In this review, we will be comparing CWM652 and R-5800-W II, two Passive In-wall speakers from Bowers Wilkins and Klipsch.
Let's have a brief look at the main features
of B&W CWM652 and Klipsch R-5800-W II first before getting into our more
detailed comparison.
| Key Specs | B&W CWM652 | Klipsch R-5800-W II |
|---|
| Brand | Bowers Wilkins
United Kingdom · founded 1966 | Klipsch
United States · founded 1946 |
|---|
| Design | 2-way | 2-way |
|---|
| Tweeter | 1" Soft-Dome | 1" Horn-loaded dome |
|---|
| Woofer | 5" Kevlar | 8" Cerametallic |
|---|
| Frequency response | 54-50kHz | 40-23kHz |
|---|
| Sensitivity | 86 dB | 94 dB |
|---|
| Impedance | 8 ohms | 8 ohms |
|---|
| Power range | 25-100 watts | up to 50 watts |
|---|
| Weight | — | 3.58kg / 7.9lbs |
|---|
| Dimensions (H x W x D) | 9.0000" x 6.0000" x 3.7500"
229.0 x 153.0 x 96.0mm | 14.6875" x 9.1250" x 3.9375"
374.0 x 232.0 x 101.0mm |
|---|
What size room are the B&W CWM652 and Klipsch R-5800-W II 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 CWM652 |
Klipsch R-5800-W II |
| Near-field |
Average |
Good |
| Small Room |
Good |
Good |
| Mid-size Room |
Average |
Average |
| Large Room |
Poor |
Poor |
| Very Large Room |
Bad |
No way |
(* 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 CWM652 and R-5800-W II are 2-way speakers.
B&W CWM652Klipsch R-5800-W II
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 CWM652 |
Klipsch R-5800-W II |
|
Driver Setup
|
2-way
|
2-way
|
|
Tweeter
|
1-inch
|
1-inch
|
|
Midrange
|
- |
- |
|
Woofer
|
1 x 5-inch
|
1 x 8-inch
|
CWM652 features a 1" Soft-Dome Tweeter and 1 x 5" Kevlar Woofer. On the other hand, the R-5800-W II features a 1" Horn-loaded dome Tweeter and 1 x 8" Cerametallic Woofer with a Crossover frequency at 2600 Hz.
Frequency Response
CWM652 has a frequency range of 54-50kHz whereas R-5800-W II has a frequency range of 40-23kHz. With a minimum frequency of 40Hz, the R-5800-W II can go significantly deeper on the low side and provide stronger bass compared to the CWM652's min frequency of 54Hz.
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
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
CWM652 and R-5800-W II have the same Impedance of 8 ohms but where they differ is the sensitivity levels. CWM652 sensitivity is rated at 86 dB and the R-5800-W II's is at 94 dB. This 8 dB difference makes the Klipsch R-5800-W II a more sensitive speaker compared to B&W CWM652, hence will play louder with the same amount of watts.
Sensitivity
In-wall Speakers
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.
CWM652 can handle a max power of 100 watts RMS, whereas R-5800-W II has a max power handling value of 50 watts RMS, 50 watts less than the CWM652.
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.
Input Type and Bi-Amping / Bi-Wiring
CWM652 features Spring post type posts and R-5800-W II 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 CWM652's and Klipsch R-5800-W II's external dimensions. B&W CWM652 has external dimensions of 229.0 x 153.0 x 96.0mm (9.0000-inch x 6.0000-inch x 3.7500-inch) whereas Klipsch R-5800-W II has external dimensions of 374.0 x 232.0 x 101.0mm (14.6875-inch x 9.1250-inch x 3.9375-inch).
Klipsch R-5800-W II is clearly the larger of the two speakers. Its body is 79mm wider, 145mm taller and 5mm deeper than B&W CWM652.
What's in the Box of B&W CWM652?
Here are the items that are included inside the box of CWM652:
- 2 In-wall loudspeakers
- 2 Mounting frames
- 2 Grilles
- 2 Paint mask
- 2 Cut-out templates
- Quick Start Guide
- Template
- Warranty Information
What's in the Box of Klipsch R-5800-W II?
Here are the items that come with the R-5800-W II:
- In-wall speaker
- White metal mesh grille
- Cardboard template
- Owners Manual (En/Fr/Sp)