Definitive DI 5.5BPS vs Focal 100 IW LCR5 Comparison

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Definitive DI 5.5BPS

Passive In-wall | 28-30kHz

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Focal 100 IW LCR5

Passive In-wall | 55-23kHz

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Definitive DI 5.5BPS

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Focal 100 IW LCR5

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Definitive DI 5.5BPS

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Focal 100 IW LCR5

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Definitive DI 5.5BPS vs Focal 100 IW LCR5 Speaker Comparison

In this review, we will be comparing DI 5.5BPS and 100 IW LCR5, two Passive In-wall speakers from Definitive Technology and Focal.

Let's have a brief look at the main features of Definitive DI 5.5BPS and Focal 100 IW LCR5 first before getting into our more detailed comparison.

Key Specs	Definitive DI 5.5BPS	Focal 100 IW LCR5
Brand	Definitive Technology United States · founded 1990	Focal France · founded 1979
Design	2-way	2-way
Tweeter	1" Hard-Dome	1" Inverted Hard-Dome
Woofer	5.5" Polymer	2 x 5.125" Polyglass
Frequency response	28-30kHz	55-23kHz
Sensitivity	89 dB	90.5 dB
Impedance	8 ohms	8 ohms
Power range	10-225 watts	25-120 watts
Weight	—	1.77kg / 3.9lbs
Dimensions (H x W x D)	12.6250" x 6.8125" x 3.8750" 321.0 x 174.0 x 99.0mm	16.3130" x 5.8130" x 3.2500" 415.0 x 148.0 x 83.0mm

What size room are the Definitive DI 5.5BPS and Focal 100 IW LCR5 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*	Definitive DI 5.5BPS	Focal 100 IW LCR5
Near-field	Poor	Poor
Small Room	Poor	Average
Mid-size Room	Good	Good
Large Room	Good	Average
Very Large Room	Average	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 DI 5.5BPS and 100 IW LCR5 are 2-way speakers.

Definitive DI 5.5BPS

Focal 100 IW LCR5

TweeterWoofer

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

Driver	Definitive DI 5.5BPS	Focal 100 IW LCR5
Driver Setup	2-way	2-way
Tweeter	1-inch	1-inch
Midrange	-	-
Woofer	1 x 5.5-inch	2 x 5.125-inch

DI 5.5BPS features a 1" Hard-Dome Tweeter and 1 x 5.5" Polymer Woofer. On the other hand, the 100 IW LCR5 features a 1" Inverted Hard-Dome Tweeter and 2 x 5.125" Polyglass Woofer.

Frequency Response

DI 5.5BPS has a frequency range of 28-30kHz whereas 100 IW LCR5 has a frequency range of 55-23kHz. With a minimum frequency of 28Hz, the DI 5.5BPS can go significantly deeper on the low side and provide stronger bass compared to the 100 IW LCR5's min frequency of 55Hz.

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

DI 5.5BPS

100 IW LCR5

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

DI 5.5BPS and 100 IW LCR5 have the same Impedance of 8 ohms but where they differ is the sensitivity levels. DI 5.5BPS sensitivity is rated at 89 dB and the 100 IW LCR5's is at 90.5 dB. This 2 dB difference makes the Focal 100 IW LCR5 a more sensitive speaker compared to Definitive DI 5.5BPS, hence will play louder with the same amount of watts.

Sensitivity

In-wall Speakers

DI 5.5BPS

100 IW LCR5

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.

DI 5.5BPS can handle a max power of 225 watts RMS, whereas 100 IW LCR5 has a max power handling value of 120 watts RMS, 105 watts less than the DI 5.5BPS.

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

Definitive DI 5.5BPS

Focal 100 IW LCR5

Input Type and Bi-Amping / Bi-Wiring

DI 5.5BPS features Spring post type posts and 100 IW LCR5 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 Definitive DI 5.5BPS's and Focal 100 IW LCR5's external dimensions. Definitive DI 5.5BPS has external dimensions of 321.0 x 174.0 x 99.0mm (12.6250-inch x 6.8125-inch x 3.8750-inch) whereas Focal 100 IW LCR5 has external dimensions of 415.0 x 148.0 x 83.0mm (16.3130-inch x 5.8130-inch x 3.2500-inch).

Focal 100 IW LCR5 is 26mm narrower and 16mm less deeper than Definitive DI 5.5BPS but it is also 94mm 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.

Definitive DI 5.5BPS needs about 40% more floor or shelf area. Definitive DI 5.5BPS is 16mm deeper, so it stands that much further out from the wall. Focal 100 IW LCR5 is 94mm taller.

What's in the Box of Definitive DI 5.5BPS?

Here are the items that are included inside the box of DI 5.5BPS:

Bipolar surround in-wall speaker
White grille (paintable)
Four mounting screws (installed)
Cut-out template
Owners Manual
Online Product Registration card

What's in the Box of Focal 100 IW LCR5?

Here are the items that come with the 100 IW LCR5:

One in-wall speaker
1 metal-mesh grill (white)
Cut-out template
User manual

Reasons to choose Definitive Technology DI 5.5BPS over Focal 100 IW LCR5

Max Input Power	225 watts vs 120 watts	Handle more power from your amplifier
Woofer Size	5.5 inches vs 5.125 inches	Larger woofer
Low Frequency Response	28 Hz vs 55 Hz	Generates deeper bass
High Frequency Response	30k Hz vs 23k Hz	Generates higher frequency
Height	321mm vs 415mm	Easier to fit in smaller spaces

Reasons to choose Focal 100 IW LCR5 over Definitive Technology DI 5.5BPS

Sensitivity	91 dB vs 89 dB	Play louder with same amount of amplification power
Number of Woofers	2 vs 1	More woofers
Base Surface Area	122cm² vs 172cm²	Takes less floor space
Price per pair*	598USD vs 998USD	costs less (*prices may change depending on the seller, location and time)

Definitive DI 5.5BPS vs Focal 100 IW LCR5 Specs Table

Detailed comparison of specifications

General	Definitive Technology DI 5.5BPS	Focal 100 IW LCR5
Brand	Definitive Technology	Focal
Speaker Type	Passive In-wall Speaker	Passive In-wall Speaker
Power Range	10-225 watts	25-120 watts
Sensitivity	89 dB	90.5 dB
Impedance	8 ohms	8 ohms
Frequency Response	28-30kHz	55-23kHz
Drivers
Woofer Quantity	1	2
Woofer Size	5.5"	5.125"
Woofer Composition	Polymer	Polyglass
Woofer Surround Material	Rubber	Rubber
Tweeter Size	1"	1"
Tweeter Type	Hard-Dome	Inverted Hard-Dome
Aimable Tweeter	Yes	No
Midrange Driver	No	No
Physical Specs
Height	321.0mm (12.6")	415.0mm (16.3")
Width	174.0mm (6.9")	148.0mm (5.8")
Depth	99.0mm (3.9")	83.0mm (3.3")
Weight	n/a	1.77kg (3.9lbs)
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

These sit in different price classes - Definitive DI 5.5BPS costs roughly 1.7x what Focal 100 IW LCR5 does. Expect it to lead on paper; the question is whether the gap is audible enough in your room to be worth it.

Area	Better	Why
Bass	A	Definitive DI 5.5BPS digs deeper - 28Hz against 55Hz.
Amplifier needs	B	Focal 100 IW LCR5 is more sensitive (91dB vs 89dB), so it goes louder on the same amplifier.
Headroom	A	Definitive DI 5.5BPS takes more power (225W vs 120W) - more in hand in a big room.
Size	depends	Similar cabinet size - neither is easier to fit.
Expandability	depends	Neither adds bi-amping, a sub output or height drivers. Definitive DI 5.5BPS sits in a wider range (5 models), so a matched surround system is easier later.
Price	B	Focal 100 IW LCR5 is cheaper - $598 against $998, about 40% less; arguably a different class.

A Definitive DI 5.5BPS B Focal 100 IW LCR5
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 DI 5.5BPS is ahead, but only on 1 of the measured areas, and it costs about 67% more. That is a lot of money for a narrow margin on paper - Focal 100 IW LCR5 looks like the sensible buy unless something else about the Definitive DI 5.5BPS appeals to you. If a subwoofer is in your plans, the bass gap largely stops mattering - you would be crossing over above 55Hz anyway, which makes the cheaper Focal 100 IW LCR5 much easier to justify. Match it to your room: we rate Definitive DI 5.5BPS the better fit for a large room and a very large room, and Focal 100 IW LCR5 for a small 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.