In this review, we will be comparing two different type of speakers by MartinLogan. MartinLogan Motion 15 is a Bookshelf speaker whereas the Motion 40i is a Floor-standing speaker.
Let's have a brief look at the main features
of MartinLogan 15 and MartinLogan 40i first before getting into our more
detailed comparison.
Motion 15 and Motion 40i are members of MartinLogan's Motion series of speakers. Below you can find the loudspeakers from this series.
MartinLogan Motion Series History
What size room are the MartinLogan 15 and MartinLogan 40i 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 15 and MartinLogan 40i 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
One of the fundamental differences between these two speakers is that Motion 15 is a 2-way design whereas the Motion 40i is a 3-way speaker. 3-way designs utilize a midrange driver in addition to the tweeter and woofer on 2-way designs. Designing a crossover for a 3-way speaker is a complicated process and generally increases the overall cost of the speaker.
| Driver |
MartinLogan 15 |
MartinLogan 40i |
|
Driver Setup
|
2-way
|
3-way
|
|
Tweeter
|
1.0 x 1.4-inch
|
1.0 x 1.4-inch
|
|
Midrange
|
- |
1 x 5.5-inch |
|
Woofer
|
1 x 5.25-inch
|
2 x 6.5-inch
|
Motion 15 features a 1.0 x 1.4" Folded Motion Tweeter and 1 x 5.25" Aluminum Woofer with a Crossover frequency at 2700Hz. On the other hand, the Motion 40i features a 1.0 x 1.4" Folded Motion Tweeter , a 5.5" Midrange and 2 x 6.5" Aluminum Woofer with a Crossover frequency at 500Hz and 2600Hz.
Frequency Response
Motion 15 has a frequency range of 60-25k Hz whereas Motion 40i has a frequency range of 40-25k Hz. With a minimum frequency of 40Hz, the Motion 40i can go significantly deeper on the low side and provide stronger bass compared to the Motion 15's min frequency of 60Hz.
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 Bookshelf class in our database.
Low Frequency
Bookshelf Speakers
High Frequency
Bookshelf Speakers
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
Motion 15 is a 5 ohms speaker compared to the Motion 40i which has a nominal impedance of 4 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 Motion 40i can provide this impedance level.
On the other hand, they have the same sensitivity of 92 dBdB.
Sensitivity
Bookshelf 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.
Motion 15 can handle a max power of 300 watts RMS from the amp the whereas Motion 15 has a max power handling value of 200 watts RMS , 100 watts less than the Motion 40i.
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
Motion 40i features Custom 5-way bi-wire tool-less binding posts posts which make bi-amping or bi-wiring possible. Motion 15 has a Custom 5-way tool-less binding posts which doesn't feature bi-amping/bi-wiring.
MartinLogan 40i's Custom 5-way bi-wire tool-less binding posts terminals allows Bi-amping or bi-wiring
Cabinet Type and Port Position
Both Motion 15 and Motion 40i 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.
MartinLogan 40i Port
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 15's and MartinLogan 40i's external dimensions. MartinLogan 15 has external dimensions of 290.0 x 173.0 x 240.0mm ( 11.4 x 6.8 x 9.4inch) whereas MartinLogan 40i has external dimensions of 1055.0 x 193.0 x 332.0mm ( 41-1/2 x 7-9/16 x 13-1/16inch) .
MartinLogan 40i is clearly the larger of the two speakers. Its body is 20mm wider, 765mm taller and 92mm deeper than MartinLogan 15.
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 15 is approximately 415.2cm2 / 64.4inch2 and base area of the MartinLogan 40i is approximately 640.8cm2 / 99.3inch2. The Motion 15 requires 35% less surface area than the Motion 40i which gives it a small advantage on placement in tight spaces.
What's in the Box of MartinLogan 15?
Here are the items that are included inside the box of Motion 15:
Bookshelf loudspeaker Grille 4 Rubber feet Users Manual Warranty/Registration Information
What's in the Box of MartinLogan 40i?
Here are the items that come with the Motion 40i:
Floorstanding loudspeaker2 Grilles4 Rubber feet (pre-installed)4 Spike feet (w/ nuts attached)Users ManualWarranty/Registration Information