In this review, we will be comparing CP-WT260 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-WT260 and Polk Audio 265-LS first before getting into our more
detailed comparison.
| Key Specs | Monitor Audio CP-WT260 | 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 | 6" C-CAM | 6.5" Aerated polypropylene |
|---|
| Frequency response | 65-25kHz | 28-33kHz |
|---|
| Sensitivity | 88 dB | 91 dB |
|---|
| Impedance | 6 ohms | 8 ohms |
|---|
| Power range | 20-65 watts | 10-200 watts |
|---|
| Weight | — | 4.09kg / 9lbs |
|---|
| Dimensions (H x W x D) | 14.9375" x 8.9375" x 3.7500"
380.0 x 228.0 x 96.0mm | 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-WT260 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-WT260 |
Polk Audio 265-LS |
| 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.)
The sections below take each area in turn: drivers, frequency response, physical size and what you get in the box.
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Drivers
One of the fundamental differences between these two speakers is that CP-WT260 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-WT260Polk 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-WT260 |
Polk Audio 265-LS |
|
Driver Setup
|
2-way
|
3-way
|
|
Tweeter
|
1-inch
|
1-inch
|
|
Midrange
|
- |
1 x 6.5-inch |
|
Woofer
|
1 x 6-inch
|
1 x 6.5-inch
|
CP-WT260 features a 1" Hard-Dome Tweeter and 1 x 6" 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-WT260 has a frequency range of 65-25kHz 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-WT260's min frequency of 65Hz.
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
CP-WT260 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-WT260 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-WT260, 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.
265-LS can handle a max power of 200 watts RMS, whereas CP-WT260 has a max power handling value of 65 watts RMS, 135 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.
Input Type and Bi-Amping / Bi-Wiring
CP-WT260 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-WT260's and Polk Audio 265-LS's external dimensions. Monitor Audio CP-WT260 has external dimensions of 380.0 x 228.0 x 96.0mm (14.9375-inch x 8.9375-inch x 3.7500-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).
Polk Audio 265-LS is 43mm narrower and 0.7mm less deeper than Monitor Audio CP-WT260 but it is also 108mm taller.
What's in the Box of Monitor Audio CP-WT260?
Here are the items that are included inside the box of CP-WT260:
- In-wall speaker
- 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