In this review, we will be comparing Studio 6 Theater and Motion XT CI XTW5-LCR, two Passive In-wall speakers from JBL and MartinLogan. Let's have a brief look at the main features
of JBL Studio 6 Theater and MartinLogan Motion XT CI XTW5-LCR first before getting into our more
detailed comparison.
JBL Studio 6 Theater Key Specs
- 2-way Design
- 1" Horn-Loaded Tweeter
- 4 x 5.25" PolyPlas Woofer
- 65-20kHz Frequency Response
- 96 dB Sensitivity
- Impedance: 6ohms
- Power Range:10-150watts
- Dimensions (H x W x D): 643.0" x 6.2500" x 3.7500"( 643.0 x 159.0 x 96.0mm )
MartinLogan Motion XT CI XTW5-LCR Key Specs
- 2-way Design
- 1.27 x 2.4" Folded Motion Ribbon Tweeter
- 2 x 5.25" Kevlar Woofer
- 61-25kHz Frequency Response
- 92 dB Sensitivity
- Impedance: 8ohms
- Power Range:50-125watts
- Dimensions (H x W x D): 166.0" x 14.5000" x 3.3125"( 166.0 x 369.0 x 85.0mm )
What size room are the JBL Studio 6 Theater and MartinLogan Motion XT CI XTW5-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 Theater |
MartinLogan Motion XT CI XTW5-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.)
In the following sections, we will get into more detail in order to better understand how the JBL Studio 6 Theater and MartinLogan Motion XT CI XTW5-LCR compare and hopefully end up with enough arguments to decide which one of these loudspeakers is the better choice for you.
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Drivers
Both Studio 6 Theater and Motion XT CI XTW5-LCR are 2-way speakers.
| Driver |
JBL Studio 6 Theater |
MartinLogan Motion XT CI XTW5-LCR |
|
Driver Setup
|
2-way
|
2-way
|
|
Tweeter
|
1-inch
|
1.27 x 2.4-inch
|
|
Midrange
|
- |
- |
|
Woofer
|
4 x 5.25-inch
|
2 x 5.25-inch
|
Studio 6 Theater features a 1" Horn-Loaded Tweeter and 4 x 5.25" PolyPlas Woofer . On the other hand, the Motion XT CI XTW5-LCR features a 1.27 x 2.4" Folded Motion Ribbon Tweeter and 2 x 5.25" Kevlar Woofer .
Frequency Response
Studio 6 Theater has a frequency range of 65-20kHz whereas Motion XT CI XTW5-LCR has a frequency range of 61-25kHz. With a minimum frequency of 61Hz, the Motion XT CI XTW5-LCR can go slightly deeper then the Studio 6 Theater's min frequency of 65Hz.
Below graphs depict how these two speakers compare with the max, min and average values of the Min and Max Frequencies of other speakers in the In-wall class in our database.
Low Frequency
In-wall Speakers
High Frequency
In-wall Speakers
MartinLogan Motion XT CI XTW5-LCR
None of these speakers achieves full range experience which is commonly agreed as 20Hz-20kHz. In order to achieve lower lows / deeper bass, we recommend you pair these with a subwoofer. Visit our Powered Subwoofers section to find out more about the available options.
Impedance and Sensitivity
Studio 6 Theater is a 6 ohms speaker compared to the Motion XT CI XTW5-LCR which has a nominal impedance of 8 ohms.
These two speakers also have different sensitivity levels. Studio 6 Theater sensitivity is rated at 96 dB and the Motion XT CI XTW5-LCR's is rated at 92 dB. This 4 dB difference makes the JBL Studio 6 Theater a more sensitive speaker compared to MartinLogan Motion XT CI XTW5-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. While using an amplifier within this range ensures the nominal performance , inputting a power that is higher than the max wattage can result in a damaged speaker.
Studio 6 Theater can handle a max power of 150 watts RMS from the amp the whereas Motion XT CI XTW5-LCR has a max power handling value of 125 watts RMS, 25 watts less than the Studio 6 Theater.
Keep in mind that a higher max power handling value doesn't necessarily make that a louder speaker
compared to a lower max handling speaker. Loudness or the sound level is also impacted by parameters
such as Impedance, sensitivity and system efficiencies.
Input Type and Bi-Amping / Bi-Wiring
Studio 6 Theater features Spring post type posts and Motion XT CI XTW5-LCR has a Spring post type posts. None of these speakers feature bi-amping/bi-wiring.
Physical Specs
Size of a speaker can sometimes become 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 Theater's and MartinLogan Motion XT CI XTW5-LCR's external dimensions. JBL Studio 6 Theater has external dimensions of 643.0 x 159.0 x 96.0mm ( 25.3125-inch x 6.2500-inch x 3.7500-inch) whereas MartinLogan Motion XT CI XTW5-LCR has external dimensions of 166.0 x 369.0 x 85.0mm ( 6.5000-inch x 14.5000-inch x 3.3125-inch) .
MartinLogan Motion XT CI XTW5-LCR is 477mm shorter and 11mm less deeper than JBL Studio 6 Theater but it is also 210mm wider.
What's in the Box of JBL Studio 6 Theater?
Here are the items that are included inside the box of Studio 6 Theater:
In-wall loudspeakerGrilleCut-Out TemplateQuick Start Guide
What's in the Box of MartinLogan Motion XT CI XTW5-LCR?
Here are the items that come with the Motion XT CI XTW5-LCR:
In-wall LCR loudspeakerGrilleT20 torx-bitUser-feets ManualCutout Template
Max Input Power 
Sensitivity 
Number of Woofers 
Base Surface Area 
Nominal Impedance 
High Frequency Response 
Height 
Price per pair*