Polk Audio VT60 Summary
The VT60 is a logical addition to the Polk catalog; it takes much of what has made the RC80i such a beloved ceiling speaker and improves on the bass while also supporting the later models of Polk home speakers, offering broader timber matching support.
Discreet yet immersive and comprehensive in their sound, ceiling speakers are a popular choice for home audio installations, especially for creating a multiroom setup with audio coverage throughout their home. Polk Audio’s VT60 is an affordable speaker that has been steadily gaining popularity since its release in 2018. Let’s look at what the VT60 offers and how it stacks up against the similar RC80i, Polk’s most popular ceiling speaker of the last two decades.
Design & Specifications
- 0.75” silk dome tweeter (swivel)
- 6.5” dynamic balance Polypropylene cone woofer
- Flush mounting
- Paintable grille
The VT60 features a slim bezel that fits relatively flush to your ceiling, with just over a centimeter of protrusion, similar to that found in the KEF Ci Series and less noticeable than the Polk MC80 or Yamaha NS-IC series.
The grille is magnetically attached to the speaker, making it easy to clean or paint the grille to match your ceiling. When the grille is removed, it boasts a sporty appearance, exposing a 6.5” dynamic balance Polypropylene cone woofer and 0.75” silk dome tweeter offset from the center with a matte black finish.
Keeping the grille on ensures your speakers fit discretely into your ceiling and go unnoticed. However, removing the grille and exposing the drivers can add some flare to your environment. If you have a dedicated home theatre with a dark ceiling, the VT60 also looks gorgeous with the grille removed.
They can be purchased as singles or in sets of either 2 or 4.
Timber Matching & Multi-Speaker Support
- Matched to TSi and RTi series
Before discussing the timber matching on Polk’s VT60, let’s quickly look at what it is and for whom it’s relevant.
Timber matching is when a speaker is made to be used alongside another speaker or speaker series, to create a seamless presentation of sound that is matched in its timber. Tonal quality is another term used to describe the timber. Timber matching is essential if you’re rigging up ceiling speakers to tie into your home theatre setup. That’s because it allows speakers to produce the same tones, improving your audio’s immersion.
The VT60 is timber-matched to precision with Polk’s TSi & RTi series of speakers. That means if you’re looking to truly harness the strengths of this ceiling speaker and incorporate it into your home theatre setup, you should pair it with speakers from either of those ranges.
Audio In Any Room
Because these speakers have effective moisture protection, they can be installed in any room of your home. Most ceiling speakers don’t have moisture protection and can be permanently damaged when installed in kitchens or bathrooms. Polk has ensured the VT60 is unlimited in their versatility. If you’re considering adding a ceiling speaker setup to your sauna, bathroom, or kitchen – Polk has you covered.
Sound Qualities
- Better bass than the RC80i
- Warm tonal qualities
- Best paired with a subwoofer for home theatre
Polk Audio’s VT60’s woofer has a well-rounded sound that leans more towards a warm, lower-midrange dominance. The silk dome tweeter compliments this sound with its bright, crisp, and detailed sound that brings life to vocals. The bass is thick and punchy for a ceiling speaker, with a relatively broad frequency response range that goes as low as 33Hz. The VT60 can do the job independently for traditional overhead music installations, but I’d recommend pairing the VT60 with the Polk HTS or PSW subwoofer for home theatre installations.
Because the tweeter can be angled, you have flexibility in creating a sound that works well for your setup. These can be angled towards the listener in a home theater setup or outwards for broader sound coverage if you’re limiting the installation to ceiling speakers.
Whether you’re looking to be immersed in gunfire from every direction while watching your favorite action movie or to relax in the warm waters of your bathtub while your playlist transports you to another plane, the VT60 can make it a reality.
Power & Amplification Considerations
- 150W Power handling
- 70W RMS
- 89dB Sensitivity
- 8-Ohm Impedance
For many, dreaming up the perfect home audio setup is blissful until they consider the amplification requirements. The Polk VT60, like most other ceiling speakers, is passive, meaning you need to pair them to an amplifier to get them to work. Not just any amp, one that supports the impedance and power of the speakers.
Thankfully, it’s fairly easy to drive with a power handling peak of 150W at an impedance of 8 Ohms and a sensitivity of 89dB. The Dayton Audio DTA-2.1BT is a good choice for adding Bluetooth support and is affordable but limited to 2.1 surround sound support. For better support in cases of comprehensive installations, the Onkyo TX-8220 and Denon AVR-S660 are better choices, offering 7.1 and 7.2 surround sound, respectively.
Ease of Installation
We’ve all been through the process of buying a product, and then when it arrives, we realize the installation process is more challenging than the budget we put aside to buy it. This is a realization of many online home audio shoppers.
Ceiling speakers are more complicated to install than traditional left and right channel speakers because they need to be mounted into the ceiling, requiring the ceiling to be cut accordingly. While the process is mostly the same for different brands and models, there are nuances in the design that make some more challenging to install than others.
The VT60’s installation process is fairly straightforward, thanks to the simplistic design. Additionally, Polk provides detailed instructions for installation in their package, along with a cut-out template to ensure the hole you cut is the perfect size for fitting them. You’ll just need the right marking, cutting, and mounting tools.
How They Compare With Polk’s RC80i
When I first learned of the VT60 and looked through its specifications, I immediately wondered how they differ from Polk’s RC80i, a longstanding ceiling speaker that has been around for almost two decades now. After all, the RC80i also touts itself as a versatile speaker with moisture-resistant properties.
The core difference between these two speakers is the timber matching. The RC80i is an older speaker that was released to be paired with Polk’s RTi series of speakers, while the VT60 is timber-matched to the RTi series and the newer TSi series, which launched in 2017.
There are also some differences in the way these two speakers sound. The VT60 has a wider frequency response range, giving it more bass than the RC80i. The RC80i is also a little less warm and more bright than the VT60.
Ultimately, the decision will be weighed more towards which series of Polk speakers you’re pairing them with. If you want to install basic overhead coverage without using other speakers, you can’t go wrong with the RC80i or the VT60.
Conclusion
The VT60 is a logical addition to the Polk catalog; it takes much of what has made the RC80i such a beloved ceiling speaker and improves on the bass while also supporting the later models of Polk home speakers, offering broader timber matching support.
It is an affordable speaker that can be paired with a wide range of amplifiers to produce high-quality sound in any room of your home. It is particularly well-suited to saunas, bathrooms, and kitchens because of its moisture resistance.
Polk Audio VT60
The VT60 is a logical addition to the Polk catalog; it takes much of what has made the RC80i such a beloved ceiling speaker and improves on the bass while also supporting the later models of Polk home speakers, offering broader timber matching support.
Product Brand: Polk Audio
4.3
Pros
- Timber matched to the RTi and TSi range
- Improved bass over the RC80i
- Moisture resistance
Cons
- Branding text is a little intrusive when the grille is removed
- Lack of brightness