In this review, we will be comparing CWM7.5 S2 and 300 IW6 LCR, two Passive In-wall speakers from Bowers Wilkins and Focal.
Let's have a brief look at the main features
of B&W CWM7.5 S2 and Focal 300 IW6 LCR first before getting into our more
detailed comparison.
| Key Specs | B&W CWM7.5 S2 | Focal 300 IW6 LCR |
|---|
| Brand | Bowers Wilkins
United Kingdom · founded 1966 | Focal
France · founded 1979 |
|---|
| Design | 2-way | 3-way |
|---|
| Tweeter | 1" Soft-Dome | 1" Inverted Hard-Dome |
|---|
| Midrange | — | 4" |
|---|
| Woofer | 5" Continuum | 2 x 6.5" Flax |
|---|
| Frequency response | 45-28kHz | 40-28kHz |
|---|
| Sensitivity | 86 dB | 92 dB |
|---|
| Impedance | 8 ohms | 8 ohms |
|---|
| Power range | 25-150 watts | 50-150 watts |
|---|
| Weight | 3.81kg / 8.4lbs | 5.62kg / 12.4lbs |
|---|
| Dimensions (H x W x D) | 13.0000" x 7.4375" x 4.0625"
331.0 x 189.0 x 104.0mm | 22.5000" x 7.5000" x 4.0000"
572.0 x 191.0 x 102.0mm |
|---|
What size room are the B&W CWM7.5 S2 and Focal 300 IW6 LCR 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 CWM7.5 S2 |
Focal 300 IW6 LCR |
| 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 CWM7.5 S2 is a 2-way design whereas the 300 IW6 LCR is a 3-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 CWM7.5 S2Focal 300 IW6 LCR
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 CWM7.5 S2 |
Focal 300 IW6 LCR |
|
Driver Setup
|
2-way
|
3-way
|
|
Tweeter
|
1-inch
|
1-inch
|
|
Midrange
|
- |
1 x 4-inch |
|
Woofer
|
1 x 5-inch
|
2 x 6.5-inch
|
CWM7.5 S2 features a 1" Soft-Dome Tweeter and 1 x 5" Continuum Woofer. On the other hand, the 300 IW6 LCR features a 1" Inverted Hard-Dome Tweeter, a 4" Midrange and 2 x 6.5" Flax Woofer.
Frequency Response
CWM7.5 S2 has a frequency range of 45-28kHz whereas 300 IW6 LCR has a frequency range of 40-28kHz. With a minimum frequency of 40Hz, the 300 IW6 LCR can go significantly deeper on the low side and provide stronger bass compared to the CWM7.5 S2's min frequency of 45Hz.
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
CWM7.5 S2 and 300 IW6 LCR have the same Impedance of 8 ohms but where they differ is the sensitivity levels. CWM7.5 S2 sensitivity is rated at 86 dB and the 300 IW6 LCR's is at 92 dB. This 6 dB difference makes the Focal 300 IW6 LCR a more sensitive speaker compared to B&W CWM7.5 S2, 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.
Both handle the same maximum of 150 watts RMS, though CWM7.5 S2 is rated 25-150 watts and 300 IW6 LCR 50-150 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
CWM7.5 S2 features Spring post type posts and 300 IW6 LCR 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 CWM7.5 S2's and Focal 300 IW6 LCR's external dimensions. 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) whereas Focal 300 IW6 LCR has external dimensions of 572.0 x 191.0 x 102.0mm (22.5000-inch x 7.5000-inch x 4.0000-inch).
B&W CWM7.5 S2 is 2mm narrower and 241mm shorter than Focal 300 IW6 LCR but it is also 2mm deeper.
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.
Near-identical footprints. Focal 300 IW6 LCR is 241mm 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 CWM7.5 S2 weighs 3.81kg / 8.4lbs and the Focal 300 IW6 LCR weighs 5.62kg / 12.4lbs. This makes the 300 IW6 LCR 48% heavier than the CWM7.5 S2.
Here is a comparison of how CWM7.5 S2 and 300 IW6 LCR'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 CWM7.5 S2?
Here are the items that are included inside the box of 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
What's in the Box of Focal 300 IW6 LCR?
Here are the items that come with the 300 IW6 LCR:
- One in-wall speaker
- 1 metal-mesh grill (white)
- 23.5
 Height |
331mm
vs
572mm
|
Easier to fit in smaller spaces |
 Price per pair* |
2000USD
vs
2398USD
|
costs less (*prices may change depending on the seller, location and time) |
 Driver Setup |
3-way
vs
2-way
|
Have a dedicated mid-range driver |
 Sensitivity |
92 dB
vs
86 dB
|
Play louder with same amount of amplification power |
 Woofer Size |
6.5 inches
vs
5 inches
|
Larger woofer |
|
Number of Woofers |
2
vs
1
|
More woofers |
|
Low Frequency Response |
40 Hz
vs
45 Hz
|
Generates deeper bass |
 Base Surface Area |
194cm2
vs
196cm2
|
Takes less floor space |
| General |
Bowers & Wilkins Reference Series CWM7.5 S2 |
Focal 300 IW6 LCR |
| Brand |
Bowers Wilkins |
Focal |
| Speaker Type |
Passive In-wall Speaker |
Passive In-wall Speaker |
| Power Range |
25-150 watts |
50-150 watts |
| Sensitivity |
86 dB |
92 dB |
| Impedance |
8 ohms |
8 ohms |
| Frequency Response |
45-28kHz |
40-28kHz |
Drivers |
|
|
| Woofer Quantity |
1 |
2 |
| Woofer Size |
5" |
6.5" |
| Woofer Composition |
Continuum |
Flax |
| Woofer Surround Material |
Rubber |
Rubber |
| Tweeter Size |
1" |
1" |
| Tweeter Type |
Soft-Dome |
Inverted Hard-Dome |
| Aimable Tweeter |
No |
No |
| Midrange Driver |
No |
4" |
Physical Specs |
|
|
| Height |
331.0mm (13") |
572.0mm (22.5") |
| Width |
189.0mm (7.4") |
191.0mm (7.5") |
| Depth |
104.0mm (4.1") |
102.0mm (4") |
| Weight |
3.81kg (8.4lbs) |
5.62kg (12.4lbs) |
| 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 |
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 | B | Focal 300 IW6 LCR digs deeper - 40Hz against 45Hz. A subwoofer would even that out. |
| Amplifier needs | B | Focal 300 IW6 LCR is more sensitive (92dB vs 86dB), so it goes louder on the same amplifier. |
| Headroom | evenly matched | Similar power handling (150W vs 150W). |
| Size | depends | B&W CWM7.5 S2 is easier to place; Focal 300 IW6 LCR is bigger, which usually goes with fuller bass. Your room decides. |
| Price | A | B&W CWM7.5 S2 is cheaper - $2,000 against $2,398, about 17% less. |
A B&W CWM7.5 S2 B Focal 300 IW6 LCR
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?
The usual trade-off: Focal 300 IW6 LCR measures better, B&W CWM7.5 S2 costs about about 20% more% less. Whether that gap is worth the money is the call only you can make - and in a normal room it is often smaller than the numbers suggest. If a subwoofer is in your plans, the bass gap largely stops mattering - you would be crossing over above 45Hz anyway, which makes the cheaper B&W CWM7.5 S2 much easier to justify. In a large or open-plan room, Focal 300 IW6 LCR has the cabinet volume to fill it more easily; in a small room, near a wall or at desk distance, B&W CWM7.5 S2 is the easier speaker to get right.
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.