audio RC65i costs about about 22% more% 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 60Hz anyway, which makes the cheaper Polk Audio RC65i much easier to justify. In a large or open-plan room, Polk Audio RC85i has the cabinet volume to fill it more easily; in a small room, near a wall or at desk distance, Polk Audio RC65i is the easier speaker to get right.

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.