In this review, we will be comparing Novus N6T 6.5" Floorstanding Tower Speaker and Foundation F1, two Passive Floor-standing speakers from Aperion and MartinLogan.
Let's have a brief look at the main features
of Aperion Novus N6T 6.5" Floorstanding Tower Speaker and MartinLogan Foundation F1 first before getting into our more
detailed comparison.
| Key Specs | Aperion Novus N6T 6.5" Floorstanding Tower Speaker | MartinLogan Foundation F1 |
|---|
| Brand | Aperion
United States · founded 1998 | MartinLogan
United States · founded 1982 |
|---|
| Design | 2-way | 3-way |
|---|
| Tweeter | 1" | 1" Folded Motion Ribbon |
|---|
| Midrange | — | 5.5" |
|---|
| Woofer | 2 x 6.5" | 3 x 5.5" Aluminum |
|---|
| Frequency response | 32-30k Hz | 41-23k Hz |
|---|
| Sensitivity | 90 dB | 92 dB |
|---|
| Impedance | 4 ohms | 4 ohms |
|---|
| Power range | 20-200 Watts watts | up to 200 watts |
|---|
| Weight | 15.88kg / 34.9lbs | 21.14kg / 46.5lbs |
|---|
| Dimensions (H x W x D) | 42" x 8" x 10"
1066.8 x 203.2 x 254.0mm | 41-7/16" x 8-3/8" x 14-7/16"
1053.0 x 213.0 x 367.0mm |
|---|
What size room are the Aperion Novus N6T 6.5" Floorstanding Tower Speaker and MartinLogan Foundation F1 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* |
Aperion Novus N6T 6.5" Floorstanding Tower Speaker |
MartinLogan Foundation F1 |
| Near-field |
Poor |
Bad |
| Small Room |
Average |
Poor |
| Mid-size Room |
Good |
Good |
| Large Room |
Average |
Good |
| Very Large Room |
Poor |
Poor |
(* 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.
Drivers
One of the fundamental differences between these two speakers is that Novus N6T 6.5" Floorstanding Tower Speaker is a 2-way design whereas the Foundation F1 is a 3-way speaker. 3-way designs utilize a midrange driver in addition to the tweeter and woofer on 2-way designs. Designing a crossover for a 3-way speaker is a complicated process and generally increases the overall cost of the speaker.
Aperion Novus N6T 6.5" Floorstanding Tower SpeakerMartinLogan Foundation F1
TweeterMidrangeWoofer
Front view, drawn to scale - cabinets and drivers share one scale, so sizes are directly comparable. Hover a driver for its size.
| Driver |
Aperion Novus N6T 6.5" Floorstanding Tower Speaker |
MartinLogan Foundation F1 |
|
Driver Setup
|
2-way
|
3-way
|
|
Tweeter
|
1-inch
|
1-inch
|
|
Midrange
|
- |
1 x 5.5-inch |
|
Woofer
|
2 x 6.5-inch
|
3 x 5.5-inch
|
Novus N6T 6.5" Floorstanding Tower Speaker features a 1" Tweeter and 2 x 6.5" Woofer. On the other hand, the Foundation F1 features a 1" Gen2 Obsidian Folded Motion Ribbon Tweeter, a 5.5" Midrange and 3 x 5.5" Aluminum Woofer with a Crossover frequency at 240 Hz - 3700 Hz.
Frequency Response
Novus N6T 6.5" Floorstanding Tower Speaker has a frequency range of 32-30k Hz whereas Foundation F1 has a frequency range of 41-23k Hz. With a minimum frequency of 32Hz, the Novus N6T 6.5" Floorstanding Tower Speaker can go significantly deeper on the low side and provide stronger bass compared to the Foundation F1's min frequency of 41Hz.
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
Novus N6T 6.5" Floorstanding Tower Speaker
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
Novus N6T 6.5" Floorstanding Tower Speaker and Foundation F1 have the same Impedance of 4 ohms but where they differ is the sensitivity levels. Novus N6T 6.5" Floorstanding Tower Speaker sensitivity is rated at 90 dB and the Foundation F1's is at 92 dB. This 2 dB difference makes the MartinLogan Foundation F1 a more sensitive speaker compared to Aperion Novus N6T 6.5" Floorstanding Tower Speaker, hence will play louder with the same amount of watts.
One thing to keep in mind that the lower impedance speakers, especially the ones that are rated at 4 ohms may put more pressure on the amplifier unit comared to higher impedance speakers especially at high volume levels, so make sure the amp you pair with the Novus N6T 6.5" Floorstanding Tower Speaker and the Novus N6T 6.5" Floorstanding Tower Speaker can provide this impedance level.
Sensitivity
Floor-standing Speakers
Novus N6T 6.5" Floorstanding Tower Speaker
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.
Novus N6T 6.5" Floorstanding Tower Speaker can handle a max power of 400 watts RMS, whereas Foundation F1 has a max power handling value of 200 watts RMS, 200 watts less than the Novus N6T 6.5" Floorstanding Tower Speaker.
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.
Aperion Novus N6T 6.5" Floorstanding Tower Speaker
MartinLogan Foundation F1
Input Type and Bi-Amping / Bi-Wiring
Novus N6T 6.5" Floorstanding Tower Speaker features Binding post type posts and Foundation F1 has a Binding post type posts. None of these speakers feature bi-amping/bi-wiring.
MartinLogan Foundation F1's Binding post terminals
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 Aperion Novus N6T 6.5" Floorstanding Tower Speaker's and MartinLogan Foundation F1's external dimensions. Aperion Novus N6T 6.5" Floorstanding Tower Speaker has external dimensions of 1066.8 x 203.2 x 254.0mm (42 x 8 x 10inch) whereas MartinLogan Foundation F1 has external dimensions of 1053.0 x 213.0 x 367.0mm (41-7/16inch x 8-3/8inch x 14-7/16inch).
Aperion Novus N6T 6.5" Floorstanding Tower Speaker is 9.8mm narrower and 113mm less deeper than MartinLogan Foundation F1 but it is also 13.8mm taller.
Size, drawn to scale
Both speakers 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 surface and pushed back to the same wall, so the deeper one visibly sticks out further.
MartinLogan Foundation F1 needs about 51% more floor or shelf area. MartinLogan Foundation F1 is 113mm deeper, so it stands that much further out from the wall. Aperion Novus N6T 6.5" Floorstanding Tower Speaker is 14mm taller.
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 Aperion Novus N6T 6.5" Floorstanding Tower Speaker is approximately 516.1cm2 / 80.0inch2 and base area of the MartinLogan Foundation F1 is approximately 781.7cm2 / 121.2inch2. The Novus N6T 6.5" Floorstanding Tower Speaker requires 34% less surface area than the Foundation F1 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 Aperion Novus N6T 6.5" Floorstanding Tower Speaker weighs 15.88kg / 34.9lbs and the MartinLogan Foundation F1 weighs 21.14kg / 46.5lbs. This makes the Foundation F1 33% heavier than the Novus N6T 6.5" Floorstanding Tower Speaker.
Here is a comparison of how Novus N6T 6.5" Floorstanding Tower Speaker and Foundation F1's weights compare with the average, max and min weights in Passive Floor-standing class.
Weight
All Floor-standing Speakers
Aperion Novus N6T 6.5" Floorstanding Tower Speaker
MartinLogan Foundation F1
 Max Input Power |
400 watts
vs
200 watts
|
Handle more power from your amplifier |
 Woofer Size |
6.5 inches
vs
5.5 inches
|
Larger woofer |
|
Low Frequency Response |
32 Hz
vs
41 Hz
|
Generates deeper bass |
 High Frequency Response |
30k Hz
vs
23k Hz
|
Generates higher frequency |
 Base Surface Area |
516cm2
vs
781cm2
|
Takes less floor space |
 Driver Setup |
3-way
vs
2-way
|
Have a dedicated mid-range driver |
 Sensitivity |
92 dB
vs
90 dB
|
Play louder with same amount of amplification power |
|
Number of Woofers |
3
vs
2
|
More woofers |
 Height |
1053mm
vs
1066mm
|
Easier to fit in smaller spaces |
 Price per pair* |
1499USD
vs
3796USD
|
costs less (*prices may change depending on the seller, location and time) |
| General |
Aperion Novus N6T 6.5" Floorstanding Tower Speaker |
MartinLogan Foundation F1 |
| Brand |
Aperion |
MartinLogan |
| Speaker Type |
Floor-standing speaker |
Floor-standing speaker |
| Power Range |
20-200 Watts watts |
up to 200 watts |
| Sensitivity |
90 dB |
92 dB |
| Impedance |
4 ohms |
4 ohms |
| Frequency Response |
32-30k Hz |
41-23k Hz |
Drivers |
|
|
| Woofer Quantity |
2 |
3 |
| Woofer Size |
6.5" |
5.5" |
| Woofer Composition |
|
Aluminum |
| Tweeter Size |
1" |
1" |
| Tweeter Type |
n/a |
Folded Motion Ribbon |
| Aimable Tweeter |
No |
No |
| Midrange Driver |
No |
5.5" |
| Crossover Frequency |
n/a |
240 Hz - 3700 Hz |
| Firing Direction |
n/a |
rear |
Physical Specs |
|
|
| Height |
1066.8mm (42") |
1053.0mm (41.5") |
| Width |
203.2mm (8") |
213.0mm (8.4") |
| Depth |
254.0mm (10") |
367.0mm (14.4") |
| Weight |
15.88kg (34.9lbs) |
21.14kg (46.5lbs) |
| Enclosure |
Bass Reflex |
Bass Reflex |
| Available Colors |
n/a |
Walnut,Black,Satin White |
| Grille |
Yes |
Yes |
| Moisture Resistancy |
No |
No |
Connections |
|
|
| Biamp Inputs |
n/a |
No |
Other |
|
|
| Parts Warranty |
|
5 years |
| Labor Warranty |
|
5 years |
These sit in different price classes - Aperion Novus N6T 6.5" Floorstanding Tower Speaker costs roughly 2.5x what MartinLogan Foundation F1 does. Expect it to lead on paper; the question is whether the gap is audible enough in your room to be worth it.
| Area | Better | Why |
|---|
| Bass | A | Aperion Novus N6T 6.5" Floorstanding Tower Speaker digs deeper - 32Hz against 41Hz. A subwoofer would even that out. |
| Amplifier needs | B | MartinLogan Foundation F1 is more sensitive (92dB vs 90dB), so it goes louder on the same amplifier. |
| Headroom | A | Aperion Novus N6T 6.5" Floorstanding Tower Speaker takes more power (400W vs 200W) - more in hand in a big room. |
| Size | depends | Aperion Novus N6T 6.5" Floorstanding Tower Speaker is easier to place; MartinLogan Foundation F1 is bigger, which usually goes with fuller bass. Your room decides. |
| Price | B | MartinLogan Foundation F1 is cheaper - $1,499 against $3,796, about 61% less; arguably a different class. |
A Aperion Novus N6T 6.5" Floorstanding Tower Speaker B MartinLogan Foundation F1
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 speakers are judged; anything missing on either side is left out rather than guessed.
Which should you choose?
Aperion Novus N6T 6.5" Floorstanding Tower Speaker is ahead, but only on 1 of the measured areas, and it costs about 2.5x the price. That is a lot of money for a narrow margin on paper - MartinLogan Foundation F1 looks like the sensible buy unless something else about the Aperion Novus N6T 6.5" Floorstanding Tower Speaker appeals to you. If a subwoofer is in your plans, the bass gap largely stops mattering - you would be crossing over above 41Hz anyway, which makes the cheaper MartinLogan Foundation F1 much easier to justify. Match it to your room: we rate Aperion Novus N6T 6.5" Floorstanding Tower Speaker the better fit for a small room, and MartinLogan Foundation F1 for a 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.