In this review, we will be comparing Installer Series IW6 and R-5650-S 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-5650-S II 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 )
Klipsch R-5650-S II Key Specs
- 2-way Design
- 1" Horn-loaded dome Tweeter
- 6.5" Cerametallic Woofer
- 60-23kHz Frequency Response
- 92 dB Sensitivity
- Impedance: 8ohms
- Power Range:up to 50watts
- Dimensions (H x W x D): 331.0" x 8.0000" x 3.6875"( 331.0 x 204.0 x 94.0mm )
What size room are the MartinLogan Installer Series IW6 and Klipsch R-5650-S 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-5650-S 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.)
In the following sections, we will get into more detail in order to better understand how the MartinLogan Installer Series IW6 and Klipsch R-5650-S II 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 R-5650-S II are 2-way speakers.
| Driver |
MartinLogan Installer Series IW6 |
Klipsch R-5650-S II |
|
Driver Setup
|
2-way
|
2-way
|
|
Tweeter
|
0.75-inch
|
1-inch
|
|
Midrange
|
- |
- |
|
Woofer
|
1 x 6.5-inch
|
1 x 6.5-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-5650-S II features a 1" Horn-loaded dome Tweeter and 1 x 6.5" Cerametallic Woofer .
Frequency Response
Installer Series IW6 has a frequency range of 55-20kHz whereas R-5650-S II has a frequency range of 60-23kHz. 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 R-5650-S II's min frequency of 60Hz.
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 R-5650-S 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-5650-S II's is at 92 dB. This 3 dB difference makes the Klipsch R-5650-S 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. 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 60 watts RMS from the amp the whereas R-5650-S II has a max power handling value of 50 watts RMS, 10 watts less than the Installer Series IW6.
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 Posts type posts and R-5650-S II has a Spring Posts 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 Klipsch R-5650-S 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-5650-S II has external dimensions of 331.0 x 204.0 x 94.0mm ( 13.0000-inch x 8.0000-inch x 3.6875-inch) .
Klipsch R-5650-S II is clearly the larger of the two speakers. Its body is 24mm wider, 73mm taller and 13mm 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 Klipsch R-5650-S II?
Here are the items that come with the R-5650-S II:
In-wall speakerWhite metal mesh grilleCardboard templateOwners Manual (En/Fr/Sp)
Max Input Power 
Low Frequency Response 
Height 
Base Surface Area 
Sensitivity 
High Frequency Response 
Price per pair*