MartinLogan Dynamo IW-O vs MartinLogan Dynamo 1600X Detailed Comparison

MartinLogan Dynamo IW-O vs MartinLogan Dynamo 1600X Comparison

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MartinLogan Dynamo IW-O

Passive In-wall | 30-190Hz

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MartinLogan 1600X

Powered Subwoofer | 20-200 Hz

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MartinLogan Dynamo I...

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MartinLogan 1600X

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MartinLogan Dynamo I...

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MartinLogan 1600X

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MartinLogan Dynamo IW-O vs MartinLogan 1600X Speaker Comparison

In this review, we will be comparing two different types of subwoofers by MartinLogan. MartinLogan Dynamo IW-O is a In-wall speaker whereas the Dynamo 1600X is a Subwoofer speaker.

Let's have a brief look at the main features of MartinLogan Dynamo IW-O and MartinLogan 1600X first before getting into our more detailed comparison.

Key Specs	MartinLogan Dynamo IW-O	MartinLogan 1600X
Brand	MartinLogan United States · founded 1982	MartinLogan United States · founded 1982
Driver	2 x 8"	15" Polypropylene
Amplifier	—	900 watts RMS
Enclosure	—	Sealed
Frequency response	30-190Hz	20-200 Hz
Impedance	8 ohms	—
App control	—	Yes
Weight	6.80kg / 15lbs	25.91kg / 57lbs
Dimensions (H x W x D)	19.11" x 10.73" x 4.1" 485.4 x 272.5 x 104.1mm	20-1/16" x 17-15/16" x 18-1/2" 510.0 x 456.0 x 470.0mm

MartinLogan Dynamo IW-O

MartinLogan 1600X

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 IW-O and MartinLogan 1600X have a totally different setup: the MartinLogan Dynamo IW-O features 2 x 8-inch drivers whereas the Dynamo 1600X features 1 x 15-inch drivers.

Frequency Response

Dynamo IW-O has a frequency range of 30-190Hz whereas Dynamo 1600X has a frequency range of 20-200 Hz. With a minimum frequency of 20Hz, the Dynamo 1600X 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 In-wall class in our database.

Low Frequency

In-wall Speakers

MartinLogan Dynamo IW-O

MartinLogan 1600X

Min

Average

Max

High Frequency

In-wall Speakers

MartinLogan Dynamo IW-O

MartinLogan 1600X

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 Dynamo IW-O's and MartinLogan 1600X's external dimensions. MartinLogan Dynamo IW-O has external dimensions of 485.4 x 272.5 x 104.1mm () whereas MartinLogan 1600X has external dimensions of 510.0 x 456.0 x 470.0mm (20-1/16 x 17-15/16 x 18-1/2inch).

MartinLogan 1600X is clearly the larger of the two speakers. Its body is 183.5mm wider, 24.6mm taller and 365.9mm deeper than MartinLogan Dynamo IW-O.

Below you can see the front view size comparison of MartinLogan Dynamo IW-O and MartinLogan 1600X in scale.

Comparison image of MartinLogan Dynamo IW-O and MartinLogan 1600X Size and External Dimensions

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

Here are the items that are included inside the box of Dynamo IW-O:

In-wall subwoofer
Grille
Cutout Template

What's in the Box of MartinLogan 1600X?

Here are the items that come with the Dynamo 1600X:

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

Reasons to choose MartinLogan Dynamo IW-O over MartinLogan Dynamo 1600X

Number of Woofers	2 vs 1	More woofers
Height	485mm vs 510mm	Easier to fit in smaller spaces
Base Surface Area	283cm² vs 2143cm²	Takes less floor space
Price per pair*	1398USD vs 2000USD	costs less (*prices may change depending on the seller, location and time)

Reasons to choose MartinLogan Dynamo 1600X over MartinLogan Dynamo IW-O

Speaker Type	Powered vs Passive	Built-in amplifier
Woofer Size	15 inches vs 8 inches	Larger woofer
Low Frequency Response	20 Hz vs 30 Hz	Generates deeper bass
High Frequency Response	200 Hz vs 190 Hz	Generates higher frequency

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 1600X needs about 656% more floor area. MartinLogan 1600X stands 366mm further into the room. MartinLogan 1600X is 25mm taller.

MartinLogan Dynamo IW-O vs MartinLogan 1600X Specs Table

Detailed comparison of specifications

General	MartinLogan Dynamo IW-O	MartinLogan Dynamo 1600X
Brand	MartinLogan	MartinLogan
Speaker Type	Passive Subwoofer	Powered Subwoofer
Impedance	8 ohms	n/a
Frequency Response	30-190Hz	20-200 Hz
Amplifier
Watts RMS (Continuous)	n/a	900-watt RMS
Drivers
Woofer Quantity	2	1
Woofer Size	8"	15"
Woofer Composition		Polypropylene
Woofer Surround Material	Thermal Plastic Rubber (TPR)	n/a
Tweeter Size	-	-
Aimable Tweeter	No	No
Midrange Driver	No	No
Firing Direction	n/a	bottom
Physical Specs
Height	485.4mm (19.1")	510.0mm (20.1")
Width	272.5mm (10.7")	456.0mm (18")
Depth	104.1mm (4.1")	470.0mm (18.5")
Weight	6.80kg (15lbs)	25.91kg (57lbs)
Enclosure		Acoustic Suspension
Available Colors	n/a	Satin Black
Grille	n/a	Yes
Moisture Resistancy	No	No
Connections
Biamp Inputs	No	n/a
Other
Parts Warranty	5 Years	3 Yrs w/ Registration
Labor Warranty	5 Years	3 Yrs w/ Registration

Verdict

Two quite different sizes of subwoofer. Room volume decides this more than anything else on the page: a big driver in a small room is wasted, and a small one in a large room is worked to death.

Area	Better	Why
Bass depth	B	MartinLogan 1600X goes deeper - 20Hz against 30Hz. Under 20Hz is felt more than heard - the bottom of a pipe organ and the bottom of a film mix.
Driver area	B	MartinLogan 1600X moves more air: 15" against 2 x 8" is 1.76x the cone area, not the 1.33x 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 87% 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	A	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 Dynamo IW-O costs less - $1,398 against $2,000, about 30% less.

A MartinLogan Dynamo IW-O B MartinLogan 1600X
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 1600X is ahead, but on only 1 of the measured areas, and it costs about 43% more. MartinLogan Dynamo IW-O is the sensible buy unless your room is large enough to need the extra. 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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