In this review, we will be comparing Installer Series IW6 and R-5502-W II, two Passive In-wall speakers from MartinLogan and Klipsch.
Let's have a brief look at the main features
of MartinLogan Installer Series IW6 and Klipsch R-5502-W II first before getting into our more
detailed comparison.
| Key Specs | MartinLogan Installer Series IW6 | Klipsch R-5502-W II |
|---|
| Brand | MartinLogan
United States · founded 1982 | Klipsch
United States · founded 1946 |
|---|
| Design | 2-way | 2-way |
|---|
| Tweeter | 0.75" Hard-Dome | 1" Horn-loaded |
|---|
| Woofer | 6.5" Mineral-filled poly | 2 x 5.25" Cerametallic |
|---|
| Frequency response | 55-20kHz | 46-20kHz |
|---|
| Sensitivity | 89 dB | 92 dB |
|---|
| Impedance | 8 ohms | 8 ohms |
|---|
| Power range | 15-60 watts | up to 75 watts |
|---|
| Weight | 1.59kg / 3.5lbs | 2.95kg / 6.5lbs |
|---|
| Dimensions (H x W x D) | 10.1250" x 7.0625" x 3.1875"
258.0 x 180.0 x 81.0mm | 16.3750" x 6.5000" x 3.3750"
416.0 x 166.0 x 86.0mm |
|---|
What size room are the MartinLogan Installer Series IW6 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* |
MartinLogan Installer Series IW6 |
Klipsch R-5502-W II |
| 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 IW6 and R-5502-W II are 2-way speakers.
MartinLogan Installer Series IW6Klipsch 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 |
MartinLogan Installer Series IW6 |
Klipsch R-5502-W II |
|
Driver Setup
|
2-way
|
2-way
|
|
Tweeter
|
0.75-inch
|
1-inch
|
|
Midrange
|
- |
- |
|
Woofer
|
1 x 6.5-inch
|
2 x 5.25-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 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
Installer Series IW6 has a frequency range of 55-20kHz whereas R-5502-W II has a frequency range of 46-20kHz. With a minimum frequency of 46Hz, the R-5502-W II can go significantly deeper on the low side and provide stronger bass compared to the Installer Series IW6's min frequency of 55Hz.
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 IW6 and R-5502-W II 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 R-5502-W II's is at 92 dB. This 3 dB difference makes the Klipsch R-5502-W II a more sensitive speaker compared to MartinLogan Installer Series IW6, 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.
R-5502-W II can handle a max power of 75 watts RMS, whereas Installer Series IW6 has a max power handling value of 60 watts RMS, 15 watts less than the R-5502-W II.
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 IW6
Input Type and Bi-Amping / Bi-Wiring
Installer Series IW6 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 MartinLogan Installer Series IW6's and Klipsch R-5502-W II'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 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).
MartinLogan Installer Series IW6 is 158mm shorter and 5mm less deeper than Klipsch R-5502-W II but it is also 14mm wider.
Below you can see the front view size comparison of MartinLogan Installer Series IW6 and Klipsch R-5502-W II in scale.
Comparison image of MartinLogan Installer Series IW6 and Klipsch R-5502-W II 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 IW6 weighs 1.59kg / 3.5lbs and the Klipsch R-5502-W II weighs 2.95kg / 6.5lbs. This makes the R-5502-W II 86% heavier than the Installer Series IW6.
Here is a comparison of how Installer Series IW6 and R-5502-W II's weights compare with the average, max and min weights in Passive In-wall class.
Weight
All In-wall Speakers
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 loudspeaker
- Grille
- User-feets Manual
- Cutout Template
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)
 Woofer Size |
6.5 inches
vs
5.25 inches
|
Larger woofer |
 Height |
258mm
vs
416mm
|
Easier to fit in smaller spaces |
 Max Input Power |
75 watts
vs
60 watts
|
Handle more power from your amplifier |
 Sensitivity |
92 dB
vs
89 dB
|
Play louder with same amount of amplification power |
|
Number of Woofers |
2
vs
1
|
More woofers |
|
Low Frequency Response |
46 Hz
vs
55 Hz
|
Generates deeper bass |
 Base Surface Area |
142cm2
vs
145cm2
|
Takes less floor space |
 Price per pair* |
498USD
vs
560USD
|
costs less (*prices may change depending on the seller, location and time) |
| General |
MartinLogan Installer Series IW6 |
Klipsch R-5502-W II |
| Brand |
MartinLogan |
Klipsch |
| Speaker Type |
Passive In-wall Speaker |
Passive In-wall Speaker |
| Power Range |
15-60 watts |
up to 75 watts |
| Sensitivity |
89 dB |
92 dB |
| Impedance |
8 ohms |
8 ohms |
| Frequency Response |
55-20kHz |
46-20kHz |
Drivers |
|
|
| Woofer Quantity |
1 |
2 |
| Woofer Size |
6.5" |
5.25" |
| Woofer Composition |
Mineral-filled poly |
Cerametallic |
| Woofer Surround Material |
Rubber |
Rubber |
| Tweeter Size |
0.75" |
1" |
| Tweeter Type |
Hard-Dome |
Horn-loaded |
| Aimable Tweeter |
No |
No |
| Midrange Driver |
No |
No |
| Crossover Frequency |
n/a |
2200 Hz |
Physical Specs |
|
|
| Height |
258.0mm (10.2") |
416.0mm (16.4") |
| Width |
180.0mm (7.1") |
166.0mm (6.5") |
| Depth |
81.0mm (3.2") |
86.0mm (3.4") |
| Weight |
1.59kg (3.5lbs) |
2.95kg (6.5lbs) |
| Enclosure |
In-wall |
In-wall |
| Moisture Resistancy |
No |
No |
Connections |
|
|
| Biamp Inputs |
No |
No |
Other |
|
|
| Parts Warranty |
5 Yrs w/ Registration |
Ltd. Lifetime |
| Labor Warranty |
5 Yrs w/ Registration |
Ltd. Lifetime |
No single best speaker here - they are built to different priorities, and the right one depends on your room, your amplifier and what you listen to.
| Area | Better | Why |
|---|
| Bass | B | Klipsch R-5502-W II digs deeper - 46Hz against 55Hz. A subwoofer would even that out. |
| Amplifier needs | B | Klipsch R-5502-W II is more sensitive (92dB vs 89dB), so it goes louder on the same amplifier. |
| Headroom | B | Klipsch R-5502-W II takes more power (75W vs 60W) - more in hand in a big room. |
| Size | depends | MartinLogan Installer Series IW6 is easier to place; Klipsch R-5502-W II is bigger, which usually goes with fuller bass. Your room decides. |
| Expandability | depends | Neither adds bi-amping, a sub output or height drivers. Klipsch R-5502-W II sits in a wider range (7 models), so a matched surround system is easier later. |
| Price | B | Klipsch R-5502-W II is cheaper - $498 against $560, about 11% less. |
A MartinLogan Installer Series IW6 B Klipsch R-5502-W II
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?
Klipsch R-5502-W II is the easier recommendation: it leads on most of the measured areas and costs less. Take MartinLogan Installer Series IW6 if its size, looks or fit in your room suit you better. If a subwoofer is in your plans, the bass gap largely stops mattering - you would be crossing over above 55Hz anyway, so judge these on the other rows instead. In a large or open-plan room, Klipsch R-5502-W II has the cabinet volume to fill it more easily; in a small room, near a wall or at desk distance, MartinLogan Installer Series IW6 is the easier speaker to get right.
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.