In this review, we will be comparing Installer Series IW5-LCR and Installer Series IW6, two Passive In-wall speakers by MartinLogan.
Let's have a brief look at the main features
of MartinLogan Installer Series IW5-LCR and MartinLogan Installer Series IW6 first before getting into our more
detailed comparison.
| Key Specs | MartinLogan Installer Series IW5-LCR | MartinLogan Installer Series IW6 |
|---|
| Brand | MartinLogan
United States · founded 1982 | MartinLogan
United States · founded 1982 |
|---|
| Design | 2-way | 2-way |
|---|
| Tweeter | 0.75" Hard-Dome | 0.75" Hard-Dome |
|---|
| Woofer | 2 x 5.5" Mineral-filled poly | 6.5" Mineral-filled poly |
|---|
| Frequency response | 60-20kHz | 55-20kHz |
|---|
| Sensitivity | 89 dB | 89 dB |
|---|
| Impedance | 8 ohms | 8 ohms |
|---|
| Power range | 15-70 watts | 15-60 watts |
|---|
| Weight | 2.68kg / 5.9lbs | 1.59kg / 3.5lbs |
|---|
| Dimensions (H x W x D) | 8.2500" x 11.6250" x 3.0000"
210.0 x 296.0 x 77.0mm | 10.1250" x 7.0625" x 3.1875"
258.0 x 180.0 x 81.0mm |
|---|
Installer Series IW5-LCR and Installer Series IW6 are members of MartinLogan's Installer series of speakers. Below you can find the loudspeakers from this series.
MartinLogan Installer Series
History
What size room are the MartinLogan Installer Series IW5-LCR and MartinLogan Installer Series IW6 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 |
MartinLogan Installer Series IW6 |
| Near-field |
Good |
Good |
| Small Room |
Good |
Good |
| Mid-size Room |
Average |
Average |
| Large Room |
Poor |
Poor |
| Very Large Room |
No way |
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 Installer Series IW5-LCR and Installer Series IW6 are 2-way speakers.
MartinLogan Installer Series IW5-LCRMartinLogan Installer Series IW6
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 |
MartinLogan Installer Series IW6 |
|
Driver Setup
|
2-way
|
2-way
|
|
Tweeter
|
0.75-inch
|
0.75-inch
|
|
Midrange
|
- |
- |
|
Woofer
|
2 x 5.5-inch
|
1 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 Installer Series IW6 features a 0.75" Hard-Dome Tweeter and 1 x 6.5" Mineral-filled poly Woofer.
Frequency Response
Installer Series IW5-LCR has a frequency range of 60-20kHz whereas Installer Series IW6 has a frequency range of 55-20kHz. With a minimum frequency of 55Hz, the Installer Series IW6 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 Installer Series IW6 have the same Impedance of 8 ohms and their sensitivity is also same at 89 dB.
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.
Installer Series IW5-LCR can handle a max power of 70 watts RMS, whereas Installer Series IW6 has a max power handling value of 60 watts RMS, 10 watts less than the Installer Series IW5-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
MartinLogan Installer Series IW6
Input Type and Bi-Amping / Bi-Wiring
Installer Series IW5-LCR features Spring post type posts and Installer Series IW6 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 MartinLogan Installer Series IW6'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 MartinLogan Installer Series IW6 has external dimensions of 258.0 x 180.0 x 81.0mm (10.1250-inch x 7.0625-inch x 3.1875-inch).
MartinLogan Installer Series IW5-LCR is 48mm shorter and 4mm less deeper than MartinLogan Installer Series IW6 but it is also 116mm wider.
Below you can see the front view size comparison of MartinLogan Installer Series IW5-LCR and MartinLogan Installer Series IW6 in scale.
Comparison image of MartinLogan Installer Series IW5-LCR and MartinLogan Installer Series IW6 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 MartinLogan Installer Series IW6 weighs 1.59kg / 3.5lbs. This makes the Installer Series IW5-LCR 69% heavier than the Installer Series IW6.
Here is a comparison of how Installer Series IW5-LCR and Installer Series IW6'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
MartinLogan Installer Series IW6
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 MartinLogan Installer Series IW6?
Here are the items that come with the Installer Series IW6:
- In-wall loudspeaker
- Grille
- User-feets Manual
- Cutout Template
 Max Input Power |
70 watts
vs
60 watts
|
Handle more power from your amplifier |
 Number of Woofers |
2
vs
1
|
More woofers |
 Height |
210mm
vs
258mm
|
Easier to fit in smaller spaces |
|
Woofer Size |
6.5 inches
vs
5.5 inches
|
Larger woofer |
|
Low Frequency Response |
55 Hz
vs
60 Hz
|
Generates deeper bass |
 Base Surface Area |
145cm2
vs
227cm2
|
Takes less floor space |
 Price per pair* |
560USD
vs
760USD
|
costs less (*prices may change depending on the seller, location and time) |
| General |
MartinLogan Installer Series IW5-LCR |
MartinLogan Installer Series IW6 |
| Brand |
MartinLogan |
MartinLogan |
| Speaker Type |
Passive In-wall Speaker |
Passive In-wall Speaker |
| Power Range |
15-70 watts |
15-60 watts |
| Sensitivity |
89 dB |
89 dB |
| Impedance |
8 ohms |
8 ohms |
| Frequency Response |
60-20kHz |
55-20kHz |
Drivers |
|
|
| Woofer Quantity |
2 |
1 |
| Woofer Size |
5.5" |
6.5" |
| Woofer Composition |
Mineral-filled poly |
Mineral-filled poly |
| Woofer Surround Material |
Rubber |
Rubber |
| Tweeter Size |
0.75" |
0.75" |
| Tweeter Type |
Hard-Dome |
Hard-Dome |
| Aimable Tweeter |
No |
No |
| Midrange Driver |
No |
No |
Physical Specs |
|
|
| Height |
210.0mm (8.3") |
258.0mm (10.2") |
| Width |
296.0mm (11.7") |
180.0mm (7.1") |
| Depth |
77.0mm (3") |
81.0mm (3.2") |
| Weight |
2.68kg (5.9lbs) |
1.59kg (3.5lbs) |
| Enclosure |
In-wall |
In-wall |
| Moisture Resistancy |
No |
No |
Connections |
|
|
| Biamp Inputs |
No |
No |
Other |
|
|
| Parts Warranty |
5 Yrs w/ Registration |
5 Yrs w/ Registration |
| Labor Warranty |
5 Yrs w/ Registration |
5 Yrs w/ Registration |
Siblings in MartinLogan's Installer series, so they share a family sound. It comes down to size, output and price.
| Area | Better | Why |
|---|
| Bass | B | MartinLogan Installer Series IW6 digs deeper - 55Hz against 60Hz. A subwoofer would even that out. |
| Amplifier needs | evenly matched | Similar sensitivity (89dB vs 89dB) - both want much the same power. |
| Headroom | evenly matched | Similar power handling (70W vs 60W). |
| Size | depends | MartinLogan Installer Series IW6 is easier to place; MartinLogan Installer Series IW5-LCR is bigger, which usually goes with fuller bass. Your room decides. |
| Price | B | MartinLogan Installer Series IW6 is cheaper - $560 against $760, about 26% less. |
A MartinLogan Installer Series IW5-LCR B MartinLogan Installer Series IW6
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?
MartinLogan Installer Series IW6 has the edge on paper, though the margin is not large. The rows marked "depends" may matter more to you than the score does. If a subwoofer is in your plans, the bass gap largely stops mattering - you would be crossing over above 60Hz anyway, so judge these on the other rows instead. Think about the whole system, not just the speakers: the roughly $200 saved by taking the cheaper pair would buy a subwoofer or a better amplifier, and either usually does more for the sound than the difference between these two.
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.