B&W CWM7.3 S2 vs MartinLogan Motion XT CI XTW6-LCR Comparison

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B&W CWM7.3 S2

Passive In-wall | 48-28kHz

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MartinLogan Motion XT CI XTW6-LCR

Passive In-wall | 44-25kHz

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B&W CWM7.3 S2

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MartinLogan Motion X...

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B&W CWM7.3 S2

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B&W CWM7.3 S2 vs MartinLogan Motion XT CI XTW6-LCR Speaker Comparison

In this review, we will be comparing CWM7.3 S2 and Motion XT CI XTW6-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 XTW6-LCR first before getting into our more detailed comparison.

Key Specs	B&W CWM7.3 S2	MartinLogan Motion XT CI XTW6-LCR
Brand	Bowers Wilkins United Kingdom · founded 1966	MartinLogan United States · founded 1982
Design	3-way	3-way
Tweeter	1" Soft-Dome	1.27 x 2.4" Folded Motion Ribbon
Midrange	4"	6.5"
Woofer	2 x 6" Aerofoil	2 x 6.5" Kevlar
Frequency response	48-28kHz	44-25kHz
Sensitivity	90 dB	93 dB
Impedance	8 ohms	8 ohms
Power range	25-200 watts	50-150 watts
Weight	12.43kg / 27.3lbs	—
Dimensions (H x W x D)	28.0000" x 9.9375" x 4.0625" 712.0 x 253.0 x 104.0mm	27.0000" x 6.6250" x 3.5625" 686.0 x 169.0 x 91.0mm

What size room are the B&W CWM7.3 S2 and MartinLogan Motion XT CI XTW6-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 XTW6-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.)

The sections below take each area in turn: drivers, frequency response, physical size and what you get in the box.

**This post contains affiliate links, and we will be compensated if you make a purchase after clicking through our links. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

Drivers

Both CWM7.3 S2 and Motion XT CI XTW6-LCR are 3-way speakers.

B&W CWM7.3 S2

MartinLogan Motion XT CI XTW6-LCR

TweeterMidrangeWoofer

Front view, drawn to scale - cabinets and drivers share one scale, so sizes are directly comparable. Hover a driver for its size.

Driver	B&W CWM7.3 S2	MartinLogan Motion XT CI XTW6-LCR
Driver Setup	3-way	3-way
Tweeter	1-inch	1.27 x 2.4-inch
Midrange	1 x 4-inch	1 x 6.5-inch
Woofer	2 x 6-inch	2 x 6.5-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 XTW6-LCR features a 1.27 x 2.4" Folded Motion Ribbon Tweeter, a 6.5" Midrange and 2 x 6.5" Kevlar Woofer.

Frequency Response

CWM7.3 S2 has a frequency range of 48-28kHz whereas Motion XT CI XTW6-LCR has a frequency range of 44-25kHz. With a minimum frequency of 44Hz, the Motion XT CI XTW6-LCR can go slightly deeper then the CWM7.3 S2's min frequency of 48Hz.

The graph below depicts how these two speakers compare with the max, min and average Low Frequency values of other speakers in the In-wall class in our database.

Low Frequency

In-wall Speakers

CWM7.3 S2

Motion XT CI XTW6-LCR

Min

Average

Median

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

CWM7.3 S2 and Motion XT CI XTW6-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 XTW6-LCR's is at 93 dB. This 3 dB difference makes the MartinLogan Motion XT CI XTW6-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

CWM7.3 S2

Motion XT CI XTW6-LCR

Min

Average

Median

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.

CWM7.3 S2 can handle a max power of 200 watts RMS, whereas Motion XT CI XTW6-LCR has a max power handling value of 150 watts RMS, 50 watts less than the CWM7.3 S2.

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.

Amplifier - change this

Distance

Playing as

B&W CWM7.3 S2

MartinLogan Motion XT CI XTW6-LCR

Input Type and Bi-Amping / Bi-Wiring

CWM7.3 S2 features Spring post type posts and Motion XT CI XTW6-LCR has a Spring post type posts. None of these speakers feature bi-amping/bi-wiring.

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 B&W CWM7.3 S2's and MartinLogan Motion XT CI XTW6-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 XTW6-LCR has external dimensions of 686.0 x 169.0 x 91.0mm (27.0000-inch x 6.6250-inch x 3.5625-inch).

B&W CWM7.3 S2 is clearly the larger of the two speakers. Its body is 84mm wider, 26mm taller and 13mm deeper than MartinLogan Motion XT CI XTW6-LCR.

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 loudspeaker
Mounting frame
Grille
Baffle box
2 Mounting plates (1 pre-installed)
Paint shield
Two-piece foam port plug
8 Screws
2 Wing-nuts
Hex-wrench
Cutout Template
Installation Instructions
Warranty Information

What's in the Box of MartinLogan Motion XT CI XTW6-LCR?

Here are the items that come with the Motion XT CI XTW6-LCR:

In-wall LCR loudspeaker
Grille
T20 torx-bit
User-feets Manual
Cutout Template

Reasons to choose Bowers & Wilkins Reference Series CWM7.3 S2 over MartinLogan Motion XT CI XTW6-LCR

Max Input Power	200 watts vs 150 watts	Handle more power from your amplifier
High Frequency Response	28k Hz vs 25k Hz	Generates higher frequency

Reasons to choose MartinLogan Motion XT CI XTW6-LCR over Bowers & Wilkins Reference Series CWM7.3 S2

Sensitivity	93 dB vs 90 dB	Play louder with same amount of amplification power
Woofer Size	6.5 inches vs 6 inches	Larger woofer
Low Frequency Response	44 Hz vs 48 Hz	Generates deeper bass
Height	686mm vs 712mm	Easier to fit in smaller spaces
Base Surface Area	153cm² vs 263cm²	Takes less floor space
Price per pair*	3200USD vs 4200USD	costs less (*prices may change depending on the seller, location and time)

B&W CWM7.3 S2 vs MartinLogan Motion XT CI XTW6-LCR Specs Table

Detailed comparison of specifications

General	Bowers & Wilkins Reference Series CWM7.3 S2	MartinLogan Motion XT CI XTW6-LCR
Brand	Bowers Wilkins	MartinLogan
Speaker Type	Passive In-wall Speaker	Passive In-wall Speaker
Power Range	25-200 watts	50-150 watts
Sensitivity	90 dB	93 dB
Impedance	8 ohms	8 ohms
Frequency Response	48-28kHz	44-25kHz
Drivers
Woofer Quantity	2	2
Woofer Size	6"	6.5"
Woofer Composition	Aerofoil	Kevlar
Woofer Surround Material	Rubber	Rubber
Tweeter Size	1"	1.27 x 2.4"
Tweeter Type	Soft-Dome	Folded Motion Ribbon
Aimable Tweeter	No	Yes
Midrange Driver	4"	6.5"
Physical Specs
Height	712.0mm (28")	686.0mm (27")
Width	253.0mm (10")	169.0mm (6.7")
Depth	104.0mm (4.1")	91.0mm (3.6")
Weight	12.43kg (27.3lbs)	n/a
Enclosure	In-wall	In-wall
Moisture Resistancy	No	No
Connections
Biamp Inputs	No	No
Other
Parts Warranty	5 Years	5 Years
Labor Warranty	5 Years	5 Years

Verdict

A generation apart: MartinLogan Motion XT CI XTW6-LCR is the newer design, against a 2018 model. Newer is not automatically better, but the older one is more likely to be discounted or near run-out.

Area	Better	Why
Bass	B	MartinLogan Motion XT CI XTW6-LCR digs deeper - 44Hz against 48Hz. A subwoofer would even that out.
Amplifier needs	B	MartinLogan Motion XT CI XTW6-LCR is more sensitive (93dB vs 90dB), so it goes louder on the same amplifier.
Headroom	A	B&W CWM7.3 S2 takes more power (200W vs 150W) - more in hand in a big room.
Size	depends	MartinLogan Motion XT CI XTW6-LCR is easier to place; B&W CWM7.3 S2 is bigger, which usually goes with fuller bass. Your room decides.
Expandability	depends	Neither adds bi-amping, a sub output or height drivers. MartinLogan Motion XT CI XTW6-LCR sits in a wider range (7 models), so a matched surround system is easier later.
Price	B	MartinLogan Motion XT CI XTW6-LCR is cheaper - $3,200 against $4,200, about 24% less.

A B&W CWM7.3 S2 B MartinLogan Motion XT CI XTW6-LCR
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 CI XTW6-LCR has the edge on paper, though the margin is not large. The rows marked "depends" may matter more to you than the score does. In a large or open-plan room, B&W CWM7.3 S2 has the cabinet volume to fill it more easily; in a small room, near a wall or at desk distance, MartinLogan Motion XT CI XTW6-LCR is the easier speaker to get right. If your amplifier is modest, vintage or valve-based, MartinLogan Motion XT CI XTW6-LCR is the safer partner - the other will want more current or more watts to sound its best.

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.