In this review, we will be comparing W280-IDC and R-5800-W II, two Passive In-wall speakers from Monitor Audio and Klipsch.
Let's have a brief look at the main features
of Monitor Audio W280-IDC and Klipsch R-5800-W II first before getting into our more
detailed comparison.
| Key Specs | Monitor Audio W280-IDC | Klipsch R-5800-W II |
|---|
| Brand | Monitor Audio
United Kingdom · founded 1972 | Klipsch
United States · founded 1946 |
|---|
| Design | 3-way | 2-way |
|---|
| Tweeter | 1" Hard-Dome | 1" Horn-loaded dome |
|---|
| Midrange | 4" | — |
|---|
| Woofer | 8" C-CAM | 8" Cerametallic |
|---|
| Frequency response | 45-30kHz | 40-23kHz |
|---|
| Sensitivity | 90 dB | 94 dB |
|---|
| Impedance | 6 ohms | 8 ohms |
|---|
| Power range | 30-120 watts | up to 50 watts |
|---|
| Weight | — | 3.58kg / 7.9lbs |
|---|
| Dimensions (H x W x D) | 15.2500" x 9.1875" x 3.6875"
388.0 x 234.0 x 94.0mm | 14.6875" x 9.1250" x 3.9375"
374.0 x 232.0 x 101.0mm |
|---|
What size room are the Monitor Audio W280-IDC and Klipsch R-5800-W II 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 W280-IDC |
Klipsch R-5800-W II |
| Near-field |
Poor |
Good |
| Small Room |
Average |
Good |
| Mid-size Room |
Good |
Average |
| Large Room |
Average |
Poor |
| Very Large Room |
Poor |
No way |
(* 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.
Drivers
One of the fundamental differences between these two speakers is that W280-IDC is a 3-way design whereas the R-5800-W II 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 W280-IDCKlipsch R-5800-W II
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 W280-IDC |
Klipsch R-5800-W II |
|
Driver Setup
|
3-way
|
2-way
|
|
Tweeter
|
1-inch
|
1-inch
|
|
Midrange
|
1 x 4-inch |
- |
|
Woofer
|
1 x 8-inch
|
1 x 8-inch
|
W280-IDC features a 1" Hard-Dome Tweeter, a 4" Midrange and 1 x 8" C-CAM Woofer. On the other hand, the R-5800-W II features a 1" Horn-loaded dome Tweeter and 1 x 8" Cerametallic Woofer with a Crossover frequency at 2600 Hz.
Frequency Response
W280-IDC has a frequency range of 45-30kHz whereas R-5800-W II has a frequency range of 40-23kHz. With a minimum frequency of 40Hz, the R-5800-W II can go significantly deeper on the low side and provide stronger bass compared to the W280-IDC's min frequency of 45Hz.
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
W280-IDC is a 6 ohms speaker compared to the R-5800-W II which has a nominal impedance of 8 ohms.
These two speakers also have different sensitivity levels. W280-IDC sensitivity is rated at 90 dB and the R-5800-W II's is rated at 94 dB. This 4 dB difference makes the Klipsch R-5800-W II a more sensitive speaker compared to Monitor Audio W280-IDC, 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.
W280-IDC can handle a max power of 120 watts RMS, whereas R-5800-W II has a max power handling value of 50 watts RMS, 70 watts less than the W280-IDC.
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
W280-IDC features Spring post type posts and R-5800-W II 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 W280-IDC's and Klipsch R-5800-W II's external dimensions. Monitor Audio W280-IDC has external dimensions of 388.0 x 234.0 x 94.0mm (15.2500-inch x 9.1875-inch x 3.6875-inch) whereas Klipsch R-5800-W II has external dimensions of 374.0 x 232.0 x 101.0mm (14.6875-inch x 9.1250-inch x 3.9375-inch).
Klipsch R-5800-W II is 2mm narrower and 14mm shorter than Monitor Audio W280-IDC but it is also 7mm deeper.
What's in the Box of Monitor Audio W280-IDC?
Here are the items that are included inside the box of W280-IDC:
- In-Wall speaker
- Grille
- Paint skim
- Installation Guide
- Important Safety Instructions
- Cutout Template
What's in the Box of Klipsch R-5800-W II?
Here are the items that come with the R-5800-W II:
- In-wall speaker
- White metal mesh grille
- Cardboard template
- Owners Manual (En/Fr/Sp)