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.
MartinLogan 20i Key Specs
- 2-way Design
- 1.0 x 1.4" Folded Motion Tweeter
- 2 x 5.5" Aluminum Woofer
- 46-25k Hz Frequency Response
- 90 dB Sensitivity
- Impedance: 4ohms
- Power Range:20-200watts
- Weight:15.00kg
- Dimensions (H x W x D): 905.0" x 6-7/8" x 12-1/16"( 905.0 x 175.0 x 307.0mm )
KLH Kendall Key Specs
- 3-way Design
- 1" Tweeter
- 5.25" Midrange
- 2 x 6.5" Woven Kevlar Woofer
- 5.25" Midrange
- 25-23k Hz Frequency Response
- 96 dB Sensitivity
- Impedance: 8ohms
- Power Range:up to 250watts
- Weight:22.14kg
- Dimensions (H x W x D): 1021.0" x 8-5/16" x 14-15/16"( 1021.0 x 212.0 x 380.0mm )
In the following sections, we will get into more detail in order to better understand how the MartinLogan 20i and KLH Kendall 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 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.
| 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.
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
High Frequency
Floor-standing 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 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. 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 20i can handle a max power of 200 watts RMS from the amp the whereas Kendall has a max power handling value of watts RMS, 200 watts less than the Motion 20i.
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
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
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 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.