Monitor Audio CP-IW260X & CP-IW460X In-Wall Speakers Preview

For over 40 years, Monitor Audio has been building speakers, and according to them “continually fine-tuning … technology to create generations of gorgeous hi-fi and home theatre speaker systems.” The CP-IW260X and CP-IW460X are the result of those four decades of refinement.

The new ‘Controlled Performance’ CP in-wall LCR speakers speakers look pretty promising. Both feature Monitor Audio’s latest drivers in compact three-way, five-driver configurations. The primary difference between the two models is the drivers used.

Monitor Audio CP-IW260X at CEDIA 2015

The IW460 employs a C-CAM ribbon tweeter also features in Monitor Audio’s Gold and Platinum lines. The ribbon tweeter delivers “extraordinary detail” beyond 50 kHz to “reproduce perhaps the most neutral and natural high frequency performance available from any in-wall speaker design.” While that claim seems just a little exaggerated, we have no doubt that a nice signal in the 20 kHz to 50 kHz range would certainly get a response from your dog (don’t worry, no program material mastered in the studio supports 50 kHz, so dogs can rest safely). In order to facilitate vertical or horizontal orientation of the IW460, Monitor Audio mounted the tweeter in a rotating housing. This allows consumers to turn the tweeter 90 degrees to achieve the desired dispersion pattern.

Monitor Audio CP-IW460X

The IW260X features a 1” Gold Dome C-CAM tweeter from their Silver speaker line. It also uses dual 6.5” C-Cam bass driver and dual 4” C-CAM midrange driver. The IW460 upgrades to C-CAM drivers with RST cone technology. The IW460 also features a die-cast aluminum baffle.

They only come with cast polymer enclosures already installed, with helps create a more consistent sonic experience across installations because you’re not reliant on the wall cavity of a structure to be the enclosure.

Pricing for the IW260X is around $2,000/ea and the IW460X is around $4,500/ea.

Unless otherwise indicated, this is a preview article for the featured product. A formal review may or may not follow in the future.