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.
| Key Specs | Focal 300 IW6 LCR | Klipsch R-5800-W II |
|---|
| Brand | Focal
France · founded 1979 | Klipsch
United States · founded 1946 |
|---|
| Design | 3-way | 2-way |
|---|
| Tweeter | 1" Inverted Hard-Dome | 1" Horn-loaded dome |
|---|
| Midrange | 4" | — |
|---|
| Woofer | 2 x 6.5" Flax | 8" Cerametallic |
|---|
| Frequency response | 40-28kHz | 40-23kHz |
|---|
| Sensitivity | 92 dB | 94 dB |
|---|
| Impedance | 8 ohms | 8 ohms |
|---|
| Power range | 50-150 watts | up to 50 watts |
|---|
| Weight | 5.62kg / 12.4lbs | 3.58kg / 7.9lbs |
|---|
| Dimensions (H x W x D) | 22.5000" x 7.5000" x 4.0000"
572.0 x 191.0 x 102.0mm | 14.6875" 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.)
The sections below take each area in turn: drivers, frequency response, physical size and what you get in the box.
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.
Focal 300 IW6 LCRKlipsch R-5800-W II
TweeterMidrangeWoofer
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 IW6 LCR |
Klipsch R-5800-W II |
|
Driver Setup
|
3-way
|
2-way
|
|
Tweeter
|
1-inch
|
1-inch
|
|
Midrange
|
1 x 4-inch |
- |
|
Woofer
|
2 x 6.5-inch
|
1 x 8-inch
|
300 IW6 LCR features a 1" Inverted Hard-Dome Tweeter, a 4" Midrange 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 with a Crossover frequency at 2600 Hz.
Frequency Response
300 IW6 LCR has a frequency range of 40-28kHz whereas R-5800-W II has a frequency range of 40-23kHz.
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
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. Staying
within that range gives nominal performance; driving the speaker beyond its maximum wattage can damage it.
300 IW6 LCR can handle a max power of 150 watts RMS, whereas R-5800-W II has a max power handling value of 50 watts RMS, 100 watts less than the 300 IW6 LCR.
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
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
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 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.
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 Focal 300 IW6 LCR weighs 5.62kg / 12.4lbs and the Klipsch R-5800-W II weighs 3.58kg / 7.9lbs. This makes the 300 IW6 LCR 57% heavier than the R-5800-W II.
Here is a comparison of how 300 IW6 LCR 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 Focal 300 IW6 LCR?
Here are the items that are included inside the box of 300 IW6 LCR:
- One in-wall speaker
- 1 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 speaker
- White metal mesh grille
- Cardboard template
- Owners Manual (En/Fr/Sp)
 Max Input Power |
150 watts
vs
50 watts
|
Handle more power from your amplifier |
 Driver Setup |
3-way
vs
2-way
|
Have a dedicated mid-range driver |
 Number of Woofers |
2
vs
1
|
More woofers |
 High Frequency Response |
28k Hz
vs
23k Hz
|
Generates higher frequency |
 Base Surface Area |
194cm2
vs
234cm2
|
Takes less floor space |
 Sensitivity |
94 dB
vs
92 dB
|
Play louder with same amount of amplification power |
|
Woofer Size |
8 inches
vs
6.5 inches
|
Larger woofer |
 Height |
374mm
vs
572mm
|
Easier to fit in smaller spaces |
 Price per pair* |
978USD
vs
2398USD
|
costs less (*prices may change depending on the seller, location and time) |
| General |
Focal 300 IW6 LCR |
Klipsch R-5800-W II |
| Brand |
Focal |
Klipsch |
| Speaker Type |
Passive In-wall Speaker |
Passive In-wall Speaker |
| Power Range |
50-150 watts |
up to 50 watts |
| Sensitivity |
92 dB |
94 dB |
| Impedance |
8 ohms |
8 ohms |
| Frequency Response |
40-28kHz |
40-23kHz |
Drivers |
|
|
| Woofer Quantity |
2 |
1 |
| Woofer Size |
6.5" |
8" |
| Woofer Composition |
Flax |
Cerametallic |
| Woofer Surround Material |
Rubber |
Rubber |
| Tweeter Size |
1" |
1" |
| Tweeter Type |
Inverted Hard-Dome |
Horn-loaded dome |
| Aimable Tweeter |
No |
No |
| Midrange Driver |
4" |
No |
| Crossover Frequency |
n/a |
2600 Hz |
Physical Specs |
|
|
| Height |
572.0mm (22.5") |
374.0mm (14.7") |
| Width |
191.0mm (7.5") |
232.0mm (9.1") |
| Depth |
102.0mm (4") |
101.0mm (4") |
| Weight |
5.62kg (12.4lbs) |
3.58kg (7.9lbs) |
| Enclosure |
In-wall |
In-wall |
| Moisture Resistancy |
No |
No |
Connections |
|
|
| Biamp Inputs |
No |
No |
Other |
|
|
| Parts Warranty |
5 Years |
Ltd. Lifetime |
| Labor Warranty |
5 Years |
Ltd. Lifetime |
These sit in different price classes - Focal 300 IW6 LCR costs roughly 2.5x what Klipsch R-5800-W II 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 | evenly matched | Much the same reach (40Hz vs 40Hz). |
| Amplifier needs | B | Klipsch R-5800-W II is more sensitive (94dB vs 92dB), so it goes louder on the same amplifier. |
| Headroom | A | Focal 300 IW6 LCR takes more power (150W vs 50W) - more in hand in a big room. |
| Size | depends | Klipsch R-5800-W II is easier to place; Focal 300 IW6 LCR is bigger, which usually goes with fuller bass. Your room decides. |
| Expandability | depends | Neither adds bi-amping, a sub output or height drivers. Klipsch R-5800-W II sits in a wider range (7 models), so a matched surround system is easier later. |
| Price | B | Klipsch R-5800-W II is cheaper - $978 against $2,398, about 59% less; arguably a different class. |
A Focal 300 IW6 LCR 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?
Neither runs away with it - they trade advantages. Let the "depends" rows and your own room settle it. Match it to your room: we rate Focal 300 IW6 LCR 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. If your amplifier is modest, vintage or valve-based, Klipsch R-5800-W II is the safer partner - the other will want more current or more watts to sound its best.
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.