Polk Audio 265-RT 3-way In-Wall Speaker - The Vanishing Series | Easily Fits in Ceiling/Wall | High-Performance Audio - Use in Front, Rear or as Surrounds | With Power Port & Paintable Grille - Black

HI ALL - wanted to share my successful project with the 265RT series speaker. Executive summary: huge risks but excellent sound, great looks, great instructions, lots of drywall dust. Take your time planning. My original setup was a 200 lb 65 LCD flanked by wall mounted 3-way Polk towers. I just purchased a 100 lb 75 Samsung from BJs and began the planning. The TV was going to be wall mounted on my flimsy 24 apart metal-studded sheetrock. The Polk tower sound was good so wanted to match them or better, but big boxes were off the table. I did not want to cut huge holes in the sheetrock so I looked at a few wall-mount speakers like the Martin Logan SLMs. Problems: 1) they are not local (never purchase speakers you cant listen to) 2) expensive 3) 120 > 25k response (no bass!). TV: I bought a 2x 4 piece of 1/2 finished plywood ($20 Home Depot) and bolted it onto two studs using washers and Driller toggle bolts, then bolted a MountIt ($35 amazon) TV mount with lag screws and washers - TV done. Speakers: Was still in a conundrum about the on wall vs. in-wall, but then I found 3-way Polk in-walls (Amazon) with great ratings so I took a chance and bought 3 for a LCR. After mounting the TV, there were studs in the way for the L/R speakers so I mounted all three horizontally under the TV a la a soundbar. The tweeters are steerable and I doubt they are narrowly focused so the only concern was: it would sound like a soundbar. I checked/recheck measured/remeasured and then cut the first hole. OMG the dust - really bad, like overspray you can vacuum. I would have cut the holes first and covered the area had I realized. Even after the checking I managed to mount one slightly off to the left. I recommend knowing 100% where the studs are (I used tape on the wall), then cutting a peephole to view what will lie in front of the sawblade. I came within microns of an AC cable and steel bracket on speaker 1. Build quality of the 265RT: superb. The sound and the look is excellent! The 265RT is mildly bright and the mid driver is really a highlight for me. Bass is accurate and just enough for most music and movies to not need a subwoofer - my goal. I have a SVS tube subwoofer and BASH amp (Amazon) for the low frequencies. The risks cannot be overstated: cutting large holes in the wall to find a stud, wire or worse, a TV pulling off a wall, or crappy sounding speakers is an unacceptable outcome. Spend ten times the install time to plan your project, diagramming and mocking it up on the wall with masking tape. edit - after one week after Sound is still excellent. Bleed through sound behind speakers to the next room is quite high, thinking of soundproofing and foaming the backside sheetrock. Could possibly help bass as well (old Polk towers pumped noticeable output through bass port, these not so much). Screens are nice but overhang by over .25 inches, so I had to move two wallplates. The highs are very focused which is a problem for some stereo programs/music - I am experimenting with surround modes and so far DTS NEO sounds excellent - really blasts stereo content especially voices, timbre is superb. The BASH 300 arrived and works very well for the SVS 46 tube subwoofer. There is no IR control so the AVR controls the BASH volume. FYI having all the amps behind the wall using an IR extender (dual band from Monoprice) works well, one does have to remember how many remote (Harmony 650 - excellent remote we have 3) button presses does what as there is no OSD. Mounting the IR eye right under the TV mean absolutely no missed commands. Bolting a TV to the wall and hiding speakers/amps does result in a wonderful clean look, the TV appears to be suspended midair. Several sound compromises were necessary but already the old TV + stand seems archaic. There is no doubt in-walls are a substantial compromise coming from Infinity Reference, Mission, and Polk tower speakers, but being late middle aged means my priorities have changed (it wasnt the wife who dictated the new layout). Fan noise from the Comcast box irritates me. A TV on a stand looks cluttered. Big box speakers sound great but we are not 20 and they dont look cool anymore. A floating TV and hidden speakers are a perfect fit today. The recovered floorspace is sweet and the rats nest of cables is a fading memory.

Fantastic sound. Worth the extra money vs the SC65i, which are also pretty good.

The mounting of the in-wall speaker is easy and it’s not. In wall speakers are primarily made for new construction installation. With new construction you can more properly place the speakers and bury the wires more easily. These points are especially true for ceiling placement. For old construction, if you are not adept at finding the studs you could make a major mistake and have more work after installation. Burying the wires could be very difficult depending on the distance involved. Overall my installation was not particularly difficult. Having the rear speaker wires already in place made it a little easier. My main gripe about the speakers are the ingenious mounting tabs. You have to be extremely care when clamping the speaker frame to the wall board. If not you can brake the clamp so to render it useless or pull the screw head through the hole that is supposed to supply the force to keep the clamp tight. I’ll probly buy the center speaker also. Even more difficult to install due to having to cut a stud to properly center it.

Great sound from these. I use them in a 5.1.2 Dolby Atmos setup with a Denon Receiver and they sound great. Sure some bookshelf speakers will sound better but these are nice and flush in my false wall and look and sound great. If you want decent sound for a home cinema and want a discreet setup, these are perfect.

Pols speakers are very good

I am a sucker for Amazon reviews. When I saw 43 other people give this speaker 4.8 stars, I thought I couldnt go wrong. However, this is one of the rare times I disagree with other reviewers. In short, these speakers lack bass. Everyone has a different sound preference, but I like a full, deep sound, and surprisingly for the cost, this speaker doesnt cut it. True, you could add a subwoofer, but I made my decision to return these speakers based on their sound alone. I also tested these speakers with a variety of music as opposed to movies and TV. I recently bought a house and wired my own speakers. Outside by my deck, I have Polk Atrium 6 and I love them. They have a full deep sound. Upstairs, I got a lesser known brand - Theater Solutions TSS8W in-wall speakers. I really recommend these speakers for the value and they again have a nice deep sound. I was looking for an even higher quality speaker for my basement next to my TV. I already purchased Theater Solutions TSS8C in-ceiling speakers for surround sound in the basement. I have had my eye on the Polk 265RT for quite some time, and like other Polk speakers on Amazon, the price fluctuates greatly. They were priced at $300 each for a long time, and all of the sudden they dropped to $175 each, so I bought two. My hope was theyd sound better than the TSS8W given they cost much more and are 3-way, but it didnt work out and Im glad I didnt cut holes in my wall. Eventually I will get a subwoofer downstairs too, but for now my search continues for my really good in-wall speakers for my basement. If anyone recommends a set of deep bass in-wall speakers, please let me know in the comments section. I was thinking about getting the TSS8W (8 inch, 2-way, about $100 for the pair) for my basement too, but Id like to find something that will really rock the house, and I dont mind paying a few hundred dollars or so for something really good. Of all the speakers I mentioned, I think the Polk Atrium 6 have the best sound. That said, Im looking for speakers that sound as good as the Polk Atrium 6, but have a low profile look like most in-wall speakers. UPDATE: Some people commented that once installed in a wall, I would get more bass. I fully agree. However, I made similar comparisons with the TSS8W and TSS8C, testing the sound before I committed to cutting a hole in the wall / ceiling. These other in-wall speakers sounded much better than the 265RT - all prior to wall installation and all using the same receiver. Once you cut that hole, youre committed to that speaker, and I wasnt willing to do that based on the subpar sound I heard during the test. Furthermore, other reviewers also claimed the 265RT lacks bass even after installed in their wall, even though they still gave it 5 stars. Once more, Im judging these speakers WITHOUT a subwoofer. Its my personal preference, but speakers that lack bass are not for me. Im not anti-Polk, and again, the Polk Atrium 6 are the best speakers Ive dealt with, with very full bass. That said, in my opinion, I dont recommend the Polk 265RT.

wow this sounds and looks amazing

Used these for my home theater setup. The installation was very easy and they look good and the sound is great.

These were a piece of cake to install. My only regret is I forgot to put insulation behind one before screing it in and I cant seem to get it out. Not sure what to do but one day I will decide if I want to really get at it. Its very low profile and installation was great. Its polk. Love it! They have a great warranty and these really sound great. I have yet to install the round ceiling ones or a in wall mid, but its coming.

Polk! Always good.