Sonos In-wall Speakers vs B&W CWM362 Comparison

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Sonos In-wall Speakers

Passive In-wall | 44-20kHz

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B&W CWM362

Passive In-wall | 50-30kHz

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Sonos In-wall Speake...

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B&W CWM362

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Sonos In-wall Speake...

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B&W CWM362

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Sonos In-wall Speakers vs B&W CWM362 Speaker Comparison

In this review, we will be comparing In-wall Speakers and CWM362, two Passive In-wall speakers from Sonos and Bowers Wilkins.

Let's have a brief look at the main features of Sonos In-wall Speakers and B&W CWM362 first before getting into our more detailed comparison.

Key Specs	Sonos In-wall Speakers	B&W CWM362
Brand	Sonos United States · founded 2002	Bowers Wilkins United Kingdom · founded 1966
Design	2-way	2-way
Tweeter	1" Soft-Dome	1" Soft-Dome
Woofer	6.5" Polypropylene	6" Polypropylene
Frequency response	44-20kHz	50-30kHz
Sensitivity	89 dB	89 dB
Impedance	8 ohms	8 ohms
Power range	up to 130 watts	10-80 watts
Weight	2.09kg / 4.6lbs	—
Dimensions (H x W x D)	10.7500" x 6.9375" x 3.6250" 274.0 x 177.0 x 93.0mm	11.0000" x 7.2500" x 3.0000" 280.0 x 185.0 x 77.0mm

What size room are the Sonos In-wall Speakers and B&W CWM362 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*	Sonos In-wall Speakers	B&W CWM362
Near-field	Poor	Average
Small Room	Average	Good
Mid-size Room	Good	Average
Large Room	Average	Poor
Very Large Room	Poor	Bad

(* 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

Both In-wall Speakers and CWM362 are 2-way speakers.

Sonos In-wall Speakers

B&W CWM362

TweeterWoofer

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

Driver	Sonos In-wall Speakers	B&W CWM362
Driver Setup	2-way	2-way
Tweeter	1-inch	1-inch
Midrange	-	-
Woofer	1 x 6.5-inch	1 x 6-inch

In-wall Speakers features a 1" Soft-Dome Tweeter and 1 x 6.5" Polypropylene Woofer. On the other hand, the CWM362 features a 1" Soft-Dome Tweeter and 1 x 6" Polypropylene Woofer.

Frequency Response

In-wall Speakers has a frequency range of 44-20kHz whereas CWM362 has a frequency range of 50-30kHz. With a minimum frequency of 44Hz, the In-wall Speakers can go significantly deeper on the low side and provide stronger bass compared to the CWM362's min frequency of 50Hz.

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

CWM362

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

In-wall Speakers and CWM362 have the same Impedance of 8 ohms and their sensitivity is also same at 89 dB.

Sensitivity

In-wall Speakers

CWM362

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.

In-wall Speakers can handle a max power of 130 watts RMS, whereas CWM362 has a max power handling value of 80 watts RMS, 50 watts less than the In-wall Speakers.

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

Sonos In-wall Speakers

B&W CWM362

Input Type and Bi-Amping / Bi-Wiring

In-wall Speakers features Spring clip type posts and CWM362 has a Spring clip 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 Sonos In-wall Speakers's and B&W CWM362's external dimensions. Sonos In-wall Speakers has external dimensions of 274.0 x 177.0 x 93.0mm (10.7500-inch x 6.9375-inch x 3.6250-inch) whereas B&W CWM362 has external dimensions of 280.0 x 185.0 x 77.0mm (11.0000-inch x 7.2500-inch x 3.0000-inch).

Sonos In-wall Speakers is 8mm narrower and 6mm shorter than B&W CWM362 but it is also 16mm deeper.

Below you can see the front view size comparison of Sonos In-wall Speakers and B&W CWM362 in scale.

Comparison image of Sonos In-wall Speakers and B&W CWM362 Size and External Dimensions

What's in the Box of Sonos In-wall Speakers?

Here are the items that are included inside the box of In-wall Speakers:

2 In-wall loudspeakers
2 Grilles
2 Cutout Templates

What's in the Box of B&W CWM362?

Here are the items that come with the CWM362:

2 In-wall loudspeakers
2 Grilles
2 Paint masks
Quick Start Guide
Wall Mount Cut-Out Template
Warranty Information

Reasons to choose Sonos In-wall Speakers over Bowers & Wilkins Flexible Series CWM362

Max Input Power	130 watts vs 80 watts	Handle more power from your amplifier
Woofer Size	6.5 inches vs 6 inches	Larger woofer
Low Frequency Response	44 Hz vs 50 Hz	Generates deeper bass
Height	274mm vs 280mm	Easier to fit in smaller spaces

Reasons to choose Bowers & Wilkins Flexible Series CWM362 over Sonos In-wall Speakers

High Frequency Response	30k Hz vs 20k Hz	Generates higher frequency
Base Surface Area	142cm² vs 164cm²	Takes less floor space
Price per pair*	520USD vs 659USD	costs less (*prices may change depending on the seller, location and time)

Sonos In-wall Speakers vs B&W CWM362 Specs Table

Detailed comparison of specifications

General	Sonos In-wall Speakers	Bowers & Wilkins Flexible Series CWM362
Brand	Sonos	Bowers Wilkins
Speaker Type	Passive In-wall Speaker	Passive In-wall Speaker
Power Range	up to 130 watts	10-80 watts
Sensitivity	89 dB	89 dB
Impedance	8 ohms	8 ohms
Frequency Response	44-20kHz	50-30kHz
Drivers
Woofer Quantity	1	1
Woofer Size	6.5"	6"
Woofer Composition	Polypropylene	Polypropylene
Woofer Surround Material	Rubber	Rubber
Tweeter Size	1"	1"
Tweeter Type	Soft-Dome	Soft-Dome
Aimable Tweeter	Yes	No
Midrange Driver	No	No
Physical Specs
Height	274.0mm (10.8")	280.0mm (11")
Width	177.0mm (7")	185.0mm (7.3")
Depth	93.0mm (3.7")	77.0mm (3")
Weight	2.09kg (4.6lbs)	n/a
Enclosure	In-wall	In-wall
Moisture Resistancy	No	No
Connections
Biamp Inputs	No	No
Other
Parts Warranty	2 Years	5 Years
Labor Warranty	2 Years	5 Years

Verdict

A generation apart: Sonos In-wall Speakers is the newer design, against a 2015 model. Newer is not automatically better, but the older one is more likely to be discounted or near run-out.

Area	Better	Why
Bass	A	Sonos In-wall Speakers digs deeper - 44Hz against 50Hz. A subwoofer would even that out.
Amplifier needs	evenly matched	Similar sensitivity (89dB vs 89dB) - both want much the same power.
Headroom	A	Sonos In-wall Speakers takes more power (130W vs 80W) - more in hand in a big room.
Size	depends	Similar cabinet size - neither is easier to fit.
Price	B	B&W CWM362 is cheaper - $520 against $659, about 21% less.

A Sonos In-wall Speakers B B&W CWM362
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: Sonos In-wall Speakers measures better, B&W CWM362 costs about about 27% 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. If a subwoofer is in your plans, the bass gap largely stops mattering - you would be crossing over above 50Hz anyway, which makes the cheaper B&W CWM362 much easier to justify. Match it to your room: we rate Sonos In-wall Speakers the better fit for a mid-size room and a large room, and B&W CWM362 for near-field listening and a small room.

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.