Monitor Audio W150-LCR vs Polk Audio 265-LS Comparison

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Monitor Audio W150-LCR

Passive In-wall | 60-30kHz

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Polk Audio 265-LS

Passive In-wall | 28-33kHz

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Monitor Audio W150-L...

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Polk Audio 265-LS

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Monitor Audio W150-L...

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Polk Audio 265-LS

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Monitor Audio W150-LCR vs Polk Audio 265-LS Speaker Comparison

In this review, we will be comparing W150-LCR 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 W150-LCR and Polk Audio 265-LS first before getting into our more detailed comparison.

Key Specs	Monitor Audio W150-LCR	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 5" Metal Matrix Polymer	6.5" Aerated polypropylene
Frequency response	60-30kHz	28-33kHz
Sensitivity	88 dB	91 dB
Impedance	8 ohms	8 ohms
Power range	30-100 watts	10-200 watts
Weight	—	4.09kg / 9lbs
Dimensions (H x W x D)	13.8750" x 5.7500" x 4.0000" 353.0 x 147.0 x 102.0mm	19.1875" x 7.2500" x 3-3/4" 488.0 x 185.0 x 95.3mm

What size room are the Monitor Audio W150-LCR 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 W150-LCR	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 W150-LCR 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 W150-LCR

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 W150-LCR	Polk Audio 265-LS
Driver Setup	2-way	3-way
Tweeter	1-inch	1-inch
Midrange	-	1 x 6.5-inch
Woofer	2 x 5-inch	1 x 6.5-inch

W150-LCR features a 1" Hard-Dome Tweeter and 2 x 5" Metal Matrix Polymer 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

W150-LCR has a frequency range of 60-30kHz 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 W150-LCR'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

W150-LCR

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

W150-LCR and 265-LS have the same Impedance of 8 ohms but where they differ is the sensitivity levels. W150-LCR sensitivity is rated at 88 dB and the 265-LS's is at 91 dB. This 3 dB difference makes the Polk Audio 265-LS a more sensitive speaker compared to Monitor Audio W150-LCR, hence will play louder with the same amount of watts.

Sensitivity

In-wall Speakers

W150-LCR

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 W150-LCR 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 W150-LCR

Polk Audio 265-LS

Input Type and Bi-Amping / Bi-Wiring

W150-LCR 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 W150-LCR's and Polk Audio 265-LS's external dimensions. Monitor Audio W150-LCR has external dimensions of 353.0 x 147.0 x 102.0mm (13.8750-inch x 5.7500-inch x 4.0000-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 W150-LCR is 38mm narrower and 135mm shorter than Polk Audio 265-LS but it is also 6.7mm deeper.

What's in the Box of Monitor Audio W150-LCR?

Here are the items that are included inside the box of W150-LCR:

In-wall speaker
Grille
Paint skim
Installation Guide
Important Safety Instructions
Cutout Template

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 W150-LCR over Polk Audio 265-LS

Number of Woofers	2 vs 1	More woofers
Height	353mm vs 488mm	Easier to fit in smaller spaces
Base Surface Area	149cm² vs 176cm²	Takes less floor space

Reasons to choose Polk Audio 265-LS over Monitor Audio W150-LCR

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
Woofer Size	6.5 inches vs 5 inches	Larger woofer
Low Frequency Response	28 Hz vs 60 Hz	Generates deeper bass
High Frequency Response	33k Hz vs 30k Hz	Generates higher frequency
Price per pair*	758USD vs 870USD	costs less (*prices may change depending on the seller, location and time)

Monitor Audio W150-LCR vs Polk Audio 265-LS Specs Table

Detailed comparison of specifications

General	Monitor Audio W150-LCR	Polk Audio 265-LS
Brand	Monitor Audio	Polk Audio
Speaker Type	Passive In-wall Speaker	Passive In-wall Speaker
Power Range	30-100 watts	10-200 watts
Sensitivity	88 dB	91 dB
Impedance	8 ohms	8 ohms
Frequency Response	60-30kHz	28-33kHz
Drivers
Woofer Quantity	2	1
Woofer Size	5"	6.5"
Woofer Composition	Metal Matrix Polymer	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	353.0mm (13.9")	488.0mm (19.2")
Width	147.0mm (5.8")	185.0mm (7.3")
Depth	102.0mm (4")	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

A generation apart: Monitor Audio W150-LCR is the newer design, against a 2010 model. Newer is not automatically better, but the older one is more likely to be discounted or near run-out.

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.
Headroom	B	Polk Audio 265-LS takes more power (200W vs 100W) - more in hand in a big room.
Size	depends	Monitor Audio W150-LCR is easier to place; Polk Audio 265-LS is bigger, which usually goes with fuller bass. Your room decides.
Price	B	Polk Audio 265-LS is cheaper - $758 against $870, about 13% less.

A Monitor Audio W150-LCR 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 W150-LCR 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 W150-LCR 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.