Revel W873 vs Revel W553L Comparison

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Revel W873

Passive In-wall |

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Revel W553L

Passive Center Channel |

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Revel W873

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Revel W553L

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Revel W873

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Revel W553L

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Revel W873 vs Revel W553L Speaker Comparison

In this review, we will be comparing two different types of speakers by Revel. Revel W873 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 W873 and Revel W553L first before getting into our more detailed comparison.

Key Specs	Revel W873	Revel W553L
Brand	Revel United States · founded 1996	Revel United States · founded 1996
Design	2-way	2-way
Tweeter	1"	1"
Woofer	7"	2 x 5.25"
Sensitivity	86 dB	90.5 dB
Impedance	8 ohms	8 ohms
Power range	10 - 150 W watts	10 - 150 W watts
Weight	3.40kg / 7.5lbs	2.99kg / 6.6lbs
Dimensions (H x W x D)	13" x 11-1/8" x 3-11/16" 330.2 x 282.6 x 94.0mm	15-1/8" x 7-7/16" x 2-15/16" 384.2 x 188.9 x 74.0mm

W873 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 W873 and W553L are 2-way speakers.

Revel W873

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 W873	Revel W553L
Driver Setup	2-way	2-way
Tweeter	1-inch	1-inch
Midrange	-	-
Woofer	1 x 7-inch	2 x 5.25-inch

W873 features a 1" Tweeter and 1 x 7" Woofer. On the other hand, the W553L features a 1" Tweeter and 2 x 5.25" Woofer.

Frequency Response

W873 and W553L has exactly the same frequency range of .

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

W873

W553L

Min

Average

Median

Impedance and Sensitivity

W873 and W553L have the same Impedance of 8 ohms but where they differ is the sensitivity levels. W873 sensitivity is rated at 86 dB and the W553L's is at 90.5 dB. This 4 dB difference makes the Revel W553L a more sensitive speaker compared to Revel W873, hence will play louder with the same amount of watts.

Sensitivity

In-wall Speakers

W873

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.

W873 and W553L have the same power range of 10 - 150 W watts.

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 W873

Revel W553L

Input Type and Bi-Amping / Bi-Wiring

W873 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 W873's and Revel W553L's external dimensions. Revel W873 has external dimensions of 330.2 x 282.6 x 94.0mm () whereas Revel W553L has external dimensions of 384.2 x 188.9 x 74.0mm ().

Revel W553L is 93.7mm narrower and 20mm less deeper than Revel W873 but it is also 54mm taller.

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.

Revel W873 needs about 90% more floor or shelf area. Revel W873 is 20mm deeper, so it stands that much further out from the wall. Revel W553L is 54mm taller.

Reasons to choose Revel W873 over Revel W553L

Woofer Size	7 inches vs 5.25 inches	Larger woofer
Height	330mm vs 384mm	Easier to fit in smaller spaces

Reasons to choose Revel W553L over Revel W873

Sensitivity	90 dB vs 86 dB	Play louder with same amount of amplification power
Number of Woofers	2 vs 1	More woofers
Base Surface Area	139cm² vs 265cm²	Takes less floor space
Price per pair*	545USD vs 900USD	costs less (*prices may change depending on the seller, location and time)

Revel W873 vs Revel W553L Specs Table

Detailed comparison of specifications

General	Revel W873	Revel W553L
Brand	Revel	Revel
Speaker Type	Passive In-wall Speaker	Center channel speaker
Power Range	10 - 150 W watts	10 - 150 W watts
Sensitivity	86 dB	90.5 dB
Impedance	8 ohms	8 ohms
Frequency Response
Drivers
Woofer Quantity	1	2
Woofer Size	7"	5.25"
Woofer Composition
Tweeter Size	1"	1"
Aimable Tweeter	No	No
Midrange Driver	No	No
Physical Specs
Height	330.2mm (13")	384.2mm (15.1")
Width	282.6mm (11.1")	188.9mm (7.4")
Depth	94.0mm (3.7")	74.0mm (2.9")
Weight	3.40kg (7.5lbs)	2.99kg (6.6lbs)
Enclosure
Moisture Resistancy	No	No
Connections
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	B	Revel W553L is more sensitive (90dB vs 86dB), so it goes louder on the same amplifier.
Headroom	evenly matched	Similar power handling (150W vs 150W).
Size	depends	Revel W553L is easier to place; Revel W873 is bigger, which usually goes with fuller bass. Your room decides.
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 $900, about 39% less; arguably a different class.

A Revel W873 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?

Revel W553L has the edge on paper, though the margin is not large. The rows marked "depends" may matter more to you than the score does. In a large or open-plan room, Revel W873 has the cabinet volume to fill it more easily; in a small room, near a wall or at desk distance, Revel W553L is the easier speaker to get right. If your amplifier is modest, vintage or valve-based, Revel W553L is the safer partner - the other will want more current or more watts to sound its best.

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.