Monitor Audio CP-WT240LCR vs Polk Audio 265-LS Comparison

Speaker to replace

Change

Monitor Audio CP-WT240LCR

Passive In-wall | 60-25kHz

Check price atAmazon›

Change

Polk Audio 265-LS

Passive In-wall | 28-33kHz

Check price atAmazon›

Monitor Audio CP-WT2...

Check price atAmazon›

Polk Audio 265-LS

Check price atAmazon›

Monitor Audio CP-WT2...

See at AMAZON

Polk Audio 265-LS

See at AMAZON

Monitor Audio CP-WT240LCR vs Polk Audio 265-LS Speaker Comparison

In this review, we will be comparing CP-WT240LCR and 265-LS, two Passive In-wall speakers from Monitor Audio and Polk Audio.

Let's have a brief look at the main features of Monitor Audio CP-WT240LCR and Polk Audio 265-LS first before getting into our more detailed comparison.

Key Specs	Monitor Audio CP-WT240LCR	Polk Audio 265-LS
Brand	Monitor Audio United Kingdom · founded 1972	Polk Audio United States · founded 1972
Design	2-way	3-way
Tweeter	1" Hard-Dome	1" Ring Radiator
Midrange	—	6.5"
Woofer	2 x 4" C-CAM	6.5" Aerated polypropylene
Frequency response	60-25kHz	28-33kHz
Sensitivity	88 dB	91 dB
Impedance	6 ohms	8 ohms
Power range	20-100 watts	10-200 watts
Weight	—	4.09kg / 9lbs
Dimensions (H x W x D)	11.7500" x 7.1875" x 3.8125" 299.0 x 183.0 x 97.0mm	19.1875" x 7.2500" x 3-3/4" 488.0 x 185.0 x 95.3mm

What size room are the Monitor Audio CP-WT240LCR and Polk Audio 265-LS 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	Polk Audio 265-LS
Near-field	Average	Poor
Small Room	Good	Average
Mid-size Room	Average	Good
Large Room	Poor	Average
Very Large Room	Bad	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.)

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

One of the fundamental differences between these two speakers is that CP-WT240LCR is a 2-way design whereas the 265-LS is a 3-way speaker. 3-way designs utilize a midrange driver in addition to the tweeter and woofer on 2-way designs. Designing a crossover for a 3-way speaker is a complicated process and generally increases the overall cost of the speaker.

Monitor Audio CP-WT240LCR

Polk Audio 265-LS

TweeterMidrangeWoofer

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	Polk Audio 265-LS
Driver Setup	2-way	3-way
Tweeter	1-inch	1-inch
Midrange	-	1 x 6.5-inch
Woofer	2 x 4-inch	1 x 6.5-inch

CP-WT240LCR features a 1" Hard-Dome Tweeter and 2 x 4" C-CAM Woofer. On the other hand, the 265-LS features a 1" Ring Radiator Tweeter, a 6.5" Midrange and 1 x 6.5" Aerated polypropylene Woofer.

Frequency Response

CP-WT240LCR has a frequency range of 60-25kHz whereas 265-LS has a frequency range of 28-33kHz. With a minimum frequency of 28Hz, the 265-LS 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

265-LS

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 265-LS 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 265-LS's is rated at 91 dB. This 3 dB difference makes the Polk Audio 265-LS 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

265-LS

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.

265-LS can handle a max power of 200 watts RMS, whereas CP-WT240LCR has a max power handling value of 100 watts RMS, 100 watts less than the 265-LS.

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

Polk Audio 265-LS

Input Type and Bi-Amping / Bi-Wiring

CP-WT240LCR features Spring post type posts and 265-LS 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 Polk Audio 265-LS'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 Polk Audio 265-LS has external dimensions of 488.0 x 185.0 x 95.3mm (19.1875-inch x 7.2500-inch x 0.0000-inch).

Monitor Audio CP-WT240LCR is 2mm narrower and 189mm shorter than Polk Audio 265-LS but it is also 1.7mm deeper.

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 Polk Audio 265-LS?

Here are the items that come with the 265-LS:

In-wall loudspeaker
White metal grille
Power Port plug
Mounting template
Owners Manual

Reasons to choose Monitor Audio CP-WT240LCR over Polk Audio 265-LS

Number of Woofers	2 vs 1	More woofers
Height	299mm vs 488mm	Easier to fit in smaller spaces

Reasons to choose Polk Audio 265-LS over Monitor Audio CP-WT240LCR

Max Input Power	200 watts vs 100 watts	Handle more power from your amplifier
Driver Setup	3-way vs 2-way	Have a dedicated mid-range driver
Sensitivity	91 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	6.5 inches vs 4 inches	Larger woofer
Low Frequency Response	28 Hz vs 60 Hz	Generates deeper bass
High Frequency Response	33k Hz vs 25k Hz	Generates higher frequency
Base Surface Area	176cm² vs 177cm²	Takes less floor space
Price per pair*	758USD vs 1300USD	costs less (*prices may change depending on the seller, location and time)

Monitor Audio CP-WT240LCR vs Polk Audio 265-LS Specs Table

Detailed comparison of specifications

General	Monitor Audio CP-WT240LCR	Polk Audio 265-LS
Brand	Monitor Audio	Polk Audio
Speaker Type	Passive In-wall Speaker	Passive In-wall Speaker
Power Range	20-100 watts	10-200 watts
Sensitivity	88 dB	91 dB
Impedance	6 ohms	8 ohms
Frequency Response	60-25kHz	28-33kHz
Drivers
Woofer Quantity	2	1
Woofer Size	4"	6.5"
Woofer Composition	C-CAM	Aerated polypropylene
Woofer Surround Material	Rubber	Rubber
Tweeter Size	1"	1"
Tweeter Type	Hard-Dome	Ring Radiator
Aimable Tweeter	No	No
Midrange Driver	No	6.5"
Physical Specs
Height	299.0mm (11.8")	488.0mm (19.2")
Width	183.0mm (7.2")	185.0mm (7.3")
Depth	97.0mm (3.8")	95.3mm (3.8")
Weight	n/a	4.09kg (9lbs)
Enclosure	In-wall	In-wall
Moisture Resistancy	No	No
Connections
Biamp Inputs	No	No
Other
Parts Warranty	Lifetime	Lifetime
Labor Warranty	Lifetime	Lifetime

Verdict

These sit in different price classes - Monitor Audio CP-WT240LCR costs roughly 1.7x what Polk Audio 265-LS does. Expect it to lead on paper; the question is whether the gap is audible enough in your room to be worth it.

Area	Better	Why
Bass	B	Polk Audio 265-LS digs deeper - 28Hz against 60Hz.
Amplifier needs	B	Polk Audio 265-LS is more sensitive (91dB vs 88dB), so it goes louder on the same amplifier.
Amplifier match	B	Polk Audio 265-LS is the easier load at 8 ohms.
Headroom	B	Polk Audio 265-LS takes more power (200W vs 100W) - more in hand in a big room.
Size	depends	Monitor Audio CP-WT240LCR is easier to place; Polk Audio 265-LS is bigger, which usually goes with fuller bass. Your room decides.
Expandability	depends	Neither adds bi-amping, a sub output or height drivers. Monitor Audio CP-WT240LCR sits in a wider range (5 models), so a matched surround system is easier later.
Price	B	Polk Audio 265-LS is cheaper - $758 against $1,300, about 42% less; arguably a different class.

A Monitor Audio CP-WT240LCR B Polk Audio 265-LS
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?

Polk Audio 265-LS is the easier recommendation: it leads on most of the measured areas and costs less. Take Monitor Audio CP-WT240LCR 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 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 near-field listening and a small room, and Polk Audio 265-LS for a mid-size room and a 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.