Focal 300 IW 6 vs Definitive UIW RLS III Comparison

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Focal 300 IW 6

Passive In-wall | 55-28kHz

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Definitive UIW RLS III

Passive In-wall | 24-30kHz

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Focal 300 IW 6

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Definitive UIW RLS I...

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Focal 300 IW 6

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Definitive UIW RLS I...

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Focal 300 IW 6 vs Definitive UIW RLS III Speaker Comparison

In this review, we will be comparing 300 IW 6 and UIW RLS III, two Passive In-wall speakers from Focal and Definitive Technology.

Let's have a brief look at the main features of Focal 300 IW 6 and Definitive UIW RLS III first before getting into our more detailed comparison.

Key Specs	Focal 300 IW 6	Definitive UIW RLS III
Brand	Focal France · founded 1979	Definitive Technology United States · founded 1990
Design	2-way	2-way
Tweeter	1" Inverted Hard-Dome	1" Hard-Dome
Woofer	6.5" Flax	2 x 5.25" Polypropylene
Frequency response	55-28kHz	24-30kHz
Sensitivity	90 dB	92 dB
Impedance	8 ohms	8 ohms
Power range	25-130 watts	10-325 watts
Weight	2.22kg / 4.9lbs	—
Dimensions (H x W x D)	11.5000" x 7.5000" x 3.7500" 293.0 x 191.0 x 96.0mm	23.7500" x 5.8750" x 3.8750" 604.0 x 150.0 x 99.0mm

What size room are the Focal 300 IW 6 and Definitive UIW RLS III 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 300 IW 6	Definitive UIW RLS III
Near-field	Poor	Are you nuts?
Small Room	Average	Bad
Mid-size Room	Good	Poor
Large Room	Average	Good
Very Large Room	Poor	Good

(* 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.

**This post contains affiliate links, and we will be compensated if you make a purchase after clicking through our links. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

Drivers

Both 300 IW 6 and UIW RLS III are 2-way speakers.

Focal 300 IW 6

Definitive UIW RLS III

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 300 IW 6	Definitive UIW RLS III
Driver Setup	2-way	2-way
Tweeter	1-inch	1-inch
Midrange	-	-
Woofer	1 x 6.5-inch	2 x 5.25-inch

300 IW 6 features a 1" Inverted Hard-Dome Tweeter and 1 x 6.5" Flax Woofer. On the other hand, the UIW RLS III features a 1" Hard-Dome Tweeter and 2 x 5.25" Polypropylene Woofer.

Frequency Response

300 IW 6 has a frequency range of 55-28kHz whereas UIW RLS III has a frequency range of 24-30kHz. With a minimum frequency of 24Hz, the UIW RLS III can go significantly deeper on the low side and provide stronger bass compared to the 300 IW 6'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

300 IW 6

UIW RLS III

Min

Average

Median

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

300 IW 6 and UIW RLS III have the same Impedance of 8 ohms but where they differ is the sensitivity levels. 300 IW 6 sensitivity is rated at 90 dB and the UIW RLS III's is at 92 dB. This 2 dB difference makes the Definitive UIW RLS III a more sensitive speaker compared to Focal 300 IW 6, hence will play louder with the same amount of watts.

Sensitivity

In-wall Speakers

300 IW 6

UIW RLS III

Min

Average

Median

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 III can handle a max power of 325 watts RMS, whereas 300 IW 6 has a max power handling value of 130 watts RMS, 195 watts less than the UIW RLS III.

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.

Amplifier - change this

Distance

Playing as

Focal 300 IW 6

Definitive UIW RLS III

Input Type and Bi-Amping / Bi-Wiring

300 IW 6 features Spring post type posts and UIW RLS III 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 300 IW 6's and Definitive UIW RLS III's external dimensions. Focal 300 IW 6 has external dimensions of 293.0 x 191.0 x 96.0mm (11.5000-inch x 7.5000-inch x 3.7500-inch) whereas Definitive UIW RLS III has external dimensions of 604.0 x 150.0 x 99.0mm (23.7500-inch x 5.8750-inch x 3.8750-inch).

Focal 300 IW 6 is 311mm shorter and 3mm less deeper than Definitive UIW RLS III but it is also 41mm wider.

What's in the Box of Focal 300 IW 6?

Here are the items that are included inside the box of 300 IW 6:

One in-wall speaker
Grill (white)
12.5

What's in the Box of Definitive UIW RLS III?

Here are the items that come with the UIW RLS III:

In-wall loudspeaker
Grille
Self-adhesive foam gasket
Paint mask
Wall-Mount Template
Owners Manual
Online Product Registration Card

Reasons to choose Focal 300 IW 6 over Definitive Technology UIW RLS III

Woofer Size	6.5 inches vs 5.25 inches	Larger woofer
Height	293mm vs 604mm	Easier to fit in smaller spaces
Price per pair*	799USD vs 1398USD	costs less (*prices may change depending on the seller, location and time)

Reasons to choose Definitive Technology UIW RLS III over Focal 300 IW 6

Max Input Power	325 watts vs 130 watts	Handle more power from your amplifier
Sensitivity	92 dB vs 90 dB	Play louder with same amount of amplification power
Number of Woofers	2 vs 1	More woofers
Low Frequency Response	24 Hz vs 55 Hz	Generates deeper bass
High Frequency Response	30k Hz vs 28k Hz	Generates higher frequency
Passive Radiator	2 x 5.25-inch vs None	Increases the bass performance
Base Surface Area	148cm² vs 183cm²	Takes less floor space

Focal 300 IW 6 vs Definitive UIW RLS III Specs Table

Detailed comparison of specifications

General	Focal 300 IW 6	Definitive Technology UIW RLS III
Brand	Focal	Definitive Technology
Speaker Type	Passive In-wall Speaker	Passive In-wall Speaker
Power Range	25-130 watts	10-325 watts
Sensitivity	90 dB	92 dB
Impedance	8 ohms	8 ohms
Frequency Response	55-28kHz	24-30kHz
Drivers
Woofer Quantity	1	2
Woofer Size	6.5"	5.25"
Woofer Composition	Flax	Polypropylene
Woofer Surround Material	Rubber	Butyl Rubber
Tweeter Size	1"	1"
Tweeter Type	Inverted Hard-Dome	Hard-Dome
Aimable Tweeter	No	No
Midrange Driver	No	No
Physical Specs
Height	293.0mm (11.5")	604.0mm (23.8")
Width	191.0mm (7.5")	150.0mm (5.9")
Depth	96.0mm (3.8")	99.0mm (3.9")
Weight	2.22kg (4.9lbs)	n/a
Enclosure	In-wall	In-wall
Moisture Resistancy	No	Yes
Connections
Biamp Inputs	No	No
Other
Parts Warranty	5 Years	5 Years
Labor Warranty	5 Years	5 Years

Verdict

These sit in different price classes - Definitive UIW RLS III costs roughly 1.7x what Focal 300 IW 6 does. Expect it to lead on paper; the question is whether the gap is audible enough in your room to be worth it.

Area	Better	Why
Bass	B	Definitive UIW RLS III digs deeper - 24Hz against 55Hz.
Amplifier needs	B	Definitive UIW RLS III is more sensitive (92dB vs 90dB), so it goes louder on the same amplifier.
Headroom	B	Definitive UIW RLS III takes more power (325W vs 130W) - more in hand in a big room.
Size	depends	Focal 300 IW 6 is easier to place; Definitive UIW RLS III is bigger, which usually goes with fuller bass. Your room decides.
Price	A	Focal 300 IW 6 is cheaper - $799 against $1,398, about 43% less; arguably a different class.

A Focal 300 IW 6 B Definitive UIW RLS III
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 UIW RLS III measures better, Focal 300 IW 6 costs about about 75% 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 55Hz anyway, which makes the cheaper Focal 300 IW 6 much easier to justify. Match it to your room: we rate Focal 300 IW 6 the better fit for a small room and a mid-size room, and Definitive UIW RLS III for a large room and a very large 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.