MartinLogan Dynamo 800X vs MartinLogan Dynamo IW-O Detailed Comparison

MartinLogan Dynamo 800X vs MartinLogan Dynamo IW-O Comparison

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MartinLogan 800X

Powered Subwoofer | 24-200 Hz

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MartinLogan Dynamo IW-O

Passive In-wall | 30-190Hz

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MartinLogan 800X

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MartinLogan Dynamo I...

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MartinLogan 800X

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MartinLogan Dynamo I...

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MartinLogan 800X vs MartinLogan Dynamo IW-O Speaker Comparison

In this review, we will be comparing two different types of subwoofers by MartinLogan. MartinLogan Dynamo 800X is a Subwoofer speaker whereas the Dynamo IW-O is a In-wall speaker.

Let's have a brief look at the main features of MartinLogan 800X and MartinLogan Dynamo IW-O first before getting into our more detailed comparison.

Key Specs	MartinLogan 800X	MartinLogan Dynamo IW-O
Brand	MartinLogan United States · founded 1982	MartinLogan United States · founded 1982
Driver	10" Polypropylene	2 x 8"
Amplifier	300 watts RMS	—
Enclosure	Sealed	—
Frequency response	24-200 Hz	30-190Hz
Impedance	—	8 ohms
App control	Yes	—
Weight	13.64kg / 30lbs	6.80kg / 15lbs
Dimensions (H x W x D)	13-13/16" x 12-1/2" x 13-3/4" 351.0 x 318.0 x 350.0mm	19.11" x 10.73" x 4.1" 485.4 x 272.5 x 104.1mm

MartinLogan 800X

MartinLogan Dynamo IW-O

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 800X and MartinLogan Dynamo IW-O have a totally different setup: the MartinLogan 800X features 1 x 10-inch drivers whereas the Dynamo IW-O features 2 x 8-inch drivers.

Frequency Response

Dynamo 800X has a frequency range of 24-200 Hz whereas Dynamo IW-O has a frequency range of 30-190Hz. With a minimum frequency of 24Hz, the Dynamo 800X can go significantly deeper on the low side and provide stronger bass compared to the Dynamo IW-O's min frequency of 30Hz.

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

MartinLogan 800X

MartinLogan Dynamo IW-O

Min

Average

Max

High Frequency

Subwoofer Speakers

MartinLogan 800X

MartinLogan Dynamo IW-O

Min

Average

Max

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 800X's and MartinLogan Dynamo IW-O's external dimensions. MartinLogan 800X has external dimensions of 351.0 x 318.0 x 350.0mm (13-13/16 x 12-1/2 x 13-3/4inch) whereas MartinLogan Dynamo IW-O has external dimensions of 485.4 x 272.5 x 104.1mm ().

MartinLogan Dynamo IW-O is 45.5mm narrower and 245.9mm less deeper than MartinLogan 800X but it is also 134.4mm taller.

What's in the Box of MartinLogan 800X?

Here are the items that are included inside the box of Dynamo 800X:

Powered subwoofer
Grille
6.5-feet AC power cord
User-feets Manual

What's in the Box of MartinLogan Dynamo IW-O?

Here are the items that come with the Dynamo IW-O:

In-wall subwoofer
Grille
Cutout Template

Reasons to choose MartinLogan Dynamo 800X over MartinLogan Dynamo IW-O

Speaker Type	Powered vs Passive	Built-in amplifier
Woofer Size	10 inches vs 8 inches	Larger woofer
Low Frequency Response	24 Hz vs 30 Hz	Generates deeper bass
High Frequency Response	200 Hz vs 190 Hz	Generates higher frequency
Height	351mm vs 485mm	Easier to fit in smaller spaces
Price per pair*	900USD vs 1398USD	costs less (*prices may change depending on the seller, location and time)

Reasons to choose MartinLogan Dynamo IW-O over MartinLogan Dynamo 800X

Number of Woofers	2 vs 1	More woofers
Base Surface Area	283cm² vs 1113cm²	Takes less floor space

Size, drawn to scale

Both subwoofers and both views share one scale, so everything here is directly comparable. Hover a box for its dimensions.

One scale for both, standing on the same floor and pushed back to the same wall, so the bigger one visibly takes more of the room.

MartinLogan 800X needs about 292% more floor area. MartinLogan 800X stands 246mm further into the room. MartinLogan Dynamo IW-O is 134mm taller.

MartinLogan 800X vs MartinLogan Dynamo IW-O Specs Table

Detailed comparison of specifications

General	MartinLogan Dynamo 800X	MartinLogan Dynamo IW-O
Brand	MartinLogan	MartinLogan
Speaker Type	Powered Subwoofer	Passive Subwoofer
Impedance	n/a	8 ohms
Frequency Response	24-200 Hz	30-190Hz
Amplifier
Watts RMS (Continuous)	300-watt RMS	n/a
Drivers
Woofer Quantity	1	2
Woofer Size	10"	8"
Woofer Composition	Polypropylene
Woofer Surround Material	n/a	Thermal Plastic Rubber (TPR)
Tweeter Size	-	-
Aimable Tweeter	No	No
Midrange Driver	No	No
Firing Direction	front and bottom	n/a
Physical Specs
Height	351.0mm (13.8")	485.4mm (19.1")
Width	318.0mm (12.5")	272.5mm (10.7")
Depth	350.0mm (13.8")	104.1mm (4.1")
Weight	13.64kg (30lbs)	6.80kg (15lbs)
Enclosure	Acoustic Suspension
Available Colors	Satin Black	n/a
Grille	Yes	n/a
Moisture Resistancy	No	No
Connections
Biamp Inputs	n/a	No
Other
Parts Warranty	3 Yrs w/ Registration	5 Years
Labor Warranty	3 Yrs w/ Registration	5 Years

Verdict

Both are MartinLogan, so the design approach is shared and the differences are mostly in output, size and price.

Area	Better	Why
Bass depth	A	MartinLogan 800X goes deeper - 24Hz against 30Hz. That gap covers the lowest notes of a five-string bass and a concert bass drum.
Driver area	B	MartinLogan Dynamo IW-O moves more air: 2 x 8" against 10" is 1.28x the cone area, not the 1.13x the diameters suggest. More area means the same output with less excursion, and less distortion with it.
Cabinet size	depends	MartinLogan Dynamo IW-O is about 65% smaller by volume. In a subwoofer that is a real trade rather than a preference: box volume is how you get output low down without a bigger amplifier.
Warranty	B	MartinLogan Dynamo IW-O carries 5 years on parts against 3 years. A subwoofer amplifier works harder than anything else in the system, so this is not a throwaway line.
Price	A	MartinLogan 800X costs less - $900 against $1,398, about 36% less.

A MartinLogan 800X B MartinLogan Dynamo IW-O
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 subwoofers are judged; anything missing on either side is left out rather than guessed.

Which should you choose?

MartinLogan Dynamo IW-O is ahead, but on only 1 of the measured areas, and it costs about 55% more. MartinLogan 800X is the sensible buy unless your room is large enough to need the extra. Two small subwoofers beat one big one in most rooms - a pair evens out the room modes in a way no single box can, whatever its specs. At $900 each, two MartinLogan 800X cost about $1,800 against $1,398 for one of the other, which is worth a thought. If placement is the constraint - a corner, behind a sofa, under a desk - MartinLogan Dynamo IW-O is the one that will actually go there, and a well-placed small subwoofer beats a badly-placed big one every time.

One thing outweighs everything above: where the subwoofer stands. Room modes can add or remove 10dB or more at a given seat, which is far larger than any difference on this page. Before spending more, try the sub in two or three positions - the crawl test, where you put it in the listening seat and crawl the room to find where the bass sounds best, costs nothing and usually beats an upgrade.

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