In this review, we will be comparing IW-DC51-W and R-5800-W II, two Passive In-wall speakers from ELAC and Klipsch.
Let's have a brief look at the main features
of ELAC IW-DC51-W and Klipsch R-5800-W II first before getting into our more
detailed comparison.
| Key Specs | ELAC IW-DC51-W | Klipsch R-5800-W II |
|---|
| Brand | ELAC
Germany · founded 1926 | Klipsch
United States · founded 1946 |
|---|
| Design | 2-way | 2-way |
|---|
| Tweeter | 1" Soft-Dome | 1" Horn-loaded dome |
|---|
| Woofer | 5.25" Woven Aramid-Fiber | 8" Cerametallic |
|---|
| Frequency response | 45-20kHz | 40-23kHz |
|---|
| Sensitivity | 87 dB | 94 dB |
|---|
| Impedance | 6 ohms | 8 ohms |
|---|
| Power range | 30-120 watts | up to 50 watts |
|---|
| Weight | 4.85kg / 10.7lbs | 3.58kg / 7.9lbs |
|---|
| Dimensions (H x W x D) | 6.2500" x 16.5000" x 3.3750"
159.0 x 420.0 x 86.0mm | 14.6875" x 9.1250" x 3.9375"
374.0 x 232.0 x 101.0mm |
|---|
What size room are the ELAC IW-DC51-W and Klipsch R-5800-W II 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* |
ELAC IW-DC51-W |
Klipsch R-5800-W II |
| Near-field |
Poor |
Good |
| Small Room |
Average |
Good |
| Mid-size Room |
Good |
Average |
| Large Room |
Average |
Poor |
| Very Large Room |
Poor |
No way |
(* 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.
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Drivers
Both IW-DC51-W and R-5800-W II are 2-way speakers.
ELAC IW-DC51-WKlipsch R-5800-W II
TweeterWoofer
Front view, drawn to scale - cabinets and drivers share one scale, so sizes are directly comparable. Hover a driver for its size.
| Driver |
ELAC IW-DC51-W |
Klipsch R-5800-W II |
|
Driver Setup
|
2-way
|
2-way
|
|
Tweeter
|
1-inch
|
1-inch
|
|
Midrange
|
- |
- |
|
Woofer
|
1 x 5.25-inch
|
1 x 8-inch
|
IW-DC51-W features a 1" Soft-Dome Tweeter and 1 x 5.25" Woven Aramid-Fiber Woofer. On the other hand, the R-5800-W II features a 1" Horn-loaded dome Tweeter and 1 x 8" Cerametallic Woofer with a Crossover frequency at 2600 Hz.
Frequency Response
IW-DC51-W has a frequency range of 45-20kHz whereas R-5800-W II has a frequency range of 40-23kHz. With a minimum frequency of 40Hz, the R-5800-W II can go significantly deeper on the low side and provide stronger bass compared to the IW-DC51-W's min frequency of 45Hz.
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
IW-DC51-W is a 6 ohms speaker compared to the R-5800-W II 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 R-5800-W II's is rated at 94 dB. This 7 dB difference makes the Klipsch R-5800-W II 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. Staying
within that range gives nominal performance; driving the speaker beyond its maximum wattage can damage it.
IW-DC51-W can handle a max power of 120 watts RMS, whereas R-5800-W II has a max power handling value of 50 watts RMS, 70 watts less than the IW-DC51-W.
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
IW-DC51-W features Spring post type posts and R-5800-W II 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 ELAC IW-DC51-W's and Klipsch R-5800-W II'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 Klipsch R-5800-W II has external dimensions of 374.0 x 232.0 x 101.0mm (14.6875-inch x 9.1250-inch x 3.9375-inch).
ELAC IW-DC51-W is 215mm shorter and 15mm less deeper than Klipsch R-5800-W II but it is also 188mm wider.
Weight Comparison The weight of a loudspeaker can become an important factor if you need to move and reposition the unit often. Weight of a speaker can also "sometimes" be an indicator of the rigidity of the enclosure and the quality of the internal components used. The ELAC IW-DC51-W weighs 4.85kg / 10.7lbs and the Klipsch R-5800-W II weighs 3.58kg / 7.9lbs. This makes the IW-DC51-W 35% heavier than the R-5800-W II.
Here is a comparison of how IW-DC51-W and R-5800-W II's weights compare with the average, max and min weights in Passive In-wall class.
Weight
All In-wall Speakers
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 speaker
- Grille
What's in the Box of Klipsch R-5800-W II?
Here are the items that come with the R-5800-W II:
- In-wall speaker
- White metal mesh grille
- Cardboard template
- Owners Manual (En/Fr/Sp)
 Max Input Power |
120 watts
vs
50 watts
|
Handle more power from your amplifier |
 Height |
159mm
vs
374mm
|
Easier to fit in smaller spaces |
 Price per pair* |
660USD
vs
978USD
|
costs less (*prices may change depending on the seller, location and time) |
 Sensitivity |
94 dB
vs
87 dB
|
Play louder with same amount of amplification power |
 Nominal Impedance |
8 ohms
vs
6 ohms
|
Less selective with amplifiers |
 Woofer Size |
8 inches
vs
5.25 inches
|
Larger woofer |
|
Low Frequency Response |
40 Hz
vs
45 Hz
|
Generates deeper bass |
 High Frequency Response |
23k Hz
vs
20k Hz
|
Generates higher frequency |
 Base Surface Area |
234cm2
vs
361cm2
|
Takes less floor space |
| General |
ELAC IW-DC51-W |
Klipsch R-5800-W II |
| Brand |
ELAC |
Klipsch |
| Speaker Type |
Passive In-wall Speaker |
Passive In-wall Speaker |
| Power Range |
30-120 watts |
up to 50 watts |
| Sensitivity |
87 dB |
94 dB |
| Impedance |
6 ohms |
8 ohms |
| Frequency Response |
45-20kHz |
40-23kHz |
Drivers |
|
|
| Woofer Quantity |
1 |
1 |
| Woofer Size |
5.25" |
8" |
| Woofer Composition |
Woven Aramid-Fiber |
Cerametallic |
| Woofer Surround Material |
Rubber |
Rubber |
| Tweeter Size |
1" |
1" |
| Tweeter Type |
Soft-Dome |
Horn-loaded dome |
| Aimable Tweeter |
No |
No |
| Midrange Driver |
No |
No |
| Crossover Frequency |
n/a |
2600 Hz |
Physical Specs |
|
|
| Height |
159.0mm (6.3") |
374.0mm (14.7") |
| Width |
420.0mm (16.5") |
232.0mm (9.1") |
| Depth |
86.0mm (3.4") |
101.0mm (4") |
| Weight |
4.85kg (10.7lbs) |
3.58kg (7.9lbs) |
| Enclosure |
In-wall |
In-wall |
| Moisture Resistancy |
No |
No |
Connections |
|
|
| Biamp Inputs |
No |
No |
Other |
|
|
| Parts Warranty |
3 Years |
Ltd. Lifetime |
| Labor Warranty |
3 Years |
Ltd. Lifetime |
A generation apart: ELAC IW-DC51-W is the newer design, against a 2015 model. Newer is not automatically better, but the older one is more likely to be discounted or near run-out.
| Area | Better | Why |
|---|
| Bass | B | Klipsch R-5800-W II digs deeper - 40Hz against 45Hz. A subwoofer would even that out. |
| Amplifier needs | B | Klipsch R-5800-W II is more sensitive (94dB vs 87dB), so it goes louder on the same amplifier. |
| Amplifier match | B | Klipsch R-5800-W II is the easier load at 8 ohms. |
| Headroom | A | ELAC IW-DC51-W takes more power (120W vs 50W) - more in hand in a big room. |
| Size | depends | ELAC IW-DC51-W is easier to place; Klipsch R-5800-W II is bigger, which usually goes with fuller bass. Your room decides. |
| Price | A | ELAC IW-DC51-W is cheaper - $660 against $978, about 33% less. |
A ELAC IW-DC51-W B Klipsch R-5800-W II
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: Klipsch R-5800-W II measures better, ELAC IW-DC51-W costs about about 48% 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 45Hz anyway, which makes the cheaper ELAC IW-DC51-W much easier to justify. Match it to your room: we rate ELAC IW-DC51-W the better fit for a mid-size room and a large room, and Klipsch R-5800-W II for near-field listening and 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.