Polk Audio 265-LS vs Definitive UIW RLS III Comparison

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Polk Audio 265-LS

Passive In-wall | 28-33kHz

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Definitive UIW RLS III

Passive In-wall | 24-30kHz

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Polk Audio 265-LS

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Definitive UIW RLS I...

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Polk Audio 265-LS

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Definitive UIW RLS I...

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Polk Audio 265-LS vs Definitive UIW RLS III Speaker Comparison

In this review, we will be comparing 265-LS and UIW RLS III, two Passive In-wall speakers from Polk Audio and Definitive Technology.

Let's have a brief look at the main features of Polk Audio 265-LS and Definitive UIW RLS III first before getting into our more detailed comparison.

Key Specs	Polk Audio 265-LS	Definitive UIW RLS III
Brand	Polk Audio United States · founded 1972	Definitive Technology United States · founded 1990
Design	3-way	2-way
Tweeter	1" Ring Radiator	1" Hard-Dome
Midrange	6.5"	—
Woofer	6.5" Aerated polypropylene	2 x 5.25" Polypropylene
Frequency response	28-33kHz	24-30kHz
Sensitivity	91 dB	92 dB
Impedance	8 ohms	8 ohms
Power range	10-200 watts	10-325 watts
Weight	4.09kg / 9lbs	—
Dimensions (H x W x D)	19.1875" x 7.2500" x 3-3/4" 488.0 x 185.0 x 95.3mm	23.7500" x 5.8750" x 3.8750" 604.0 x 150.0 x 99.0mm

What size room are the Polk Audio 265-LS and Definitive UIW RLS III 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*	Polk Audio 265-LS	Definitive UIW RLS III
Near-field	Poor	Are you nuts?
Small Room	Average	Bad
Mid-size Room	Good	Poor
Large Room	Average	Good
Very Large Room	Poor	Good

(* 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 265-LS is a 3-way design whereas the UIW RLS III 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.

Polk Audio 265-LS

Definitive UIW RLS III

TweeterMidrangeWoofer

Front view, drawn to scale - cabinets and drivers share one scale, so sizes are directly comparable. Hover a driver for its size.

Driver	Polk Audio 265-LS	Definitive UIW RLS III
Driver Setup	3-way	2-way
Tweeter	1-inch	1-inch
Midrange	1 x 6.5-inch	-
Woofer	1 x 6.5-inch	2 x 5.25-inch

265-LS features a 1" Ring Radiator Tweeter, a 6.5" Midrange and 1 x 6.5" Aerated polypropylene Woofer. On the other hand, the UIW RLS III features a 1" Hard-Dome Tweeter and 2 x 5.25" Polypropylene Woofer.

Frequency Response

265-LS has a frequency range of 28-33kHz whereas UIW RLS III has a frequency range of 24-30kHz. With a minimum frequency of 24Hz, the UIW RLS III can go slightly deeper then the 265-LS's min frequency of 28Hz.

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

265-LS

UIW RLS III

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

265-LS and UIW RLS III have the same Impedance of 8 ohms but where they differ is the sensitivity levels. 265-LS sensitivity is rated at 91 dB and the UIW RLS III's is at 92 dB. This 1 dB difference makes the Definitive UIW RLS III a more sensitive speaker compared to Polk Audio 265-LS, hence will play louder with the same amount of watts.

Sensitivity

In-wall Speakers

265-LS

UIW RLS III

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.

UIW RLS III can handle a max power of 325 watts RMS, whereas 265-LS has a max power handling value of 200 watts RMS, 125 watts less than the UIW RLS III.

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

Polk Audio 265-LS

Definitive UIW RLS III

Input Type and Bi-Amping / Bi-Wiring

265-LS features Spring post type posts and UIW RLS III 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 Polk Audio 265-LS's and Definitive UIW RLS III's external dimensions. 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) whereas Definitive UIW RLS III has external dimensions of 604.0 x 150.0 x 99.0mm (23.7500-inch x 5.8750-inch x 3.8750-inch).

Polk Audio 265-LS is 116mm shorter and 3.7mm less deeper than Definitive UIW RLS III but it is also 35mm wider.

What's in the Box of Polk Audio 265-LS?

Here are the items that are included inside the box of 265-LS:

In-wall loudspeaker
White metal grille
Power Port plug
Mounting template
Owners Manual

What's in the Box of Definitive UIW RLS III?

Here are the items that come with the UIW RLS III:

In-wall loudspeaker
Grille
Self-adhesive foam gasket
Paint mask
Wall-Mount Template
Owners Manual
Online Product Registration Card

Reasons to choose Polk Audio 265-LS over Definitive Technology UIW RLS III

Driver Setup	3-way vs 2-way	Have a dedicated mid-range driver
Woofer Size	6.5 inches vs 5.25 inches	Larger woofer
High Frequency Response	33k Hz vs 30k Hz	Generates higher frequency
Height	488mm vs 604mm	Easier to fit in smaller spaces
Price per pair*	758USD vs 1398USD	costs less (*prices may change depending on the seller, location and time)

Reasons to choose Definitive Technology UIW RLS III over Polk Audio 265-LS

Max Input Power	325 watts vs 200 watts	Handle more power from your amplifier
Sensitivity	92 dB vs 91 dB	Play louder with same amount of amplification power
Number of Woofers	2 vs 1	More woofers
Low Frequency Response	24 Hz vs 28 Hz	Generates deeper bass
Passive Radiator	2 x 5.25-inch vs None	Increases the bass performance
Base Surface Area	148cm² vs 176cm²	Takes less floor space

Polk Audio 265-LS vs Definitive UIW RLS III Specs Table

Detailed comparison of specifications

General	Polk Audio 265-LS	Definitive Technology UIW RLS III
Brand	Polk Audio	Definitive Technology
Speaker Type	Passive In-wall Speaker	Passive In-wall Speaker
Power Range	10-200 watts	10-325 watts
Sensitivity	91 dB	92 dB
Impedance	8 ohms	8 ohms
Frequency Response	28-33kHz	24-30kHz
Drivers
Woofer Quantity	1	2
Woofer Size	6.5"	5.25"
Woofer Composition	Aerated polypropylene	Polypropylene
Woofer Surround Material	Rubber	Butyl Rubber
Tweeter Size	1"	1"
Tweeter Type	Ring Radiator	Hard-Dome
Aimable Tweeter	No	No
Midrange Driver	6.5"	No
Physical Specs
Height	488.0mm (19.2")	604.0mm (23.8")
Width	185.0mm (7.3")	150.0mm (5.9")
Depth	95.3mm (3.8")	99.0mm (3.9")
Weight	4.09kg (9lbs)	n/a
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 - Definitive UIW RLS III costs roughly 1.8x what Polk Audio 265-LS 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	Definitive UIW RLS III digs deeper - 24Hz against 28Hz. A subwoofer would even that out.
Amplifier needs	evenly matched	Similar sensitivity (91dB vs 92dB) - both want much the same power.
Headroom	B	Definitive UIW RLS III takes more power (325W vs 200W) - more in hand in a big room.
Size	depends	Similar cabinet size - neither is easier to fit.
Price	A	Polk Audio 265-LS is cheaper - $758 against $1,398, about 46% less; arguably a different class.

A Polk Audio 265-LS B Definitive UIW RLS III
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?

The usual trade-off: Definitive UIW RLS III measures better, Polk Audio 265-LS costs about about 84% more% less. Whether that gap is worth the money is the call only you can make - and in a normal room it is often smaller than the numbers suggest. Match it to your room: we rate Polk Audio 265-LS the better fit for a small room and a mid-size room, and Definitive UIW RLS III for a large room and a very large room. Think about the whole system, not just the speakers: the roughly $640 saved by taking the cheaper pair would buy a subwoofer or a better amplifier, and either usually does more for the sound than the difference between these two.

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.