In this review, we will be comparing 300 IW6 LCR and R-5800-W II, two Passive In-wall speakers from Focal and Klipsch. Let's have a brief look at the main features
of Focal 300 IW6 LCR and Klipsch R-5800-W II first before getting into our more
detailed comparison.
Focal 300 IW6 LCR Key Specs
- 3-way Design
- 1" Inverted Hard-Dome Tweeter
- 2 x 6.5" Flax Woofer
- 40-28kHz Frequency Response
- 92 dB Sensitivity
- Impedance: 8ohms
- Power Range:50-150watts
- Dimensions (H x W x D): 572.0" x 7.5000" x 4.0000"( 572.0 x 191.0 x 102.0mm )
Klipsch R-5800-W II Key Specs
- 2-way Design
- 1" Horn-loaded dome Tweeter
- 8" Cerametallic Woofer
- 40-23kHz Frequency Response
- 94 dB Sensitivity
- Impedance: 8ohms
- Power Range:up to 50watts
- Dimensions (H x W x D): 374.0" x 9.1250" x 3.9375"( 374.0 x 232.0 x 101.0mm )
What size room are the Focal 300 IW6 LCR 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* |
Focal 300 IW6 LCR |
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.)
In the following sections, we will get into more detail in order to better understand how the Focal 300 IW6 LCR and Klipsch R-5800-W II 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
One of the fundamental differences between these two speakers is that 300 IW6 LCR is a 3-way design whereas the R-5800-W II is a 2-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.
| Driver |
Focal 300 IW6 LCR |
Klipsch R-5800-W II |
|
Driver Setup
|
3-way
|
2-way
|
|
Tweeter
|
1-inch
|
1-inch
|
|
Midrange
|
- |
- |
|
Woofer
|
2 x 6.5-inch
|
1 x 8-inch
|
300 IW6 LCR features a 1" Inverted Hard-Dome Tweeter and 2 x 6.5" Flax Woofer . On the other hand, the R-5800-W II features a 1" Horn-loaded dome Tweeter and 1 x 8" Cerametallic Woofer .
Frequency Response
300 IW6 LCR has a frequency range of 40-28kHz whereas R-5800-W II has a frequency range of 40-23kHz.
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
300 IW6 LCR and R-5800-W II have the same Impedance of 8 ohms but where they differ is the sensitivity levels. 300 IW6 LCR sensitivity is rated at 92 dB and the R-5800-W II's is at 94 dB. This 2 dB difference makes the Klipsch R-5800-W II a more sensitive speaker compared to Focal 300 IW6 LCR, 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.
300 IW6 LCR can handle a max power of 150 watts RMS from the amp the whereas R-5800-W II has a max power handling value of 50 watts RMS, 100 watts less than the 300 IW6 LCR.
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
300 IW6 LCR 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
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 Focal 300 IW6 LCR's and Klipsch R-5800-W II's external dimensions. 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) 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) .
Klipsch R-5800-W II is 198mm shorter and 1mm less deeper than Focal 300 IW6 LCR but it is also 41mm wider.
What's in the Box of Focal 300 IW6 LCR?
Here are the items that are included inside the box of 300 IW6 LCR:
One in-wall speaker1 metal-mesh grill (white)23.5
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 speakerWhite metal mesh grilleCardboard templateOwners Manual (En/Fr/Sp)
Max Input Power 
Driver Setup 
Number of Woofers 
High Frequency Response 
Base Surface Area 
Sensitivity 
Height 
Price per pair*