In this review, we will be comparing two different types of speakers by MartinLogan. MartinLogan Motion 20i is a Floor-standing speaker whereas the Motion 35XTi is a Bookshelf speaker.
Let's have a brief look at the main features
of MartinLogan 20i and MartinLogan 35XTi first before getting into our more
detailed comparison.
| Key Specs | MartinLogan 20i | MartinLogan 35XTi |
|---|
| Brand | MartinLogan
United States · founded 1982 | MartinLogan
United States · founded 1982 |
|---|
| Design | 2-way | 2-way |
|---|
| Tweeter | 1.0 x 1.4" Folded Motion | 1.25 x 2.4" Folded Motion XT |
|---|
| Woofer | 2 x 5.5" Aluminum | 6.5" Aluminum |
|---|
| Frequency response | 46-25k Hz | 50-25k Hz |
|---|
| Sensitivity | 90 dB | 92 dB |
|---|
| Impedance | 4 ohms | 4 ohms |
|---|
| Power range | 20-200 watts | 20-250 watts |
|---|
| Weight | 15.00kg / 33lbs | 8.40kg / 18.5lbs |
|---|
| 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 | 13.5" x 7.5" x 11.8"
343.0 x 192.0 x 300.0mm |
|---|
Motion 20i and Motion 35XTi 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 20i and MartinLogan 35XTi 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 20i |
MartinLogan 35XTi |
| Near-field |
Bad |
Poor |
| Small Room |
Poor |
Poor |
| Mid-size Room |
Good |
Good |
| Large Room |
Good |
Good |
| Very Large Room |
Poor |
Average |
(* 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.)
The sections below take each area in turn: drivers, frequency response, physical size and what you get in the box.
Drivers
Both Motion 20i and Motion 35XTi are 2-way speakers.
MartinLogan 20iMartinLogan 35XTi
Woofer
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 |
MartinLogan 35XTi |
|
Driver Setup
|
2-way
|
2-way
|
|
Tweeter
|
1.0 x 1.4-inch
|
1.25 x 2.4-inch
|
|
Midrange
|
- |
- |
|
Woofer
|
2 x 5.5-inch
|
1 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 Motion 35XTi features a 1.25 x 2.4" Folded Motion XT Tweeter and 1 x 6.5" Aluminum Woofer with a Crossover frequency at 2200Hz.
Frequency Response
Motion 20i has a frequency range of 46-25k Hz whereas Motion 35XTi has a frequency range of 50-25k Hz. With a minimum frequency of 46Hz, the Motion 20i can go slightly deeper then the Motion 35XTi's min frequency of 50Hz.
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 and Motion 35XTi have the same Impedance of 4 ohms but where they differ is the sensitivity levels. Motion 20i sensitivity is rated at 90 dB and the Motion 35XTi's is at 92 dB. This 2 dB difference makes the MartinLogan 35XTi a more sensitive speaker compared to MartinLogan 20i, hence will play louder with the same amount of watts.
One thing to keep in mind that the lower impedance speakers, especially the ones that are rated at 4 ohms may put more pressure on the amplifier unit comared to higher impedance speakers especially at high volume levels, so make sure the amp you pair with the Motion 20i and the Motion 20i can provide this impedance level.
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.
Motion 35XTi 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 Motion 35XTi.
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 Motion 35XTi 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
MartinLogan 35XTi's Custom 5-way bi-wire tool-less binding posts terminals allows Bi-amping or bi-wiring
Cabinet Type and Port Position
Both Motion 20i and Motion 35XTi 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
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 MartinLogan 35XTi'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 MartinLogan 35XTi has external dimensions of 343.0 x 192.0 x 300.0mm (13.5 x 7.5 x 11.8inch).
MartinLogan 35XTi is 562mm shorter and 7mm less deeper than MartinLogan 20i but it is also 17mm wider.
Below you can see the front view size comparison of MartinLogan 20i and MartinLogan 35XTi in scale.
Comparison image of MartinLogan 20i and MartinLogan 35XTi 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 MartinLogan 35XTi is approximately 576.0cm2 / 89.3inch2. The Motion 20i requires 7% less surface area than the Motion 35XTi which gives it a small advantage on placement in tight spaces.
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 MartinLogan 35XTi?
Here are the items that come with the Motion 35XTi:
- Bookshelf loudspeaker
- Grille
- 4 Rubber feet
- 2 Jumper-straps (pre-installed)
- Users Manual
- Warranty/Registration Information