In this review, we will be comparing Installer Series IW5-LCR and CWM663, two Passive In-wall speakers from MartinLogan and Bowers Wilkins.
Let's have a brief look at the main features
of MartinLogan Installer Series IW5-LCR and B&W CWM663 first before getting into our more
detailed comparison.
| Key Specs | MartinLogan Installer Series IW5-LCR | B&W CWM663 |
|---|
| Brand | MartinLogan
United States · founded 1982 | Bowers Wilkins
United Kingdom · founded 1966 |
|---|
| Design | 2-way | 2-way |
|---|
| Tweeter | 0.75" Hard-Dome | 1" Soft-Dome |
|---|
| Woofer | 2 x 5.5" Mineral-filled poly | 6" Kevlar |
|---|
| Frequency response | 60-20kHz | 45-50kHz |
|---|
| Sensitivity | 89 dB | 88 dB |
|---|
| Impedance | 8 ohms | 8 ohms |
|---|
| Power range | 15-70 watts | 25-150 watts |
|---|
| Weight | 2.68kg / 5.9lbs | — |
|---|
| Dimensions (H x W x D) | 8.2500" x 11.6250" x 3.0000"
210.0 x 296.0 x 77.0mm | 11.0000" x 7.2500" x 3.7500"
280.0 x 185.0 x 96.0mm |
|---|
What size room are the MartinLogan Installer Series IW5-LCR and B&W CWM663 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* |
MartinLogan Installer Series IW5-LCR |
B&W CWM663 |
| Near-field |
Good |
Poor |
| Small Room |
Good |
Average |
| Mid-size Room |
Average |
Good |
| Large Room |
Poor |
Average |
| Very Large Room |
No way |
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 Installer Series IW5-LCR and CWM663 are 2-way speakers.
MartinLogan Installer Series IW5-LCRB&W CWM663
TweeterWoofer
Front view, drawn to scale - cabinets and drivers share one scale, so sizes are directly comparable. Hover a driver for its size.
| Driver |
MartinLogan Installer Series IW5-LCR |
B&W CWM663 |
|
Driver Setup
|
2-way
|
2-way
|
|
Tweeter
|
0.75-inch
|
1-inch
|
|
Midrange
|
- |
- |
|
Woofer
|
2 x 5.5-inch
|
1 x 6-inch
|
Installer Series IW5-LCR features a 0.75" Hard-Dome Tweeter and 2 x 5.5" Mineral-filled poly Woofer. On the other hand, the CWM663 features a 1" Soft-Dome Tweeter and 1 x 6" Kevlar Woofer.
Frequency Response
Installer Series IW5-LCR has a frequency range of 60-20kHz whereas CWM663 has a frequency range of 45-50kHz. With a minimum frequency of 45Hz, the CWM663 can go significantly deeper on the low side and provide stronger bass compared to the Installer Series IW5-LCR's min frequency of 60Hz.
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
Installer Series IW5-LCR and CWM663 have the same Impedance of 8 ohms but where they differ is the sensitivity levels. Installer Series IW5-LCR sensitivity is rated at 89 dB and the CWM663's is at 88 dB. This 1 dB difference makes the MartinLogan Installer Series IW5-LCR a more sensitive speaker compared to B&W CWM663, 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.
CWM663 can handle a max power of 150 watts RMS, whereas Installer Series IW5-LCR has a max power handling value of 70 watts RMS, 80 watts less than the CWM663.
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.
MartinLogan Installer Series IW5-LCR
Input Type and Bi-Amping / Bi-Wiring
Installer Series IW5-LCR features Spring post type posts and CWM663 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 MartinLogan Installer Series IW5-LCR's and B&W CWM663's external dimensions. MartinLogan Installer Series IW5-LCR has external dimensions of 210.0 x 296.0 x 77.0mm (8.2500-inch x 11.6250-inch x 3.0000-inch) whereas B&W CWM663 has external dimensions of 280.0 x 185.0 x 96.0mm (11.0000-inch x 7.2500-inch x 3.7500-inch).
MartinLogan Installer Series IW5-LCR is 70mm shorter and 19mm less deeper than B&W CWM663 but it is also 111mm wider.
Below you can see the front view size comparison of MartinLogan Installer Series IW5-LCR and B&W CWM663 in scale.
Comparison image of MartinLogan Installer Series IW5-LCR and B&W CWM663 Size and External Dimensions
What's in the Box of MartinLogan Installer Series IW5-LCR?
Here are the items that are included inside the box of Installer Series IW5-LCR:
- In-wall loudspeaker
- Grille
- User-feets Manual
- Cutout Template
What's in the Box of B&W CWM663?
Here are the items that come with the CWM663:
- 2 In-wall loudspeakers
- 2 Mounting frames
- 2 Grilles
- 2 Paint mask
- 2 Cut-out templates
- Quick Start Guide
- Template
- Warranty Information