Definitive Technology UIW RLS II, UIW RLS III, IWSub 10/10, IWSub, SubAmp 600 Brochure & Specs
DEFINITIVE TECHNOLOGY’S
HOT
new
system
review
UIW RLS II &
IWSub Reference
“beyond amazing”
NEW REVIEWS
“it’s really beyond amazing”
SECOND DRAFT
Definitive Technology’s UIW RLS II and IWSub Reference
surrender enough surprises to make a lazy editor rewrite his review.
y first draft of the intro for this
review was rather witty, if I do say
M
because so many of today’s in-wall speakers
are so good, it’s difficult to write something
interesting about them. But I composed those
opening paragraphs before I had actually
listened to the speakers. Much as I hate to
throw away a perfectly good intro, it would
no longer do — because it was no longer true.
so myself. It lamented the fact that
“I can think of no other
in-wall speaker system
that matches this one’s
versatility, sound quality,
and value”
One could not consider Definitive
Technology’s UIW RLS II in-wall speaker
and IWSub Reference in-wall subwoofer to
be ordinary products, even at first glance.
Take the UIW RLS II’s pair of passive radiators, which Defi
biggest problems with high-quality in-walls:
lack of bass. Like most high-end in-walls, the
UIW RLS II has an integral enclosur
back box. A back box impr
because it keeps sound from the back of the
Cover photo: Clockwise fr
with its grille on, the IWSub Reference with its grille off,
and the SubAmp 600.
nitive added to fi
om far left: the UIW RLS II
x one of the
e, or
oves fidelity
woofer from entering the wall cavity, and thus
keeps the wall from vibrating and producing
its own sound. However, pressure that builds
up inside the back box restricts the woofer
and diminishes deep bass response. But using
passive radiators relieves this pressure and
uses it to produce even mor
Also, the UIW RLS II’s slim fr
increases mounting flexibility. Many in-walls
are wide, so your installer can move them
only an inch or two to either side before hitting a stud. W
your installer can move the speaker several
inches to the left or right. This characteristic
ticularly important if the speakers are
is par
mounted behind a per
smaller screens, it can be tough to cram left,
center, and right speakers behind the screen
without having to move a stud or two.
ith the UIW RLS II, though,
e bass.
forated scr
ont baf
een. With
fle
“the system wraps me in a
huge ambient soundstage”
The IWSub Reference in-wall sub is even
-
on
e unusual. Subwoofers ar
mor
tier of in-wall speaker engineering because
few goo
a standard 3.5-inch-deep wall. Plus, subwoofers demand a back box to perform well,
and the back box takes up even more space.
Definitive is among the first manufacturers
who have risen to this engineering challenge.
d woofers are slim enough to fit into
e the fi
nal fr
BY BRENT BUTTERWORTH
NEW REVIEWS
The IWSub Reference
employs a 13-inch woofer
that has been radically
slimmed to fit in a wall;
it’s such a tight fit that
Definitive had
to cut a hole in the
back of the enclosure
The IWSub Reference (below)
uses an active 13-inch woofer
on top and a passive radiator
below. In order to maintain
rigidity in the woofer’s shallow
cone, Definitive made it from
stiff, thick treated paper; it feels
almost like a thin sheet of MDF.
to accommodate the
woofer’s magnet. A 13inch passive radiator
reinforces the woofer’s
deepest bass notes.
A separate amplifier,
the SubAmp 600, fits
into your equipment
rack. The SubAmp 600
is a stereo amp; it provides 275 watts to a single IWSub Reference or
230 watts each to two
IWSub References.
Does the UIW RLS II
sound as good as many
The two 6.5-inch passive
r
adiators used in the UIW
R
LS II (right) are like
speaker without magnets or
voice coils. They reinforce
the speaker’s bass and
negate the downside of
using a back box.
“is far better in
this regard
than practically
any current inwall speaker”
excellent in-walls already
on the market? Actually,
it sounds better than
most. If this speaker has
a flaw, I cannot find it.
(OK, the product name
sucks. But besides that.)
It sounds at least as good
as any other in-wall I
have tested, and given
that I started evaluating
these speakers regularly
in 1995, I have tested
quite a few. From the
bass to the high treble,
it sounds as uncolored as
any speaker that comes
to mind. I hear pinpoint
imaging between the
speakers, and the system
“The IWSub
Reference is
certainly the
best in-wall sub
I have heard”
wraps me in a huge
ambient soundstage.
The UIW RLS II does
not match the soundstaging of the best freestanding speakers, but it comes
close — and it is far bet
ter in this r
practically any current
in-wall speaker except for
the MartinLogan Voyage
and Thiel PowerPlane.
egard than
-
NEW REVIEWS
The UIW RLS II also
plays incredibly loud; I
would recommend it for
all but the largest home
theaters. It produces
enough bass that you
can use it without a subwoofer in a smaller room.
The only problem with
the UIW RLS II is that I
never want to stop listening to it; what I plan as
hour-long evaluative sessions end up stretching
well past my bedtime.
“I hear pinpoint
imaging
between the
speakers”
The IWSub Reference
is certainly the best
in-wall sub I have heard,
even if it doesn’t reach
the same level of per
tion as the UIW RLS II.
It produces a surprisingly
full sound, even in my
ge home theater. And
lar
the sound is well-defined,
too — the bass lines of
my favorite r
ock CDs
come through precisely,
never boomy or bloated.
fec-
“it sounds as
uncolored as
any speaker”
■ DESCRIPTION
In-wall speaker system for home theater
or stereo. Subwoofer employs separate
275-watt amplifier.
■ COMPONENTS
UIW RLS II: two 6.5-inch polypropylene cone woofers, two 6.5-inch passive
radiators, one 1-inch aluminum dome
tweeter.
IWSub Reference: 13-inch treated
paper cone woofer and 13-inch passive
radiator
■ CONNECTIONS
UIW RLS II: spring-loaded binding
posts, accepts bare wire, pins, or
banana plugs
IWSub Reference: same as above
SubAmp600: line-level inputs for left,
right and LFE channels; dual five-way
metal binding posts for subwoofer out,
main speaker in, and main speaker out
■ DIMENSIONS
UIW RLS II: 29.8 x 8.2 inches (hw),
3.5-inch installed depth
IWSub Reference: 26.2 x 15.5 inches (hw), 3.5-inch installed depth
SubAmp600: 3.7 x 17.1x 9.6 inches
(hwd)
■ PRICE/CONTACT
PRICE: UIW RLS II $650 each, IWSub
ence $999 each, SubAmp600
Refer
$599
ACT
CONT
410.363.7148
nitivetech.com,
defi
“I never want
to stop listening
to it”
The best freestanding
subs sound a little
punchier and can surpass
the IWSub’s bass output,
but the sacrifice you get
by going in-wall is in this
case minimal.
On top of all this,
both speakers ar
e easy
The UIW RLS
with side view) has an installed
depth of only 3.5-inches.
install. Ever
to
consider
no other in-wall speaker
system that matches this
s versatility
one’
quality, and value. I was
II (shown above
ything
ed, I can think of
, sound
going to call it amazing,
but given that Definitive
accomplished this fi
with such straightfor
delity
war
engineering and at such
an affordable price, it’s
really beyond amazing.
11433 Cronridge Dr. • Owings Mills, MD 21117 • (410)363-7148
d
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isit us at www
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AINMENT
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magazine, MA
Y/JUNE 2006.
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