In this review, we will be comparing Aria Evo X No4 and Motion XT F200, two Passive Floor-standing speakers from Focal and MartinLogan.
Let's have a brief look at the main features
of Focal Aria Evo X No4 and MartinLogan Motion XT F200 first before getting into our more
detailed comparison.
| Key Specs | Focal Aria Evo X No4 | MartinLogan Motion XT F200 |
|---|
| Brand | Focal
France · founded 1979 | MartinLogan
United States · founded 1982 |
|---|
| Design | 3-way | 3-way |
|---|
| Tweeter | 1" inverted dome | 1.25 x 2.4" Folded Motion XT |
|---|
| Midrange | 6.5" | 6.5" |
|---|
| Woofer | 2 x 6.5" Flax | 3 x 8" Aluminum |
|---|
| Frequency response | 37-30kHz | 27-25k Hz |
|---|
| Sensitivity | 92.5 dB | 92 dB |
|---|
| Impedance | 8 ohms | 4 ohms |
|---|
| Power range | 40-350 watts | 20-600 watts |
|---|
| Weight | 35.00kg / 77lbs | 39.00kg / 85.8lbs |
|---|
| Dimensions (H x W x D) | 45-1/4" x 14-5/8" x 16.5"
115 x 37.1 x 42 cm | 50-3/4" x 13-3/4" x 16-1/2"
1289 x 349 x 419mm |
|---|
What size room are the Focal Aria Evo X No4 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* |
Focal Aria Evo X No4 |
MartinLogan Motion XT F200 |
| Near-field |
Are you nuts? |
Are you nuts? |
| Small Room |
Poor |
Poor |
| Mid-size Room |
Average |
Average |
| Large Room |
Good |
Good |
| Very Large Room |
Good |
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.
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through our links. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.
Drivers
Both Aria Evo X No4 and Motion XT F200 are 3-way speakers.
Focal Aria Evo X No4MartinLogan 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 |
Focal Aria Evo X No4 |
MartinLogan Motion XT F200 |
|
Driver Setup
|
3-way
|
3-way
|
|
Tweeter
|
1-inch
|
1.25 x 2.4-inch
|
|
Midrange
|
1 x 6.5-inch |
1 x 6.5-inch |
|
Woofer
|
2 x 6.5-inch
|
3 x 8-inch
|
Aria Evo X No4 features a 1" Al/Mg inverted dome Tweeter, a 6.5" Midrange and 2 x 6.5" Flax Woofer with a Crossover frequency at 280 Hz - 2600 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
Aria Evo X No4 has a frequency range of 37-30kHz 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 Aria Evo X No4's min frequency of 37Hz.
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
Aria Evo X No4 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. Aria Evo X No4 sensitivity is rated at 92.5 dB and the Motion XT F200's is rated at 92 dB. This 1 dB difference makes the Focal Aria Evo X No4 a more sensitive speaker compared to MartinLogan Motion XT F200, 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. Staying
within that range gives nominal performance; driving the speaker beyond its maximum wattage can damage it.
Motion XT F200 can handle a max power of 600 watts RMS, whereas Aria Evo X No4 has a max power handling value of 350 watts RMS, 250 watts less than the Motion XT F200.
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.
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. Aria Evo X No4 has a Binding post which doesn't feature bi-amping/bi-wiring.
Focal Aria Evo X No4's Binding post terminals
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
Aria Evo X No4 has a front firing port whereas Motion XT F200 has a bottom firing ports. Focal Aria Evo X No4's front-firing port gives more flexibility in placement in regards to proximity to walls compared to MartinLogan Motion XT F200 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 Focal Aria Evo X No4's and MartinLogan Motion XT F200's external dimensions. Focal Aria Evo X No4 has external dimensions of 115 x 37.1 x 42 cm (45-¼ x 14-⅝ x 16-½) 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 22mm narrower and 1mm less deeper than Focal Aria Evo X No4 but it is also 139mm 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 Focal Aria Evo X No4 is approximately 1558.2cm2 / 241.5inch2 and base area of the MartinLogan Motion XT F200 is approximately 1462.3cm2 / 226.7inch2. The Aria Evo X No4 requires 7% more surface area than the Motion XT F200 which gives it a small disadvantage 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 Focal Aria Evo X No4 weighs 35.00kg / 77lbs and the MartinLogan Motion XT F200 weighs 39.00kg / 85.8lbs. This makes the Motion XT F200 11% heavier than the Aria Evo X No4.
Here is a comparison of how Aria Evo X No4 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
 Sensitivity |
93 dB
vs
92 dB
|
Play louder with same amount of amplification power |
 Nominal Impedance |
8 ohms
vs
4 ohms
|
Less selective with amplifiers |
 High Frequency Response |
30k Hz
vs
25k Hz
|
Generates higher frequency |
 Height |
1150mm
vs
1289mm
|
Easier to fit in smaller spaces |
 Max Input Power |
600 watts
vs
350 watts
|
Handle more power from your amplifier |
 Woofer Size |
8 inches
vs
6.5 inches
|
Larger woofer |
|
Number of Woofers |
3
vs
2
|
More woofers |
|
Low Frequency Response |
27 Hz
vs
37 Hz
|
Generates deeper bass |
 Bi-Amping and Bi-Wiring |
Yes
vs
No
|
Allows bi-amping and bi-wiring connections |
 Base Surface Area |
1462cm2
vs
1558cm2
|
Takes less floor space |
 Price per pair* |
5498USD
vs
5998USD
|
costs less (*prices may change depending on the seller, location and time) |
| General |
Focal Aria Evo X No4 |
MartinLogan Motion® XT F200 |
| Brand |
Focal |
MartinLogan |
| Speaker Type |
Floor-standing speaker |
Floor-standing speaker |
| Power Range |
40-350 watts |
20-600 watts |
| Sensitivity |
92.5 dB |
92 dB |
| Impedance |
8 ohms |
4 ohms |
| Impedance |
2.5 ohms |
n/a |
| Frequency Response |
37-30kHz |
27-25k Hz |
Drivers |
|
|
| Woofer Quantity |
2 |
3 |
| Woofer Size |
6.5" |
8" |
| Woofer Composition |
Flax |
Aluminum |
| Woofer Surround Material |
TMD |
Rubber |
| Tweeter Size |
1" |
1.25 x 2.4" |
| Tweeter Type |
inverted dome |
Folded Motion XT |
| Aimable Tweeter |
No |
No |
| Midrange Driver |
6.5" |
6.5" |
| Crossover Frequency |
280 Hz - 2600 Hz |
300Hz and 2600Hz |
| Firing Direction |
front |
bottom |
| Suggested Break-in Period |
n/a |
Allow 72 hours of break-in |
Physical Specs |
|
|
| Height |
1150.0mm (45.3") |
1289.0mm (50.7") |
| Width |
371.0mm (14.6") |
349.0mm (13.7") |
| Depth |
420.0mm (16.5") |
419.0mm (16.5") |
| Weight |
35.00kg (77lbs) |
39.00kg (85.8lbs) |
| Enclosure |
Bass Reflex |
Bass Reflex |
| Finish |
n/a |
MDF/Wood veneer |
| Available Colors |
Black High Gloss, Prime Walnut, Moss Green High Gloss |
Gloss Black, Walnut, and Satin White |
| Grille |
Yes |
Yes |
| Moisture Resistancy |
No |
No |
Connections |
|
|
| Biamp Inputs |
No |
Yes |
Other |
|
|
| Parts Warranty |
5 Years |
5 Years |
| Labor Warranty |
5 Years |
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 | B | MartinLogan Motion XT F200 digs deeper - 27Hz against 37Hz. |
| Amplifier needs | evenly matched | Similar sensitivity (93dB vs 92dB) - both want much the same power. |
| Amplifier match | A | Focal Aria Evo X No4 is the easier load at 8 ohms; the other is 4 ohms and wants an amplifier rated for it. |
| Headroom | B | MartinLogan Motion XT F200 takes more power (600W vs 350W) - more in hand in a big room. |
| Size | depends | Similar cabinet size - neither is easier to fit. |
| Expandability | B | MartinLogan Motion XT F200: bi-amping. |
| Price | evenly matched | Much the same money ($5,998 vs $5,498 a pair). |
A Focal Aria Evo X No4 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 has the edge on paper, though the margin is not large. The rows marked "depends" may matter more to you than the score does. If a subwoofer is in your plans, the bass gap largely stops mattering - you would be crossing over above 37Hz anyway, so judge these on the other rows instead. If your amplifier is modest, vintage or valve-based, Focal Aria Evo X No4 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.