In this review, we will be comparing Installer Series IW6 and CWM664, two Passive In-wall speakers from MartinLogan and Bowers Wilkins. Let's have a brief look at the main features
of MartinLogan Installer Series IW6 and B&W CWM664 first before getting into our more
detailed comparison.
MartinLogan Installer Series IW6 Key Specs
- 2-way Design
- 0.75" Hard-Dome Tweeter
- 6.5" Mineral-filled poly Woofer
- 55-20kHz Frequency Response
- 89 dB Sensitivity
- Impedance: 8ohms
- Power Range:15-60watts
- Dimensions (H x W x D): 258.0" x 7.0625" x 3.1875"( 258.0 x 180.0 x 81.0mm )
B&W CWM664 Key Specs
- 2-way Design
- 1" Soft-Dome Tweeter
- 6" Glass-fiber Woofer
- 45-35kHz Frequency Response
- 87.5 dB Sensitivity
- Impedance: 8ohms
- Power Range:25-130watts
- Dimensions (H x W x D): 280.0" x 7.2500" x 3.7500"( 280.0 x 185.0 x 96.0mm )
What size room are the MartinLogan Installer Series IW6 and B&W CWM664 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 IW6 |
B&W CWM664 |
| 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.)
In the following sections, we will get into more detail in order to better understand how the MartinLogan Installer Series IW6 and B&W CWM664 compare and hopefully end up with enough arguments to decide which one of these loudspeakers is the better choice for you.
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Drivers
Both Installer Series IW6 and CWM664 are 2-way speakers.
| Driver |
MartinLogan Installer Series IW6 |
B&W CWM664 |
|
Driver Setup
|
2-way
|
2-way
|
|
Tweeter
|
0.75-inch
|
1-inch
|
|
Midrange
|
- |
- |
|
Woofer
|
1 x 6.5-inch
|
1 x 6-inch
|
Installer Series IW6 features a 0.75" Hard-Dome Tweeter and 1 x 6.5" Mineral-filled poly Woofer . On the other hand, the CWM664 features a 1" Soft-Dome Tweeter and 1 x 6" Glass-fiber Woofer .
Frequency Response
Installer Series IW6 has a frequency range of 55-20kHz whereas CWM664 has a frequency range of 45-35kHz. With a minimum frequency of 45Hz, the CWM664 can go significantly deeper on the low side and provide stronger bass compared to the Installer Series IW6's min frequency of 55Hz.
Below graphs depict how these two speakers compare with the max, min and average values of the Min and Max Frequencies of other speakers in the In-wall class in our database.
Low Frequency
In-wall Speakers
High Frequency
In-wall Speakers
MartinLogan Installer Series IW6
None of these speakers achieves full range experience which is commonly agreed as 20Hz-20kHz. In order to achieve lower lows / deeper bass, we recommend you pair these with a subwoofer. Visit our Powered Subwoofers section to find out more about the available options.
Impedance and Sensitivity
Installer Series IW6 and CWM664 have the same Impedance of 8 ohms but where they differ is the sensitivity levels. Installer Series IW6 sensitivity is rated at 89 dB and the CWM664's is at 87.5 dB. This 1 dB difference makes the MartinLogan Installer Series IW6 a more sensitive speaker compared to B&W CWM664, 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. While using an amplifier within this range ensures the nominal performance , inputting a power that is higher than the max wattage can result in a damaged speaker.
Installer Series IW6 can handle a max power of 130 watts RMS from the amp the whereas Installer Series IW6 has a max power handling value of 60 watts RMS , 70 watts less than the CWM664.
Keep in mind that a higher max power handling value doesn't necessarily make that a louder speaker
compared to a lower max handling speaker. Loudness or the sound level is also impacted by parameters
such as Impedance, sensitivity and system efficiencies.
Input Type and Bi-Amping / Bi-Wiring
Installer Series IW6 features Spring post type posts and CWM664 has a Spring post type posts. None of these speakers feature bi-amping/bi-wiring.
Physical Specs
Size of a speaker can sometimes become 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 IW6's and B&W CWM664's external dimensions. 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) whereas B&W CWM664 has external dimensions of 280.0 x 185.0 x 96.0mm ( 11.0000-inch x 7.2500-inch x 3.7500-inch) .
B&W CWM664 is clearly the larger of the two speakers. Its body is 5mm wider, 22mm taller and 15mm deeper than MartinLogan Installer Series IW6.
What's in the Box of MartinLogan Installer Series IW6?
Here are the items that are included inside the box of Installer Series IW6:
In-wall loudspeakerGrilleUser-feets ManualCutout Template
What's in the Box of B&W CWM664?
Here are the items that come with the CWM664:
2 In-wall loudspeakers2 Mounting frames2 Grilles2 Paint mask2 Cut-out templatesQuick Start GuideTemplateWarranty Information
Sensitivity 
Woofer Size 
Height 
Base Surface Area 
Price per pair* 
Max Input Power 
High Frequency Response