In this review, we will be comparing CWM7.3 S2 and 300 IW 6, two Passive In-wall speakers from Bowers Wilkins and Focal.
Let's have a brief look at the main features
of B&W CWM7.3 S2 and Focal 300 IW 6 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 )
Focal 300 IW 6 Key Specs
- 2-way Design
- 1" Inverted Hard-Dome Tweeter
- 6.5" Flax Woofer
- 55-28kHz Frequency Response
- 90 dB Sensitivity
- Impedance: 8ohms
- Power Range:25-130watts
- Dimensions (H x W x D): 293.0" x 7.5000" x 3.7500"( 293.0 x 191.0 x 96.0mm )
What size room are the B&W CWM7.3 S2 and Focal 300 IW 6 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 |
Focal 300 IW 6 |
| 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 Focal 300 IW 6 compare and hopefully end up with enough arguments to decide which one of these loudspeakers is the better choice for you.
**This post contains affiliate links, and I will be compensated if you make a purchase after clicking
through my links. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.
Drivers
One of the fundamental differences between these two speakers is that CWM7.3 S2 is a 3-way design whereas the 300 IW 6 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 |
Focal 300 IW 6 |
|
Driver Setup
|
3-way
|
2-way
|
|
Tweeter
|
1-inch
|
1-inch
|
|
Midrange
|
1 x 4-inch |
- |
|
Woofer
|
2 x 6-inch
|
1 x 6.5-inch
|
CWM7.3 S2 features a 1" Soft-Dome Tweeter , a 4" Midrange and 2 x 6" Aerofoil Woofer . On the other hand, the 300 IW 6 features a 1" Inverted Hard-Dome Tweeter and 1 x 6.5" Flax Woofer .
Frequency Response
CWM7.3 S2 has a frequency range of 48-28kHz whereas 300 IW 6 has a frequency range of 55-28kHz. With a minimum frequency of 48Hz, the CWM7.3 S2 can go significantly deeper on the low side and provide stronger bass compared to the 300 IW 6's min frequency of 55Hz.
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 and 300 IW 6 have the same Impedance of 8 ohms and their sensitivity is also same at 90 dB.
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 300 IW 6 has a max power handling value of 130 watts RMS, 70 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 300 IW 6 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 Focal 300 IW 6'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 Focal 300 IW 6 has external dimensions of 293.0 x 191.0 x 96.0mm ( 11.5000-inch x 7.5000-inch x 3.7500-inch) .
B&W CWM7.3 S2 is clearly the larger of the two speakers. Its body is 62mm wider, 419mm taller and 8mm deeper than Focal 300 IW 6.
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 Focal 300 IW 6?
Here are the items that come with the 300 IW 6:
One in-wall speakerGrill (white)12.5