In this review, we will be comparing Theatrus T80WL Dual 8" Slim Stack In-Wall LCR Speaker and Motion XT CI XTW6-LCR, two Passive In-wall speakers from Aperion and MartinLogan.
Let's have a brief look at the main features
of Aperion Theatrus T80WL Dual 8" Slim Stack In-Wall LCR Speaker and MartinLogan Motion XT CI XTW6-LCR first before getting into our more
detailed comparison.
| Key Specs | Aperion Theatrus T80WL Dual 8" Slim Stack In-Wall LCR Speaker | MartinLogan Motion XT CI XTW6-LCR |
|---|
| Brand | Aperion
United States · founded 1998 | MartinLogan
United States · founded 1982 |
|---|
| Design | 2-way | 3-way |
|---|
| Tweeter | 2" | 1.27 x 2.4" Folded Motion Ribbon |
|---|
| Midrange | — | 6.5" |
|---|
| Woofer | 2 x 8" | 2 x 6.5" Kevlar |
|---|
| Frequency response | 60-35k Hz | 44-25kHz |
|---|
| Sensitivity | 94 dB | 93 dB |
|---|
| Impedance | 4 ohms | 8 ohms |
|---|
| Power range | 20-350 Watts watts | 50-150 watts |
|---|
| Weight | 22.23kg / 48.9lbs | — |
|---|
| Dimensions (H x W x D) | 36.2" x 12.6" x 5.2"
919.5 x 320.0 x 132.1mm | 27.0000" x 6.6250" x 3.5625"
686.0 x 169.0 x 91.0mm |
|---|
What size room are the Aperion Theatrus T80WL Dual 8" Slim Stack In-Wall LCR Speaker and MartinLogan Motion XT CI XTW6-LCR 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 Theatrus T80WL Dual 8" Slim Stack In-Wall LCR Speaker |
MartinLogan Motion XT CI XTW6-LCR |
| Near-field |
Good |
Poor |
| Small Room |
Good |
Average |
| Mid-size Room |
Average |
Good |
| Large Room |
Poor |
Average |
| Very Large Room |
No way |
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 Theatrus T80WL Dual 8" Slim Stack In-Wall LCR Speaker is a 2-way design whereas the Motion XT CI XTW6-LCR 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 Theatrus T80WL Dual 8" Slim Stack In-Wall LCR SpeakerMartinLogan Motion XT CI XTW6-LCR
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 Theatrus T80WL Dual 8" Slim Stack In-Wall LCR Speaker |
MartinLogan Motion XT CI XTW6-LCR |
|
Driver Setup
|
2-way
|
3-way
|
|
Tweeter
|
2-inch
|
1.27 x 2.4-inch
|
|
Midrange
|
- |
1 x 6.5-inch |
|
Woofer
|
2 x 8-inch
|
2 x 6.5-inch
|
Theatrus T80WL Dual 8" Slim Stack In-Wall LCR Speaker features a 2" Tweeter and 2 x 8" Woofer. On the other hand, the Motion XT CI XTW6-LCR features a 1.27 x 2.4" Folded Motion Ribbon Tweeter, a 6.5" Midrange and 2 x 6.5" Kevlar Woofer.
Frequency Response
Theatrus T80WL Dual 8" Slim Stack In-Wall LCR Speaker has a frequency range of 60-35k Hz whereas Motion XT CI XTW6-LCR has a frequency range of 44-25kHz. With a minimum frequency of 44Hz, the Motion XT CI XTW6-LCR can go significantly deeper on the low side and provide stronger bass compared to the Theatrus T80WL Dual 8" Slim Stack In-Wall LCR Speaker's min frequency of 60Hz.
The graph below depicts how these two speakers compare with the max, min and average Low Frequency values of other speakers in the In-wall class in our database.
Low Frequency
In-wall Speakers
Theatrus T80WL Dual 8" Slim Stack In-Wall LCR 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
Theatrus T80WL Dual 8" Slim Stack In-Wall LCR Speaker is a 4 ohms speaker compared to the Motion XT CI XTW6-LCR which has a nominal impedance of 8 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 Theatrus T80WL Dual 8" Slim Stack In-Wall LCR Speaker can provide this impedance level.
These two speakers also have different sensitivity levels. Theatrus T80WL Dual 8" Slim Stack In-Wall LCR Speaker sensitivity is rated at 94 dB and the Motion XT CI XTW6-LCR's is rated at 93 dB. This 1 dB difference makes the Aperion Theatrus T80WL Dual 8" Slim Stack In-Wall LCR Speaker a more sensitive speaker compared to MartinLogan Motion XT CI XTW6-LCR, hence will play louder with the same amount of watts.
Sensitivity
In-wall Speakers
Theatrus T80WL Dual 8" Slim Stack In-Wall LCR 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.
Theatrus T80WL Dual 8" Slim Stack In-Wall LCR Speaker can handle a max power of 700 watts RMS, whereas Motion XT CI XTW6-LCR has a max power handling value of 150 watts RMS, 550 watts less than the Theatrus T80WL Dual 8" Slim Stack In-Wall LCR 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 Theatrus T80WL Dual 8" Slim Stack In-Wall LCR Speaker
MartinLogan Motion XT CI XTW6-LCR
Input Type and Bi-Amping / Bi-Wiring
Theatrus T80WL Dual 8" Slim Stack In-Wall LCR Speaker features Spring post type posts and Motion XT CI XTW6-LCR has a Spring post type posts. None of these speakers feature bi-amping/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 Aperion Theatrus T80WL Dual 8" Slim Stack In-Wall LCR Speaker's and MartinLogan Motion XT CI XTW6-LCR's external dimensions. Aperion Theatrus T80WL Dual 8" Slim Stack In-Wall LCR Speaker has external dimensions of 919.5 x 320.0 x 132.1mm (36.2 x 12.6 x 5.2inch) whereas MartinLogan Motion XT CI XTW6-LCR has external dimensions of 686.0 x 169.0 x 91.0mm (27.0000-inch x 6.6250-inch x 3.5625-inch).
Aperion Theatrus T80WL Dual 8" Slim Stack In-Wall LCR Speaker is clearly the larger of the two speakers. Its body is 151mm wider, 233.5mm taller and 41.1mm deeper than MartinLogan Motion XT CI XTW6-LCR.
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.
Aperion Theatrus T80WL Dual 8" Slim Stack In-Wall LCR Speaker needs about 175% more floor or shelf area. Aperion Theatrus T80WL Dual 8" Slim Stack In-Wall LCR Speaker is 41mm deeper, so it stands that much further out from the wall. Aperion Theatrus T80WL Dual 8" Slim Stack In-Wall LCR Speaker is 234mm taller.
What's in the Box of MartinLogan Motion XT CI XTW6-LCR?
Here are the items that come with the Motion XT CI XTW6-LCR:
- In-wall LCR loudspeaker
- Grille
- T20 torx-bit
- User-feets Manual
- Cutout Template