Monitor Audio W250-LCR vs Focal 100 IW LCR5 Comparison

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Monitor Audio W250-LCR

Passive In-wall | 60-30kHz

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Focal 100 IW LCR5

Passive In-wall | 55-23kHz

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Monitor Audio W250-L...

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Focal 100 IW LCR5

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Monitor Audio W250-L...

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Focal 100 IW LCR5

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Monitor Audio W250-LCR vs Focal 100 IW LCR5 Speaker Comparison

In this review, we will be comparing W250-LCR and 100 IW LCR5, two Passive In-wall speakers from Monitor Audio and Focal.

Let's have a brief look at the main features of Monitor Audio W250-LCR and Focal 100 IW LCR5 first before getting into our more detailed comparison.

Key Specs	Monitor Audio W250-LCR	Focal 100 IW LCR5
Brand	Monitor Audio United Kingdom · founded 1972	Focal France · founded 1979
Design	2-way	2-way
Tweeter	1" Hard-Dome	1" Inverted Hard-Dome
Woofer	2 x 5" Metal Matrix Polymer	2 x 5.125" Polyglass
Frequency response	60-30kHz	55-23kHz
Sensitivity	88 dB	90.5 dB
Impedance	8 ohms	8 ohms
Power range	30-100 watts	25-120 watts
Weight	—	1.77kg / 3.9lbs
Dimensions (H x W x D)	13.8750" x 5.7500" x 4.0000" 353.0 x 147.0 x 102.0mm	16.3130" x 5.8130" x 3.2500" 415.0 x 148.0 x 83.0mm

What size room are the Monitor Audio W250-LCR and Focal 100 IW LCR5 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 W250-LCR	Focal 100 IW LCR5
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

Both W250-LCR and 100 IW LCR5 are 2-way speakers.

Monitor Audio W250-LCR

Focal 100 IW LCR5

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 W250-LCR	Focal 100 IW LCR5
Driver Setup	2-way	2-way
Tweeter	1-inch	1-inch
Midrange	-	-
Woofer	2 x 5-inch	2 x 5.125-inch

W250-LCR features a 1" Hard-Dome Tweeter and 2 x 5" Metal Matrix Polymer Woofer. On the other hand, the 100 IW LCR5 features a 1" Inverted Hard-Dome Tweeter and 2 x 5.125" Polyglass Woofer.

Frequency Response

W250-LCR has a frequency range of 60-30kHz whereas 100 IW LCR5 has a frequency range of 55-23kHz. With a minimum frequency of 55Hz, the 100 IW LCR5 can go significantly deeper on the low side and provide stronger bass compared to the W250-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

W250-LCR

100 IW LCR5

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

W250-LCR and 100 IW LCR5 have the same Impedance of 8 ohms but where they differ is the sensitivity levels. W250-LCR sensitivity is rated at 88 dB and the 100 IW LCR5's is at 90.5 dB. This 3 dB difference makes the Focal 100 IW LCR5 a more sensitive speaker compared to Monitor Audio W250-LCR, hence will play louder with the same amount of watts.

Sensitivity

In-wall Speakers

W250-LCR

100 IW LCR5

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.

100 IW LCR5 can handle a max power of 120 watts RMS, whereas W250-LCR has a max power handling value of 100 watts RMS, 20 watts less than the 100 IW LCR5.

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 W250-LCR

Focal 100 IW LCR5

Input Type and Bi-Amping / Bi-Wiring

W250-LCR features Spring post type posts and 100 IW LCR5 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 W250-LCR's and Focal 100 IW LCR5's external dimensions. Monitor Audio W250-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 Focal 100 IW LCR5 has external dimensions of 415.0 x 148.0 x 83.0mm (16.3130-inch x 5.8130-inch x 3.2500-inch).

Monitor Audio W250-LCR is 1mm narrower and 62mm shorter than Focal 100 IW LCR5 but it is also 19mm deeper.

What's in the Box of Monitor Audio W250-LCR?

Here are the items that are included inside the box of W250-LCR:

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

What's in the Box of Focal 100 IW LCR5?

Here are the items that come with the 100 IW LCR5:

One in-wall speaker
1 metal-mesh grill (white)
Cut-out template
User manual

Reasons to choose Monitor Audio W250-LCR over Focal 100 IW LCR5

High Frequency Response	30k Hz vs 23k Hz	Generates higher frequency
Height	353mm vs 415mm	Easier to fit in smaller spaces

Reasons to choose Focal 100 IW LCR5 over Monitor Audio W250-LCR

Max Input Power	120 watts vs 100 watts	Handle more power from your amplifier
Sensitivity	91 dB vs 88 dB	Play louder with same amount of amplification power
Woofer Size	5.125 inches vs 5 inches	Larger woofer
Low Frequency Response	55 Hz vs 60 Hz	Generates deeper bass
Base Surface Area	122cm² vs 149cm²	Takes less floor space
Price per pair*	598USD vs 990USD	costs less (*prices may change depending on the seller, location and time)

Monitor Audio W250-LCR vs Focal 100 IW LCR5 Specs Table

Detailed comparison of specifications

General	Monitor Audio W250-LCR	Focal 100 IW LCR5
Brand	Monitor Audio	Focal
Speaker Type	Passive In-wall Speaker	Passive In-wall Speaker
Power Range	30-100 watts	25-120 watts
Sensitivity	88 dB	90.5 dB
Impedance	8 ohms	8 ohms
Frequency Response	60-30kHz	55-23kHz
Drivers
Woofer Quantity	2	2
Woofer Size	5"	5.125"
Woofer Composition	Metal Matrix Polymer	Polyglass
Woofer Surround Material	Rubber	Rubber
Tweeter Size	1"	1"
Tweeter Type	Hard-Dome	Inverted Hard-Dome
Aimable Tweeter	No	No
Midrange Driver	No	No
Physical Specs
Height	353.0mm (13.9")	415.0mm (16.3")
Width	147.0mm (5.8")	148.0mm (5.8")
Depth	102.0mm (4")	83.0mm (3.3")
Weight	n/a	1.77kg (3.9lbs)
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

These sit in different price classes - Monitor Audio W250-LCR costs roughly 1.7x what Focal 100 IW LCR5 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	Focal 100 IW LCR5 digs deeper - 55Hz against 60Hz. A subwoofer would even that out.
Amplifier needs	B	Focal 100 IW LCR5 is more sensitive (91dB vs 88dB), so it goes louder on the same amplifier.
Headroom	evenly matched	Similar power handling (100W vs 120W).
Size	depends	Similar cabinet size - neither is easier to fit.
Price	B	Focal 100 IW LCR5 is cheaper - $598 against $990, about 40% less; arguably a different class.

A Monitor Audio W250-LCR B Focal 100 IW LCR5
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?

Focal 100 IW LCR5 is the easier recommendation: it leads on most of the measured areas and costs less. Take Monitor Audio W250-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 W250-LCR the better fit for near-field listening and a small room, and Focal 100 IW LCR5 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.