Polk in-ceiling speakers. Which center channel?

solara

Hi, first time poster here. We just bought a home that has 4 ceiling holes prewired for in-ceiling speakers in the family room. The holes are about 8 inches - I will need to measure more precisely once we move in.

I was looking at the Polk RCi, or SC series in-ceiling speakers (TCi seem too big for the holes). What would be a good matching center speaker for the RCi or SC series in-ceiling speakers? I'm planning on a freestanding center-speaker, and was considering the CS2.

Is this an acceptable match? Certainly not an audiohile here and don't have the funds to go extreme either. Thanks.

Oh, and I got the BIC H-100 as my subwoofer.

reeltrouble1

Hello Solara,

Welcome to Club Polk, we are all here to help you so please ask any questions you like. If your ceiling cutouts are 8" then you can use some of the TCi speakers. Although the speaker may say 9" the actual part that needs to go through the cutout can be say 7 3/4 etc. if you look at each speaker in the specification information under Polk Products you will find this information and the appropriate center channel to match.

I have not looked it up but would think the CS2 would be a "voiced" match speaker for your needs.

I have used the Polk in-wall and in-ceiling speakers for my HT with great success.

Again welcome and please feel free to ask anything about anything you may need.

RT1

solara

Thanks for the quick reply. So I'll check out the TCi series also as long as it can fit in the ceiling holes.

Is there a way to know which center speakers are voice matched to which in-ceiling speakers? I can't find much info on the site. Thanks again.

reeltrouble1

yes, you can find that information in the product section, the Tci are voiced to the RTi and the Tc centers. Or call Polk Audio customer service 1-800-377-7655, very helpful folks there, second to none they will talk you through everything if you cannot find the info you need.

RT1

solara

Okay, so I'm a button away from purchasing 4 TC60i's in-ceiling speakers, and the CSi5 center speaker. The sub will be the powered BIC H-100. So supposedly the CSi center speakers should be a match for the TCi's.

Now, my receiver will be the Onkyo TX-SR606. Will this be sufficient to drive everything? Thanks.

reeltrouble1

The TC60i's cutout is 8 3/16", so if your cutouts are 8" you may have to slightly widen them, this should not be a big deal at all. If the Onkyo has the features you want then it will drive these speakers which are efficient at 90db. Some of us buy a receiver with something called "pre-outs", this allows for connection of a seperate amplifier if you ever think you will need more power.

RT1

brettw22

Speakers will ALWAYS benefit from having more power available than too little.

I can't tell from your post if you already own that model Onkyo or if that's what you're planning on buying, but in just doing a quick look at Crutchfield's site, they have the Onkyo TX-SR806 which is 2 models up from the one you posted that gives an additional 40wpc and has better processing capabilities for $300 off for a total of $699 plus taxes and all that other stuff.

At a minimum, the receiver you mentioned should be fine to drive the in-walls, but I would look to upgrade it at some point so you have some power reserves. You can always swap out sources, so I wouldn't worry too much about it at this point if you already own the 606.

The one thought I have is that your front stage is going to be a little up/down if you have in ceiling L and R channels, with a ground level center.......so if you have a sound in the front stage moving across the screen, I would think it would go from above you, to in front of you, then back to above you.......that might be a little weird, ya know?

reeltrouble1

Polk addressed issues for sound with an aimable tweeter and off-set drive unit to give better directionality to the sound.

I hear your a dead-eye Brett. A man with soooooo many talents.

RT1

solara

Thanks for all your comments. Yeah, we've already purchased the TX-SR606 - it was a good deal so we jumped on it.

We'll have to see how the sound comes out with the two front being in-ceiling, but hopefully with the aim-able tweeters, it'll be okay. If not, and we have more funds in the future, I can always buy two standing front speakers and turn it into a 7.1 system.

Got the TC60i at $130/piece so it was a good deal, so if we end up using them only as surround speakers, it's not too much of a "waste".

Oh, another question. With the 15 degree offset driver on the TC60i, and the aimable tweeters, how much will I be able to redirect the sound? The front two speakers are on ceilings 10 ft high and about 12 ft from the seating area measured on the ground. If the distance from the speakers to the seating area is about 15 feet, then the angle from ceiling to couch is about 50 degrees. Will it work okay?

reeltrouble1

yes, it will work ok, enjoy your new equipment, I see the upgrade bug looms in the back or your mind.........the hooby can be quite a rabbit hole so jump right in.

RT1

Kex

Why not just get another TC60i for your center? That would probably be the best match for your system.

AFIK, in a normal system, with bookshelf speakers or floorstanding speakers, specific center channel speakers only exist because it is not practical to place a third identical speaker near the screen in most cases, and not acceptable to just turn a normal speaker over on its side. You do not have the same constraints with ceiling speakers.

solara

I guess I'm just not sure how the in-ceiling's will sound. Kind of forced to use them since there are holes in the ceiling already - we could get them patched, but it'd be a waste to not give it a try first.

As I've heard that the center speakers are the most important, then the subwoofer, I wanted a good one. If the in-ceilings work fine, then great. If not, then I'd move to floor-standing speakers that will match the center speaker. Basically, the center speaker is to guard against any potential upgrades in the future if we're not satisifed with the in-ceilings.

Kex

solara wrote: »

I guess I'm just not sure how the in-ceiling's will sound. Kind of forced to use them since there are holes in the ceiling already - we could get them patched, but it'd be a waste to not give it a try first.

As I've heard that the center speakers are the most important, then the subwoofer, I wanted a good one. If the in-ceilings work fine, then great. If not, then I'd move to floor-standing speakers that will match the center speaker. Basically, the center speaker is to guard against any potential upgrades in the future if we're not satisifed with the in-ceilings.

There are more choices in standard center channels speakers today than there are choices in ceiling speakers. I have been trying to figure out how good ceiling speakers can be, and it seems that they can be very good.

Maybe you could get the ceiling speakers first, ignore the center speaker altogether and disable the center channel in your AVR, then see how good they are before making up your mind about another TC for a center, or a normal shelf model. You would basically by trying a 4.1 system temporarily, instead of 5.1. Of course, if space or positioning is not an issue, you could just get the center channel you want without waiting.