DALI Phantom H-60 vs Definitive UIW RLS III Comparison

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DALI Phantom H-60

Passive In-wall | 51-25kHz

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Definitive UIW RLS III

Passive In-wall | 24-30kHz

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DALI Phantom H-60

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Definitive UIW RLS I...

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DALI Phantom H-60

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DALI Phantom H-60 vs Definitive UIW RLS III Speaker Comparison

In this review, we will be comparing Phantom H-60 and UIW RLS III, two Passive In-wall speakers from DALI and Definitive Technology.

Let's have a brief look at the main features of DALI Phantom H-60 and Definitive UIW RLS III first before getting into our more detailed comparison.

Key Specs	DALI Phantom H-60	Definitive UIW RLS III
Brand	DALI Denmark · founded 1983	Definitive Technology United States · founded 1990
Design	2-way	2-way
Tweeter	1.1" Soft-Dome	1" Hard-Dome
Woofer	6.5" Wood Fiber	2 x 5.25" Polypropylene
Frequency response	51-25kHz	24-30kHz
Sensitivity	89 dB	92 dB
Impedance	6 ohms	8 ohms
Power range	30-150 watts	10-325 watts
Dimensions (H x W x D)	10.4375" x 10.4375" x 3.6875" 266.0 x 266.0 x 94.0mm	23.7500" x 5.8750" x 3.8750" 604.0 x 150.0 x 99.0mm

What size room are the DALI Phantom H-60 and Definitive UIW RLS III 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	Definitive UIW RLS III
Near-field	Poor	Are you nuts?
Small Room	Average	Bad
Mid-size Room	Good	Poor
Large Room	Average	Good
Very Large Room	Poor	Good

(* 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 UIW RLS III are 2-way speakers.

DALI Phantom H-60

Definitive UIW RLS III

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	Definitive UIW RLS III
Driver Setup	2-way	2-way
Tweeter	1.1-inch	1-inch
Midrange	-	-
Woofer	1 x 6.5-inch	2 x 5.25-inch

Phantom H-60 features a 1.1" Soft-Dome Tweeter and 1 x 6.5" Wood Fiber Woofer. On the other hand, the UIW RLS III features a 1" Hard-Dome Tweeter and 2 x 5.25" Polypropylene Woofer.

Frequency Response

Phantom H-60 has a frequency range of 51-25kHz whereas UIW RLS III has a frequency range of 24-30kHz. With a minimum frequency of 24Hz, the UIW RLS III 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

UIW RLS III

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 UIW RLS III 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 UIW RLS III's is rated at 92 dB. This 3 dB difference makes the Definitive UIW RLS III a more sensitive speaker compared to DALI Phantom H-60, hence will play louder with the same amount of watts.

Sensitivity

In-wall Speakers

Phantom H-60

UIW RLS III

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.

UIW RLS III can handle a max power of 325 watts RMS, whereas Phantom H-60 has a max power handling value of 150 watts RMS, 175 watts less than the UIW RLS III.

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

Definitive UIW RLS III

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 Definitive UIW RLS III'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 Definitive UIW RLS III has external dimensions of 604.0 x 150.0 x 99.0mm (23.7500-inch x 5.8750-inch x 3.8750-inch).

DALI Phantom H-60 is 338mm shorter and 5mm less deeper than Definitive UIW RLS III but it is also 116mm 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 Definitive UIW RLS III?

Here are the items that come with the UIW RLS III:

In-wall loudspeaker
Grille
Self-adhesive foam gasket
Paint mask
Wall-Mount Template
Owners Manual
Online Product Registration Card

Reasons to choose DALI Phantom H-60 over Definitive Technology UIW RLS III

Woofer Size	6.5 inches vs 5.25 inches	Larger woofer
Height	266mm vs 604mm	Easier to fit in smaller spaces
Price per pair*	1098USD vs 1398USD	costs less (*prices may change depending on the seller, location and time)

Reasons to choose Definitive Technology UIW RLS III over DALI Phantom H-60

Max Input Power	325 watts vs 150 watts	Handle more power from your amplifier
Sensitivity	92 dB vs 89 dB	Play louder with same amount of amplification power
Nominal Impedance	8 ohms vs 6 ohms	Less selective with amplifiers
Number of Woofers	2 vs 1	More woofers
Low Frequency Response	24 Hz vs 51 Hz	Generates deeper bass
High Frequency Response	30k Hz vs 25k Hz	Generates higher frequency
Passive Radiator	2 x 5.25-inch vs None	Increases the bass performance
Base Surface Area	148cm² vs 250cm²	Takes less floor space

DALI Phantom H-60 vs Definitive UIW RLS III Specs Table

Detailed comparison of specifications

General	DALI Phantom H-60	Definitive Technology UIW RLS III
Brand	DALI	Definitive Technology
Speaker Type	Passive In-wall Speaker	Passive In-wall Speaker
Power Range	30-150 watts	10-325 watts
Sensitivity	89 dB	92 dB
Impedance	6 ohms	8 ohms
Frequency Response	51-25kHz	24-30kHz
Drivers
Woofer Quantity	1	2
Woofer Size	6.5"	5.25"
Woofer Composition	Wood Fiber	Polypropylene
Woofer Surround Material	Rubber	Butyl Rubber
Tweeter Size	1.1"	1"
Tweeter Type	Soft-Dome	Hard-Dome
Aimable Tweeter	No	No
Midrange Driver	No	No
Firing Direction	rear	n/a
Physical Specs
Height	266.0mm (10.5")	604.0mm (23.8")
Width	266.0mm (10.5")	150.0mm (5.9")
Depth	94.0mm (3.7")	99.0mm (3.9")
Enclosure	In-wall	In-wall
Moisture Resistancy	No	Yes
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	Definitive UIW RLS III digs deeper - 24Hz against 51Hz.
Amplifier needs	B	Definitive UIW RLS III is more sensitive (92dB vs 89dB), so it goes louder on the same amplifier.
Amplifier match	B	Definitive UIW RLS III is the easier load at 8 ohms.
Headroom	B	Definitive UIW RLS III takes more power (325W vs 150W) - more in hand in a big room.
Size	depends	DALI Phantom H-60 is easier to place; Definitive UIW RLS III is bigger, which usually goes with fuller bass. Your room decides.
Price	A	DALI Phantom H-60 is cheaper - $1,098 against $1,398, about 21% less.

A DALI Phantom H-60 B Definitive UIW RLS III
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?

Definitive UIW RLS III leads across most of the measured areas for a fairly modest premium, which makes it the easier pick if the budget stretches. DALI Phantom H-60 is the one to take if it does not. If a subwoofer is in your plans, the bass gap largely stops mattering - you would be crossing over above 51Hz anyway, which makes the cheaper DALI Phantom H-60 much easier to justify. Match it to your room: we rate DALI Phantom H-60 the better fit for a small room and a mid-size room, and Definitive UIW RLS III for a large room and a very large room.

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.