In this review, we will be comparing Motion 20i and Kendall, two Passive Floor-standing speakers from MartinLogan and KLH.
Let's have a brief look at the main features
of MartinLogan 20i and KLH Kendall first before getting into our more
detailed comparison.
| Key Specs | MartinLogan 20i | KLH Kendall |
|---|
| Brand | MartinLogan
United States · founded 1982 | KLH
United States · founded 1957 |
|---|
| Design | 2-way | 3-way |
|---|
| Tweeter | 1.0 x 1.4" Folded Motion | 1" |
|---|
| Midrange | — | 5.25" |
|---|
| Woofer | 2 x 5.5" Aluminum | 2 x 6.5" Woven Kevlar |
|---|
| Frequency response | 46-25k Hz | 25-23k Hz |
|---|
| Sensitivity | 90 dB | 96 dB |
|---|
| Impedance | 4 ohms | 8 ohms |
|---|
| Power range | 20-200 watts | up to 250 watts |
|---|
| Weight | 15.00kg / 33lbs | 22.14kg / 48.7lbs |
|---|
| Dimensions (H x W x D) | 35-5/8" x 6-7/8" x 12-1/16"
905.0 x 175.0 x 307.0mm | 40-3/16" x 8-5/16" x 14-15/16"
1021.0 x 212.0 x 380.0mm |
|---|
The sections below take each area in turn: drivers, frequency response, physical size and what you get in the box.
Drivers
One of the fundamental differences between these two speakers is that Motion 20i is a 2-way design whereas the Kendall 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.
MartinLogan 20iKLH Kendall
TweeterMidrangeWoofer
Front view, drawn to scale - cabinets and drivers share one scale, so sizes are directly comparable. Hover a driver for its size.
| Driver |
MartinLogan 20i |
KLH Kendall |
|
Driver Setup
|
2-way
|
3-way
|
|
Tweeter
|
1.0 x 1.4-inch
|
1-inch
|
|
Midrange
|
- |
1 x 5.25-inch |
|
Woofer
|
2 x 5.5-inch
|
2 x 6.5-inch
|
Motion 20i features a 1.0 x 1.4" Folded Motion Tweeter and 2 x 5.5" Aluminum Woofer with a Crossover frequency at 500Hz and 2600Hz. On the other hand, the Kendall features a 1" anodized aluminum Tweeter, a 5.25" Midrange and 2 x 6.5" Woven Kevlar Woofer.
Frequency Response
Motion 20i has a frequency range of 46-25k Hz whereas Kendall has a frequency range of 25-23k Hz. With a minimum frequency of 25Hz, the Kendall can go significantly deeper on the low side and provide stronger bass compared to the Motion 20i's min frequency of 46Hz.
The graph below depicts how these two speakers compare with the max, min and average Low Frequency values of other speakers in the Floor-standing class in our database.
Low Frequency
Floor-standing Speakers
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
Motion 20i is a 4 ohms speaker compared to the Kendall 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 Motion 20i can provide this impedance level.
These two speakers also have different sensitivity levels. Motion 20i sensitivity is rated at 90 dB and the Kendall's is rated at 96 dB. This 6 dB difference makes the KLH Kendall a more sensitive speaker compared to MartinLogan 20i, hence will play louder with the same amount of watts.
Sensitivity
Floor-standing Speakers
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.
Kendall can handle a max power of 250 watts RMS, whereas Motion 20i has a max power handling value of 200 watts RMS, 50 watts less than the Kendall.
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.
Input Type and Bi-Amping / Bi-Wiring
Both Motion 20i and Kendall features dual binding post speaker terminals for bi-amping or bi-wiring.
MartinLogan 20i's Custom 5-way bi-wire tool-less binding posts terminals allows Bi-amping or bi-wiring
KLH Kendall's Binding post terminals allows Bi-amping or 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 20i's and KLH Kendall's external dimensions. MartinLogan 20i has external dimensions of 905.0 x 175.0 x 307.0mm (35-5/8 x 6-7/8 x 12-1/16inch) whereas KLH Kendall has external dimensions of 1021.0 x 212.0 x 380.0mm (40-3/16 x 8-5/16 x 14-15/16inch).
KLH Kendall is clearly the larger of the two speakers. Its body is 37mm wider, 116mm taller and 73mm deeper than MartinLogan 20i.
Below you can see the front view size comparison of MartinLogan 20i and KLH Kendall in scale.
Comparison image of MartinLogan 20i and KLH Kendall 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 20i is approximately 537.3cm2 / 83.3inch2 and base area of the KLH Kendall is approximately 805.6cm2 / 124.9inch2. The Motion 20i requires 33% less surface area than the Kendall which gives it a small advantage 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 20i weighs 15.00kg / 33lbs and the KLH Kendall weighs 22.14kg / 48.7lbs. This makes the Kendall 48% heavier than the Motion 20i.
Here is a comparison of how Motion 20i and Kendall's weights compare with the average, max and min weights in Passive Floor-standing class.
Weight
All Floor-standing Speakers
What's in the Box of MartinLogan 20i?
Here are the items that are included inside the box of Motion 20i:
- Floorstanding loudspeaker
- 2 Grilles
- 4 Rubber feet (pre-installed)
- 4 Spike feet (w/ nuts attached)
- Users Manual
- Warranty/Registration Information
What's in the Box of KLH Kendall?
Here are the items that come with the Kendall:
- Floorstanding loudspeaker
- Grille
- Foam port
- 4 Rubber feet
- 4 Spike feet (with nuts)
- 4 Protective discs
- Manual
 High Frequency Response |
25k Hz
vs
23k Hz
|
Generates higher frequency |
 Height |
905mm
vs
1021mm
|
Easier to fit in smaller spaces |
 Base Surface Area |
537cm2
vs
805cm2
|
Takes less floor space |
 Max Input Power |
250 watts
vs
200 watts
|
Handle more power from your amplifier |
 Driver Setup |
3-way
vs
2-way
|
Have a dedicated mid-range driver |
 Sensitivity |
96 dB
vs
90 dB
|
Play louder with same amount of amplification power |
 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 |
25 Hz
vs
46 Hz
|
Generates deeper bass |
 Price per pair* |
1500USD
vs
2000USD
|
costs less (*prices may change depending on the seller, location and time) |
| General |
MartinLogan Motion 20i |
KLH Kendall |
| Brand |
MartinLogan |
KLH |
| Speaker Type |
Floor-standing speaker |
Floor-standing speaker |
| Power Range |
20-200 watts |
up to 250 watts |
| Sensitivity |
90 dB |
96 dB |
| Impedance |
4 ohms |
8 ohms |
| Frequency Response |
46-25k Hz |
25-23k Hz |
Drivers |
|
|
| Woofer Quantity |
2 |
2 |
| Woofer Size |
5.5" |
6.5" |
| Woofer Composition |
Aluminum |
Woven Kevlar |
| Woofer Surround Material |
Rubber |
Butyl Rubber |
| Tweeter Size |
1.0 x 1.4" |
1" |
| Tweeter Type |
Folded Motion |
n/a |
| Aimable Tweeter |
No |
No |
| Midrange Driver |
No |
5.25" |
| Crossover Frequency |
500Hz and 2600Hz |
n/a |
| Firing Direction |
rear |
n/a |
| Suggested Break-in Period |
Allow 72 hours of break-in at 90 dB |
n/a |
Physical Specs |
|
|
| Height |
905.0mm (35.6") |
1021.0mm (40.2") |
| Width |
175.0mm (6.9") |
212.0mm (8.3") |
| Depth |
307.0mm (12.1") |
380.0mm (15") |
| Weight |
15.00kg (33lbs) |
22.14kg (48.7lbs) |
| Enclosure |
Bass Reflex |
Bass Reflex |
| Finish |
MDF/Lacquer |
MDF/Wood Veneer |
| Available Colors |
Gloss Black, Matt White, Red Walnut |
Black |
| Grille |
Yes |
Yes |
| Moisture Resistancy |
No |
No |
Connections |
|
|
| Biamp Inputs |
Yes |
Yes |
Other |
|
|
| Parts Warranty |
5 Years |
10 Years |
| Labor Warranty |
5 Years |
10 Years |
No single best speaker here - they are built to different priorities, and the right one depends on your room, your amplifier and what you listen to.
| Area | Better | Why |
|---|
| Bass | B | KLH Kendall digs deeper - 25Hz against 46Hz. |
| Amplifier needs | B | KLH Kendall is more sensitive (96dB vs 90dB), so it goes louder on the same amplifier. |
| Amplifier match | B | KLH Kendall is the easier load at 8 ohms; the other is 4 ohms and wants an amplifier rated for it. |
| Headroom | B | KLH Kendall takes more power (250W vs 200W) - more in hand in a big room. |
| Size | depends | MartinLogan 20i is easier to place; KLH Kendall is bigger, which usually goes with fuller bass. Your room decides. |
| Expandability | depends | MartinLogan 20i: bi-amping; KLH Kendall: bi-amping. MartinLogan 20i sits in a wider range (18 models), so a matched surround system is easier later. |
| Price | B | KLH Kendall is cheaper - $1,500 against $2,000, about 25% less. |
A MartinLogan 20i B KLH Kendall
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?
KLH Kendall is the easier recommendation: it leads on most of the measured areas and costs less. Take MartinLogan 20i if its size, looks or fit in your room suit you better. If a subwoofer is in your plans, the bass gap largely stops mattering - you would be crossing over above 46Hz anyway, so judge these on the other rows instead. In a large or open-plan room, KLH Kendall has the cabinet volume to fill it more easily; in a small room, near a wall or at desk distance, MartinLogan 20i is the easier speaker to get right.
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.