In this review, we will be comparing DI 5.5S and DI 5.5LCR, two Passive In-wall speakers by Definitive Technology.
Let's have a brief look at the main features
of Definitive DI 5.5S and Definitive DI 5.5LCR first before getting into our more
detailed comparison.
| Key Specs | Definitive DI 5.5S | Definitive DI 5.5LCR |
|---|
| Brand | Definitive Technology
United States · founded 1990 | Definitive Technology
United States · founded 1990 |
|---|
| Design | 2-way | 2-way |
|---|
| Tweeter | 1" Hard-Dome | 1" Hard-Dome |
|---|
| Woofer | 5.25" Polymer | 2 x 5.25" Polymer |
|---|
| Frequency response | 28-30kHz | 28-30kHz |
|---|
| Sensitivity | 89 dB | 89 dB |
|---|
| Impedance | 8 ohms | 8 ohms |
|---|
| Power range | 10-175 watts | 10-250 watts |
|---|
| Dimensions (H x W x D) | 6.3125" x 6.3125" x 3.6250"
161.0 x 161.0 x 93.0mm | 14.3750" x 6.4375" x 3.6250"
366.0 x 164.0 x 93.0mm |
|---|
DI 5.5S and DI 5.5LCR are members of Definitive Technology's DI series of speakers. Below you can find the loudspeakers from this series.
Definitive Technology DI Series
History
What size room are the Definitive DI 5.5S and Definitive DI 5.5LCR 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 5.5S |
Definitive DI 5.5LCR |
| Near-field |
Poor |
Poor |
| Small Room |
Average |
Poor |
| Mid-size Room |
Good |
Good |
| Large Room |
Average |
Good |
| Very Large Room |
Poor |
Average |
(* 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 5.5S and DI 5.5LCR are 2-way speakers.
Definitive DI 5.5SDefinitive DI 5.5LCR
TweeterWoofer
Drivers drawn to scale and directly comparable. Cabinet outlines are indicative: full dimensions are not published for both. Hover a driver for its size.
| Driver |
Definitive DI 5.5S |
Definitive DI 5.5LCR |
|
Driver Setup
|
2-way
|
2-way
|
|
Tweeter
|
1-inch
|
1-inch
|
|
Midrange
|
- |
- |
|
Woofer
|
1 x 5.25-inch
|
2 x 5.25-inch
|
DI 5.5S features a 1" Hard-Dome Tweeter and 1 x 5.25" Polymer Woofer. On the other hand, the DI 5.5LCR features a 1" Hard-Dome Tweeter and 2 x 5.25" Polymer Woofer.
Frequency Response
DI 5.5S and DI 5.5LCR has exactly the same frequency range of 28-30kHz.
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
DI 5.5S and DI 5.5LCR have the same Impedance of 8 ohms and their sensitivity is also same at 89 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.
DI 5.5LCR can handle a max power of 250 watts RMS, whereas DI 5.5S has a max power handling value of 175 watts RMS, 75 watts less than the DI 5.5LCR.
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
DI 5.5S features Spring clip type posts and DI 5.5LCR has a Spring clip 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 5.5S's and Definitive DI 5.5LCR's external dimensions. Definitive DI 5.5S has external dimensions of 161.0 x 161.0 x 93.0mm (6.3125-inch x 6.3125-inch x 3.6250-inch) whereas Definitive DI 5.5LCR has external dimensions of 366.0 x 164.0 x 93.0mm (14.3750-inch x 6.4375-inch x 3.6250-inch).
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.
What's in the Box of Definitive DI 5.5S?
Here are the items that are included inside the box of DI 5.5S:
What's in the Box of Definitive DI 5.5LCR?
Here are the items that come with the DI 5.5LCR: