In this review, we will be comparing 1610 Tower 8 and Motion XT F200, two Passive Floor-standing speakers from Arendal Sound and MartinLogan.
Let's have a brief look at the main features
of Arendal Sound 1610 Tower 8 and MartinLogan Motion XT F200 first before getting into our more
detailed comparison.
| Key Specs | Arendal Sound 1610 Tower 8 | MartinLogan Motion XT F200 |
|---|
| Brand | Arendal Sound
Norway · founded 2015 | MartinLogan
United States · founded 1982 |
|---|
| Design | 3-way | 3-way |
|---|
| Tweeter | 1.1" Dome | 1.25 x 2.4" Folded Motion XT |
|---|
| Midrange | 5" | 6.5" |
|---|
| Woofer | 3 x 8" Aluminium cone, reinforced ribbed surround | 3 x 8" Aluminum |
|---|
| Frequency response | 28-20k Hz | 27-25k Hz |
|---|
| Sensitivity | 89.5 dB | 92 dB |
|---|
| Impedance | 4 ohms | 4 ohms |
|---|
| Power range | up to 800 watts | 20-600 watts |
|---|
| Weight | 45.37kg / 99.8lbs | 39.00kg / 85.8lbs |
|---|
| Dimensions (H x W x D) | 45-1/4" x 10-7/16" x 17-11/16"
1150.0 x 265.0 x 450.0mm | 50-3/4" x 13-3/4" x 16-1/2"
1289 x 349 x 419mm |
|---|
What size room are the Arendal Sound 1610 Tower 8 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* |
Arendal Sound 1610 Tower 8 |
MartinLogan Motion XT F200 |
| Near-field |
Bad |
Are you nuts? |
| Small Room |
Poor |
Poor |
| Mid-size Room |
Average |
Average |
| Large Room |
Good |
Good |
| Very Large Room |
Good |
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.
Drivers
Both 1610 Tower 8 and Motion XT F200 are 3-way speakers.
Arendal Sound 1610 Tower 8MartinLogan 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 |
Arendal Sound 1610 Tower 8 |
MartinLogan Motion XT F200 |
|
Driver Setup
|
3-way
|
3-way
|
|
Tweeter
|
1.1-inch
|
1.25 x 2.4-inch
|
|
Midrange
|
1 x 5-inch |
1 x 6.5-inch |
|
Woofer
|
3 x 8-inch
|
3 x 8-inch
|
1610 Tower 8 features a 1.1" Aluminium-magnesium dome in the Rost Essence waveguide with acoustic lens Dome Tweeter, a 5" Midrange and 3 x 8" Aluminium cone, reinforced ribbed surround Woofer with a Crossover frequency at 380Hz / 2600Hz. 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
1610 Tower 8 has a frequency range of 28-20k 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 slightly deeper then the 1610 Tower 8's min frequency of 28Hz.
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
1610 Tower 8 and Motion XT F200 have the same Impedance of 4 ohms but where they differ is the sensitivity levels. 1610 Tower 8 sensitivity is rated at 89.5 dB and the Motion XT F200's is at 92 dB. This 2 dB difference makes the MartinLogan Motion XT F200 a more sensitive speaker compared to Arendal Sound 1610 Tower 8, 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 1610 Tower 8 and the 1610 Tower 8 can provide this impedance level.
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.
1610 Tower 8 can handle a max power of 800 watts RMS, whereas Motion XT F200 has a max power handling value of 600 watts RMS, 200 watts less than the 1610 Tower 8.
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.
Arendal Sound 1610 Tower 8
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. 1610 Tower 8 has a Binding post 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
Cabinet Type and Port Position
Both 1610 Tower 8 and Motion XT F200 have bottom firing ports.
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 Arendal Sound 1610 Tower 8's and MartinLogan Motion XT F200's external dimensions. Arendal Sound 1610 Tower 8 has external dimensions of 1150.0 x 265.0 x 450.0mm (45-1/4 x 10-7/16 x 17-11/16inch) 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).
Arendal Sound 1610 Tower 8 is 84mm narrower and 139mm shorter than MartinLogan Motion XT F200 but it is also 31mm deeper.
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 Motion XT F200 needs about 23% more floor or shelf area. Arendal Sound 1610 Tower 8 is 31mm deeper, so it stands that much further out from the wall. MartinLogan Motion XT F200 is 139mm 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 Arendal Sound 1610 Tower 8 is approximately 1192.5cm2 / 184.8inch2 and base area of the MartinLogan Motion XT F200 is approximately 1462.3cm2 / 226.7inch2. The 1610 Tower 8 requires 18% 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 Arendal Sound 1610 Tower 8 weighs 45.37kg / 99.8lbs and the MartinLogan Motion XT F200 weighs 39.00kg / 85.8lbs. This makes the 1610 Tower 8 16% heavier than the Motion XT F200.
Here is a comparison of how 1610 Tower 8 and Motion XT F200's weights compare with the average, max and min weights in Passive Floor-standing class.
Weight
All Floor-standing Speakers
Arendal Sound 1610 Tower 8
MartinLogan Motion XT F200
 Max Input Power |
800 watts
vs
600 watts
|
Handle more power from your amplifier |
 Height |
1150mm
vs
1289mm
|
Easier to fit in smaller spaces |
 Base Surface Area |
1192cm2
vs
1462cm2
|
Takes less floor space |
 Sensitivity |
92 dB
vs
90 dB
|
Play louder with same amount of amplification power |
 Low Frequency Response |
27 Hz
vs
28 Hz
|
Generates deeper bass |
 High Frequency Response |
25k Hz
vs
20k Hz
|
Generates higher frequency |
 Bi-Amping and Bi-Wiring |
Yes
vs
No
|
Allows bi-amping and bi-wiring connections |
 Price per pair* |
5498USD
vs
7600USD
|
costs less (*prices may change depending on the seller, location and time) |
| General |
Arendal Sound 1610 Tower 8 |
MartinLogan Motion® XT F200 |
| Brand |
Arendal Sound |
MartinLogan |
| Speaker Type |
Floor-standing speaker |
Floor-standing speaker |
| Power Range |
up to 800 watts |
20-600 watts |
| Sensitivity |
89.5 dB |
92 dB |
| Impedance |
4 ohms |
4 ohms |
| Frequency Response |
28-20k Hz |
27-25k Hz |
Drivers |
|
|
| Woofer Quantity |
3 |
3 |
| Woofer Size |
8" |
8" |
| Woofer Composition |
Aluminium cone, reinforced ribbed surround |
Aluminum |
| Woofer Surround Material |
n/a |
Rubber |
| Tweeter Size |
1.1" |
1.25 x 2.4" |
| Tweeter Type |
Dome |
Folded Motion XT |
| Aimable Tweeter |
No |
No |
| Midrange Driver |
5" |
6.5" |
| Crossover Frequency |
380Hz / 2600Hz |
300Hz and 2600Hz |
| Firing Direction |
bottom |
bottom |
| Suggested Break-in Period |
n/a |
Allow 72 hours of break-in |
Physical Specs |
|
|
| Height |
1150.0mm (45.3") |
1289.0mm (50.7") |
| Width |
265.0mm (10.4") |
349.0mm (13.7") |
| Depth |
450.0mm (17.7") |
419.0mm (16.5") |
| Weight |
45.37kg (99.8lbs) |
39.00kg (85.8lbs) |
| Enclosure |
Bass Reflex |
Bass Reflex |
| Finish |
HDF, painted |
MDF/Wood veneer |
| Available Colors |
Basalt, Polar, Black |
Gloss Black, Walnut, and Satin White |
| Grille |
Yes |
Yes |
| Moisture Resistancy |
No |
No |
Connections |
|
|
| Biamp Inputs |
No |
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 | evenly matched | Much the same reach (28Hz vs 27Hz). |
| Amplifier needs | B | MartinLogan Motion XT F200 is more sensitive (92dB vs 90dB), so it goes louder on the same amplifier. |
| Headroom | A | Arendal Sound 1610 Tower 8 takes more power (800W vs 600W) - more in hand in a big room. |
| Size | depends | Arendal Sound 1610 Tower 8 is easier to place; MartinLogan Motion XT F200 is bigger, which usually goes with fuller bass. Your room decides. |
| Expandability | B | MartinLogan Motion XT F200: bi-amping. MartinLogan Motion XT F200 sits in a wider range (7 models), so a matched surround system is easier later. |
| Price | B | MartinLogan Motion XT F200 is cheaper - $5,498 against $7,600, about 28% less. |
A Arendal Sound 1610 Tower 8 B MartinLogan Motion XT F200
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?
MartinLogan Motion XT F200 has the edge on paper, though the margin is not large. The rows marked "depends" may matter more to you than the score does. If your amplifier is modest, vintage or valve-based, MartinLogan Motion XT F200 is the safer partner - the other will want more current or more watts to sound its best. Think about the whole system, not just the speakers: the roughly $2,102 saved by taking the cheaper pair would buy a subwoofer or a better amplifier, and either usually does more for the sound than the difference between these two.
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.