DALI Phantom H-60 vs B&W CWM663 Comparison

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DALI Phantom H-60

Passive In-wall | 51-25kHz

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B&W CWM663

Passive In-wall | 45-50kHz

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DALI Phantom H-60

Check price atAmazon›

B&W CWM663

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DALI Phantom H-60

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B&W CWM663

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DALI Phantom H-60 vs B&W CWM663 Speaker Comparison

In this review, we will be comparing Phantom H-60 and CWM663, two Passive In-wall speakers from DALI and Bowers Wilkins.

Let's have a brief look at the main features of DALI Phantom H-60 and B&W CWM663 first before getting into our more detailed comparison.

Key Specs	DALI Phantom H-60	B&W CWM663
Brand	DALI Denmark · founded 1983	Bowers Wilkins United Kingdom · founded 1966
Design	2-way	2-way
Tweeter	1.1" Soft-Dome	1" Soft-Dome
Woofer	6.5" Wood Fiber	6" Kevlar
Frequency response	51-25kHz	45-50kHz
Sensitivity	89 dB	88 dB
Impedance	6 ohms	8 ohms
Power range	30-150 watts	25-150 watts
Dimensions (H x W x D)	10.4375" x 10.4375" x 3.6875" 266.0 x 266.0 x 94.0mm	11.0000" x 7.2500" x 3.7500" 280.0 x 185.0 x 96.0mm

What size room are the DALI Phantom H-60 and B&W CWM663 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*	DALI Phantom H-60	B&W CWM663
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

Both Phantom H-60 and CWM663 are 2-way speakers.

DALI Phantom H-60

B&W CWM663

TweeterWoofer

Front view, drawn to scale - cabinets and drivers share one scale, so sizes are directly comparable. Hover a driver for its size.

Driver	DALI Phantom H-60	B&W CWM663
Driver Setup	2-way	2-way
Tweeter	1.1-inch	1-inch
Midrange	-	-
Woofer	1 x 6.5-inch	1 x 6-inch

Phantom H-60 features a 1.1" Soft-Dome Tweeter and 1 x 6.5" Wood Fiber Woofer. On the other hand, the CWM663 features a 1" Soft-Dome Tweeter and 1 x 6" Kevlar Woofer.

Frequency Response

Phantom H-60 has a frequency range of 51-25kHz whereas CWM663 has a frequency range of 45-50kHz. With a minimum frequency of 45Hz, the CWM663 can go significantly deeper on the low side and provide stronger bass compared to the Phantom H-60's min frequency of 51Hz.

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

Phantom H-60

CWM663

Min

Average

Median

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

Phantom H-60 is a 6 ohms speaker compared to the CWM663 which has a nominal impedance of 8 ohms.

These two speakers also have different sensitivity levels. Phantom H-60 sensitivity is rated at 89 dB and the CWM663's is rated at 88 dB. This 1 dB difference makes the DALI Phantom H-60 a more sensitive speaker compared to B&W CWM663, hence will play louder with the same amount of watts.

Sensitivity

In-wall Speakers

Phantom H-60

CWM663

Min

Average

Median

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 Phantom H-60 is rated 30-150 watts and CWM663 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.

Amplifier - change this

Distance

Playing as

DALI Phantom H-60

B&W CWM663

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 DALI Phantom H-60's and B&W CWM663's external dimensions. DALI Phantom H-60 has external dimensions of 266.0 x 266.0 x 94.0mm (10.4375-inch x 10.4375-inch x 3.6875-inch) whereas B&W CWM663 has external dimensions of 280.0 x 185.0 x 96.0mm (11.0000-inch x 7.2500-inch x 3.7500-inch).

DALI Phantom H-60 is 14mm shorter and 2mm less deeper than B&W CWM663 but it is also 81mm wider.

What's in the Box of DALI Phantom H-60?

Here are the items that are included inside the box of Phantom H-60:

2 loudspeakers
2 Grilles
2 Logo badges
2 Foam blocks (pre-installed)
Allen-key
Manual
Cutout Template

What's in the Box of B&W CWM663?

Here are the items that come with the CWM663:

2 In-wall loudspeakers
2 Mounting frames
2 Grilles
2 Paint mask
2 Cut-out templates
Quick Start Guide
Template
Warranty Information

Reasons to choose DALI Phantom H-60 over Bowers & Wilkins Performance Series CWM663

Sensitivity	89 dB vs 88 dB	Play louder with same amount of amplification power
Woofer Size	6.5 inches vs 6 inches	Larger woofer
Height	266mm vs 280mm	Easier to fit in smaller spaces

Reasons to choose Bowers & Wilkins Performance Series CWM663 over DALI Phantom H-60

Nominal Impedance	8 ohms vs 6 ohms	Less selective with amplifiers
Low Frequency Response	45 Hz vs 51 Hz	Generates deeper bass
High Frequency Response	50k Hz vs 25k Hz	Generates higher frequency
Base Surface Area	177cm² vs 250cm²	Takes less floor space
Price per pair*	900USD vs 1098USD	costs less (*prices may change depending on the seller, location and time)

DALI Phantom H-60 vs B&W CWM663 Specs Table

Detailed comparison of specifications

General	DALI Phantom H-60	Bowers & Wilkins Performance Series CWM663
Brand	DALI	Bowers Wilkins
Speaker Type	Passive In-wall Speaker	Passive In-wall Speaker
Power Range	30-150 watts	25-150 watts
Sensitivity	89 dB	88 dB
Impedance	6 ohms	8 ohms
Frequency Response	51-25kHz	45-50kHz
Drivers
Woofer Quantity	1	1
Woofer Size	6.5"	6"
Woofer Composition	Wood Fiber	Kevlar
Woofer Surround Material	Rubber	Rubber
Tweeter Size	1.1"	1"
Tweeter Type	Soft-Dome	Soft-Dome
Aimable Tweeter	No	No
Midrange Driver	No	No
Firing Direction	rear	n/a
Physical Specs
Height	266.0mm (10.5")	280.0mm (11")
Width	266.0mm (10.5")	185.0mm (7.3")
Depth	94.0mm (3.7")	96.0mm (3.8")
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

Verdict

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	B&W CWM663 digs deeper - 45Hz against 51Hz. A subwoofer would even that out.
Amplifier needs	evenly matched	Similar sensitivity (89dB vs 88dB) - both want much the same power.
Amplifier match	B	B&W CWM663 is the easier load at 8 ohms.
Headroom	evenly matched	Similar power handling (150W vs 150W).
Size	depends	B&W CWM663 is easier to place; DALI Phantom H-60 is bigger, which usually goes with fuller bass. Your room decides.
Price	B	B&W CWM663 is cheaper - $900 against $1,098, about 18% less.

A DALI Phantom H-60 B B&W CWM663
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?

B&W CWM663 is the easier recommendation: it leads on most of the measured areas and costs less. Take DALI Phantom H-60 if its size, looks or fit in your room suit you better. If a subwoofer is in your plans, the bass gap largely stops mattering - you would be crossing over above 51Hz anyway, so judge these on the other rows instead.

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.