In this review, we will be comparing SCM40 and Motion XT F200, two Passive Floor-standing speakers from ATC and MartinLogan.
Let's have a brief look at the main features
of ATC SCM40 and MartinLogan Motion XT F200 first before getting into our more
detailed comparison.
| Key Specs | ATC SCM40 | MartinLogan Motion XT F200 |
|---|
| Design | 3-way | 3-way |
|---|
| Tweeter | 0.98" | 1.25 x 2.4" Folded Motion XT |
|---|
| Midrange | 2.95" | 6.5" |
|---|
| Woofer | 6.46" | 3 x 8" Aluminum |
|---|
| Frequency response | 48-22k Hz | 27-25k Hz |
|---|
| Sensitivity | 85 dB | 92 dB |
|---|
| Impedance | 8 ohms | 4 ohms |
|---|
| Power range | 75 to 300 Watts watts | 20-600 watts |
|---|
| Weight | 31.00kg / 68.2lbs | 39.00kg / 85.8lbs |
|---|
| Dimensions (H x W x D) | 38.58" x 14.57" x 12.01"
980.0 x 370.0 x 305.0mm | 50-3/4" x 13-3/4" x 16-1/2"
1289 x 349 x 419mm |
|---|
What size room are the ATC SCM40 and MartinLogan Motion XT F200 speakers good for?
The size of the room in which you are planning to use these loudspeakers is an important decision
factor. Here we have compared their suitability to various sizes of environments considering their size
and max power parameters:
| Listening Environment* |
ATC SCM40 |
MartinLogan Motion XT F200 |
| Near-field |
Poor |
Are you nuts? |
| Small Room |
Average |
Poor |
| Mid-size Room |
Good |
Average |
| Large Room |
Average |
Good |
| Very Large Room |
Poor |
Good |
(* Approximate Room sizes: Small < 100sq. ft / 9 m2,
Mid-size: 100-220 sq. ft / 9-20 m2, Large 220-400 sq. ft / 20-36 m2, Very Large: >
400 sq. ft / 36 m2.
Average Floor Height: 9" / 2.7m. Typical room sizes differ from country to country, and the actual
listening experience changes depending on floor height, room shape, surface materials, listening
position, speaker locations, etc.)
The sections below take each area in turn: drivers, frequency response, physical size and what you get in the box.
**This post contains affiliate links, and we will be compensated if you make a purchase after clicking
through our links. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.
Drivers
Both SCM40 and Motion XT F200 are 3-way speakers.
ATC SCM40MartinLogan Motion XT F200
TweeterMidrangeWoofer
Front view, drawn to scale - cabinets and drivers share one scale, so sizes are directly comparable. Hover a driver for its size.
| Driver |
ATC SCM40 |
MartinLogan Motion XT F200 |
|
Driver Setup
|
3-way
|
3-way
|
|
Tweeter
|
0.98-inch
|
1.25 x 2.4-inch
|
|
Midrange
|
1 x 2.95-inch |
1 x 6.5-inch |
|
Woofer
|
1 x 6.46-inch
|
3 x 8-inch
|
SCM40 features a 0.98" Tweeter, a 2.95" Midrange and 1 x 6.46" Woofer with a Crossover frequency at 380Hz & 3.5kHz. On the other hand, the Motion XT F200 features a 1.25 x 2.4" Folded Motion XT Tweeter, a 6.5" Midrange and 3 x 8" Aluminum Woofer with a Crossover frequency at 300Hz and 2600Hz.
Frequency Response
SCM40 has a frequency range of 48-22k Hz whereas Motion XT F200 has a frequency range of 27-25k Hz. With a minimum frequency of 27Hz, the Motion XT F200 can go significantly deeper on the low side and provide stronger bass compared to the SCM40's min frequency of 48Hz.
The graph below depicts how these two speakers compare with the max, min and average Low Frequency values of other speakers in the Floor-standing class in our database.
Low Frequency
Floor-standing Speakers
Neither pair reaches down to 20Hz, the usual definition of full-range, which is normal for speakers of this size. If you want the bottom octave for movies or bass-heavy music, add a subwoofer to whichever you choose. Visit our Powered Subwoofers section to find out more about the available options.
Impedance and Sensitivity
SCM40 is a 8 ohms speaker compared to the Motion XT F200 which has a nominal impedance of 4 ohms. Lower impedance speakers, especially the ones that are rated at 4 ohms may put more pressure on the amplifier unit especially when played at high volume levels, so make sure the amp you pair with the Motion XT F200 can provide this impedance level.
These two speakers also have different sensitivity levels. SCM40 sensitivity is rated at 85 dB and the Motion XT F200's is rated at 92 dB. This 7 dB difference makes the MartinLogan Motion XT F200 a more sensitive speaker compared to ATC SCM40, hence will play louder with the same amount of watts.
Sensitivity
Floor-standing Speakers
Power Range
Power
range is the range of input power in watts RMS that a loudspeaker is designed to handle. Staying
within that range gives nominal performance; driving the speaker beyond its maximum wattage can damage it.
Motion XT F200 can handle a max power of 600 watts RMS, whereas SCM40 has a max power handling value of watts RMS, 600 watts less than the Motion XT F200.
Note that higher power handling does not make a speaker louder: that depends mainly on
sensitivity and impedance. The calculator below shows how loud each of these actually plays
on a real amplifier.
Which plays louder on your amplifier?
Starting with a popular amplifier — change it to the one you own, or any you are
considering, and watch both numbers move.
MartinLogan Motion XT F200
Input Type and Bi-Amping / Bi-Wiring
Motion XT F200 features Custom 5-way bi-wire tool-less binding posts posts which make bi-amping or bi-wiring possible. SCM40 has a Binding Posts/4mm Plugs, tri-wire which doesn't feature bi-amping/bi-wiring.
MartinLogan Motion XT F200's Custom 5-way bi-wire tool-less binding posts terminals allows Bi-amping or bi-wiring
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 ATC SCM40's and MartinLogan Motion XT F200's external dimensions. ATC SCM40 has external dimensions of 980.0 x 370.0 x 305.0mm (38.58 x 14.57 x 12.01inch) whereas MartinLogan Motion XT F200 has external dimensions of 1289 x 349 x 419mm (50-3/4inch x 13-3/4inch x 16-1/2inch).
ATC SCM40 is 309mm shorter and 114mm less deeper than MartinLogan Motion XT F200 but it is also 21mm wider.
Base Surface Area Comparison
Base surface area of a loudspeaker may become a determining factor when the space in your room or desk is limited.
The base surface area of the ATC SCM40 is approximately 1128.5cm2 / 174.9inch2 and base area of the MartinLogan Motion XT F200 is approximately 1462.3cm2 / 226.7inch2. The SCM40 requires 23% less surface area than the Motion XT F200 which gives it a small advantage on placement in tight spaces.
Weight Comparison The weight of a loudspeaker can become an important factor if you need to move and reposition the unit often. Weight of a speaker can also "sometimes" be an indicator of the rigidity of the enclosure and the quality of the internal components used. The ATC SCM40 weighs 31.00kg / 68.2lbs and the MartinLogan Motion XT F200 weighs 39.00kg / 85.8lbs. This makes the Motion XT F200 26% heavier than the SCM40.
Here is a comparison of how SCM40 and Motion XT F200's weights compare with the average, max and min weights in Passive Floor-standing class.
Weight
All Floor-standing Speakers
MartinLogan Motion XT F200
 Nominal Impedance |
8 ohms
vs
4 ohms
|
Less selective with amplifiers |
 Height |
980mm
vs
1289mm
|
Easier to fit in smaller spaces |
 Base Surface Area |
1128cm2
vs
1462cm2
|
Takes less floor space |
 Sensitivity |
92 dB
vs
85 dB
|
Play louder with same amount of amplification power |
 Woofer Size |
8 inches
vs
6.46 inches
|
Larger woofer |
|
Number of Woofers |
3
vs
1
|
More woofers |
|
Low Frequency Response |
27 Hz
vs
48 Hz
|
Generates deeper bass |
 High Frequency Response |
25k Hz
vs
22k Hz
|
Generates higher frequency |
 Price per pair* |
5498USD
vs
7999USD
|
costs less (*prices may change depending on the seller, location and time) |
| General |
ATC SCM40 |
MartinLogan Motion® XT F200 |
| Brand |
ATC |
MartinLogan |
| Speaker Type |
Floor-standing speaker |
Floor-standing speaker |
| Power Range |
75 to 300 Watts watts |
20-600 watts |
| Sensitivity |
85 dB |
92 dB |
| Impedance |
8 ohms |
4 ohms |
| Frequency Response |
48-22k Hz |
27-25k Hz |
Drivers |
|
|
| Woofer Quantity |
1 |
3 |
| Woofer Size |
6.46" |
8" |
| Woofer Composition |
|
Aluminum |
| Woofer Surround Material |
n/a |
Rubber |
| Tweeter Size |
0.98" |
1.25 x 2.4" |
| Tweeter Type |
n/a |
Folded Motion XT |
| Aimable Tweeter |
No |
No |
| Midrange Driver |
2.95" |
6.5" |
| Crossover Frequency |
380Hz & 3.5kHz |
300Hz and 2600Hz |
| Firing Direction |
n/a |
bottom |
| Suggested Break-in Period |
n/a |
Allow 72 hours of break-in |
Physical Specs |
|
|
| Height |
980.0mm (38.6") |
1289.0mm (50.7") |
| Width |
370.0mm (14.6") |
349.0mm (13.7") |
| Depth |
305.0mm (12") |
419.0mm (16.5") |
| Weight |
31.00kg (68.2lbs) |
39.00kg (85.8lbs) |
| Enclosure |
Sealed |
Bass Reflex |
| Finish |
n/a |
MDF/Wood veneer |
| Available Colors |
n/a |
Gloss Black, Walnut, and Satin White |
| Grille |
Yes |
Yes |
| Moisture Resistancy |
No |
No |
Connections |
|
|
| Biamp Inputs |
n/a |
Yes |
Other |
|
|
| Parts Warranty |
|
5 Years |
| Labor Warranty |
|
5 Years |
No single best speaker here - they are built to different priorities, and the right one depends on your room, your amplifier and what you listen to.
| Area | Better | Why |
|---|
| Bass |
B |
MartinLogan Motion XT F200 digs deeper - 27Hz against 48Hz. |
| Amplifier needs |
B |
MartinLogan Motion XT F200 is more sensitive (92dB vs 85dB), so it goes louder on the same amplifier. |
| Amplifier match |
A |
ATC SCM40 is the easier load at 8 ohms; the other is 4 ohms and wants an amplifier rated for it. |
| Size |
depends |
ATC SCM40 is easier to place; MartinLogan Motion XT F200 is bigger, which usually goes with fuller bass. Your room decides. |
| Cabinet |
depends |
Sealed vs Ported. Sealed is tighter and happier near a wall; ported digs lower but wants space behind it. |
| Expandability |
B |
MartinLogan Motion XT F200: bi-amping. |
| Price |
B |
MartinLogan Motion XT F200 is cheaper - $5,498 against $7,999, about 31% less. |
A ATC SCM40
B MartinLogan Motion XT F200
depends neither is better in the abstract - it turns on your room, placement or how you will use them.
Only specs published for both speakers are judged; anything missing on either side is left out rather than guessed.
Which should you choose?
MartinLogan Motion XT F200 is the easier recommendation: it leads on most of the measured areas and costs less. Take ATC SCM40 if its size, looks or fit in your room suit you better. If a subwoofer is in your plans, the bass gap largely stops mattering - you would be crossing over above 48Hz anyway, so judge these on the other rows instead. Match it to your room: we rate ATC SCM40 the better fit for a small room and a mid-size room, and MartinLogan Motion XT F200 for a large room and a very large room.
And remember what a spec sheet cannot show: how each looks in your room and whether the finish suits it, what dealer support and warranty are like where you live, and how they actually sound to you. If you can hear them first - ideally with your own music - that will tell you more than any number above.