In this review, we will be comparing two different types of subwoofers by MartinLogan. MartinLogan Dynamo 12 is a Subwoofer speaker whereas the Dynamo IW S is a In-wall speaker.
Let's have a brief look at the main features of MartinLogan Dynamo 12 and MartinLogan Dynamo IW S first before getting into our more detailed comparison.
MartinLogan Dynamo 12MartinLogan Dynamo IW S
Woofer
Front view, drawn to scale - cabinets and drivers share one scale, so sizes are directly comparable. Hover a driver for its size.
The sections below take each area in turn: driver and amplifier, frequency response, physical size and connectivity.
Drivers
The efficiency of a subwoofer is directly proportional to the total radiating are squared hence the woofer quantity and diameter.MartinLogan Dynamo 12 and MartinLogan Dynamo IW S have a totally different setup: the MartinLogan Dynamo 12 features 1 x 12-inch drivers whereas the Dynamo IW S features 2 x 8-inch drivers.
Frequency Response
Dynamo 12 has a frequency range of 22-200 Hz whereas Dynamo IW S has a frequency range of 35-190 Hz. With a minimum frequency of 22Hz, the Dynamo 12 can go significantly deeper on the low side and provide stronger bass compared to the Dynamo IW S's min frequency of 35Hz.
Below graphs depict how these two speakers compare with the max, min and average values of the Min and Max Frequencies of other speakers in the Subwoofer class in our database.
Low Frequency
Subwoofer Speakers
High Frequency
Subwoofer Speakers
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 MartinLogan Dynamo 12's and MartinLogan Dynamo IW S's external dimensions. MartinLogan Dynamo 12 has external dimensions of 425.5 x 400.1 x 455.6mm () whereas MartinLogan Dynamo IW S has external dimensions of 490.5 x 277.8 x 114.3mm ().
MartinLogan Dynamo IW S is 122.3mm narrower and 341.3mm less deeper than MartinLogan Dynamo 12 but it is also 65mm taller.