Best In Wall Speakers For Home Theater

Polk Audio RC85i

Our List starts with Polk Audio RC85i, which are 2 Way in-wall speakers good for your custom-installed home theater. The RC85i has a much more premium design and is available in white color, and they employ infinite baffle tuning. For front speaker driver protection, Polk Company has features a powder-coated aluminum grill that hides a rubber-sealed ¾ inch amiable soft dome tweeter and 6 ½ inch woofer drivers with Rubber surround. While testing in the lab, both the woofer and tweeter showed excellent performance with detailed, clean, and clear depth.

The RC85i is designed for audio enthusiasts and home theater enthusiasts seeking excellent sound quality without requiring much space. A Polk Audio RC85i system is capable of delivering high-quality sound in both the left and right front channels or in a home theater surround system as well. On Amazon, RC85i is available in three different styles, so the choice is yours although you need a single speaker set that costs you under $300, or you need RC85i with 6.5 inch round speakers or a subwoofer that costs you more. 

The question is ‘How To Install RC85i on the wall’. The RC85i in-wall speakers are much more straightforward to install since they come with flush mount brackets. You have to select the ideal location for your RC85i speakers on the wall for optimal sound quality. For proper marking cut-out measurements on the wall, you need to use Perfect Fit templates and must ensure placement aligns with your audio needs. Then, you have to carefully Cut the Speaker Hole, and after that, you need to attach the Precision Flange. You can use pre-construction brackets to secure RC85i speakers on the wall properly for easier installation. The RC85i usually takes up to 100 wattage power supply, so you need to power them via any receiver or amplifier or Omni A1 Wireless Amplifier.

To maximize your listening experience, consider mounting the Polk Audio RC85i behind your TV. However, if you have a large entertainment center or plenty of furniture around your TV, wall mounting near the TV is a suitable alternative. This ensures accessibility and saves floor space. Additionally, assess the volume level you plan to use, as your chosen location should accommodate your preferred sound intensity. If you plan to watch movies or listen to music at high volumes, be sure that your chosen location can handle them. Don’t worry about installing RC85i in a highly moisturizing place like a bathroom because it uses Rustproof stainless steel hardware and butyl rubber surrounds to increase its durability and usage.

We can expect clean and clear sound quality from Polk Audio RC85i, but if you are a bass lover, then it may disappoint you. There are also some complaints about the quality of plastic clips, so I recommend you carefully install and not push extraordinary pressure. So overall, under the $300 range, the RC85i by Polk Audio is an ideal in-wall speaker for use in bedrooms, living rooms, and offices and provides stereo music with an added layer of sound.

Inside The Box

• Two White speakers
• Two White Grills
• Cardboard Mounting Template

Micca M-8S 8

After Yamaha NS-IW760, here is the Micca M-8S 8 speaker for you. Audiophiles also trust Micca Brand, which has several popular speaker categories, including in-ceiling/in-wall and bookshelf speakers. The NS-IW760 features an 8-inch poly woofer and a pivoting design 1-inch soft dome tweeter driver. With the help of a 12dB 2-way crossover network, both tweeter and subwoofer fantastically work with each other to give you detailed and clarity. Primarily similar to NS-IW760, you can also position frequencies to your listening environment. The design of Micca M-8S 8 is very rigorous, and it provides robust bass output, so for various applications, you can use Micca M-8S 8 without needing a subwoofer. This M-8S is the bigger brother of Micca M-6S and generates more accurate sound than that.

The Micca M-8S is also an inexpensive option, and under the $150 range, you can get this baby off the Micca brand for obvious audio quality. You can mount Micca M-8S 8 in any orientation; most commonly, they are mounted vertically with tweeters at the top for best sound dispersion and imaging. The installation is much easier on the Micca M-8S; like other in-wall options, simply select a location and mount there with essential hand tools.

There is a 90 dB sensitivity on the Micca M-8S speakers, which makes them relatively efficient. Easily, any low-powered amplifier that can power up to 100 Watts to each in-wall speaker can be used. You can use the Micca M-8S for front, center, or surround speakers, and it is also a good choice for height channels in DTS:X and Dolby Atmos setups for in-wall surround sound.

Inside the Box

• Micca M-8S Speakers
• Installation Template
• User Manual

Klipsch R-5502-W

Here is a sibling of Klipsch R-5800-W, which is Klipsch R-5502-W and shows many similarities in price, budget, Impedance, and sound quality. The R-5502-W features Dual 5.25 inch cerametallic cone woofers that look much hi-tech and utilize solid Aluminum diaphragms and new quality dust caps to increase Cone strength. The installed woofer R-5502-W provides perfect damping and added stiffness wheres for voice coils ventilation the pre-installed Dust Caps really help for that. The R-5502-W features 1 inch Titanium diaphragm Tweeter with a great combination with Tractrix Horn and the diaphragm is metallic and lightweight for quick vibration and high-frequency sound.

Installing Klipsch R-5800-W is much easier, you can mount it horizontally or vertically for long-term reliability. You can also use R-5800-W for your left, center, or right channel usage. For R-5800-W, you must have to use a 12 gauge speaker wire to get sound quality without popping noises at high volumes. For powering Klipsch R-5800-W, you can use the Onkyo TX-RZ820 7.2 channel AV receiver, which is 130W per channel, which is enough for driving it. Similar to the R-5800-W, this R-5502-W also features Horn-loaded technology that greatly helps to improve sound dispersion and directivity. Both are budget high-quality speakers for walls from Klipsch with similar features. The difference is that the R-5800-W II features a larger woofer and higher power handling rating than the R-5502-W II.

So overall, under $200, Klipsch R-5502-W is a much better hideaway in-wall design and provides rich, room-filling sound. You can install R-5502-W in your family room and bedroom in both horizontal and vertical positions. For stereo systems, home theater systems, and surround sound systems, the use of R-5502-W is a good decision. You can paint the included SlimTrim grille of R-5502-W, which has an 80% reduced design and attaches securely.

Inside the Box

• Klipsch R-5502-W speaker
• Instruction Manual
• White Grill

Klipsch R-5800-W

After Polk Audio 255C-RT, here is another recommendation, Klipsch R-5800-W, which is another good budget-friendly option. Klipsch is regarded as a top-class audio brand from Floor To Bookshelf and in-wall to in-ceiling speakers. Audio enthusiasts undoubtedly love the Klipsch audio gadgets.

The Klipsch R-5800-W features a 1-inch titanium tweeter and an 8-inch woofer having a cerametallic cone and rigid anodized aluminum structure. The R-5800-W can handle between 50 Watts to 200 Watts Peak. You can power R-5800-W via any amp that can afford these significant power ratings. You can easily use R-5800-W for your Dolby Atmos theater as they sound good in all three orientations (left, center and right).

The R-5800-W features a Slimtrim magnetic grille that you can paint to match your room’s color, and a wall-hidden design that works with any home décor. Construction-wise, the R-5800-W feels solid. You can use R-5800-W for good stereo music and enjoying movies and music, and you can install them in your family room, home, office, or bedroom.

According to experts, the R-5800-W provides good highs and mid-bass. As R-5800-W utilizes Horn technology, you can expect sound quality with reduced reflections and added power and dynamics. For a personal room’s acoustics, you can use R-5800-W featured treble and mid-bass level switches and manage music as you like. Compared to the Klipsch R-3800-W, this R-5800-W features a better magnetic grill and sound quality. You can use R-5800-W instead of Klipsch bookshelf speakers for a clutter-free home theater experience.

Yamaha NS-IW760

After Klipsch R-5800-W, here is the Yamaha NS-IW760 Intelligent in-wall speaker for good dynamic performance. Let’s discuss the NS-IW760 design; it features a 6-1/2 Inch Dual Woofer and a significant Swivel-mounted 1-inch Soft Dome Tweeter, which you can easily direct to your listening position to get increased surround sound. Commonly, NS-IW760 also features a solid frame and grilles, and you are allowed to show your art by painting them as well. In small footprints, Yamaha NS-IW760 provides clear and accurate sound from high treble to low bass results due to the good frequency range. You can use NS-IW760 for right, left, or center channels. 

The installation of the Yamaha NS-IW760 is a breeze due to its flush mount design, which you can easily install directly to your wall, and it looks clean and minimalist. With NS-IW760, the Yamaha company provides a mounting template that you can utilize for marking the mounting hole location on your wall. Then, by using a four-point system (two mounting holes on each side of NS-IW760), you can attach the speaker to the selected wall location.

The recommended amplifier power for Yamaha NS-IW760 is 40 to 130 watts RMS, which means you need an amplifier to provide at least 40 watts RMS power to each speaker but never cross the power limit above 130 watts. I will recommend the Yamaha R-S202BL, which is a good quality stereo receiver that can be used for powering NS-IW760 to make a stereo setup. The R-S202BL can manage a 130-watt output at 6 ohms, which is enough for NS-IW760. People who want to create a surround sound system can add a Yamaha NS-SW100BL subwoofer additionally and attach it via subwoofer-out to the receiver. 

So overall, the Yamaha NS-IW760 is a good quality speaker for walls under the $200 range. You can use NS-IW760 for various sound applications, including front, center, or surround speakers for home theater, Stereo music,whole-house audio systems, or even commercial applications, including retail stores, bars, or restaurants. Under the budget range, NS-IW760 provides good sound, but its build quality is normal.

Inside the Box

• Yamaha NS-IW760 speakers
• Speaker grilles
• Cutout template

5252W Silver Ticket in-Wall Speaker

Nowadays in the market, the 5252W Silver Ticket Speaker is also very popular among audio consumers. This Silver Ticket manufactures lots of in-wall, in-ceiling and flush mount speakers on all budget ranges and we found them top-rated in Electronic Market. The 5252W by Silver Ticket features two 5.25-inch polypropylene cone woofers, and each one features a 10oz magnet and is protected with a rubber edge. The Silk Dome Tweeter is 20mm and has a 15-degree pivot, which you can adjust for better sound placement.

Similar to Polk Audio RC85i, this 5252W Silver ticket can also be used in areas where moisture is high, like washroom area due to moisture-resistivity. The sound quality provided by 5252W is distortion-free and silky-smooth sound and its build quality is not bad at a cheap price. For strong sound output, you must require 75-100 watts of power amplification because they consume much more power than recommended. You can use the Denon AVR-S760H 7.2-channel AV receiver, which has the ability to provide 75 watts per channel enough to drive them and also supports audio formats like Dolby Atmos and DTS: X.

The installation process of  5252W Silver ticket is super easy and it takes only a few hours to install them on your wall. Experts recommend that if you don’t even give good speaker cabinets to 5252W while installing, still these speakers sound surprisingly good. Over a $100 budget 5252W are top-rated speakers that can be installed on your wall, and its Tweeter and woofer exceptionally work together to produce accurate and less distorted sound.

Inside The Box

• 5252W Silver ticket 
• Speaker Grill
• Templates

Polk Audio 255C-RT

After RC85i, there is another speaker variant by Polk Audio which is 255C-RT. It doesn’t matter whether you have a living room, bedroom, or kitchen; Polk Audio 255C-RT in-wall speakers sound great and are cheaper than RC85i. Yes! You can get the under-range of 255C-RT only. Under this price tag, the 255C-RT features an aluminum frame body, and Sheer Grille is included. For this White metal grille, there are instructions available about how to paint it (for stealth installation). Behind the grill, 255C-RT offers dual 5-¼ inch Dynamic Balance woofers and a 1-inch polymer dome tweeter that are set in 360-degree swivel housing to give you excellent placement flexibility. On the front, you will also find a lower tweeter levels switch, which you can use for reflective room compensation.

I can say this 255C-RT has similar dimensions as compared to RC85i. Many audio enthusiasts love its patented design, which looks fantastic. This RC85i high-performance in-wall speaker can even fill a 600-square-foot finished basement with sound and can provide Vibration free efficiency with a rotative cam system. You can easily install 255C-RT via one-cut drop-in installation. Any amplifier or receiver can easily drive 255C-RT providing up to 150 wattage of power. With Polk Audio 255C-RT, you are no longer required to use heavy center channel speakers to enjoy clear audio. These speakers can be mounted on the wall and take up much less space than traditional center channel speakers. For powering 255C-RT, you can use Pioneer Elite VSX-LX105, a 7.2-channel AV Receiver that can handle 100 watts per channel.

So the question is, under $200, what sound we can expect from the 255C-RT? Well, it features PowerPort bass technology for excellent punchy lows, and you will hear Films and Movies Dialogues with CLEAR waves. So, under $200, this 255C-RT is a much budget-friendly in-wall speaker system that provides durability, a classic finish and crisp and clear sound.

Inside The Box

• Polk Audio 255C-RT In-wall center-channel loudspeaker
• Mounting template
• Grill Painting instructions
• White metal grille