B&W CWM362 vs DALI Phantom H-50 Comparison

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B&W CWM362

Passive In-wall | 50-30kHz

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DALI Phantom H-50

Passive In-wall | 52-25kHz

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B&W CWM362

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DALI Phantom H-50

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B&W CWM362

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DALI Phantom H-50

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B&W CWM362 vs DALI Phantom H-50 Speaker Comparison

In this review, we will be comparing CWM362 and Phantom H-50, two Passive In-wall speakers from Bowers Wilkins and DALI.

Let's have a brief look at the main features of B&W CWM362 and DALI Phantom H-50 first before getting into our more detailed comparison.

Key Specs	B&W CWM362	DALI Phantom H-50
Brand	Bowers Wilkins United Kingdom · founded 1966	DALI Denmark · founded 1983
Design	2-way	2-way
Tweeter	1" Soft-Dome	1.1" Soft-Dome
Woofer	6" Polypropylene	5.25" Wood Fiber
Frequency response	50-30kHz	52-25kHz
Sensitivity	89 dB	88 dB
Impedance	8 ohms	6 ohms
Power range	10-80 watts	30-120 watts
Dimensions (H x W x D)	11.0000" x 7.2500" x 3.0000" 280.0 x 185.0 x 77.0mm	9.4375" x 9.4375" x 3.6875" 240.0 x 240.0 x 94.0mm

What size room are the B&W CWM362 and DALI Phantom H-50 speakers good for?

The size of the room in which you are planning to use these loudspeakers is an important decision factor. Here we have compared their suitability to various sizes of environments considering their size and max power parameters:

Listening Environment*	B&W CWM362	DALI Phantom H-50
Near-field	Average	Poor
Small Room	Good	Average
Mid-size Room	Average	Good
Large Room	Poor	Average
Very Large Room	Bad	Poor

(* Approximate Room sizes: Small < 100sq. ft / 9 m², Mid-size: 100-220 sq. ft / 9-20 m², Large 220-400 sq. ft / 20-36 m², Very Large: > 400 sq. ft / 36 m². Average Floor Height: 9" / 2.7m. Typical room sizes differ from country to country, and the actual listening experience changes depending on floor height, room shape, surface materials, listening position, speaker locations, etc.)

The sections below take each area in turn: drivers, frequency response, physical size and what you get in the box.

Drivers

Both CWM362 and Phantom H-50 are 2-way speakers.

B&W CWM362

DALI Phantom H-50

TweeterWoofer

Front view, drawn to scale - cabinets and drivers share one scale, so sizes are directly comparable. Hover a driver for its size.

Driver	B&W CWM362	DALI Phantom H-50
Driver Setup	2-way	2-way
Tweeter	1-inch	1.1-inch
Midrange	-	-
Woofer	1 x 6-inch	1 x 5.25-inch

CWM362 features a 1" Soft-Dome Tweeter and 1 x 6" Polypropylene Woofer. On the other hand, the Phantom H-50 features a 1.1" Soft-Dome Tweeter and 1 x 5.25" Wood Fiber Woofer.

Frequency Response

CWM362 has a frequency range of 50-30kHz whereas Phantom H-50 has a frequency range of 52-25kHz. With a minimum frequency of 50Hz, the CWM362 can go slightly deeper then the Phantom H-50's min frequency of 52Hz.

The graph below depicts how these two speakers compare with the max, min and average Low Frequency values of other speakers in the In-wall class in our database.

Low Frequency

In-wall Speakers

CWM362

Phantom H-50

Min

Average

Median

Neither pair reaches down to 20Hz, the usual definition of full-range, which is normal for speakers of this size. If you want the bottom octave for movies or bass-heavy music, add a subwoofer to whichever you choose. Visit our Powered Subwoofers section to find out more about the available options.

Impedance and Sensitivity

CWM362 is a 8 ohms speaker compared to the Phantom H-50 which has a nominal impedance of 6 ohms.

These two speakers also have different sensitivity levels. CWM362 sensitivity is rated at 89 dB and the Phantom H-50's is rated at 88 dB. This 1 dB difference makes the B&W CWM362 a more sensitive speaker compared to DALI Phantom H-50, hence will play louder with the same amount of watts.

Sensitivity

In-wall Speakers

CWM362

Phantom H-50

Min

Average

Median

Power Range

Power range is the range of input power in watts RMS that a loudspeaker is designed to handle. Staying within that range gives nominal performance; driving the speaker beyond its maximum wattage can damage it.

Phantom H-50 can handle a max power of 120 watts RMS, whereas CWM362 has a max power handling value of 80 watts RMS, 40 watts less than the Phantom H-50.

Note that higher power handling does not make a speaker louder: that depends mainly on sensitivity and impedance. The calculator below shows how loud each of these actually plays on a real amplifier.

Which plays louder on your amplifier?

Starting with a popular amplifier - change it to the one you own, or any you are considering, and watch both numbers move.

Amplifier - change this

Distance

Playing as

B&W CWM362

DALI Phantom H-50

Input Type and Bi-Amping / Bi-Wiring

CWM362 features Spring post type posts and Phantom H-50 has a Spring post type posts. None of these speakers feature bi-amping/bi-wiring.

Physical Specs

The size of a speaker can sometimes be an important decision factor due to space constraints or in some cases purely for esthetic reasons. In this section, we are going to compare B&W CWM362's and DALI Phantom H-50's external dimensions. B&W CWM362 has external dimensions of 280.0 x 185.0 x 77.0mm (11.0000-inch x 7.2500-inch x 3.0000-inch) whereas DALI Phantom H-50 has external dimensions of 240.0 x 240.0 x 94.0mm (9.4375-inch x 9.4375-inch x 3.6875-inch).

B&W CWM362 is 55mm narrower and 17mm less deeper than DALI Phantom H-50 but it is also 40mm taller.

What's in the Box of B&W CWM362?

Here are the items that are included inside the box of CWM362:

2 In-wall loudspeakers
2 Grilles
2 Paint masks
Quick Start Guide
Wall Mount Cut-Out Template
Warranty Information

What's in the Box of DALI Phantom H-50?

Here are the items that come with the Phantom H-50:

2 loudspeakers
2 Grilles
2 Logo badges
2 Foam blocks (pre-installed)
Allen-key
Manual
Cutout Template

Reasons to choose Bowers & Wilkins Flexible Series CWM362 over DALI Phantom H-50

Sensitivity	89 dB vs 88 dB	Play louder with same amount of amplification power
Nominal Impedance	8 ohms vs 6 ohms	Less selective with amplifiers
Woofer Size	6 inches vs 5.25 inches	Larger woofer
Low Frequency Response	50 Hz vs 52 Hz	Generates deeper bass
High Frequency Response	30k Hz vs 25k Hz	Generates higher frequency
Base Surface Area	142cm² vs 225cm²	Takes less floor space
Price per pair*	520USD vs 798USD	costs less (*prices may change depending on the seller, location and time)

Reasons to choose DALI Phantom H-50 over Bowers & Wilkins Flexible Series CWM362

Max Input Power	120 watts vs 80 watts	Handle more power from your amplifier
Height	240mm vs 280mm	Easier to fit in smaller spaces

B&W CWM362 vs DALI Phantom H-50 Specs Table

Detailed comparison of specifications

General	Bowers & Wilkins Flexible Series CWM362	DALI Phantom H-50
Brand	Bowers Wilkins	DALI
Speaker Type	Passive In-wall Speaker	Passive In-wall Speaker
Power Range	10-80 watts	30-120 watts
Sensitivity	89 dB	88 dB
Impedance	8 ohms	6 ohms
Frequency Response	50-30kHz	52-25kHz
Drivers
Woofer Quantity	1	1
Woofer Size	6"	5.25"
Woofer Composition	Polypropylene	Wood Fiber
Woofer Surround Material	Rubber	Rubber
Tweeter Size	1"	1.1"
Tweeter Type	Soft-Dome	Soft-Dome
Aimable Tweeter	No	No
Midrange Driver	No	No
Firing Direction	n/a	rear
Physical Specs
Height	280.0mm (11")	240.0mm (9.4")
Width	185.0mm (7.3")	240.0mm (9.4")
Depth	77.0mm (3")	94.0mm (3.7")
Enclosure	In-wall	In-wall
Moisture Resistancy	No	No
Connections
Biamp Inputs	No	No
Other
Parts Warranty	5 Years	5 Years
Labor Warranty	5 Years	5 Years

Verdict

No single best speaker here - they are built to different priorities, and the right one depends on your room, your amplifier and what you listen to.

Area	Better	Why
Bass	evenly matched	Much the same reach (50Hz vs 52Hz).
Amplifier needs	evenly matched	Similar sensitivity (89dB vs 88dB) - both want much the same power.
Amplifier match	A	B&W CWM362 is the easier load at 8 ohms.
Headroom	B	DALI Phantom H-50 takes more power (120W vs 80W) - more in hand in a big room.
Size	depends	B&W CWM362 is easier to place; DALI Phantom H-50 is bigger, which usually goes with fuller bass. Your room decides.
Price	A	B&W CWM362 is cheaper - $520 against $798, about 35% less.

A B&W CWM362 B DALI Phantom H-50
depends neither is better in the abstract - it turns on your room, your system or how you will use them. Only specs published for both speakers are judged; anything missing on either side is left out rather than guessed.

Which should you choose?

Neither runs away with it - they trade advantages. Let the "depends" rows and your own room settle it. Match it to your room: we rate B&W CWM362 the better fit for near-field listening and a small room, and DALI Phantom H-50 for a mid-size room and a large room. Think about the whole system, not just the speakers: the roughly $278 saved by taking the cheaper pair would buy a subwoofer or a better amplifier, and either usually does more for the sound than the difference between these two.

And remember what a spec sheet cannot show: how each looks in your room and whether the finish suits it, what dealer support and warranty are like where you live, and how they actually sound to you. If you can hear them first - ideally with your own music - that will tell you more than any number above.