Monitor Audio CP-WT240LCR vs Definitive UIW RLS III Comparison

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Monitor Audio CP-WT240LCR

Passive In-wall | 60-25kHz

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Definitive UIW RLS III

Passive In-wall | 24-30kHz

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Monitor Audio CP-WT240LCR vs Definitive UIW RLS III Speaker Comparison

In this review, we will be comparing CP-WT240LCR and UIW RLS III, two Passive In-wall speakers from Monitor Audio and Definitive Technology.

Let's have a brief look at the main features of Monitor Audio CP-WT240LCR and Definitive UIW RLS III first before getting into our more detailed comparison.

Key Specs	Monitor Audio CP-WT240LCR	Definitive UIW RLS III
Brand	Monitor Audio United Kingdom · founded 1972	Definitive Technology United States · founded 1990
Design	2-way	2-way
Tweeter	1" Hard-Dome	1" Hard-Dome
Woofer	2 x 4" C-CAM	2 x 5.25" Polypropylene
Frequency response	60-25kHz	24-30kHz
Sensitivity	88 dB	92 dB
Impedance	6 ohms	8 ohms
Power range	20-100 watts	10-325 watts
Dimensions (H x W x D)	11.7500" x 7.1875" x 3.8125" 299.0 x 183.0 x 97.0mm	23.7500" x 5.8750" x 3.8750" 604.0 x 150.0 x 99.0mm

What size room are the Monitor Audio CP-WT240LCR and Definitive UIW RLS III 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*	Monitor Audio CP-WT240LCR	Definitive UIW RLS III
Near-field	Average	Are you nuts?
Small Room	Good	Bad
Mid-size Room	Average	Poor
Large Room	Poor	Good
Very Large Room	Bad	Good

(* 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.

**This post contains affiliate links, and we will be compensated if you make a purchase after clicking through our links. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

Drivers

Both CP-WT240LCR and UIW RLS III are 2-way speakers.

Monitor Audio CP-WT240LCR

Definitive UIW RLS III

TweeterWoofer

Front view, drawn to scale - cabinets and drivers share one scale, so sizes are directly comparable. Hover a driver for its size.

Driver	Monitor Audio CP-WT240LCR	Definitive UIW RLS III
Driver Setup	2-way	2-way
Tweeter	1-inch	1-inch
Midrange	-	-
Woofer	2 x 4-inch	2 x 5.25-inch

CP-WT240LCR features a 1" Hard-Dome Tweeter and 2 x 4" C-CAM Woofer. On the other hand, the UIW RLS III features a 1" Hard-Dome Tweeter and 2 x 5.25" Polypropylene Woofer.

Frequency Response

CP-WT240LCR has a frequency range of 60-25kHz whereas UIW RLS III has a frequency range of 24-30kHz. With a minimum frequency of 24Hz, the UIW RLS III can go significantly deeper on the low side and provide stronger bass compared to the CP-WT240LCR'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

CP-WT240LCR

UIW RLS III

Min

Average

Median

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

CP-WT240LCR is a 6 ohms speaker compared to the UIW RLS III which has a nominal impedance of 8 ohms.

These two speakers also have different sensitivity levels. CP-WT240LCR sensitivity is rated at 88 dB and the UIW RLS III's is rated at 92 dB. This 4 dB difference makes the Definitive UIW RLS III a more sensitive speaker compared to Monitor Audio CP-WT240LCR, hence will play louder with the same amount of watts.

Sensitivity

In-wall Speakers

CP-WT240LCR

UIW RLS III

Min

Average

Median

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.

UIW RLS III can handle a max power of 325 watts RMS, whereas CP-WT240LCR has a max power handling value of 100 watts RMS, 225 watts less than the UIW RLS III.

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.

Amplifier - change this

Distance

Playing as

Monitor Audio CP-WT240LCR

Definitive UIW RLS III

Input Type and Bi-Amping / Bi-Wiring

CP-WT240LCR features Spring post type posts and UIW RLS III 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 Monitor Audio CP-WT240LCR's and Definitive UIW RLS III's external dimensions. Monitor Audio CP-WT240LCR has external dimensions of 299.0 x 183.0 x 97.0mm (11.7500-inch x 7.1875-inch x 3.8125-inch) whereas Definitive UIW RLS III has external dimensions of 604.0 x 150.0 x 99.0mm (23.7500-inch x 5.8750-inch x 3.8750-inch).

Monitor Audio CP-WT240LCR is 305mm shorter and 2mm less deeper than Definitive UIW RLS III but it is also 33mm wider.

What's in the Box of Monitor Audio CP-WT240LCR?

Here are the items that are included inside the box of CP-WT240LCR:

In-wall LCR loudspeaker
Magnetic grille
Cosmetic scrim
Installation Guide
Important Safety Instructions
Limited Warranty/Registration Card
MountingTemplate

What's in the Box of Definitive UIW RLS III?

Here are the items that come with the UIW RLS III:

In-wall loudspeaker
Grille
Self-adhesive foam gasket
Paint mask
Wall-Mount Template
Owners Manual
Online Product Registration Card

Reasons to choose Monitor Audio CP-WT240LCR over Definitive Technology UIW RLS III

Height	299mm vs 604mm	Easier to fit in smaller spaces
Price per pair*	1300USD vs 1398USD	costs less (*prices may change depending on the seller, location and time)

Reasons to choose Definitive Technology UIW RLS III over Monitor Audio CP-WT240LCR

Max Input Power	325 watts vs 100 watts	Handle more power from your amplifier
Sensitivity	92 dB vs 88 dB	Play louder with same amount of amplification power
Nominal Impedance	8 ohms vs 6 ohms	Less selective with amplifiers
Woofer Size	5.25 inches vs 4 inches	Larger woofer
Low Frequency Response	24 Hz vs 60 Hz	Generates deeper bass
High Frequency Response	30k Hz vs 25k Hz	Generates higher frequency
Passive Radiator	2 x 5.25-inch vs None	Increases the bass performance
Base Surface Area	148cm² vs 177cm²	Takes less floor space

Monitor Audio CP-WT240LCR vs Definitive UIW RLS III Specs Table

Detailed comparison of specifications

General	Monitor Audio CP-WT240LCR	Definitive Technology UIW RLS III
Brand	Monitor Audio	Definitive Technology
Speaker Type	Passive In-wall Speaker	Passive In-wall Speaker
Power Range	20-100 watts	10-325 watts
Sensitivity	88 dB	92 dB
Impedance	6 ohms	8 ohms
Frequency Response	60-25kHz	24-30kHz
Drivers
Woofer Quantity	2	2
Woofer Size	4"	5.25"
Woofer Composition	C-CAM	Polypropylene
Woofer Surround Material	Rubber	Butyl Rubber
Tweeter Size	1"	1"
Tweeter Type	Hard-Dome	Hard-Dome
Aimable Tweeter	No	No
Midrange Driver	No	No
Physical Specs
Height	299.0mm (11.8")	604.0mm (23.8")
Width	183.0mm (7.2")	150.0mm (5.9")
Depth	97.0mm (3.8")	99.0mm (3.9")
Enclosure	In-wall	In-wall
Moisture Resistancy	No	Yes
Connections
Biamp Inputs	No	No
Other
Parts Warranty	Lifetime	5 Years
Labor Warranty	Lifetime	5 Years

Verdict

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	Definitive UIW RLS III digs deeper - 24Hz against 60Hz.
Amplifier needs	B	Definitive UIW RLS III is more sensitive (92dB vs 88dB), so it goes louder on the same amplifier.
Amplifier match	B	Definitive UIW RLS III is the easier load at 8 ohms.
Headroom	B	Definitive UIW RLS III takes more power (325W vs 100W) - more in hand in a big room.
Size	depends	Monitor Audio CP-WT240LCR is easier to place; Definitive UIW RLS III is bigger, which usually goes with fuller bass. Your room decides.
Price	evenly matched	Much the same money ($1,300 vs $1,398 a pair).

A Monitor Audio CP-WT240LCR B Definitive UIW RLS III
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?

Definitive UIW RLS III 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. Match it to your room: we rate Monitor Audio CP-WT240LCR the better fit for a small room and a mid-size room, and Definitive UIW RLS III for a large room and a very 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.