Siblings in Definitive Technology's DW series, so they share a family sound. It comes down to size, output and price.
| Area | Better | Why |
|---|
| Bass | A | Definitive Technology DW 80 PRO digs deeper - 35Hz against 46Hz. |
| Amplifier needs | evenly matched | Similar sensitivity (87dB vs 86dB) - both want much the same power. |
| Size | depends | Definitive Technology DW 65 PRO is easier to place; Definitive Technology DW 80 PRO is bigger, which usually goes with fuller bass. Your room decides. |
| Price | B | Definitive Technology DW 65 PRO is cheaper - $758 against $958, about 21% less. |
A Definitive Technology DW 80 PRO B Definitive Technology DW 65 PRO
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: Definitive Technology DW 80 PRO measures better, Definitive Technology DW 65 PRO costs about about 26% 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 46Hz anyway, which makes the cheaper Definitive Technology DW 65 PRO much easier to justify.
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.