In this review, we will be comparing Townus 90 and Motion XT F200, two Passive Floor-standing speakers from Canton and MartinLogan.
Let's have a brief look at the main features
of Canton Townus 90 and MartinLogan Motion XT F200 first before getting into our more
detailed comparison.
| Key Specs | Canton Townus 90 | MartinLogan Motion XT F200 |
|---|
| Brand | Canton
Germany · founded 1972 | MartinLogan
United States · founded 1982 |
|---|
| Design | 3-way | 3-way |
|---|
| Tweeter | 1" | 1.25 x 2.4" Folded Motion XT |
|---|
| Midrange | 6.85" | 6.5" |
|---|
| Woofer | 2 x 6.85" Titanium | 3 x 8" Aluminum |
|---|
| Frequency response | 20-40k Hz | 27-25k Hz |
|---|
| Sensitivity | — | 92 dB |
|---|
| Impedance | — | 4 ohms |
|---|
| Power range | — | 20-600 watts |
|---|
| Weight | 24.04kg / 52.9lbs | 39.00kg / 85.8lbs |
|---|
| Dimensions (H x W x D) | 41.3" x 9.8" x 14.2"
1049.0 x 248.9 x 360.7mm | 50-3/4" x 13-3/4" x 16-1/2"
1289 x 349 x 419mm |
|---|
What size room are the Canton Townus 90 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* |
Canton Townus 90 |
MartinLogan Motion XT F200 |
| Near-field |
Poor |
Are you nuts? |
| Small Room |
Average |
Poor |
| Mid-size Room |
Good |
Average |
| Large Room |
Average |
Good |
| Very Large Room |
Poor |
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 Townus 90 and Motion XT F200 are 3-way speakers.
Canton Townus 90MartinLogan 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 |
Canton Townus 90 |
MartinLogan Motion XT F200 |
|
Driver Setup
|
3-way
|
3-way
|
|
Tweeter
|
1-inch
|
1.25 x 2.4-inch
|
|
Midrange
|
1 x 6.85-inch |
1 x 6.5-inch |
|
Woofer
|
2 x 6.85-inch
|
3 x 8-inch
|
Townus 90 features a 1" Ceramic Tweeter, a 6.85" Midrange and 2 x 6.85" Titanium Woofer with a Crossover frequency at 170 / 3200 Hz. 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
Townus 90 has a frequency range of 20-40k Hz whereas Motion XT F200 has a frequency range of 27-25k Hz. With a minimum frequency of 20Hz, the Townus 90 can go significantly deeper on the low side and provide stronger bass compared to the Motion XT F200's min frequency of 27Hz.
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
Input Type and Bi-Amping / Bi-Wiring
Motion XT F200 features Custom 5-way bi-wire tool-less binding posts posts which make bi-amping or bi-wiring possible. Townus 90 has a Binding post which doesn't feature bi-amping/bi-wiring.
MartinLogan Motion XT F200's Custom 5-way bi-wire tool-less binding posts terminals allows Bi-amping or 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 Canton Townus 90's and MartinLogan Motion XT F200's external dimensions. Canton Townus 90 has external dimensions of 1049.0 x 248.9 x 360.7mm (41.3 x 9.8 x 14.2inch) 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 100.1mm wider, 240mm taller and 58.3mm deeper than Canton Townus 90.
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 63% more floor or shelf area. MartinLogan Motion XT F200 is 58mm deeper, so it stands that much further out from the wall. MartinLogan Motion XT F200 is 240mm 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 Canton Townus 90 is approximately 897.8cm2 / 139.2inch2 and base area of the MartinLogan Motion XT F200 is approximately 1462.3cm2 / 226.7inch2. The Townus 90 requires 39% 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 Canton Townus 90 weighs 24.04kg / 52.9lbs and the MartinLogan Motion XT F200 weighs 39.00kg / 85.8lbs. This makes the Motion XT F200 62% heavier than the Townus 90.
Here is a comparison of how Townus 90 and Motion XT F200's weights compare with the average, max and min weights in Passive Floor-standing class.
Weight
All Floor-standing Speakers
MartinLogan Motion XT F200
 Low Frequency Response |
20 Hz
vs
27 Hz
|
Generates deeper bass |
 High Frequency Response |
40k Hz
vs
25k Hz
|
Generates higher frequency |
 Height |
1049mm
vs
1289mm
|
Easier to fit in smaller spaces |
 Base Surface Area |
897cm2
vs
1462cm2
|
Takes less floor space |
 Price per pair* |
4695USD
vs
5498USD
|
costs less (*prices may change depending on the seller, location and time) |
|
Woofer Size |
8 inches
vs
6.85 inches
|
Larger woofer |
|
Number of Woofers |
3
vs
2
|
More woofers |
| General |
Canton Townus 90 |
MartinLogan Motion® XT F200 |
| Brand |
Canton |
MartinLogan |
| Speaker Type |
Floor-standing speaker |
Floor-standing speaker |
| Sensitivity |
n/a |
92 dB |
| Impedance |
n/a |
4 ohms |
| Frequency Response |
20-40k Hz |
27-25k Hz |
Drivers |
|
|
| Woofer Quantity |
2 |
3 |
| Woofer Size |
6.85" |
8" |
| Woofer Composition |
Titanium |
Aluminum |
| Woofer Surround Material |
n/a |
Rubber |
| Tweeter Size |
1" |
1.25 x 2.4" |
| Tweeter Type |
n/a |
Folded Motion XT |
| Aimable Tweeter |
No |
No |
| Midrange Driver |
6.85" |
6.5" |
| Crossover Frequency |
170 / 3200 Hz |
300Hz and 2600Hz |
| Firing Direction |
n/a |
bottom |
| Suggested Break-in Period |
n/a |
Allow 72 hours of break-in |
Physical Specs |
|
|
| Height |
1049.0mm (41.3") |
1289.0mm (50.7") |
| Width |
248.9mm (9.8") |
349.0mm (13.7") |
| Depth |
360.7mm (14.2") |
419.0mm (16.5") |
| Weight |
24.04kg (52.9lbs) |
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 |
n/a |
Yes |
Other |
|
|
| Parts Warranty |
|
5 Years |
| Labor Warranty |
|
5 Years |
No single best speaker here - they are built to different priorities, and the right one depends on your room, your amplifier and what you listen to.
| Area | Better | Why |
|---|
| Bass | A | Canton Townus 90 digs deeper - 20Hz against 27Hz. A subwoofer would even that out. |
| Size | depends | Canton Townus 90 is easier to place; MartinLogan Motion XT F200 is bigger, which usually goes with fuller bass. Your room decides. |
| Expandability | B | MartinLogan Motion XT F200: bi-amping. |
| Price | A | Canton Townus 90 is cheaper - $4,695 against $5,498, about 15% less. |
A Canton Townus 90 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?
Neither runs away with it - they trade advantages. Let the "depends" rows and your own room settle it. If a subwoofer is in your plans, the bass gap largely stops mattering - you would be crossing over above 27Hz anyway, so judge these on the other rows instead. Match it to your room: we rate Canton Townus 90 the better fit for a small room and a mid-size room, and MartinLogan Motion XT F200 for a large room and a very large room.
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.