In this review, we will be comparing Arena 55IW and R-5502-W II, two Passive In-wall speakers from JBL and Klipsch.
Let's have a brief look at the main features
of JBL Arena 55IW and Klipsch R-5502-W II first before getting into our more
detailed comparison.
| Key Specs | JBL Arena 55IW | Klipsch R-5502-W II |
|---|
| Brand | JBL
United States · founded 1946 | Klipsch
United States · founded 1946 |
|---|
| Design | 2-way | 2-way |
|---|
| Tweeter | 1" Soft-dome | 1" Horn-loaded |
|---|
| Woofer | 2 x 5.25" Polycellulose | 2 x 5.25" Cerametallic |
|---|
| Frequency response | 40-20kHz | 46-20kHz |
|---|
| Sensitivity | 88 dB | 92 dB |
|---|
| Impedance | 8 ohms | 8 ohms |
|---|
| Power range | up to 120 watts | up to 75 watts |
|---|
| Weight | — | 2.95kg / 6.5lbs |
|---|
| Dimensions (H x W x D) | 14.1250" x 6.3750" x 3.4375"
359.0 x 162.0 x 88.0mm | 16.3750" x 6.5000" x 3.3750"
416.0 x 166.0 x 86.0mm |
|---|
What size room are the JBL Arena 55IW and Klipsch R-5502-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* |
JBL Arena 55IW |
Klipsch R-5502-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
Both Arena 55IW and R-5502-W II are 2-way speakers.
JBL Arena 55IWKlipsch R-5502-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 |
JBL Arena 55IW |
Klipsch R-5502-W II |
|
Driver Setup
|
2-way
|
2-way
|
|
Tweeter
|
1-inch
|
1-inch
|
|
Midrange
|
- |
- |
|
Woofer
|
2 x 5.25-inch
|
2 x 5.25-inch
|
Arena 55IW features a 1" Soft-dome Tweeter and 2 x 5.25" Polycellulose Woofer. On the other hand, the R-5502-W II features a 1" Horn-loaded Tweeter and 2 x 5.25" Cerametallic Woofer with a Crossover frequency at 2200 Hz.
Frequency Response
Arena 55IW has a frequency range of 40-20kHz whereas R-5502-W II has a frequency range of 46-20kHz. With a minimum frequency of 40Hz, the Arena 55IW can go significantly deeper on the low side and provide stronger bass compared to the R-5502-W II's min frequency of 46Hz.
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
Arena 55IW and R-5502-W II have the same Impedance of 8 ohms but where they differ is the sensitivity levels. Arena 55IW sensitivity is rated at 88 dB and the R-5502-W II's is at 92 dB. This 4 dB difference makes the Klipsch R-5502-W II 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.
Arena 55IW can handle a max power of 120 watts RMS, whereas R-5502-W II has a max power handling value of 75 watts RMS, 45 watts less than the Arena 55IW.
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
Arena 55IW features Spring post type posts and R-5502-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 JBL Arena 55IW's and Klipsch R-5502-W II's external dimensions. 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) whereas Klipsch R-5502-W II has external dimensions of 416.0 x 166.0 x 86.0mm (16.3750-inch x 6.5000-inch x 3.3750-inch).
JBL Arena 55IW is 4mm narrower and 57mm shorter than Klipsch R-5502-W II but it is also 2mm deeper.
What's in the Box of JBL Arena 55IW?
Here are the items that are included inside the box of Arena 55IW:
- In-wall loudspeaker
- Grille
- 2 Scrim cloths (1 installed)
- Mounting Template
- Instruction Manual
What's in the Box of Klipsch R-5502-W II?
Here are the items that come with the R-5502-W II:
- In-wall speaker
- White metal mesh grille
- Cardboard template
- Owners Manual (En/Fr/Sp)