In this review, we will be comparing CWM7.3 S2 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 CWM7.3 S2 and DALI Phantom H-50 first before getting into our more
detailed comparison.
B&W CWM7.3 S2 Key Specs
- 3-way Design
- 1" Soft-Dome Tweeter
- 4" Midrange
- 2 x 6" Aerofoil Woofer
- 48-28kHz Frequency Response
- 90 dB Sensitivity
- Impedance: 8ohms
- Power Range:25-200watts
- Dimensions (H x W x D): 712.0" x 9.9375" x 4.0625"( 712.0 x 253.0 x 104.0mm )
DALI Phantom H-50 Key Specs
- 2-way Design
- 1.1" Soft-Dome Tweeter
- 5.25" Wood Fiber Woofer
- 52-25kHz Frequency Response
- 88 dB Sensitivity
- Impedance: 6ohms
- Power Range:30-120watts
- Dimensions (H x W x D): 240.0" x 9.4375" x 3.6875"( 240.0 x 240.0 x 94.0mm )
What size room are the B&W CWM7.3 S2 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 CWM7.3 S2 |
DALI Phantom H-50 |
| Near-field |
Poor |
Poor |
| Small Room |
Average |
Average |
| Mid-size Room |
Good |
Good |
| Large Room |
Average |
Average |
| Very Large Room |
Poor |
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.)
In the following sections, we will get into more detail in order to better understand how the B&W CWM7.3 S2 and DALI Phantom H-50 compare and hopefully end up with enough arguments to decide which one of these loudspeakers is the better choice for you.
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Drivers
One of the fundamental differences between these two speakers is that CWM7.3 S2 is a 3-way design whereas the Phantom H-50 is a 2-way speaker. 3-way designs utilize a midrange driver in addition to the tweeter and woofer on 2-way designs. Designing a crossover for a 3-way speaker is a complicated process and generally increases the overall cost of the speaker.
| Driver |
B&W CWM7.3 S2 |
DALI Phantom H-50 |
|
Driver Setup
|
3-way
|
2-way
|
|
Tweeter
|
1-inch
|
1.1-inch
|
|
Midrange
|
1 x 4-inch |
- |
|
Woofer
|
2 x 6-inch
|
1 x 5.25-inch
|
CWM7.3 S2 features a 1" Soft-Dome Tweeter , a 4" Midrange and 2 x 6" Aerofoil 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
CWM7.3 S2 has a frequency range of 48-28kHz whereas Phantom H-50 has a frequency range of 52-25kHz. With a minimum frequency of 48Hz, the CWM7.3 S2 can go slightly deeper then the Phantom H-50's min frequency of 52Hz.
Below graphs depict how these two speakers compare with the max, min and average values of the Min and Max Frequencies of other speakers in the In-wall class in our database.
Low Frequency
In-wall Speakers
High Frequency
In-wall Speakers
None of these speakers achieves full range experience which is commonly agreed as 20Hz-20kHz. In order to achieve lower lows / deeper bass, we recommend you pair these with a subwoofer. Visit our Powered Subwoofers section to find out more about the available options.
Impedance and Sensitivity
CWM7.3 S2 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. CWM7.3 S2 sensitivity is rated at 90 dB and the Phantom H-50's is rated at 88 dB. This 2 dB difference makes the B&W CWM7.3 S2 a more sensitive speaker compared to DALI Phantom H-50, 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. While using an amplifier within this range ensures the nominal performance , inputting a power that is higher than the max wattage can result in a damaged speaker.
CWM7.3 S2 can handle a max power of 200 watts RMS from the amp the whereas Phantom H-50 has a max power handling value of 120 watts RMS, 80 watts less than the CWM7.3 S2.
Keep in mind that a higher max power handling value doesn't necessarily make that a louder speaker
compared to a lower max handling speaker. Loudness or the sound level is also impacted by parameters
such as Impedance, sensitivity and system efficiencies.
Input Type and Bi-Amping / Bi-Wiring
CWM7.3 S2 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
Size of a speaker can sometimes become 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 CWM7.3 S2's and DALI Phantom H-50's external dimensions. B&W CWM7.3 S2 has external dimensions of 712.0 x 253.0 x 104.0mm ( 28.0000-inch x 9.9375-inch x 4.0625-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 CWM7.3 S2 is clearly the larger of the two speakers. Its body is 13mm wider, 472mm taller and 10mm deeper than DALI Phantom H-50.
What's in the Box of B&W CWM7.3 S2?
Here are the items that are included inside the box of CWM7.3 S2:
In-wall loudspeakerMounting frameGrilleBaffle box2 Mounting plates (1 pre-installed)Paint shieldTwo-piece foam port plug8 Screws2 Wing-nutsHex-wrenchCutout TemplateInstallation InstructionsWarranty Information
What's in the Box of DALI Phantom H-50?
Here are the items that come with the Phantom H-50:
2 loudspeakers2 Grilles2 Logo badges2 Foam blocks (pre-installed)Allen-keyManualCutout Template
Max Input Power 
Driver Setup 
Sensitivity 
Nominal Impedance 
Woofer Size 
High Frequency Response 
Height 
Base Surface Area 
Price per pair*