Revel W253L vs Revel W553L Comparison

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Revel W253L

Passive In-wall | 55-18kHz

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Revel W553L

Passive Center Channel |

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Revel W253L

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Revel W553L

Check price atAmazon›

Revel W253L

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Revel W553L

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Revel W253L vs Revel W553L Speaker Comparison

In this review, we will be comparing two different types of speakers by Revel. Revel W253L is a In-wall speaker whereas the W553L is a Center Channel speaker.

Let's have a brief look at the main features of Revel W253L and Revel W553L first before getting into our more detailed comparison.

Key Specs	Revel W253L	Revel W553L
Brand	Revel United States · founded 1996	Revel United States · founded 1996
Design	2-way	2-way
Tweeter	1" Hard-Dome	1"
Woofer	2 x 5.25" Aluminum	2 x 5.25"
Frequency response	55-18kHz	—
Sensitivity	91 dB	90.5 dB
Impedance	8 ohms	8 ohms
Power range	10-130 watts	10 - 150 W watts
Weight	2.54kg / 5.6lbs	2.99kg / 6.6lbs
Dimensions (H x W x D)	14.1250" x 6.4375" x 3.4375" 359.0 x 164.0 x 88.0mm	15-1/8" x 7-7/16" x 2-15/16" 384.2 x 188.9 x 74.0mm

W253L and W553L are members of Revel's Architectural series of speakers. Below you can find the loudspeakers from this series.

Revel Architectural Series History

Model	Body	Frequency	Sensitivity	Impedance	Woofer
Revel W253L	In-wall	55-18kHz	91 dB	8Ω	2 x 5.25"
Revel W553L	Center Channel		90.5 dB	8Ω	2 x 5.25"
Revel W383	In-wall		89 dB	8Ω	1 x 8"
Revel W763	In-wall		89 dB	8Ω	1 x 6.5"
Revel W783	In-wall		89 dB	8Ω	1 x 8"
Revel W990	In-wall		89 dB	8Ω	1 x 9"
Revel W228Be	In-wall	35-40k Hz	90 dB	6Ω	2 x 8"
Revel W126Be	In-wall	55-40k Hz	89 dB	6Ω	1 x 6.5"
Revel W226Be	In-wall	45-40k Hz	90 dB	6Ω	2 x 6.5"
Revel W263	In-wall		88 dB	8Ω	1 x 6.5"

The sections below take each area in turn: drivers, frequency response, physical size and what you get in the box.

Drivers

Both W253L and W553L are 2-way speakers.

Revel W253L

Revel W553L

TweeterWoofer

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

Driver	Revel W253L	Revel W553L
Driver Setup	2-way	2-way
Tweeter	1-inch	1-inch
Midrange	-	-
Woofer	2 x 5.25-inch	2 x 5.25-inch

W253L features a 1" Hard-Dome Tweeter and 2 x 5.25" Aluminum Woofer. On the other hand, the W553L features a 1" Tweeter and 2 x 5.25" Woofer.

Frequency Response

W253L has a frequency range of 55-18kHz whereas W553L has a frequency range of . With a minimum frequency of Hz, the W553L can go significantly deeper on the low side and provide stronger bass compared to the W253L's min frequency of 55Hz.

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

W253L

W553L

Min

Average

Median

Impedance and Sensitivity

W253L and W553L have the same Impedance of 8 ohms but where they differ is the sensitivity levels. W253L sensitivity is rated at 91 dB and the W553L's is at 90.5 dB. This 1 dB difference makes the Revel W253L a more sensitive speaker compared to Revel W553L, hence will play louder with the same amount of watts.

Sensitivity

In-wall Speakers

W253L

W553L

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.

W553L can handle a max power of 150 watts RMS, whereas W253L has a max power handling value of 130 watts RMS, 20 watts less than the W553L.

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

Revel W253L

Revel W553L

Input Type and Bi-Amping / Bi-Wiring

W253L features Spring post type posts and W553L 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 Revel W253L's and Revel W553L's external dimensions. Revel W253L has external dimensions of 359.0 x 164.0 x 88.0mm (14.1250-inch x 6.4375-inch x 3.4375-inch) whereas Revel W553L has external dimensions of 384.2 x 188.9 x 74.0mm ().

Revel W253L is 24.9mm narrower and 25.2mm shorter than Revel W553L but it is also 14mm deeper.

Size, drawn to scale

Both speakers and both views share one scale, so everything here is directly comparable. Hover a box for its dimensions.

One scale for both, standing on the same surface and pushed back to the same wall, so the deeper one visibly sticks out further.

Near-identical footprints. Revel W553L is 25mm taller.

What's in the Box of Revel W253L?

Here are the items that are included inside the box of W253L:

In-wall loudspeaker
Grille
Scrim cloth
Cutout template
Instruction Manual

Reasons to choose Revel W253L over Revel W553L

Sensitivity	91 dB vs 90 dB	Play louder with same amount of amplification power
High Frequency Response	18k Hz vs k Hz	Generates higher frequency
Height	359mm vs 384mm	Easier to fit in smaller spaces

Reasons to choose Revel W553L over Revel W253L

Max Input Power	150 watts vs 130 watts	Handle more power from your amplifier
Low Frequency Response	Hz vs 55 Hz	Generates deeper bass
Base Surface Area	139cm² vs 144cm²	Takes less floor space
Price per pair*	545USD vs 660USD	costs less (*prices may change depending on the seller, location and time)

Revel W253L vs Revel W553L Specs Table

Detailed comparison of specifications

General	Revel W253L	Revel W553L
Brand	Revel	Revel
Speaker Type	Passive In-wall Speaker	Center channel speaker
Power Range	10-130 watts	10 - 150 W watts
Sensitivity	91 dB	90.5 dB
Impedance	8 ohms	8 ohms
Frequency Response	55-18kHz
Drivers
Woofer Quantity	2	2
Woofer Size	5.25"	5.25"
Woofer Composition	Aluminum
Woofer Surround Material	Rubber	n/a
Tweeter Size	1"	1"
Tweeter Type	Hard-Dome	n/a
Aimable Tweeter	No	No
Midrange Driver	No	No
Physical Specs
Height	359.0mm (14.1")	384.2mm (15.1")
Width	164.0mm (6.5")	188.9mm (7.4")
Depth	88.0mm (3.5")	74.0mm (2.9")
Weight	2.54kg (5.6lbs)	2.99kg (6.6lbs)
Enclosure	In-wall
Moisture Resistancy	No	No
Connections
Biamp Inputs	No	n/a
Other
Parts Warranty	Lifetime	Lifetime
Labor Warranty	Lifetime	Lifetime

Verdict

Siblings in Revel's Architectural series, so they share a family sound. It comes down to size, output and price.

Area	Better	Why
Amplifier needs	evenly matched	Similar sensitivity (91dB vs 90dB) - both want much the same power.
Headroom	evenly matched	Similar power handling (130W vs 150W).
Size	depends	Similar cabinet size - neither is easier to fit.
Type	depends	A Passive In-wall against a Passive Center Channel - a different job rather than a better one.
Price	B	Revel W553L is cheaper - $545 against $660, about 17% less.

A Revel W253L B Revel W553L
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?

Neither runs away with it - they trade advantages. Let the "depends" rows and your own room settle it.

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.