In this review, we will be comparing In-wall Speakers and Installer Series IW5-LCR, two Passive In-wall speakers from Sonos and MartinLogan.
Let's have a brief look at the main features
of Sonos In-wall Speakers and MartinLogan Installer Series IW5-LCR first before getting into our more
detailed comparison.
| Key Specs | Sonos In-wall Speakers | MartinLogan Installer Series IW5-LCR |
|---|
| Brand | Sonos
United States · founded 2002 | MartinLogan
United States · founded 1982 |
|---|
| Design | 2-way | 2-way |
|---|
| Tweeter | 1" Soft-Dome | 0.75" Hard-Dome |
|---|
| Woofer | 6.5" Polypropylene | 2 x 5.5" Mineral-filled poly |
|---|
| Frequency response | 44-20kHz | 60-20kHz |
|---|
| Sensitivity | 89 dB | 89 dB |
|---|
| Impedance | 8 ohms | 8 ohms |
|---|
| Power range | up to 130 watts | 15-70 watts |
|---|
| Weight | 2.09kg / 4.6lbs | 2.68kg / 5.9lbs |
|---|
| Dimensions (H x W x D) | 10.7500" x 6.9375" x 3.6250"
274.0 x 177.0 x 93.0mm | 8.2500" x 11.6250" x 3.0000"
210.0 x 296.0 x 77.0mm |
|---|
What size room are the Sonos In-wall Speakers and MartinLogan Installer Series IW5-LCR 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 |
MartinLogan Installer Series IW5-LCR |
| Near-field |
Poor |
Good |
| Small Room |
Average |
Good |
| Mid-size Room |
Good |
Average |
| Large Room |
Average |
Poor |
| Very Large Room |
Poor |
No way |
(* 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.
Drivers
Both In-wall Speakers and Installer Series IW5-LCR are 2-way speakers.
Sonos In-wall SpeakersMartinLogan Installer Series IW5-LCR
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 |
MartinLogan Installer Series IW5-LCR |
|
Driver Setup
|
2-way
|
2-way
|
|
Tweeter
|
1-inch
|
0.75-inch
|
|
Midrange
|
- |
- |
|
Woofer
|
1 x 6.5-inch
|
2 x 5.5-inch
|
In-wall Speakers features a 1" Soft-Dome Tweeter and 1 x 6.5" Polypropylene Woofer. On the other hand, the Installer Series IW5-LCR features a 0.75" Hard-Dome Tweeter and 2 x 5.5" Mineral-filled poly Woofer.
Frequency Response
In-wall Speakers has a frequency range of 44-20kHz whereas Installer Series IW5-LCR has a frequency range of 60-20kHz. 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 Installer Series IW5-LCR's min frequency of 60Hz.
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
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 Installer Series IW5-LCR have the same Impedance of 8 ohms and their sensitivity is also same at 89 dB.
Sensitivity
In-wall Speakers
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 Installer Series IW5-LCR has a max power handling value of 70 watts RMS, 60 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.
MartinLogan Installer Series IW5-LCR
Input Type and Bi-Amping / Bi-Wiring
In-wall Speakers features Spring post type posts and Installer Series IW5-LCR 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 Sonos In-wall Speakers's and MartinLogan Installer Series IW5-LCR'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 MartinLogan Installer Series IW5-LCR has external dimensions of 210.0 x 296.0 x 77.0mm (8.2500-inch x 11.6250-inch x 3.0000-inch).
MartinLogan Installer Series IW5-LCR is 64mm shorter and 16mm less deeper than Sonos In-wall Speakers but it is also 119mm wider.
Below you can see the front view size comparison of Sonos In-wall Speakers and MartinLogan Installer Series IW5-LCR in scale.
Comparison image of Sonos In-wall Speakers and MartinLogan Installer Series IW5-LCR Size and External Dimensions
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 Sonos In-wall Speakers weighs 2.09kg / 4.6lbs and the MartinLogan Installer Series IW5-LCR weighs 2.68kg / 5.9lbs. This makes the Installer Series IW5-LCR 28% heavier than the In-wall Speakers.
Here is a comparison of how In-wall Speakers and Installer Series IW5-LCR's weights compare with the average, max and min weights in Passive In-wall class.
Weight
All In-wall Speakers
MartinLogan Installer Series IW5-LCR
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 MartinLogan Installer Series IW5-LCR?
Here are the items that come with the Installer Series IW5-LCR:
- In-wall loudspeaker
- Grille
- User-feets Manual
- Cutout Template
 Max Input Power |
130 watts
vs
70 watts
|
Handle more power from your amplifier |
 Woofer Size |
6.5 inches
vs
5.5 inches
|
Larger woofer |
|
Low Frequency Response |
44 Hz
vs
60 Hz
|
Generates deeper bass |
 Base Surface Area |
164cm2
vs
227cm2
|
Takes less floor space |
 Price per pair* |
659USD
vs
760USD
|
costs less (*prices may change depending on the seller, location and time) |
|
Number of Woofers |
2
vs
1
|
More woofers |
 Height |
210mm
vs
274mm
|
Easier to fit in smaller spaces |
| General |
Sonos In-wall Speakers |
MartinLogan Installer Series IW5-LCR |
| Brand |
Sonos |
MartinLogan |
| Speaker Type |
Passive In-wall Speaker |
Passive In-wall Speaker |
| Power Range |
up to 130 watts |
15-70 watts |
| Sensitivity |
89 dB |
89 dB |
| Impedance |
8 ohms |
8 ohms |
| Frequency Response |
44-20kHz |
60-20kHz |
Drivers |
|
|
| Woofer Quantity |
1 |
2 |
| Woofer Size |
6.5" |
5.5" |
| Woofer Composition |
Polypropylene |
Mineral-filled poly |
| Woofer Surround Material |
Rubber |
Rubber |
| Tweeter Size |
1" |
0.75" |
| Tweeter Type |
Soft-Dome |
Hard-Dome |
| Aimable Tweeter |
Yes |
No |
| Midrange Driver |
No |
No |
Physical Specs |
|
|
| Height |
274.0mm (10.8") |
210.0mm (8.3") |
| Width |
177.0mm (7") |
296.0mm (11.7") |
| Depth |
93.0mm (3.7") |
77.0mm (3") |
| Weight |
2.09kg (4.6lbs) |
2.68kg (5.9lbs) |
| Enclosure |
In-wall |
In-wall |
| Moisture Resistancy |
No |
No |
Connections |
|
|
| Biamp Inputs |
No |
No |
Other |
|
|
| Parts Warranty |
2 Years |
5 Yrs w/ Registration |
| Labor Warranty |
2 Years |
5 Yrs w/ Registration |
No single best speaker here - they are built to different priorities, and the right one depends on your room, your amplifier and what you listen to.
| Area | Better | Why |
|---|
| Bass | A | Sonos In-wall Speakers digs deeper - 44Hz against 60Hz. |
| 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 70W) - more in hand in a big room. |
| Size | depends | Similar cabinet size - neither is easier to fit. |
| Price | A | Sonos In-wall Speakers is cheaper - $659 against $760, about 13% less. |
A Sonos In-wall Speakers B MartinLogan Installer Series IW5-LCR
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?
Sonos In-wall Speakers is the easier recommendation: it leads on most of the measured areas and costs less. Take MartinLogan Installer Series IW5-LCR if its size, looks or fit in your room suit you better. If a subwoofer is in your plans, the bass gap largely stops mattering - you would be crossing over above 60Hz anyway, so judge these on the other rows instead. Match it to your room: we rate Sonos In-wall Speakers the better fit for a mid-size room and a large room, and MartinLogan Installer Series IW5-LCR 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.