In this review, we will be comparing Studio 6 88LCR and Motion CI MW4-LCR, two Passive In-wall speakers from JBL and MartinLogan.
Let's have a brief look at the main features
of JBL Studio 6 88LCR and MartinLogan Motion CI MW4-LCR first before getting into our more
detailed comparison.
| Key Specs | JBL Studio 6 88LCR | MartinLogan Motion CI MW4-LCR |
|---|
| Brand | JBL
United States · founded 1946 | MartinLogan
United States · founded 1982 |
|---|
| Design | 2-way | 2-way |
|---|
| Tweeter | 1" Horn-Loaded | 1" Folded Motion Ribbon |
|---|
| Woofer | 2 x 8" PolyPlas | 2 x 4" Fiberglass |
|---|
| Frequency response | 43-20kHz | 78-25kHz |
|---|
| Sensitivity | 96 dB | 93 dB |
|---|
| Impedance | 6 ohms | 8 ohms |
|---|
| Power range | 10-175 watts | 50-100 watts |
|---|
| Weight | — | 2.77kg / 6.1lbs |
|---|
| Dimensions (H x W x D) | 20.4375" x 8.7500" x 3.7500"
520.0 x 223.0 x 96.0mm | 5.2500" x 11.8750" x 2.6875"
134.0 x 302.0 x 69.0mm |
|---|
What size room are the JBL Studio 6 88LCR and MartinLogan Motion CI MW4-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* |
JBL Studio 6 88LCR |
MartinLogan Motion CI MW4-LCR |
| Near-field |
Poor |
Average |
| Small Room |
Average |
Good |
| Mid-size Room |
Good |
Average |
| Large Room |
Average |
Poor |
| Very Large Room |
Poor |
Bad |
(* 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 Studio 6 88LCR and Motion CI MW4-LCR are 2-way speakers.
JBL Studio 6 88LCRMartinLogan Motion CI MW4-LCR
TweeterWoofer
Front view, drawn to scale - cabinets and drivers share one scale, so sizes are directly comparable. Hover a driver for its size.
| Driver |
JBL Studio 6 88LCR |
MartinLogan Motion CI MW4-LCR |
|
Driver Setup
|
2-way
|
2-way
|
|
Tweeter
|
1-inch
|
1-inch
|
|
Midrange
|
- |
- |
|
Woofer
|
2 x 8-inch
|
2 x 4-inch
|
Studio 6 88LCR features a 1" Horn-Loaded Tweeter and 2 x 8" PolyPlas Woofer. On the other hand, the Motion CI MW4-LCR features a 1" Folded Motion Ribbon Tweeter and 2 x 4" Fiberglass Woofer.
Frequency Response
Studio 6 88LCR has a frequency range of 43-20kHz whereas Motion CI MW4-LCR has a frequency range of 78-25kHz. With a minimum frequency of 43Hz, the Studio 6 88LCR can go significantly deeper on the low side and provide stronger bass compared to the Motion CI MW4-LCR's min frequency of 78Hz.
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
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
Studio 6 88LCR is a 6 ohms speaker compared to the Motion CI MW4-LCR which has a nominal impedance of 8 ohms.
These two speakers also have different sensitivity levels. Studio 6 88LCR sensitivity is rated at 96 dB and the Motion CI MW4-LCR's is rated at 93 dB. This 3 dB difference makes the JBL Studio 6 88LCR a more sensitive speaker compared to MartinLogan Motion CI MW4-LCR, 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. Staying
within that range gives nominal performance; driving the speaker beyond its maximum wattage can damage it.
Studio 6 88LCR can handle a max power of 175 watts RMS, whereas Motion CI MW4-LCR has a max power handling value of 100 watts RMS, 75 watts less than the Studio 6 88LCR.
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 CI MW4-LCR
Input Type and Bi-Amping / Bi-Wiring
Studio 6 88LCR features Spring post type posts and Motion CI MW4-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 JBL Studio 6 88LCR's and MartinLogan Motion CI MW4-LCR's external dimensions. JBL Studio 6 88LCR has external dimensions of 520.0 x 223.0 x 96.0mm (20.4375-inch x 8.7500-inch x 3.7500-inch) whereas MartinLogan Motion CI MW4-LCR has external dimensions of 134.0 x 302.0 x 69.0mm (5.2500-inch x 11.8750-inch x 2.6875-inch).
MartinLogan Motion CI MW4-LCR is 386mm shorter and 27mm less deeper than JBL Studio 6 88LCR but it is also 79mm wider.
Below you can see the front view size comparison of JBL Studio 6 88LCR and MartinLogan Motion CI MW4-LCR in scale.
Comparison image of JBL Studio 6 88LCR and MartinLogan Motion CI MW4-LCR Size and External Dimensions
What's in the Box of JBL Studio 6 88LCR?
Here are the items that are included inside the box of Studio 6 88LCR:
- In-wall loudspeaker
- Grille
- Cut-Out Template
- Quick Start Guide
What's in the Box of MartinLogan Motion CI MW4-LCR?
Here are the items that come with the Motion CI MW4-LCR:
- In-wall loudspeaker
- Grille
- Torx-bit
- User-feets Manual
- Cutout Template