In this review, we will be comparing Contour 30i and Motion XT F200, two Passive Floor-standing speakers from Dynaudio and MartinLogan.
Let's have a brief look at the main features
of Dynaudio Contour 30i and MartinLogan Motion XT F200 first before getting into our more
detailed comparison.
| Key Specs | Dynaudio Contour 30i | MartinLogan Motion XT F200 |
|---|
| Brand | Dynaudio
Denmark · founded 1977 | MartinLogan
United States · founded 1982 |
|---|
| Design | 3-way | 3-way |
|---|
| Tweeter | 1.1" Soft-Dome | 1.25 x 2.4" Folded Motion XT |
|---|
| Midrange | — | 6.5" |
|---|
| Woofer | 2 x 7" MSP | 3 x 8" Aluminum |
|---|
| Frequency response | 32-23k Hz | 27-25k Hz |
|---|
| Sensitivity | 87 dB | 92 dB |
|---|
| Impedance | 4 ohms | 4 ohms |
|---|
| Power range | — | 20-600 watts |
|---|
| Weight | 31.40kg / 69.1lbs | 39.00kg / 85.8lbs |
|---|
| Dimensions (H x W x D) | 44-7/8" x 8-7/16" x 14-3/16"
1140.0 x 215.0 x 360.0mm | 50-3/4" x 13-3/4" x 16-1/2"
1289 x 349 x 419mm |
|---|
What size room are the Dynaudio Contour 30i 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* |
Dynaudio Contour 30i |
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 Contour 30i and Motion XT F200 are 3-way speakers.
Dynaudio Contour 30iMartinLogan 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 |
Dynaudio Contour 30i |
MartinLogan Motion XT F200 |
|
Driver Setup
|
3-way
|
3-way
|
|
Tweeter
|
1.1-inch
|
1.25 x 2.4-inch
|
|
Midrange
|
- |
1 x 6.5-inch |
|
Woofer
|
2 x 7-inch
|
3 x 8-inch
|
Contour 30i features a 1.1" Esotar 2i Soft-Dome Tweeter and 2 x 7" MSP Woofer with a Crossover frequency at (300)/2200 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
Contour 30i has a frequency range of 32-23k 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 Contour 30i's min frequency of 32Hz.
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
Contour 30i and Motion XT F200 have the same Impedance of 4 ohms but where they differ is the sensitivity levels. Contour 30i sensitivity is rated at 87 dB and the Motion XT F200's is at 92 dB. This 5 dB difference makes the MartinLogan Motion XT F200 a more sensitive speaker compared to Dynaudio Contour 30i, hence will play louder with the same amount of watts.
One thing to keep in mind that the lower impedance speakers, especially the ones that are rated at 4 ohms may put more pressure on the amplifier unit comared to higher impedance speakers especially at high volume levels, so make sure the amp you pair with the Contour 30i and the Contour 30i can provide this impedance level.
Sensitivity
Floor-standing Speakers
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.
MartinLogan Motion XT F200
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. Contour 30i 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
Cabinet Type and Port Position
Contour 30i 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 Dynaudio Contour 30i 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 Dynaudio Contour 30i's and MartinLogan Motion XT F200's external dimensions. Dynaudio Contour 30i has external dimensions of 1140.0 x 215.0 x 360.0mm (44-7/8 x 8-7/16 x 14-3/16inch) 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 134mm wider, 149mm taller and 59mm deeper than Dynaudio Contour 30i.
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 89% more floor or shelf area. MartinLogan Motion XT F200 is 59mm deeper, so it stands that much further out from the wall. MartinLogan Motion XT F200 is 149mm 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 Dynaudio Contour 30i is approximately 774.0cm2 / 120.0inch2 and base area of the MartinLogan Motion XT F200 is approximately 1462.3cm2 / 226.7inch2. The Contour 30i requires 47% 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 Dynaudio Contour 30i weighs 31.40kg / 69.1lbs and the MartinLogan Motion XT F200 weighs 39.00kg / 85.8lbs. This makes the Motion XT F200 24% heavier than the Contour 30i.
Here is a comparison of how Contour 30i 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
 Height |
1140mm
vs
1289mm
|
Easier to fit in smaller spaces |
 Base Surface Area |
774cm2
vs
1462cm2
|
Takes less floor space |
 Max Input Power |
600 watts
vs
300 watts
|
Handle more power from your amplifier |
 Sensitivity |
92 dB
vs
87 dB
|
Play louder with same amount of amplification power |
 Woofer Size |
8 inches
vs
7 inches
|
Larger woofer |
|
Number of Woofers |
3
vs
2
|
More woofers |
|
Low Frequency Response |
27 Hz
vs
32 Hz
|
Generates deeper bass |
 High Frequency Response |
25k Hz
vs
23k Hz
|
Generates higher frequency |
 Bi-Amping and Bi-Wiring |
Yes
vs
No
|
Allows bi-amping and bi-wiring connections |
 Price per pair* |
5498USD
vs
9500USD
|
costs less (*prices may change depending on the seller, location and time) |
| General |
Dynaudio Contour 30i |
MartinLogan Motion® XT F200 |
| Brand |
Dynaudio |
MartinLogan |
| Speaker Type |
Floor-standing speaker |
Floor-standing speaker |
| Sensitivity |
87 dB |
92 dB |
| Impedance |
4 ohms |
4 ohms |
| Frequency Response |
32-23k Hz |
27-25k Hz |
Drivers |
|
|
| Woofer Quantity |
2 |
3 |
| Woofer Size |
7" |
8" |
| Woofer Composition |
MSP |
Aluminum |
| Woofer Surround Material |
n/a |
Rubber |
| Tweeter Size |
1.1" |
1.25 x 2.4" |
| Tweeter Type |
Soft-Dome |
Folded Motion XT |
| Aimable Tweeter |
No |
No |
| Midrange Driver |
No |
6.5" |
| Crossover Frequency |
(300)/2200 Hz |
300Hz and 2600Hz |
| Firing Direction |
rear |
bottom |
| Suggested Break-in Period |
n/a |
Allow 72 hours of break-in |
Physical Specs |
|
|
| Height |
1140.0mm (44.9") |
1289.0mm (50.7") |
| Width |
215.0mm (8.5") |
349.0mm (13.7") |
| Depth |
360.0mm (14.2") |
419.0mm (16.5") |
| Weight |
31.40kg (69.1lbs) |
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 |
No |
Yes |
Other |
|
|
| Parts Warranty |
|
5 Years |
| Labor Warranty |
|
5 Years |
These sit in different price classes - Dynaudio Contour 30i costs roughly 1.7x 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 32Hz. A subwoofer would even that out. |
| Amplifier needs | B | MartinLogan Motion XT F200 is more sensitive (92dB vs 87dB), so it goes louder on the same amplifier. |
| Headroom | B | MartinLogan Motion XT F200 takes more power (600W vs 300W) - more in hand in a big room. |
| Size | depends | Dynaudio Contour 30i 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. 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 $9,500, about 42% less; arguably a different class. |
A Dynaudio Contour 30i 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 Dynaudio Contour 30i 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 32Hz anyway, so judge these on the other rows instead. Match it to your room: we rate Dynaudio Contour 30i 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.