Revel W253L vs Revel W990 Comparison

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Revel W253L

Passive In-wall | 55-18kHz

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Revel W990

Passive In-wall |

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Revel W253L

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Revel W990

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Revel W253L

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Revel W990

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Revel W253L vs Revel W990 Speaker Comparison

In this review, we will be comparing W253L and W990, two Passive In-wall speakers by Revel.

Let's have a brief look at the main features of Revel W253L and Revel W990 first before getting into our more detailed comparison.

Key Specs	Revel W253L	Revel W990
Brand	Revel United States · founded 1996	Revel United States · founded 1996
Design	2-way	3-way
Tweeter	1" Hard-Dome	1"
Midrange	—	3.5"
Woofer	2 x 5.25" Aluminum	9"
Frequency response	55-18kHz	—
Sensitivity	91 dB	89 dB
Impedance	8 ohms	8 ohms
Power range	10-130 watts	10 - 200 W watts
Weight	2.54kg / 5.6lbs	7.71kg / 17lbs
Dimensions (H x W x D)	14.1250" x 6.4375" x 3.4375" 359.0 x 164.0 x 88.0mm	—

W253L and W990 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

One of the fundamental differences between these two speakers is that W253L is a 2-way design whereas the W990 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.

Revel W253L

Revel W990

TweeterMidrangeWoofer

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 W990
Driver Setup	2-way	3-way
Tweeter	1-inch	1-inch
Midrange	-	1 x 3.5-inch
Woofer	2 x 5.25-inch	1 x 9-inch

W253L features a 1" Hard-Dome Tweeter and 2 x 5.25" Aluminum Woofer. On the other hand, the W990 features a 1" Tweeter, a 3.5" Midrange and 1 x 9" Woofer.

Frequency Response

W253L has a frequency range of 55-18kHz whereas W990 has a frequency range of . With a minimum frequency of Hz, the W990 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

W990

Min

Average

Median

Impedance and Sensitivity

W253L and W990 have the same Impedance of 8 ohms but where they differ is the sensitivity levels. W253L sensitivity is rated at 91 dB and the W990's is at 89 dB. This 2 dB difference makes the Revel W253L a more sensitive speaker compared to Revel W990, hence will play louder with the same amount of watts.

Sensitivity

In-wall Speakers

W253L

W990

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.

W990 can handle a max power of 200 watts RMS, whereas W253L has a max power handling value of 130 watts RMS, 70 watts less than the W990.

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 W990

Input Type and Bi-Amping / Bi-Wiring

W253L features Spring post type posts and W990 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 W990'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 W990 has external dimensions of ().

Revel W253L is 190mm narrower and 164.9mm shorter than Revel W990 but it is also 88mm 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. Depth is not published for both, so only the front view is drawn.

Revel W990 is 165mm taller.

Weight Comparison

The weight of a loudspeaker can become an important factor if you need to move and reposition the unit often. Weight of a speaker can also "sometimes" be an indicator of the rigidity of the enclosure and the quality of the internal components used. The Revel W253L weighs 2.54kg / 5.6lbs and the Revel W990 weighs 7.71kg / 17lbs. This makes the W990 204% heavier than the W253L.

Here is a comparison of how W253L and W990's weights compare with the average, max and min weights in Passive In-wall class.

Weight
All In-wall Speakers

Revel W253L

Revel W990

Min

Average

Max

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 W990

Sensitivity	91 dB vs 89 dB	Play louder with same amount of amplification power
Number of Woofers	2 vs 1	More woofers
High Frequency Response	18k Hz vs k Hz	Generates higher frequency
Height	359mm vs 523mm	Easier to fit in smaller spaces
Price per pair*	660USD vs 4240USD	costs less (*prices may change depending on the seller, location and time)

Reasons to choose Revel W990 over Revel W253L

Max Input Power	200 watts vs 130 watts	Handle more power from your amplifier
Driver Setup	3-way vs 2-way	Have a dedicated mid-range driver
Woofer Size	9 inches vs 5.25 inches	Larger woofer
Low Frequency Response	Hz vs 55 Hz	Generates deeper bass
Base Surface Area	0cm² vs 144cm²	Takes less floor space

Revel W253L vs Revel W990 Specs Table

Detailed comparison of specifications

General	Revel W253L	Revel W990
Brand	Revel	Revel
Speaker Type	Passive In-wall Speaker	Passive In-wall Speaker
Power Range	10-130 watts	10 - 200 W watts
Sensitivity	91 dB	89 dB
Impedance	8 ohms	8 ohms
Frequency Response	55-18kHz
Drivers
Woofer Quantity	2	1
Woofer Size	5.25"	9"
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	3.5"
Physical Specs
Height	359.0mm (14.1")	523.9mm (20.6")
Width	164.0mm (6.5")	354.0mm (13.9")
Depth	88.0mm (3.5")	mm (0")
Weight	2.54kg (5.6lbs)	7.71kg (17lbs)
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	A	Revel W253L is more sensitive (91dB vs 89dB), so it goes louder on the same amplifier.
Headroom	B	Revel W990 takes more power (200W vs 130W) - more in hand in a big room.
Price	A	Revel W253L is cheaper - $660 against $4,240, about 84% less; arguably a different class.

A Revel W253L B Revel W990
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. If your amplifier is modest, vintage or valve-based, Revel W253L is the safer partner - the other will want more current or more watts to sound its best. Think about the whole system, not just the speakers: the roughly $3,580 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.