In this review, we will be comparing CP-WT380IDC and CP-WT140LCR, two Passive In-wall speakers by Monitor Audio.
Let's have a brief look at the main features
of Monitor Audio CP-WT380IDC and Monitor Audio CP-WT140LCR first before getting into our more
detailed comparison.
| Key Specs | Monitor Audio CP-WT380IDC | Monitor Audio CP-WT140LCR |
|---|
| Brand | Monitor Audio
United Kingdom · founded 1972 | Monitor Audio
United Kingdom · founded 1972 |
|---|
| Design | 3-way | 2-way |
|---|
| Tweeter | 1" Hard-Dome | 1" Hard-Dome |
|---|
| Midrange | 4" | — |
|---|
| Woofer | 8" C-CAM | 2 x 4" Polymer |
|---|
| Frequency response | 50-30kHz | 60-25kHz |
|---|
| Sensitivity | 89 dB | 88 dB |
|---|
| Impedance | 6 ohms | 6 ohms |
|---|
| Power range | 30-120 watts | 20-100 watts |
|---|
| Weight | 5.67kg / 12.5lbs | — |
|---|
| Dimensions (H x W x D) | 17.1875" x 10.5625" x 3.8750"
437.0 x 269.0 x 99.0mm | 11.7500" x 7.1875" x 3.8125"
299.0 x 183.0 x 97.0mm |
|---|
CP-WT380IDC and CP-WT140LCR are members of Monitor Audio's Controlled Performance series of speakers. Below you can find the loudspeakers from this series.
Monitor Audio Controlled Performance Series
History
What size room are the Monitor Audio CP-WT380IDC and Monitor Audio CP-WT140LCR 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-WT380IDC |
Monitor Audio CP-WT140LCR |
| Near-field |
Poor |
Average |
| Small Room |
Average |
Good |
| Mid-size Room |
Good |
Average |
| Large Room |
Average |
Poor |
| Very Large Room |
Poor |
Bad |
(* 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-WT380IDC is a 3-way design whereas the CP-WT140LCR is a 2-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-WT380IDCMonitor Audio CP-WT140LCR
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-WT380IDC |
Monitor Audio CP-WT140LCR |
|
Driver Setup
|
3-way
|
2-way
|
|
Tweeter
|
1-inch
|
1-inch
|
|
Midrange
|
1 x 4-inch |
- |
|
Woofer
|
1 x 8-inch
|
2 x 4-inch
|
CP-WT380IDC features a 1" Hard-Dome Tweeter, a 4" Midrange and 1 x 8" C-CAM Woofer. On the other hand, the CP-WT140LCR features a 1" Hard-Dome Tweeter and 2 x 4" Polymer Woofer.
Frequency Response
CP-WT380IDC has a frequency range of 50-30kHz whereas CP-WT140LCR has a frequency range of 60-25kHz. With a minimum frequency of 50Hz, the CP-WT380IDC can go significantly deeper on the low side and provide stronger bass compared to the CP-WT140LCR'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
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-WT380IDC and CP-WT140LCR have the same Impedance of 6 ohms but where they differ is the sensitivity levels. CP-WT380IDC sensitivity is rated at 89 dB and the CP-WT140LCR's is at 88 dB. This 1 dB difference makes the Monitor Audio CP-WT380IDC a more sensitive speaker compared to Monitor Audio CP-WT140LCR, 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.
CP-WT380IDC can handle a max power of 120 watts RMS, whereas CP-WT140LCR has a max power handling value of 100 watts RMS, 20 watts less than the CP-WT380IDC.
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.
Monitor Audio CP-WT380IDC
Monitor Audio CP-WT140LCR
Input Type and Bi-Amping / Bi-Wiring
CP-WT380IDC features Spring post type posts and CP-WT140LCR 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-WT380IDC's and Monitor Audio CP-WT140LCR's external dimensions. Monitor Audio CP-WT380IDC has external dimensions of 437.0 x 269.0 x 99.0mm (17.1875-inch x 10.5625-inch x 3.8750-inch) whereas Monitor Audio CP-WT140LCR has external dimensions of 299.0 x 183.0 x 97.0mm (11.7500-inch x 7.1875-inch x 3.8125-inch).
Monitor Audio CP-WT380IDC is clearly the larger of the two speakers. Its body is 86mm wider, 138mm taller and 2mm deeper than Monitor Audio CP-WT140LCR.
Below you can see the front view size comparison of Monitor Audio CP-WT380IDC and Monitor Audio CP-WT140LCR in scale.
Comparison image of Monitor Audio CP-WT380IDC and Monitor Audio CP-WT140LCR Size and External Dimensions
What's in the Box of Monitor Audio CP-WT380IDC?
Here are the items that are included inside the box of CP-WT380IDC:
- In-Wall speaker
- Magnetic grille
- Paint skim
- Installation Guide
- Important Safety Instructions
- Limited Warranty/Registration Card
- MountingTemplate
What's in the Box of Monitor Audio CP-WT140LCR?
Here are the items that come with the CP-WT140LCR:
- In-wall LCR loudspeaker
- Magnetic grille
- Cosmetic scrim
- Installation Guide
- Important Safety Instructions
- Limited Warranty/Registration Card
- MountingTemplate