In this review, we will be comparing IW-DC51-W and 100 IW LCR5, two Passive In-wall speakers from ELAC and Focal. Let's have a brief look at the main features
of ELAC IW-DC51-W and Focal 100 IW LCR5 first before getting into our more
detailed comparison.
What size room are the ELAC IW-DC51-W 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:
In the following sections, we will get into more detail in order to better understand how the ELAC IW-DC51-W and Focal 100 IW LCR5 compare and hopefully end up with enough arguments to decide which one of these loudspeakers is the better choice for you.
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Drivers
Both IW-DC51-W and 100 IW LCR5 are 2-way speakers.
| Driver |
ELAC IW-DC51-W |
Focal 100 IW LCR5 |
|
Driver Setup
|
2-way
|
2-way
|
|
Tweeter
|
1-inch
|
1-inch
|
|
Midrange
|
- |
- |
|
Woofer
|
1 x 5.25-inch
|
2 x 5.125-inch
|
IW-DC51-W features a 1" Soft-Dome Tweeter and 1 x 5.25" Woven Aramid-Fiber 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
IW-DC51-W has a frequency range of 45-20kHz whereas 100 IW LCR5 has a frequency range of 55-23kHz. With a minimum frequency of 45Hz, the IW-DC51-W can go significantly deeper on the low side and provide stronger bass compared to the 100 IW LCR5's min frequency of 55Hz.
Below graphs depict how these two speakers compare with the max, min and average values of the Min and Max Frequencies of other speakers in the In-wall class in our database.
Low Frequency
In-wall Speakers
High Frequency
In-wall Speakers
None of these speakers achieves full range experience which is commonly agreed as 20Hz-20kHz. In order to achieve lower lows / deeper bass, we recommend you pair these with a subwoofer. Visit our Powered Subwoofers section to find out more about the available options.
Impedance and Sensitivity
IW-DC51-W is a 6 ohms speaker compared to the 100 IW LCR5 which has a nominal impedance of 8 ohms.
These two speakers also have different sensitivity levels. IW-DC51-W sensitivity is rated at 87 dB and the 100 IW LCR5's is rated at 90.5 dB. This 4 dB difference makes the Focal 100 IW LCR5 a more sensitive speaker compared to ELAC IW-DC51-W, hence will play louder with the same amount of watts.
Sensitivity
In-wall Speakers
Power Range
Power
range is the range of input power in watts RMS that a loudspeaker is designed to handle. While using an amplifier within this range ensures the nominal performance , inputting a power that is higher than the max wattage can result in a damaged speaker.
Keep in mind that a higher max power handling value doesn't necessarily make that a louder speaker
compared to a lower max handling speaker. Loudness or the sound level is also impacted by parameters
such as Impedance, sensitivity and system efficiencies.
Input Type and Bi-Amping / Bi-Wiring
IW-DC51-W 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
Size of a speaker can sometimes become an important decision factor due to space constraints or in some cases purely for esthetic reasons. In this section, we are going to compare ELAC IW-DC51-W's and Focal 100 IW LCR5's external dimensions. ELAC IW-DC51-W has external dimensions of 159.0 x 420.0 x 86.0mm ( 6.2500-inch x 16.5000-inch x 3.3750-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 272mm narrower and 3mm less deeper than ELAC IW-DC51-W but it is also 256mm taller.
What's in the Box of ELAC IW-DC51-W?
Here are the items that are included inside the box of IW-DC51-W:
In-wall center-channel speakerGrille
What's in the Box of Focal 100 IW LCR5?
Here are the items that come with the 100 IW LCR5:
One in-wall speaker1 metal-mesh grill (white)Cut-out templateUser manual