In this review, we will be comparing MartinLogan Foundation F1 and Prime Tower, two Passive Floor-standing speakers from MartinLogan and SVS. Let's have a brief look at the main features
of MartinLogan Foundation F1 and SVS Prime Tower first before getting into our more
detailed comparison.
What size room are the MartinLogan Foundation F1 and SVS Prime Tower 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:
In the following sections, we will get into more detail in order to better understand how the MartinLogan Foundation F1 and SVS Prime Tower 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 F1 and Prime Tower are 3-way speakers.
| Driver |
MartinLogan Foundation F1 |
SVS Prime Tower |
|
Driver Setup
|
3-way
|
3-way
|
|
Tweeter
|
1-inch
|
1-inch
|
|
Midrange
|
1 x 5.5-inch |
1 x 4.5-inch |
|
Woofer
|
3 x 5.5-inch
|
2 x 6.5-inch
|
MartinLogan Foundation F1 features a 1" Gen2 Obsidian Folded Motion Ribbon Tweeter , a 5.5" Midrange and 3 x 5.5" Aluminum Woofer with a Crossover frequency at 240 Hz - 3700 Hz. On the other hand, the Prime Tower features a 1" aluminum dome Tweeter , a 4.5" Midrange and 2 x 6.5" Polypropylene Woofer with a Crossover frequency at 350Hz and 2100Hz.
Frequency Response
MartinLogan Foundation F1 has a frequency range of 41-23k Hz whereas Prime Tower has a frequency range of 30-25k Hz. With a minimum frequency of 30Hz, the Prime Tower can go significantly deeper on the low side and provide stronger bass compared to the MartinLogan Foundation F1's min frequency of 41Hz.
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 Floor-standing class in our database.
Low Frequency
Floor-standing Speakers
MartinLogan Foundation F1
High Frequency
Floor-standing Speakers
MartinLogan Foundation F1
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 F1 is a 4 ohms speaker compared to the Prime Tower 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 MartinLogan Foundation F1 can provide this impedance level.
These two speakers also have different sensitivity levels. MartinLogan Foundation F1 sensitivity is rated at 92 dB and the Prime Tower's is rated at 87 dB. This 5 dB difference makes the MartinLogan Foundation F1 a more sensitive speaker compared to SVS Prime Tower, hence will play louder with the same amount of watts.
Sensitivity
Floor-standing Speakers
MartinLogan Foundation F1
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 F1 can handle a max power of 250 watts RMS from the amp the whereas MartinLogan Foundation F1 has a max power handling value of 200 watts RMS , 50 watts less than the Prime Tower.
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 F1 features 5-Way post type posts and Prime Tower has a 5-Way post type posts. None of these speakers feature bi-amping/bi-wiring.
MartinLogan Foundation F1's Binding post terminals
SVS Prime Tower's 5-Way post terminals
Cabinet Type and Port Position
Both MartinLogan Foundation F1 and Prime Tower 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 F1's and SVS Prime Tower's external dimensions. MartinLogan Foundation F1 has external dimensions of 1053.0 x 213.0 x 367.0mm ( 41-7/16inch x 8-3/8inch x 14-7/16inch ) whereas SVS Prime Tower has external dimensions of 931.0 x 204.0 x 297.0mm ( 36-5/8 x 8 x 11-11/16inch) .
MartinLogan Foundation F1 is clearly the larger of the two speakers. Its body is 9mm wider, 122mm taller and 70mm deeper than SVS Prime Tower.
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 F1 is approximately 781.7cm2 / 121.2inch2 and base area of the SVS Prime Tower is approximately 605.9cm2 / 93.9inch2. The MartinLogan Foundation F1 requires 29% more surface area than the Prime Tower 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 MartinLogan Foundation F1 weighs 21.14kg / 46.5lbs and the SVS Prime Tower weighs 18.23kg / 40.1lbs. This makes the MartinLogan Foundation F1 16% heavier than the Prime Tower.
Here is a comparison of how MartinLogan Foundation F1 and Prime Tower's weights compare with the average, max and min weights in Passive Floor-standing class.
Weight
All Floor-standing Speakers
MartinLogan Foundation F1
What's in the Box of SVS Prime Tower?
Here are the items that come with the Prime Tower:
Floorstanding loudspeakerGrille (pre-installed)4 Elastomer isolation feet (pre-installed)4 Spike feet4 Nuts4 Protective discsOwners ManualSVS brochureOnline Product Registration Card
 Sensitivity |
92 dB
vs
87 dB
|
Play louder with same amount of amplification power |
 Number of Woofers |
3
vs
2
|
More woofers |
 Max Input Power |
250 watts
vs
200 watts
|
Handle more power from your amplifier |
 Nominal Impedance |
8 ohms
vs
4 ohms
|
Less selective with amplifiers |
| Woofer Size |
6.5 inches
vs
5.5 inches
|
Larger woofer |
| Low Frequency Response |
30 Hz
vs
41 Hz
|
Generates deeper bass |
 High Frequency Response |
25k Hz
vs
23k Hz
|
Generates higher frequency |
 Height |
931mm
vs
1053mm
|
Easier to fit in smaller spaces |
 Base Surface Area |
605cm2 (204x297mm)
vs
781cm2 (213x367mm)
|
Takes less floor space |
 Price per pair* |
1400USD
vs
1499USD
|
costs less (*prices may change depending on the seller, location and time) |
| General |
MartinLogan Foundation F1 |
SVS Prime Tower |
| Brand |
MartinLogan |
SVS |
| Speaker Type |
Floor-standing speaker |
Floor-standing speaker |
| Power Range |
up to 200 watts |
20-250 watts |
| Sensitivity |
92 dB |
87 dB |
| Impedance |
4 ohms |
8 ohms |
| Frequency Response |
41-23k Hz |
30-25k Hz |
Drivers |
|
|
| Woofer Quantity |
3 |
2 |
| Woofer Size |
5.5" |
6.5" |
| Woofer Composition |
Aluminum |
Polypropylene |
| Woofer Surround Material |
n/a |
Rubber |
| Tweeter Size |
1" |
1" |
| Tweeter Type |
Folded Motion Ribbon |
dome |
| Aimable Tweeter |
No |
No |
| Midrange Driver |
5.5" |
4.5" |
| Crossover Frequency |
240 Hz - 3700 Hz |
350Hz and 2100Hz |
| Firing Direction |
rear |
rear |
Physical Specs |
|
|
| Height |
1053.0mm (41.5") |
931.0mm (36.7") |
| Width |
213.0mm (8.4") |
204.0mm (8") |
| Depth |
367.0mm (14.4") |
297.0mm (11.7") |
| Weight |
21.14kg (46.5lbs) |
18.23kg (40.1lbs) |
| Enclosure |
Bass Reflex |
Bass Reflex |
| Finish |
n/a |
MDF/Wood-grain vinyl |
| Available Colors |
Walnut,Black,Satin White |
Black |
| Grille |
Yes |
Yes |
| Moisture Resistancy |
No |
No |
Connections |
|
|
| Biamp Inputs |
No |
No |
Other |
|
|
| Parts Warranty |
5 years |
5 Years |
| Labor Warranty |
5 years |
5 Years |