In this review, we will be comparing two different type of speakers by MartinLogan. MartinLogan Foundation C1 is a Center Channel speaker whereas the MartinLogan Foundation B1 is a Bookshelf speaker.
Let's have a brief look at the main features
of MartinLogan Foundation C1 and MartinLogan Foundation B1 first before getting into our more
detailed comparison.
MartinLogan Foundation C1 Key Specs
- 2-way Design
- 1" Folded Motion Ribbon Tweeter
- 2 x 5-1/2" Aluminum Woofer
- 53-23k Hz Frequency Response
- 91 dB Sensitivity
- Impedance: 4ohms
- Power Range:up to 150watts
- Weight:8.18kg
- Dimensions (H x W x D): 194.0" x 20" x 10"( 194.0 x 508.0 x 254.0mm )
MartinLogan Foundation B1 Key Specs
- 2-way Design
- 1" Folded Motion Ribbon Tweeter
- 5-1/2" Aluminum Woofer
- 48-23k Hz Frequency Response
- 89 dB Sensitivity
- Impedance: 5ohms
- Power Range:up to 100watts
- Weight:5.23kg
- Dimensions (H x W x D): 347.0" x 7-1/4" x 9-1/2"( 347.0 x 185.0 x 242.0mm )
MartinLogan Foundation C1 and MartinLogan Foundation B1 are members of MartinLogan's Foundation series of speakers. Below you can find the loudspeakers from this series.
MartinLogan Foundation Series History
What size room are the MartinLogan Foundation C1 and MartinLogan Foundation B1 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 Foundation C1 |
MartinLogan Foundation B1 |
| 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.)
In the following sections, we will get into more detail in order to better understand how the MartinLogan Foundation C1 and MartinLogan Foundation B1 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 MartinLogan Foundation C1 and MartinLogan Foundation B1 are 2-way speakers.
| Driver |
MartinLogan Foundation C1 |
MartinLogan Foundation B1 |
|
Driver Setup
|
2-way
|
2-way
|
|
Tweeter
|
1-inch
|
1-inch
|
|
Midrange
|
- |
- |
|
Woofer
|
2 x 5-1/2-inch
|
1 x 5-1/2-inch
|
MartinLogan Foundation C1 features a 1" Gen2 Obsidian Folded Motion Ribbon Tweeter and 2 x 5-1/2" Aluminum Woofer with a Crossover frequency at 2900 Hz - 3200 Hz. On the other hand, the MartinLogan Foundation B1 features a 1" Gen2 Obsidian Folded Motion Ribbon Tweeter and 1 x 5-1/2" Aluminum Woofer with a Crossover frequency at 3400Hz.
Frequency Response
MartinLogan Foundation C1 has a frequency range of 53-23k Hz whereas MartinLogan Foundation B1 has a frequency range of 48-23k Hz. With a minimum frequency of 48Hz, the MartinLogan Foundation B1 can go significantly deeper on the low side and provide stronger bass compared to the MartinLogan Foundation C1's min frequency of 53Hz.
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 Center Channel class in our database.
Low Frequency
Center Channel Speakers
MartinLogan Foundation C1
MartinLogan Foundation B1
High Frequency
Center Channel Speakers
MartinLogan Foundation C1
MartinLogan Foundation B1
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
MartinLogan Foundation C1 is a 4 ohms speaker compared to the MartinLogan Foundation B1 which has a nominal impedance of 5 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 MartinLogan Foundation C1 can provide this impedance level.
These two speakers also have different sensitivity levels. MartinLogan Foundation C1 sensitivity is rated at 91 dB and the MartinLogan Foundation B1's is rated at 89 dB. This 2 dB difference makes the MartinLogan Foundation C1 a more sensitive speaker compared to MartinLogan Foundation B1, hence will play louder with the same amount of watts.
Sensitivity
Center Channel Speakers
MartinLogan Foundation C1
MartinLogan Foundation B1
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.
MartinLogan Foundation C1 can handle a max power of 150 watts RMS from the amp the whereas MartinLogan Foundation B1 has a max power handling value of 100 watts RMS, 50 watts less than the MartinLogan Foundation C1.
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
MartinLogan Foundation C1 features Binding post type posts and MartinLogan Foundation B1 has a Binding post type posts. None of these speakers feature bi-amping/bi-wiring.
MartinLogan Foundation C1's Binding post terminals
MartinLogan Foundation B1's Binding post terminals
Cabinet Type and Port Position
Both MartinLogan Foundation C1 and MartinLogan Foundation B1 have rear firing ports. Rear ported speakers generally need more room between the backside of the speaker and the wall compared to sealed and front/bottom ported speakers. Placing the speakers too close to the walls may cause the bass to sound boomy.
If you are limited in space and can't get the speakers away from the backwall, check our Speakers with Front Firing Ports page.
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 MartinLogan Foundation C1's and MartinLogan Foundation B1's external dimensions. MartinLogan Foundation C1 has external dimensions of 194.0 x 508.0 x 254.0mm ( 7-5/8inch x 20inch x 10inch ) whereas MartinLogan Foundation B1 has external dimensions of 347.0 x 185.0 x 242.0mm ( 13-5/8inch x 7-1/4inch x 9-1/2inch ) .
MartinLogan Foundation B1 is 323mm narrower and 12mm less deeper than MartinLogan Foundation C1 but it is also 153mm taller.
Below you can see the front view size comparison of MartinLogan Foundation C1 and MartinLogan Foundation B1 in scale.
Comparison image of MartinLogan Foundation C1 and MartinLogan Foundation B1 Size and External Dimensions
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 MartinLogan Foundation C1 is approximately 1290.3cm2 / 200.0inch2 and base area of the MartinLogan Foundation B1 is approximately 447.7cm2 / 69.4inch2. The MartinLogan Foundation C1 requires 188% more surface area than the MartinLogan Foundation B1 which gives it a small disadvantage on placement in tight spaces.
Max Input Power 
Sensitivity 
Number of Woofers 
Height 
Price per pair* 
Nominal Impedance 
Base Surface Area