In this review, we will be comparing CWM7.3 S2 and Motion XT CI XTW5-LCR, two Passive In-wall speakers from Bowers Wilkins and MartinLogan. Let's have a brief look at the main features
of B&W CWM7.3 S2 and MartinLogan Motion XT CI XTW5-LCR first before getting into our more
detailed comparison.
B&W CWM7.3 S2 Key Specs
- 3-way Design
- 1" Soft-Dome Tweeter
- 4" Midrange
- 2 x 6" Aerofoil Woofer
- 48-28kHz Frequency Response
- 90 dB Sensitivity
- Impedance: 8ohms
- Power Range:25-200watts
- Dimensions (H x W x D): 712.0" x 9.9375" x 4.0625"( 712.0 x 253.0 x 104.0mm )
MartinLogan Motion XT CI XTW5-LCR Key Specs
- 2-way Design
- 1.27 x 2.4" Folded Motion Ribbon Tweeter
- 2 x 5.25" Kevlar Woofer
- 61-25kHz Frequency Response
- 92 dB Sensitivity
- Impedance: 8ohms
- Power Range:50-125watts
- Dimensions (H x W x D): 166.0" x 14.5000" x 3.3125"( 166.0 x 369.0 x 85.0mm )
What size room are the B&W CWM7.3 S2 and MartinLogan Motion XT CI XTW5-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* |
B&W CWM7.3 S2 |
MartinLogan Motion XT CI XTW5-LCR |
| Near-field |
Poor |
Poor |
| Small Room |
Average |
Average |
| Mid-size Room |
Good |
Good |
| Large Room |
Average |
Average |
| Very Large Room |
Poor |
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 CWM7.3 S2 and MartinLogan Motion XT CI XTW5-LCR 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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Drivers
One of the fundamental differences between these two speakers is that CWM7.3 S2 is a 3-way design whereas the Motion XT CI XTW5-LCR is a 2-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.
| Driver |
B&W CWM7.3 S2 |
MartinLogan Motion XT CI XTW5-LCR |
|
Driver Setup
|
3-way
|
2-way
|
|
Tweeter
|
1-inch
|
1.27 x 2.4-inch
|
|
Midrange
|
1 x 4-inch |
- |
|
Woofer
|
2 x 6-inch
|
2 x 5.25-inch
|
CWM7.3 S2 features a 1" Soft-Dome Tweeter , a 4" Midrange and 2 x 6" Aerofoil Woofer . On the other hand, the Motion XT CI XTW5-LCR features a 1.27 x 2.4" Folded Motion Ribbon Tweeter and 2 x 5.25" Kevlar Woofer .
Frequency Response
CWM7.3 S2 has a frequency range of 48-28kHz whereas Motion XT CI XTW5-LCR has a frequency range of 61-25kHz. With a minimum frequency of 48Hz, the CWM7.3 S2 can go significantly deeper on the low side and provide stronger bass compared to the Motion XT CI XTW5-LCR's min frequency of 61Hz.
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 In-wall class in our database.
Low Frequency
In-wall Speakers
High Frequency
In-wall Speakers
MartinLogan Motion XT CI XTW5-LCR
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
CWM7.3 S2 and Motion XT CI XTW5-LCR have the same Impedance of 8 ohms but where they differ is the sensitivity levels. CWM7.3 S2 sensitivity is rated at 90 dB and the Motion XT CI XTW5-LCR's is at 92 dB. This 2 dB difference makes the MartinLogan Motion XT CI XTW5-LCR a more sensitive speaker compared to B&W CWM7.3 S2, hence will play louder with the same amount of watts.
Sensitivity
In-wall 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.
CWM7.3 S2 can handle a max power of 200 watts RMS from the amp the whereas Motion XT CI XTW5-LCR has a max power handling value of 125 watts RMS, 75 watts less than the CWM7.3 S2.
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
CWM7.3 S2 features Spring post type posts and Motion XT CI XTW5-LCR has a Spring post type posts. None of these speakers feature bi-amping/bi-wiring.
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 CWM7.3 S2's and MartinLogan Motion XT CI XTW5-LCR's external dimensions. B&W CWM7.3 S2 has external dimensions of 712.0 x 253.0 x 104.0mm ( 28.0000-inch x 9.9375-inch x 4.0625-inch) whereas MartinLogan Motion XT CI XTW5-LCR has external dimensions of 166.0 x 369.0 x 85.0mm ( 6.5000-inch x 14.5000-inch x 3.3125-inch) .
MartinLogan Motion XT CI XTW5-LCR is 546mm shorter and 19mm less deeper than B&W CWM7.3 S2 but it is also 116mm wider.
What's in the Box of B&W CWM7.3 S2?
Here are the items that are included inside the box of CWM7.3 S2:
In-wall loudspeakerMounting frameGrilleBaffle box2 Mounting plates (1 pre-installed)Paint shieldTwo-piece foam port plug8 Screws2 Wing-nutsHex-wrenchCutout TemplateInstallation InstructionsWarranty Information
What's in the Box of MartinLogan Motion XT CI XTW5-LCR?
Here are the items that come with the Motion XT CI XTW5-LCR:
In-wall LCR loudspeakerGrilleT20 torx-bitUser-feets ManualCutout Template
Max Input Power 
Driver Setup 
Woofer Size 
High Frequency Response 
Base Surface Area 
Sensitivity 
Height 
Price per pair*