Different price classes - MartinLogan Dynamo IW S costs roughly 2.3x what MartinLogan 600X does. Before paying it, read the note below about two smaller subwoofers.
| Area | Better | Why |
|---|
| Bass depth | B | MartinLogan 600X goes deeper - 27Hz against 35Hz. A real difference, though most music has little content below 35Hz. |
| Driver area | A | MartinLogan Dynamo IW S 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 S is about 76% 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 S 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 | B | MartinLogan 600X costs less - $700 against $1,600, about 56% less. |
A MartinLogan Dynamo IW S B MartinLogan 600X
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 S is ahead, but on only 1 of the measured areas, and it costs about 129% more. MartinLogan 600X 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 $700 each, two MartinLogan 600X cost about $1,400 against $1,600 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 S 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.