In this review, we will be comparing BW 607 and Motion 15i, two Passive Bookshelf speakers from Bowers Wilkins and MartinLogan.
Let's have a brief look at the main features
of B&W 607 and MartinLogan 15i first before getting into our more
detailed comparison.
B&W 607 Key Specs
- 2-way Design
- 1" Hard-Dome Tweeter
- 5" Continuum Woofer
- 52-28k Hz Frequency Response
- 84 dB Sensitivity
- Impedance: 8ohms
- Power Range:30-100watts
- Weight:4.70kg
- Dimensions (H x W x D): 300.0" x 6.4" x 8.1"( 300.0 x 165.0 x 207.0mm )
MartinLogan 15i Key Specs
- 2-way Design
- 1.0 x 1.4" Folded Motion Tweeter
- 5.25" Aluminum Woofer
- 60-25k Hz Frequency Response
- 92 dB Sensitivity
- Impedance: 5ohms
- Power Range:20-200watts
- Weight:5.40kg
- Dimensions (H x W x D): 290.0" x 6.8" x 9.4"( 290.0 x 173.0 x 240.0mm )
What size room are the B&W 607 and MartinLogan 15i 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* |
B&W 607 |
MartinLogan 15i |
| Near-field |
Average |
Poor |
| Small Room |
Good |
Average |
| Mid-size Room |
Average |
Good |
| Large Room |
Poor |
Average |
| Very Large Room |
Bad |
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.)
In the following sections, we will get into more detail in order to better understand how the B&W 607 and MartinLogan 15i compare and hopefully end up with enough arguments to decide which one of these loudspeakers is the better choice for you.
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through my links. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.
Drivers
Both BW 607 and Motion 15i are 2-way speakers.
| Driver |
B&W 607 |
MartinLogan 15i |
|
Driver Setup
|
2-way
|
2-way
|
|
Tweeter
|
1-inch
|
1.0 x 1.4-inch
|
|
Midrange
|
- |
- |
|
Woofer
|
1 x 5-inch
|
1 x 5.25-inch
|
BW 607 features a 1" Decoupled Carbon Hard-Dome Tweeter and 1 x 5" Continuum Woofer . On the other hand, the Motion 15i features a 1.0 x 1.4" Folded Motion Tweeter and 1 x 5.25" Aluminum Woofer with a Crossover frequency at 2700Hz.
Frequency Response
BW 607 has a frequency range of 52-28k Hz whereas Motion 15i has a frequency range of 60-25k Hz. With a minimum frequency of 52Hz, the BW 607 can go significantly deeper on the low side and provide stronger bass compared to the Motion 15i's min frequency of 60Hz.
Below graphs depict how these two speakers compare with the max, min and average values of the Min and Max Frequencies of other speakers in the Bookshelf class in our database.
Low Frequency
Bookshelf Speakers
High Frequency
Bookshelf Speakers
None of these speakers achieves full range experience which is commonly agreed as 20Hz-20kHz. In order to achieve lower lows / deeper bass, we recommend you pair these with a subwoofer. Visit our Powered Subwoofers section to find out more about the available options.
Impedance and Sensitivity
BW 607 is a 8 ohms speaker compared to the Motion 15i which has a nominal impedance of 5 ohms.
These two speakers also have different sensitivity levels. BW 607 sensitivity is rated at 84 dB and the Motion 15i's is rated at 92 dB. This 8 dB difference makes the MartinLogan 15i a more sensitive speaker compared to B&W 607, hence will play louder with the same amount of watts.
Sensitivity
Bookshelf Speakers
Power Range
Power
range is the range of input power in watts RMS that a loudspeaker is designed to handle. While using
an amplifier within this range ensures the nominal performance , inputting a power that is higher than the
max wattage can result in a damaged speaker.
BW 607 can handle a max power of 200 watts RMS from the amp the whereas BW 607 has a max power handling value of 100 watts RMS , 100 watts less than the Motion 15i.
Keep in mind that a higher max power handling value doesn't necessarily make that a louder speaker
compared to a lower max handling speaker. Loudness or the sound level is also impacted by parameters
such as Impedance, sensitivity and system efficiencies.
Input Type and Bi-Amping / Bi-Wiring
BW 607 features Post posts which make bi-amping or bi-wiring possible. Motion 15i has a Custom 5-way tool-less binding posts which doesn't feature bi-amping/bi-wiring.
MartinLogan 15i's Custom 5-way tool-less binding posts terminals
Cabinet Type and Port Position
Both BW 607 and Motion 15i have rear firing ports. Rear ported speakers generally need more room between the backside of the speaker and the wall compared to sealed and front/bottom ported speakers. Placing the speakers too close to the walls may cause the bass to sound boomy.
If you are limited in space and can't get the speakers away from the backwall, check our Speakers with Front Firing Ports page.
Physical Specs
Size of a speaker can sometimes become an important decision factor due to space constraints or in some cases purely for esthetic reasons. In this section, we are going to compare B&W 607's and MartinLogan 15i's external dimensions. B&W 607 has external dimensions of 300.0 x 165.0 x 207.0mm ( 11.8 x 6.4 x 8.1inch) whereas MartinLogan 15i has external dimensions of 290.0 x 173.0 x 240.0mm ( 11.4 x 6.8 x 9.4inch) .
B&W 607 is 8mm narrower and 33mm less deeper than MartinLogan 15i but it is also 10mm taller.
Below you can see the front view size comparison of B&W 607 and MartinLogan 15i in scale.
Comparison image of B&W 607 and MartinLogan 15i Size and External Dimensions
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 B&W 607 is approximately 341.6cm2 / 52.9inch2 and base area of the MartinLogan 15i is approximately 415.2cm2 / 64.4inch2. The BW 607 requires 18% less surface area than the Motion 15i which gives it a small advantage on placement in tight spaces.
Here is an another comparison that shows both speakers on a BDI Octave Media Cabinet, next to a standard size amplifier and turntable in scale:
Size Comparison image of B&W 607 and MartinLogan 15i on a Media Console