In this review, we will be comparing UIW RLS II and 300 IW6 LCR, two Passive In-wall speakers from Definitive Technology and Focal.
Let's have a brief look at the main features
of Definitive UIW RLS II and Focal 300 IW6 LCR first before getting into our more
detailed comparison.
| Key Specs | Definitive UIW RLS II | Focal 300 IW6 LCR |
|---|
| Brand | Definitive Technology
United States · founded 1990 | Focal
France · founded 1979 |
|---|
| Design | 2-way | 3-way |
|---|
| Tweeter | 1" Hard-Dome | 1" Inverted Hard-Dome |
|---|
| Midrange | — | 4" |
|---|
| Woofer | 2 x 6.5" Polypropylene | 2 x 6.5" Flax |
|---|
| Frequency response | 22-30kHz | 40-28kHz |
|---|
| Sensitivity | 92 dB | 92 dB |
|---|
| Impedance | 8 ohms | 8 ohms |
|---|
| Power range | 10-350 watts | 50-150 watts |
|---|
| Weight | — | 5.62kg / 12.4lbs |
|---|
| Dimensions (H x W x D) | 28.5000" x 7.0000" x 3.8750"
724.0 x 178.0 x 99.0mm | 22.5000" x 7.5000" x 4.0000"
572.0 x 191.0 x 102.0mm |
|---|
What size room are the Definitive UIW RLS II and Focal 300 IW6 LCR 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 UIW RLS II |
Focal 300 IW6 LCR |
| Near-field |
Are you nuts? |
Poor |
| Small Room |
Bad |
Average |
| Mid-size Room |
Poor |
Good |
| Large Room |
Good |
Average |
| Very Large Room |
Good |
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
One of the fundamental differences between these two speakers is that UIW RLS II is a 2-way design whereas the 300 IW6 LCR is a 3-way speaker. 3-way designs utilize a midrange driver in addition to the tweeter and woofer on 2-way designs. Designing a crossover for a 3-way speaker is a complicated process and generally increases the overall cost of the speaker.
Definitive UIW RLS IIFocal 300 IW6 LCR
TweeterMidrangeWoofer
Front view, drawn to scale - cabinets and drivers share one scale, so sizes are directly comparable. Hover a driver for its size.
| Driver |
Definitive UIW RLS II |
Focal 300 IW6 LCR |
|
Driver Setup
|
2-way
|
3-way
|
|
Tweeter
|
1-inch
|
1-inch
|
|
Midrange
|
- |
1 x 4-inch |
|
Woofer
|
2 x 6.5-inch
|
2 x 6.5-inch
|
UIW RLS II features a 1" Hard-Dome Tweeter and 2 x 6.5" Polypropylene Woofer. On the other hand, the 300 IW6 LCR features a 1" Inverted Hard-Dome Tweeter, a 4" Midrange and 2 x 6.5" Flax Woofer.
Frequency Response
UIW RLS II has a frequency range of 22-30kHz whereas 300 IW6 LCR has a frequency range of 40-28kHz. With a minimum frequency of 22Hz, the UIW RLS II can go significantly deeper on the low side and provide stronger bass compared to the 300 IW6 LCR's min frequency of 40Hz.
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
UIW RLS II and 300 IW6 LCR have the same Impedance of 8 ohms and their sensitivity is also same at 92 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.
UIW RLS II can handle a max power of 350 watts RMS, whereas 300 IW6 LCR has a max power handling value of 150 watts RMS, 200 watts less than the UIW RLS II.
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
UIW RLS II features Spring post type posts and 300 IW6 LCR 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 UIW RLS II's and Focal 300 IW6 LCR's external dimensions. Definitive UIW RLS II has external dimensions of 724.0 x 178.0 x 99.0mm (28.5000-inch x 7.0000-inch x 3.8750-inch) whereas Focal 300 IW6 LCR has external dimensions of 572.0 x 191.0 x 102.0mm (22.5000-inch x 7.5000-inch x 4.0000-inch).
Definitive UIW RLS II is 13mm narrower and 3mm less deeper than Focal 300 IW6 LCR but it is also 152mm taller.
What's in the Box of Definitive UIW RLS II?
Here are the items that are included inside the box of UIW RLS II:
- In-wall loudspeaker
- Grille
- Self-adhesive foam gasket
- Paint mask
- Wall-Mount Template
- Owners Manual
- Online Product Registration Card
What's in the Box of Focal 300 IW6 LCR?
Here are the items that come with the 300 IW6 LCR:
- One in-wall speaker
- 1 metal-mesh grill (white)
- 23.5