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.
Bowers & Wilkins 702 S3 Signature Key Specs
- 3-way Design
- 1" Decoupled Carbon Dome Tweeter
- 6" Midrange
- 3 x 6.5" Aerofoil Woofer
- 46-28k Hz Frequency Response
- 90 dB Sensitivity
- Impedance: 8ohms
- Power Range:30-300watts
- Weight:35.26kg
- 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 )
MartinLogan Motion XT F200 Key Specs
- 3-way Design
- 1.25 x 2.4" Folded Motion XT Tweeter
- 6.5" Midrange
- 3 x 8" Aluminum Woofer
- 6.5" Midrange
- 27-25k Hz Frequency Response
- 92 dB Sensitivity
- Impedance: 4ohms
- Power Range:20-600watts
- Weight:39.00kg
- Dimensions (H x W x D): 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.)
In the following sections, we will get into more detail in order to better understand how the Bowers & Wilkins 702 S3 Signature and MartinLogan Motion XT F200 compare and hopefully end up with enough arguments to decide which one of these loudspeakers is the better choice for you.
**This post contains affiliate links, and I will be compensated if you make a purchase after clicking
through my links. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.
Drivers
Both 702 S3 Signature and Motion XT F200 are 3-way speakers.
| 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.
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 Floor-standing class in our database.
Low Frequency
Floor-standing Speakers
High Frequency
Floor-standing Speakers
Bowers & Wilkins 702 S3 Signature
MartinLogan Motion XT F200
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
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. 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.
702 S3 Signature can handle a max power of 600 watts RMS from the amp the whereas 702 S3 Signature has a max power handling value of 300 watts RMS , 300 watts less than the Motion XT F200.
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
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
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 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.
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.