In this review, we will be comparing 100 IW LCR5 and Arena 55IW, two Passive In-wall speakers from Focal and JBL.
Let's have a brief look at the main features
of Focal 100 IW LCR5 and JBL Arena 55IW first before getting into our more
detailed comparison.
| Key Specs | Focal 100 IW LCR5 | JBL Arena 55IW |
|---|
| Brand | Focal
France · founded 1979 | JBL
United States · founded 1946 |
|---|
| Design | 2-way | 2-way |
|---|
| Tweeter | 1" Inverted Hard-Dome | 1" Soft-dome |
|---|
| Woofer | 2 x 5.125" Polyglass | 2 x 5.25" Polycellulose |
|---|
| Frequency response | 55-23kHz | 40-20kHz |
|---|
| Sensitivity | 90.5 dB | 88 dB |
|---|
| Impedance | 8 ohms | 8 ohms |
|---|
| Power range | 25-120 watts | up to 120 watts |
|---|
| Weight | 1.77kg / 3.9lbs | — |
|---|
| Dimensions (H x W x D) | 16.3130" x 5.8130" x 3.2500"
415.0 x 148.0 x 83.0mm | 14.1250" x 6.3750" x 3.4375"
359.0 x 162.0 x 88.0mm |
|---|
What size room are the Focal 100 IW LCR5 and JBL Arena 55IW 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* |
Focal 100 IW LCR5 |
JBL Arena 55IW |
| Near-field |
Poor |
Poor |
| Small Room |
Average |
Average |
| Mid-size Room |
Good |
Good |
| Large Room |
Average |
Average |
| Very Large Room |
Poor |
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
Both 100 IW LCR5 and Arena 55IW are 2-way speakers.
Focal 100 IW LCR5JBL Arena 55IW
TweeterWoofer
Front view, drawn to scale - cabinets and drivers share one scale, so sizes are directly comparable. Hover a driver for its size.
| Driver |
Focal 100 IW LCR5 |
JBL Arena 55IW |
|
Driver Setup
|
2-way
|
2-way
|
|
Tweeter
|
1-inch
|
1-inch
|
|
Midrange
|
- |
- |
|
Woofer
|
2 x 5.125-inch
|
2 x 5.25-inch
|
100 IW LCR5 features a 1" Inverted Hard-Dome Tweeter and 2 x 5.125" Polyglass Woofer. On the other hand, the Arena 55IW features a 1" Soft-dome Tweeter and 2 x 5.25" Polycellulose Woofer.
Frequency Response
100 IW LCR5 has a frequency range of 55-23kHz whereas Arena 55IW has a frequency range of 40-20kHz. With a minimum frequency of 40Hz, the Arena 55IW can go significantly deeper on the low side and provide stronger bass compared to the 100 IW LCR5's min frequency of 55Hz.
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
100 IW LCR5 and Arena 55IW have the same Impedance of 8 ohms but where they differ is the sensitivity levels. 100 IW LCR5 sensitivity is rated at 90.5 dB and the Arena 55IW's is at 88 dB. This 3 dB difference makes the Focal 100 IW LCR5 a more sensitive speaker compared to JBL Arena 55IW, 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.
Both handle the same maximum of 120 watts RMS, though 100 IW LCR5 is rated 25-120 watts and Arena 55IW up to 120 watts.
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
100 IW LCR5 features Spring post type posts and Arena 55IW 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 Focal 100 IW LCR5's and JBL Arena 55IW's external dimensions. 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) whereas JBL Arena 55IW has external dimensions of 359.0 x 162.0 x 88.0mm (14.1250-inch x 6.3750-inch x 3.4375-inch).
Focal 100 IW LCR5 is 14mm narrower and 5mm less deeper than JBL Arena 55IW but it is also 56mm taller.
What's in the Box of Focal 100 IW LCR5?
Here are the items that are included inside the box of 100 IW LCR5:
- One in-wall speaker
- 1 metal-mesh grill (white)
- Cut-out template
- User manual
What's in the Box of JBL Arena 55IW?
Here are the items that come with the Arena 55IW:
- In-wall loudspeaker
- Grille
- 2 Scrim cloths (1 installed)
- Mounting Template
- Instruction Manual