RC85i vs Speakercraft in wall speakers

drballard33

Let me start by saying this...my wife out of the blue said "you should get rid of the speakers you have on speaker stands and have some in walls installed like Jamie and Eric (our friends)" Now...my wife usually critiques me on my AV expenses as opposed to supporting them so I dont want to wait any longer before she changes her mind. I called the company that did my friends install and he is coming out next Friday to give me a quote but I want to be prepared. I do know a few things about this company, one of which is they really endorse Speakercraft speakers, and Integra receivers. I am not familiar with either one of those, and at this point dont plan on changing my receiver (unless I can convince my wife I should . But over the phone he told me the Speakercraft in walls (didnt tell me which model) would run me $130 each. I had originally looked at the Polk RC85i which are $165 a pair. So, I could save myself $250 if I didnt go with Speakercraft. Can anyone help me understand why I should choose one over the other? My second question is, for the left and right rear speakers, I may be limited in where they are installed because behind the couch is a wall of windows and there is only about 10" of space behind the windows, not including the studs. I could go with smaller speakers for those two or could mount them above the windows which would be about 8 feet high. Is that too high? I could always angle the tweeters down I guess. Below is a pic of what I am talking about, I apologize, its a very old, outdated pic from when I first moved in. Here is my info...using a Sony STR-DG920 receiver, room size is about 17'X23' with 20' ceiling, plan on replacing my current sub.

SCompRacer

Nice digs. Is there a basement? One concern with tall balloon framing walls are fire breaks between studs. You just can't drop a wire down wall from attic to speaker through a hole drilled in header. With the aimable swivel tweeters tweeter you can mount them higher, but IIRC the smaller speakers have fixed tweeters. You can call Polk customer service for install recommendations.

I have great respect for Speakercraft but preferred Polk's for the sound quality. I compared both at a store that had them mounted in an actual wall driven by the same gear. My in walls are LC series which are 4 Ohm speakers. Initially I used a receiver to power them then went with an external amp.

drballard33

yes, there is a basement. I have the wires already ran for the speakers that are in place, but they come out of the wall just above the baseboard, but I left enough length to move them up the wall to where I think they will be placed, so barring any firestops between the baseboard and the actual install spot I should be good. I also am hoping I might be able to go with one of the smaller RC series for those two speakers that would go between the windows...hopefully. I am going to see what the installer recomends as far as the specific speaker model then I will know exactly what I am comparing. Thanks for your help!

SCompRacer

What speakers do you currently have on stands? The other option is a speaker with exotic veneer and impeccable finish...something you wouldn't want to hide....lol

drballard33

Currently I have Klipsch Synergy on the surrounds and center, and use Polk Monitor 40's as my fronts (kind of a hodgepodge I know but I couldnt pass up the deal I got on the Synergy and thought I would give them a try). In the picture are some old infinity speakers that I had when I first moved in and ended up throwing them in the garage and my polk surrounds went to my basement. I know I defintely want the Cherry finished Polk PSW125 Sub though, not going to try an in wall sub

rooftop59

Two things: one, I would highly suggest a different sub, although it sounds like one of the reasons you are going with the 125 is the finish. The second suggestion is that if you already have the wire run for the speakers, why bother paying an installer? Measuring and cutting a hole in drywall is about as easy as it gets. i have installed several pairs in my house. And you can tell your wife that you are saving XX dollars and are going to take that and invest in an HSU or SVS sub with cherry veneer!

As for the speakers, I would go for the polks. I have the klipsch synergy ones in my living room and like those as well, although they may be discontinued.

drballard33

rooftop59, thanks for the tip, I may change my mind with the sub, especially since my room is pretty big with high ceilings. I am also seriously considering installing them myself...it really does look as easy as you suggest it is, as long as I can measure properly so they are spaced evenly (ha ha).