MartinLogan Axis vs MartinLogan Motion XT CI XTW5-LCR Comparison

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MartinLogan Axis

Passive In-wall | 45-25kHz

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MartinLogan Motion XT CI XTW5-LCR

Passive In-wall | 61-25kHz

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MartinLogan Axis

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MartinLogan Motion X...

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MartinLogan Axis

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MartinLogan Motion X...

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MartinLogan Axis vs MartinLogan Motion XT CI XTW5-LCR Speaker Comparison

In this review, we will be comparing Axis and Motion XT CI XTW5-LCR, two Passive In-wall speakers by MartinLogan.

Let's have a brief look at the main features of MartinLogan Axis and MartinLogan Motion XT CI XTW5-LCR first before getting into our more detailed comparison.

Key Specs	MartinLogan Axis	MartinLogan Motion XT CI XTW5-LCR
Brand	MartinLogan United States · founded 1982	MartinLogan United States · founded 1982
Design	2-way	2-way
Tweeter	1.25x2.4" Folded Motion Ribbon	1.27 x 2.4" Folded Motion Ribbon
Woofer	2 x 5.25" Aluminum	2 x 5.25" Kevlar
Frequency response	45-25kHz	61-25kHz
Sensitivity	94 dB	92 dB
Impedance	4 ohms	8 ohms
Power range	20-250 watts	50-125 watts
Weight	5.90kg / 13lbs	—
Dimensions (H x W x D)	14.4375" x 7.1250" x 3.7500" 367.0 x 181.0 x 96.0mm	6.5000" x 14.5000" x 3.3125" 166.0 x 369.0 x 85.0mm

What size room are the MartinLogan Axis 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*	MartinLogan Axis	MartinLogan Motion XT CI XTW5-LCR
Near-field	Poor	Poor
Small Room	Poor	Average
Mid-size Room	Good	Good
Large Room	Good	Average
Very Large Room	Average	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.)

The sections below take each area in turn: drivers, frequency response, physical size and what you get in the box.

Drivers

Both Axis and Motion XT CI XTW5-LCR are 2-way speakers.

MartinLogan Axis

MartinLogan Motion XT CI XTW5-LCR

Woofer

Front view, drawn to scale - cabinets and drivers share one scale, so sizes are directly comparable. Hover a driver for its size.

Driver	MartinLogan Axis	MartinLogan Motion XT CI XTW5-LCR
Driver Setup	2-way	2-way
Tweeter	1.25x2.4-inch	1.27 x 2.4-inch
Midrange	-	-
Woofer	2 x 5.25-inch	2 x 5.25-inch

Axis features a 1.25x2.4" Folded Motion Ribbon Tweeter and 2 x 5.25" Aluminum 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

Axis has a frequency range of 45-25kHz whereas Motion XT CI XTW5-LCR has a frequency range of 61-25kHz. With a minimum frequency of 45Hz, the Axis can go significantly deeper on the low side and provide stronger bass compared to the Motion XT CI XTW5-LCR's min frequency of 61Hz.

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

Axis

Motion XT CI XTW5-LCR

Min

Average

Median

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

Axis is a 4 ohms speaker compared to the Motion XT CI XTW5-LCR which has a nominal impedance of 8 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 Axis can provide this impedance level.

These two speakers also have different sensitivity levels. Axis sensitivity is rated at 94 dB and the Motion XT CI XTW5-LCR's is rated at 92 dB. This 2 dB difference makes the MartinLogan Axis 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

Axis

Motion XT CI XTW5-LCR

Min

Average

Median

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.

Axis can handle a max power of 250 watts RMS, whereas Motion XT CI XTW5-LCR has a max power handling value of 125 watts RMS, 125 watts less than the Axis.

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.

Amplifier - change this

Distance

Playing as

MartinLogan Axis

MartinLogan Motion XT CI XTW5-LCR

Input Type and Bi-Amping / Bi-Wiring

Axis 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

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 MartinLogan Axis's and MartinLogan Motion XT CI XTW5-LCR's external dimensions. MartinLogan Axis has external dimensions of 367.0 x 181.0 x 96.0mm (14.4375-inch x 7.1250-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 201mm shorter and 11mm less deeper than MartinLogan Axis but it is also 188mm wider.

What's in the Box of MartinLogan Axis?

Here are the items that are included inside the box of Axis:

In-wall speaker
Grille
Paint shield
User-feets Manual
Install Template

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 loudspeaker
Grille
T20 torx-bit
User-feets Manual
Cutout Template

Reasons to choose MartinLogan Axis over MartinLogan Motion XT CI XTW5-LCR

Max Input Power	250 watts vs 125 watts	Handle more power from your amplifier
Sensitivity	94 dB vs 92 dB	Play louder with same amount of amplification power
Low Frequency Response	45 Hz vs 61 Hz	Generates deeper bass
Base Surface Area	173cm² vs 313cm²	Takes less floor space

Reasons to choose MartinLogan Motion XT CI XTW5-LCR over MartinLogan Axis

Nominal Impedance	8 ohms vs 4 ohms	Less selective with amplifiers
Height	166mm vs 367mm	Easier to fit in smaller spaces
Price per pair*	2200USD vs 2600USD	costs less (*prices may change depending on the seller, location and time)

MartinLogan Axis vs MartinLogan Motion XT CI XTW5-LCR Specs Table

Detailed comparison of specifications

General	MartinLogan Axis	MartinLogan Motion XT CI XTW5-LCR
Brand	MartinLogan	MartinLogan
Speaker Type	Passive In-wall Speaker	Passive In-wall Speaker
Power Range	20-250 watts	50-125 watts
Sensitivity	94 dB	92 dB
Impedance	4 ohms	8 ohms
Frequency Response	45-25kHz	61-25kHz
Drivers
Woofer Quantity	2	2
Woofer Size	5.25"	5.25"
Woofer Composition	Aluminum	Kevlar
Woofer Surround Material	Rubber	Rubber
Tweeter Size	1.25x2.4"	1.27 x 2.4"
Tweeter Type	Folded Motion Ribbon	Folded Motion Ribbon
Aimable Tweeter	No	Yes
Midrange Driver	No	No
Physical Specs
Height	367.0mm (14.4")	166.0mm (6.5")
Width	181.0mm (7.1")	369.0mm (14.5")
Depth	96.0mm (3.8")	85.0mm (3.3")
Weight	5.90kg (13lbs)	n/a
Enclosure	In-wall	In-wall
Moisture Resistancy	No	No
Connections
Biamp Inputs	No	No
Other
Parts Warranty	5 Years w/registration	5 Years
Labor Warranty	5 Years w.registration	5 Years

Verdict

A generation apart: MartinLogan Motion XT CI XTW5-LCR is the newer design, against a 2016 model. Newer is not automatically better, but the older one is more likely to be discounted or near run-out.

Area	Better	Why
Bass	A	MartinLogan Axis digs deeper - 45Hz against 61Hz.
Amplifier needs	A	MartinLogan Axis is more sensitive (94dB vs 92dB), so it goes louder on the same amplifier.
Amplifier match	B	MartinLogan Motion XT CI XTW5-LCR is the easier load at 8 ohms; the other is 4 ohms and wants an amplifier rated for it.
Headroom	A	MartinLogan Axis takes more power (250W vs 125W) - more in hand in a big room.
Size	depends	Similar cabinet size - neither is easier to fit.
Price	B	MartinLogan Motion XT CI XTW5-LCR is cheaper - $2,200 against $2,600, about 15% less.

A MartinLogan Axis B MartinLogan Motion XT CI XTW5-LCR
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?

The usual trade-off: MartinLogan Axis measures better, MartinLogan Motion XT CI XTW5-LCR costs about about 18% more% less. Whether that gap is worth the money is the call only you can make - and in a normal room it is often smaller than the numbers suggest. If a subwoofer is in your plans, the bass gap largely stops mattering - you would be crossing over above 61Hz anyway, which makes the cheaper MartinLogan Motion XT CI XTW5-LCR much easier to justify. Match it to your room: we rate MartinLogan Axis the better fit for a large room and a very large room, and MartinLogan Motion XT CI XTW5-LCR for a small 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.