In this review, we will be comparing Installer Series IW5-LCR and 300 IW6 LCR, two Passive In-wall speakers from MartinLogan and Focal.
Let's have a brief look at the main features
of MartinLogan Installer Series IW5-LCR and Focal 300 IW6 LCR first before getting into our more
detailed comparison.
| Key Specs | MartinLogan Installer Series IW5-LCR | Focal 300 IW6 LCR |
|---|
| Brand | MartinLogan
United States · founded 1982 | Focal
France · founded 1979 |
|---|
| Design | 2-way | 3-way |
|---|
| Tweeter | 0.75" Hard-Dome | 1" Inverted Hard-Dome |
|---|
| Midrange | — | 4" |
|---|
| Woofer | 2 x 5.5" Mineral-filled poly | 2 x 6.5" Flax |
|---|
| Frequency response | 60-20kHz | 40-28kHz |
|---|
| Sensitivity | 89 dB | 92 dB |
|---|
| Impedance | 8 ohms | 8 ohms |
|---|
| Power range | 15-70 watts | 50-150 watts |
|---|
| Weight | 2.68kg / 5.9lbs | 5.62kg / 12.4lbs |
|---|
| Dimensions (H x W x D) | 8.2500" x 11.6250" x 3.0000"
210.0 x 296.0 x 77.0mm | 22.5000" x 7.5000" x 4.0000"
572.0 x 191.0 x 102.0mm |
|---|
What size room are the MartinLogan Installer Series IW5-LCR and Focal 300 IW6 LCR 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 |
Focal 300 IW6 LCR |
| 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
One of the fundamental differences between these two speakers is that Installer Series IW5-LCR is a 2-way design whereas the 300 IW6 LCR is a 3-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.
MartinLogan Installer Series IW5-LCRFocal 300 IW6 LCR
TweeterMidrangeWoofer
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 |
Focal 300 IW6 LCR |
|
Driver Setup
|
2-way
|
3-way
|
|
Tweeter
|
0.75-inch
|
1-inch
|
|
Midrange
|
- |
1 x 4-inch |
|
Woofer
|
2 x 5.5-inch
|
2 x 6.5-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 300 IW6 LCR features a 1" Inverted Hard-Dome Tweeter, a 4" Midrange and 2 x 6.5" Flax Woofer.
Frequency Response
Installer Series IW5-LCR has a frequency range of 60-20kHz whereas 300 IW6 LCR has a frequency range of 40-28kHz. With a minimum frequency of 40Hz, the 300 IW6 LCR 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 300 IW6 LCR 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 300 IW6 LCR's is at 92 dB. This 3 dB difference makes the Focal 300 IW6 LCR a more sensitive speaker compared to MartinLogan Installer Series IW5-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 Installer Series IW5-LCR has a max power handling value of 70 watts RMS, 80 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.
MartinLogan Installer Series IW5-LCR
Input Type and Bi-Amping / Bi-Wiring
Installer Series IW5-LCR features Spring post type posts and 300 IW6 LCR 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 Focal 300 IW6 LCR'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 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).
MartinLogan Installer Series IW5-LCR is 362mm shorter and 25mm less deeper than Focal 300 IW6 LCR but it is also 105mm wider.
Below you can see the front view size comparison of MartinLogan Installer Series IW5-LCR and Focal 300 IW6 LCR in scale.
Comparison image of MartinLogan Installer Series IW5-LCR and Focal 300 IW6 LCR Size and External Dimensions
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 MartinLogan Installer Series IW5-LCR weighs 2.68kg / 5.9lbs and the Focal 300 IW6 LCR weighs 5.62kg / 12.4lbs. This makes the 300 IW6 LCR 110% heavier than the Installer Series IW5-LCR.
Here is a comparison of how Installer Series IW5-LCR and 300 IW6 LCR's weights compare with the average, max and min weights in Passive In-wall class.
Weight
All In-wall Speakers
MartinLogan Installer Series IW5-LCR
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 Focal 300 IW6 LCR?
Here are the items that come with the 300 IW6 LCR:
- One in-wall speaker
- 1 metal-mesh grill (white)
- 23.5
 Height |
210mm
vs
572mm
|
Easier to fit in smaller spaces |
 Price per pair* |
760USD
vs
2398USD
|
costs less (*prices may change depending on the seller, location and time) |
 Max Input Power |
150 watts
vs
70 watts
|
Handle more power from your amplifier |
 Driver Setup |
3-way
vs
2-way
|
Have a dedicated mid-range driver |
 Sensitivity |
92 dB
vs
89 dB
|
Play louder with same amount of amplification power |
 Woofer Size |
6.5 inches
vs
5.5 inches
|
Larger woofer |
|
Low Frequency Response |
40 Hz
vs
60 Hz
|
Generates deeper bass |
 High Frequency Response |
28k Hz
vs
20k Hz
|
Generates higher frequency |
 Base Surface Area |
194cm2
vs
227cm2
|
Takes less floor space |
| General |
MartinLogan Installer Series IW5-LCR |
Focal 300 IW6 LCR |
| Brand |
MartinLogan |
Focal |
| Speaker Type |
Passive In-wall Speaker |
Passive In-wall Speaker |
| Power Range |
15-70 watts |
50-150 watts |
| Sensitivity |
89 dB |
92 dB |
| Impedance |
8 ohms |
8 ohms |
| Frequency Response |
60-20kHz |
40-28kHz |
Drivers |
|
|
| Woofer Quantity |
2 |
2 |
| Woofer Size |
5.5" |
6.5" |
| Woofer Composition |
Mineral-filled poly |
Flax |
| Woofer Surround Material |
Rubber |
Rubber |
| Tweeter Size |
0.75" |
1" |
| Tweeter Type |
Hard-Dome |
Inverted Hard-Dome |
| Aimable Tweeter |
No |
No |
| Midrange Driver |
No |
4" |
Physical Specs |
|
|
| Height |
210.0mm (8.3") |
572.0mm (22.5") |
| Width |
296.0mm (11.7") |
191.0mm (7.5") |
| Depth |
77.0mm (3") |
102.0mm (4") |
| Weight |
2.68kg (5.9lbs) |
5.62kg (12.4lbs) |
| Enclosure |
In-wall |
In-wall |
| Moisture Resistancy |
No |
No |
Connections |
|
|
| Biamp Inputs |
No |
No |
Other |
|
|
| Parts Warranty |
5 Yrs w/ Registration |
5 Years |
| Labor Warranty |
5 Yrs w/ Registration |
5 Years |
These sit in different price classes - Focal 300 IW6 LCR costs roughly 3.2x what MartinLogan Installer Series IW5-LCR 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 | Focal 300 IW6 LCR digs deeper - 40Hz against 60Hz. |
| Amplifier needs | B | Focal 300 IW6 LCR is more sensitive (92dB vs 89dB), so it goes louder on the same amplifier. |
| Headroom | B | Focal 300 IW6 LCR takes more power (150W vs 70W) - more in hand in a big room. |
| Size | depends | MartinLogan Installer Series IW5-LCR is easier to place; Focal 300 IW6 LCR is bigger, which usually goes with fuller bass. Your room decides. |
| Price | A | MartinLogan Installer Series IW5-LCR is cheaper - $760 against $2,398, about 68% less; arguably a different class. |
A MartinLogan Installer Series IW5-LCR B Focal 300 IW6 LCR
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: Focal 300 IW6 LCR measures better, MartinLogan Installer Series IW5-LCR costs about about 3.2x the price% 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 60Hz anyway, which makes the cheaper MartinLogan Installer Series IW5-LCR much easier to justify. Match it to your room: we rate MartinLogan Installer Series IW5-LCR the better fit for near-field listening and a small room, and Focal 300 IW6 LCR for a mid-size room and a 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.