In-wall speakers are an excellent budget option for creating an immensity surround sound listening experience for both audio and home movie theater experience for varying budgets. And Polk audio 265 RT along with its competitor, the Klipsch R-5502-W II in-wall surround speakers are a perfect fit for budget options. No wonder these in-wall surround sound speakers are enjoying surging popularity. But, are In-wall Speakers a good choice for surround sound over bookshelf speakers?
In-wall speakers like the Polk audio 265 RT and Klipsch R-5502-W II in-wall surround speakers are an excellent choice for a budget-friendly surround sound system setup good enough to install in your home.
These two brands (Polk audio & Klipsch) are well respected for producing high-end in-wall surround sound systems on a budget price and are suitable for home cinema speakers as well as the use for them as a rear-end surround sound, setup.
You will love both Polk audio 265 RT and Klipsch R-5502-W II in wall surround speakers as they are easy to install and their low price for making a home cinema with these in-wall speakers is certainly a plus.
But, to appreciate the vesartility of surround setup using Polk Audio 265-RT 3-way In-Wall Speaker or the Klipsch R-5502-W II In-Wall Speaker, we have to take a closer look at what you get with each inwall speaker package.
Klipsch R-5502-W II In-Wall Speaker
Klipsch R5502-W in wall is not your averege surround sound system. No wonder that after an extensive research and comparison between Polk audio 265-RT 3-way In-Wall Speaker and Klipsch R-5502-W II In-Wall Speaker, I have come to conclude that the Klipsch R-5502-W II In-Wall Speaker is the best in-wall speaker than the Polk Audio 265-RT 3-way In-Wall Speaker and here is why:
- Klipsch In-wall Surround Speakers delivers good Audio Quality
- Klipsch In-wall Surround Speakers has more sound Clarity And Accuracy
- Klipsch In-wall Surround Speakers offer best audio listening Dynamics
- Klipsch In-wall Surround Speakers back to back Audio Ambiance
- Klipsch In-wall Surround Speakers delivers insane Volume Capability
- Klipsch In-wall Surround Speakers low Ear Fatigue
- Klipsch In-wall Surround Speakers are praised for their Versatility
- Klipsch In-wall Surround Speakers Value For Money over Polk Audio
- Klipsch In-wall Surround Speakers has high user Overall Score
How Do Klipsch In-wall Surround Speakers Stand Out Over Polk Audio In-wall Surround Speakers?
- Klipsch has excelled at producing impeccable in wall speakers with reasonably good sensitivity and well balanced power handling than Polk audio in wall speakers can.
- Klipsch inwall speakers are not self-impossingly dominant aesthetically as the single piece grille frame and rustproof aluminum grille they come enclosed in is paintable and does not become a decorative focal point.
- The Klipsch in wall speakers also boasts of the best IR receiver knock out than that of Polk audio.
- While Polk audio in wall speakers are prone to insullation moisture, Klipsch in wall speaker are built with weatherized components good enough to withstand densily humid areas and enjoy longevity in service than Polk audio speakers.
Klipsch in wall speaker’s exceptional perfomance and audio quality is credited to their state of the art employment of a 6.5-inch gray polymer woofer cone and 1-inch soft/silk dome tweeter which is at the core of delivering the mind-bending depth and clarity of sound they Klipsch outdoor and in ceiling speakers have come to be known for.
If you are stocked for colour selection, Klipsch inwall speakers are also available in an immaculate white gloss finish. Even better, the Klipsch R-5502-W II In-Wall Speaker can easily be paired with the Klipsch IK-650-W installation kit which is sold separately from your inwall speaker set.
After years of customer support and real buyer reviews, it was only a matter of time when Klipsch had to bring to the market this revolutionary in wall speaker kit in adesign that incorporates both a mud ring breakaway wire tie and color-coded brackets so you can easly identify the speaker sizes without second-guessing.
For ease of installation and troubleshooting, Klipsch audio speakers come with an included perforated metal wing you can use to easily fasten your in-wall speaker to the studs using either screws or you can just staple them in place using an innexpensive nail gun like this one over here on Amazon. This is a perfect tool to have when installing in-wall speakers in tight spaces where such a numatic nailing gun gets the job done effortlessly.
You will also notice that these little bad boys come painted white just to help you and anyone with no previous installation experience to easly mark and place these metal wings before folding them in place around the edge of the studs where necessary.
Selecting a speaker for your home can sometimes be a stressful task, especially when you are dealing with these two great brands, the Klipsch and of course, Polk Audio.
As of Polk audio in wall speakers, not all is doomand gloom, I like to look at both the merits, good and the bad of all our gear auditions. So I looked at their characteristics, the dimensions, color, special features like input methods or modes, price points and the sound quality that these in wall speakers from two uniquely different brands normally have.
And,thats because giving you a side-by-side comparison is the only help you need to pick which one is the best between Polk Audio 265-RT 3-way In-Wall Speaker Vs Klipsch R-5502-W II In-Wall Speaker.
In terms of choosing the best in-wall speakers, Klipsch speakers have proved to be on the high end. Don’t get me wrong, the quality that Polk Audio speakers produce is unquestionable.
However, it is simply not as high-end as the Klipsch speakers are. I think this has much to do with the historical factor- Yes, history does matter.
Generally, Polk speakers are often seen as high budget speakers- this can be proved from comparing the price of Polk speakers to other brands, including the Klipsch speakers.
On the other hand, the Klipsch speakers are for those people that are looking for a premium sound at an affordable price.
Besides the historical factor that we talked about, there are other reasons why the Klipsch speakers seem to be better than the Polk.
Features
Klipsch inwall speakers also stands out as the best over Polk audio in wall speakers. This is evident when you compare features in these speakers by looking at characteristics like:
- Klipsch’ in wall speaker frequency response vs Polk audio in wall speakers reponse.
- Klipsch in wall maximum volume achievable vs Polk audio’s range,
- Klipsch’s power handling vs Polk in wall speakers
- Klipsch’s in wall speaker materials and metalic graille around it vs the cheap looking from Polk audio
- Klipsch’s in wall speaker weight/size vs Polk audio
- Klipsch in wall speaker impedance levels vs Polk audio in wall speakers.
Sound Quality
Klipsch in wall speakers never run short of raving fans who have used the Klipsch speakers and are not ashamed to share that these speakers give you a very brutal sound- in a good way. As such, they are excellent for all music listening genres including hard rock music which requires a thumping bass sound.
On the other hand, there’s a small portion of unhappy custommers who tend to find the thamping bass uncomfortable, especially at high volumes. The good news is that Klipsch uses an aluminum compression set of dome tweeters with horns that make for ‘hard’ and ‘crisp’ sound more manageable.
Many people will tell you they love the clarity of soundtracks on these speakers on the Polk side of view, especially at high-frequency levels. These Polk speakers use silk dome tweeters.
After giving you a comparison between the Polk in wall surround sound speakers and the Klipsch in wall surround sound speakers lets breakdown some of their features and answer the question as to what features makes these speakers most loved by many users around the world.
Features
| Polk Audio 265-RT | Klipsch R-5502-W II | FEATURE | REMARKS |
| Quantity in Package | Single | single | |
| Tweeter | Soft Dome | Soft Dome | |
| Aimable Speakers | No | No | |
| Woofer composition | Polymer Composite | Polypropylene | |
| Woofer Surround | Rubber | Rubber | |
| Moisture resistant | No | No | |
| Connection Type | Spring Post | Spring Post | |
| Built-in Back Box | No | No |
In the single package, you are provided with one tweeter as well as one woofer. These come with a rubber surround that makes sure the driver stays intact, which really promotes durability.
Sadly, both of these speakers are not moisture resistant, which means that they are not suitable to be installed in places that have a lot of moisture, like your bathroom or swimming pool area- and basically any other area that attracts a lot of moisture, as this can damage your speakers.
Specifications
| Specifications | Klipsch R-5502-W II | Polk Audio 265-RT |
| Tweeter Size | 1 inch | 1 inch |
| Midrange size | N/A | N/A |
| Woofer Size | 6.5 inches | 6.5 inches |
| Cutout Size | 7.25 x 19.1875 | 7.9375 x 13.0625 |
| Power range | 10 to 100 watts | Up to 50 watts |
Here we can notice that the woofers’ size is just exactly the same, but they only differ on the Cutout size.
On the power, it is known that speakers that have a wider power range tend to give out a more powerful sound as compared to those with a smaller range. In this case, the Polk Audio 265-RT 3-way In-Wall Speaker model has a wider power range of 10 to 100 watts while the Klipsch R-5502-W II In-Wall Speaker has a smaller range of up to 50.
Sound Quality
| Sound Quality | Polk Audio 265-RT | Klipsch R-5502-W | REMARKS |
| Sensitivity | 91 dB | 91 dB | |
| Impedance | 8 Ohms | 8 Ohms | |
| Frequency response | 45 to 25 kHz | 65 to 20 kHz |
Impedance
In terms of electrical measurement, impedance is one of the keys, measured in ohms. Basically, the number of ohms describes the speaker’s electrical resistance to the power signal sent by your amplifier.
In this case both the Klipsch and the Polk Audio models have an electrical resistance of 8 ohms.
Sensitivity
In speakers, sensitivity measures the speaker’s ability to convert power to volume. Lower sensitivity means that the speakers require more power from the amplifier to achieve higher volumes.
That being said, these speakers do not run on their own without power from your amplifier.
With this theory, speakers that have a higher sensitivity will require less power from the amplifier.
In this case, both the Klipsch and the Polk Audio model run at a sensitivity level of 91 dB.
Power
Both Klipsch R-5502-W II In-Wall Speaker and Polk Audio 265-RT 3-way In-Wall Speaker are not self-powered, so you won’t be able to run them straight out of the box without an amplifier. You will therefore need something like this 5.2-Channel Bluetooth Stereo Amplifier with a 1000 Watt AV Home Speaker Subwoofer from Amazon to act as your power supply as well as a Sound Receiver in your home.
As such, you are required to have an amplifier to use them, which can turn out to be a little costly, but I think it’s worth the investment. Next time, we will talk about some great amplifiers that you can buy to use with your in-wall speakers.
