In this review, we will be comparing 702 S3 Signature and Motion XT F200, two Passive Floor-standing speakers from Bowers Wilkins and MartinLogan.
Let's have a brief look at the main features
of Bowers & Wilkins 702 S3 Signature and MartinLogan Motion XT F200 first before getting into our more
detailed comparison.
| Key Specs | Bowers & Wilkins 702 S3 Signature | MartinLogan Motion XT F200 |
|---|
| Brand | Bowers Wilkins
United Kingdom · founded 1966 | MartinLogan
United States · founded 1982 |
|---|
| Design | 3-way | 3-way |
|---|
| Tweeter | 1" Decoupled Carbon Dome | 1.25 x 2.4" Folded Motion XT |
|---|
| Midrange | 6" | 6.5" |
|---|
| Woofer | 3 x 6.5" Aerofoil | 3 x 8" Aluminum |
|---|
| Frequency response | 46-28k Hz | 27-25k Hz |
|---|
| Sensitivity | 90 dB | 92 dB |
|---|
| Impedance | 8 ohms | 4 ohms |
|---|
| Power range | 30-300 watts | 20-600 watts |
|---|
| Weight | 35.26kg / 77.6lbs | 39.00kg / 85.8lbs |
|---|
| Dimensions (H x W x D) | 44-13/16" x 7-9/16" x 13-15/16"
1138.0 x 192.0 x 354.0mm | 50-3/4" x 13-3/4" x 16-1/2"
1289 x 349 x 419mm |
|---|
What size room are the Bowers & Wilkins 702 S3 Signature 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* |
Bowers & Wilkins 702 S3 Signature |
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 |
Average |
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 702 S3 Signature and Motion XT F200 are 3-way speakers.
Bowers & Wilkins 702 S3 SignatureMartinLogan 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 |
Bowers & Wilkins 702 S3 Signature |
MartinLogan Motion XT F200 |
|
Driver Setup
|
3-way
|
3-way
|
|
Tweeter
|
1-inch
|
1.25 x 2.4-inch
|
|
Midrange
|
1 x 6-inch |
1 x 6.5-inch |
|
Woofer
|
3 x 6.5-inch
|
3 x 8-inch
|
702 S3 Signature features a 1" Carbon Decoupled Carbon Dome Tweeter, a 6" Midrange and 3 x 6.5" Aerofoil Woofer. 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
702 S3 Signature has a frequency range of 46-28k 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 702 S3 Signature's min frequency of 46Hz.
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
702 S3 Signature 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. 702 S3 Signature sensitivity is rated at 90 dB and the Motion XT F200's is rated at 92 dB. This 2 dB difference makes the MartinLogan Motion XT F200 a more sensitive speaker compared to Bowers & Wilkins 702 S3 Signature, 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 702 S3 Signature has a max power handling value of 300 watts RMS, 300 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.
Bowers & Wilkins 702 S3 Signature
MartinLogan Motion XT F200
Input Type and Bi-Amping / Bi-Wiring
Both 702 S3 Signature and Motion XT F200 features dual binding post speaker terminals for bi-amping or 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
702 S3 Signature has a rear firing port whereas Motion XT F200 has a bottom firing ports. MartinLogan Motion XT F200's bottom-firing port gives more flexibility in placement in regards to proximity to walls compared to Bowers & Wilkins 702 S3 Signature with its rear-firing port.
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 Bowers & Wilkins 702 S3 Signature's and MartinLogan Motion XT F200's external dimensions. Bowers & Wilkins 702 S3 Signature has external dimensions of 1138.0 x 192.0 x 354.0mm (44-13/16 x 7-9/16 x 13-15/16inch) 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).
MartinLogan Motion XT F200 is clearly the larger of the two speakers. Its body is 157mm wider, 151mm taller and 65mm deeper than Bowers & Wilkins 702 S3 Signature.
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 115% more floor or shelf area. MartinLogan Motion XT F200 is 65mm deeper, so it stands that much further out from the wall. MartinLogan Motion XT F200 is 151mm 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 Bowers & Wilkins 702 S3 Signature is approximately 679.7cm2 / 105.4inch2 and base area of the MartinLogan Motion XT F200 is approximately 1462.3cm2 / 226.7inch2. The 702 S3 Signature requires 54% 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 Bowers & Wilkins 702 S3 Signature weighs 35.26kg / 77.6lbs and the MartinLogan Motion XT F200 weighs 39.00kg / 85.8lbs. This makes the Motion XT F200 11% heavier than the 702 S3 Signature.
Here is a comparison of how 702 S3 Signature and Motion XT F200's weights compare with the average, max and min weights in Passive Floor-standing class.
Weight
All Floor-standing Speakers
Bowers & Wilkins 702 S3 Signature
MartinLogan Motion XT F200
 Nominal Impedance |
8 ohms
vs
4 ohms
|
Less selective with amplifiers |
 High Frequency Response |
28k Hz
vs
25k Hz
|
Generates higher frequency |
 Height |
1138mm
vs
1289mm
|
Easier to fit in smaller spaces |
 Base Surface Area |
679cm2
vs
1462cm2
|
Takes less floor space |
 Max Input Power |
600 watts
vs
300 watts
|
Handle more power from your amplifier |
 Sensitivity |
92 dB
vs
90 dB
|
Play louder with same amount of amplification power |
 Woofer Size |
8 inches
vs
6.5 inches
|
Larger woofer |
|
Low Frequency Response |
27 Hz
vs
46 Hz
|
Generates deeper bass |
 Price per pair* |
5498USD
vs
9900USD
|
costs less (*prices may change depending on the seller, location and time) |
| General |
Bowers & Wilkins 702 S3 Signature |
MartinLogan Motion® XT F200 |
| Brand |
Bowers Wilkins |
MartinLogan |
| Speaker Type |
Floor-standing speaker |
Floor-standing speaker |
| Power Range |
30-300 watts |
20-600 watts |
| Sensitivity |
90 dB |
92 dB |
| Impedance |
8 ohms |
4 ohms |
| Impedance |
3.1 ohms |
n/a |
| Frequency Response |
46-28k Hz |
27-25k Hz |
Drivers |
|
|
| Woofer Quantity |
3 |
3 |
| Woofer Size |
6.5" |
8" |
| Woofer Composition |
Aerofoil |
Aluminum |
| Woofer Surround Material |
n/a |
Rubber |
| Tweeter Size |
1" |
1.25 x 2.4" |
| Tweeter Type |
Decoupled Carbon Dome |
Folded Motion XT |
| Aimable Tweeter |
No |
No |
| Midrange Driver |
6" |
6.5" |
| Crossover Frequency |
n/a |
300Hz and 2600Hz |
| Firing Direction |
rear |
bottom |
| Suggested Break-in Period |
n/a |
Allow 72 hours of break-in |
Physical Specs |
|
|
| Height |
1138.0mm (44.8") |
1289.0mm (50.7") |
| Width |
192.0mm (7.6") |
349.0mm (13.7") |
| Depth |
354.0mm (13.9") |
419.0mm (16.5") |
| Weight |
35.26kg (77.6lbs) |
39.00kg (85.8lbs) |
| Enclosure |
Bass Reflex |
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 |
Yes |
Yes |
Other |
|
|
| Parts Warranty |
5 Years |
5 Years |
| Labor Warranty |
5 Years |
5 Years |
These sit in different price classes - Bowers & Wilkins 702 S3 Signature costs roughly 1.8x what MartinLogan Motion XT F200 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 | B | MartinLogan Motion XT F200 digs deeper - 27Hz against 46Hz. |
| Amplifier needs | B | MartinLogan Motion XT F200 is more sensitive (92dB vs 90dB), so it goes louder on the same amplifier. |
| Amplifier match | A | Bowers & Wilkins 702 S3 Signature is the easier load at 8 ohms; the other is 4 ohms and wants an amplifier rated for it. |
| Headroom | B | MartinLogan Motion XT F200 takes more power (600W vs 300W) - more in hand in a big room. |
| Size | depends | Bowers & Wilkins 702 S3 Signature is easier to place; MartinLogan Motion XT F200 is bigger, which usually goes with fuller bass. Your room decides. |
| Expandability | depends | Bowers & Wilkins 702 S3 Signature: bi-amping; 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 $9,900, about 44% less; arguably a different class. |
A Bowers & Wilkins 702 S3 Signature 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 is the easier recommendation: it leads on most of the measured areas and costs less. Take Bowers & Wilkins 702 S3 Signature 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 46Hz anyway, so judge these on the other rows instead. Match it to your room: we rate MartinLogan Motion XT F200 the better fit for a very large room; elsewhere the two are rated the same.
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.