In this review, we will be comparing CWM7.4 S2 and CWM7.5 S2, two Passive In-wall speakers by Bowers Wilkins.
Let's have a brief look at the main features
of B&W CWM7.4 S2 and B&W CWM7.5 S2 first before getting into our more
detailed comparison.
| Key Specs | B&W CWM7.4 S2 | B&W CWM7.5 S2 |
|---|
| Brand | Bowers Wilkins
United Kingdom · founded 1966 | Bowers Wilkins
United Kingdom · founded 1966 |
|---|
| Design | 3-way | 2-way |
|---|
| Tweeter | 1" Soft-Dome | 1" Soft-Dome |
|---|
| Midrange | 2 x 4" | — |
|---|
| Woofer | 2 x 4" Aramid fiber/paper cone | 5" Continuum |
|---|
| Frequency response | 45-28kHz | 45-28kHz |
|---|
| Sensitivity | 86 dB | 86 dB |
|---|
| Impedance | 8 ohms | 8 ohms |
|---|
| Power range | 25-150 watts | 25-150 watts |
|---|
| Weight | 6.24kg / 13.7lbs | 3.81kg / 8.4lbs |
|---|
| Dimensions (H x W x D) | 23.5000" x 5.8125" x 3.6875"
597.0 x 148.0 x 94.0mm | 13.0000" x 7.4375" x 4.0625"
331.0 x 189.0 x 104.0mm |
|---|
CWM7.4 S2 and CWM7.5 S2 are members of Bowers Wilkins's Reference series of speakers. Below you can find the loudspeakers from this series.
Bowers Wilkins Reference Series
History
What size room are the B&W CWM7.4 S2 and B&W CWM7.5 S2 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 CWM7.4 S2 |
B&W CWM7.5 S2 |
| 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.)
The sections below take each area in turn: drivers, frequency response, physical size and what you get in the box.
Drivers
One of the fundamental differences between these two speakers is that CWM7.4 S2 is a 3-way design whereas the CWM7.5 S2 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.
B&W CWM7.4 S2B&W CWM7.5 S2
TweeterMidrangeWoofer
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 CWM7.4 S2 |
B&W CWM7.5 S2 |
|
Driver Setup
|
3-way
|
2-way
|
|
Tweeter
|
1-inch
|
1-inch
|
|
Midrange
|
2 x 4-inch |
- |
|
Woofer
|
2 x 4-inch
|
1 x 5-inch
|
CWM7.4 S2 features a 1" Soft-Dome Tweeter, a 4" Midrange and 2 x 4" Aramid fiber/paper cone Woofer. On the other hand, the CWM7.5 S2 features a 1" Soft-Dome Tweeter and 1 x 5" Continuum Woofer.
Frequency Response
CWM7.4 S2 and CWM7.5 S2 has exactly the same frequency range of 45-28kHz.
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
CWM7.4 S2 and CWM7.5 S2 have the same Impedance of 8 ohms and their sensitivity is also same at 86 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. Staying
within that range gives nominal performance; driving the speaker beyond its maximum wattage can damage it.
CWM7.4 S2 and CWM7.5 S2 have the same power range of 25-150 watts.
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
CWM7.4 S2 features Sprint post type posts and CWM7.5 S2 has a Sprint 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 CWM7.4 S2's and B&W CWM7.5 S2's external dimensions. B&W CWM7.4 S2 has external dimensions of 597.0 x 148.0 x 94.0mm (23.5000-inch x 5.8125-inch x 3.6875-inch) whereas B&W CWM7.5 S2 has external dimensions of 331.0 x 189.0 x 104.0mm (13.0000-inch x 7.4375-inch x 4.0625-inch).
B&W CWM7.4 S2 is 41mm narrower and 10mm less deeper than B&W CWM7.5 S2 but it is also 266mm taller.
Size, drawn to scale
Both speakers and both views share one scale, so everything here is directly comparable. Hover a box for its dimensions.
One scale for both, standing on the same surface and pushed back to the same wall, so the deeper one visibly sticks out further.
B&W CWM7.5 S2 needs about 41% more floor or shelf area. B&W CWM7.4 S2 is 266mm taller.
Weight Comparison The weight of a loudspeaker can become an important factor if you need to move and reposition the unit often. Weight of a speaker can also "sometimes" be an indicator of the rigidity of the enclosure and the quality of the internal components used. The B&W CWM7.4 S2 weighs 6.24kg / 13.7lbs and the B&W CWM7.5 S2 weighs 3.81kg / 8.4lbs. This makes the CWM7.4 S2 64% heavier than the CWM7.5 S2.
Here is a comparison of how CWM7.4 S2 and CWM7.5 S2's weights compare with the average, max and min weights in Passive In-wall class.
Weight
All In-wall Speakers
What's in the Box of B&W CWM7.4 S2?
Here are the items that are included inside the box of CWM7.4 S2:
- In-wall loudspeaker
- Mounting frame
- Grille
- Paint shield
- Cutout Template
- Installation Instructions
- Warranty Information
What's in the Box of B&W CWM7.5 S2?
Here are the items that come with the CWM7.5 S2:
- In-wall loudspeaker
- Mounting frame
- Grille
- Baffle box
- 2 Mounting plates (1 pre-installed)
- Paint shield
- Two-piece foam port plug
- 3 Screws
- 3 Lock-washers
- 2 Wing-nuts
- 2 Fasteners
- Cutout Template
- Installation Instructions
- Warranty Information
 Driver Setup |
3-way
vs
2-way
|
Have a dedicated mid-range driver |
 Number of Woofers |
2
vs
1
|
More woofers |
 Base Surface Area |
139cm2
vs
196cm2
|
Takes less floor space |
|
Woofer Size |
5 inches
vs
4 inches
|
Larger woofer |
 Height |
331mm
vs
597mm
|
Easier to fit in smaller spaces |
 Price per pair* |
2000USD
vs
2300USD
|
costs less (*prices may change depending on the seller, location and time) |
| General |
Bowers & Wilkins Reference Series CWM7.4 S2 |
Bowers & Wilkins Reference Series CWM7.5 S2 |
| Brand |
Bowers Wilkins |
Bowers Wilkins |
| Speaker Type |
Passive In-wall Speaker |
Passive In-wall Speaker |
| Power Range |
25-150 watts |
25-150 watts |
| Sensitivity |
86 dB |
86 dB |
| Impedance |
8 ohms |
8 ohms |
| Frequency Response |
45-28kHz |
45-28kHz |
Drivers |
|
|
| Woofer Quantity |
2 |
1 |
| Woofer Size |
4" |
5" |
| Woofer Composition |
Aramid fiber/paper cone |
Continuum |
| Woofer Surround Material |
Rubber |
Rubber |
| Tweeter Size |
1" |
1" |
| Tweeter Type |
Soft-Dome |
Soft-Dome |
| Aimable Tweeter |
No |
No |
| Midrange Driver |
4" |
No |
Physical Specs |
|
|
| Height |
597.0mm (23.5") |
331.0mm (13") |
| Width |
148.0mm (5.8") |
189.0mm (7.4") |
| Depth |
94.0mm (3.7") |
104.0mm (4.1") |
| Weight |
6.24kg (13.7lbs) |
3.81kg (8.4lbs) |
| 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 |
Siblings in Bowers Wilkins's Reference series, so they share a family sound. It comes down to size, output and price.
| Area | Better | Why |
|---|
| Bass | evenly matched | Much the same reach (45Hz vs 45Hz). |
| Amplifier needs | evenly matched | Similar sensitivity (86dB vs 86dB) - both want much the same power. |
| Headroom | evenly matched | Similar power handling (150W vs 150W). |
| Size | depends | B&W CWM7.5 S2 is easier to place; B&W CWM7.4 S2 is bigger, which usually goes with fuller bass. Your room decides. |
| Price | B | B&W CWM7.5 S2 is cheaper - $2,000 against $2,300, about 13% less. |
A B&W CWM7.4 S2 B B&W CWM7.5 S2
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.
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.