In this review, we will be comparing Motion 20i and Motion 40i, two Passive Floor-standing speakers by MartinLogan.
Let's have a brief look at the main features
of MartinLogan 20i and MartinLogan 40i first before getting into our more
detailed comparison.
| Key Specs | MartinLogan 20i | MartinLogan 40i |
|---|
| Brand | MartinLogan
United States · founded 1982 | MartinLogan
United States · founded 1982 |
|---|
| Design | 2-way | 3-way |
|---|
| Tweeter | 1.0 x 1.4" Folded Motion | 1.0 x 1.4" Folded Motion |
|---|
| Midrange | — | 5.5" |
|---|
| Woofer | 2 x 5.5" Aluminum | 2 x 6.5" Aluminum |
|---|
| Frequency response | 46-25k Hz | 40-25k Hz |
|---|
| Sensitivity | 90 dB | 92 dB |
|---|
| Impedance | 4 ohms | 4 ohms |
|---|
| Power range | 20-200 watts | 20-300 watts |
|---|
| Weight | 15.00kg / 33lbs | 20.40kg / 44.9lbs |
|---|
| 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 | 41-1/2" x 7-9/16" x 13-1/16"
1055.0 x 193.0 x 332.0mm |
|---|
Motion 20i 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 20i 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:
| Listening Environment* |
MartinLogan 20i |
MartinLogan 40i |
| Near-field |
Bad |
Bad |
| Small Room |
Poor |
Poor |
| Mid-size Room |
Good |
Average |
| 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
One of the fundamental differences between these two speakers is that Motion 20i 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.
MartinLogan 20iMartinLogan 40i
MidrangeWoofer
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 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
|
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 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 20i has a frequency range of 46-25k 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 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 and Motion 40i 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 40i's is at 92 dB. This 2 dB difference makes the MartinLogan 40i 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 40i can handle a max power of 300 watts RMS, whereas Motion 20i has a max power handling value of 200 watts RMS, 100 watts less than the Motion 40i.
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 40i 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 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 20i 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
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 40i'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 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 18mm wider, 150mm taller and 25mm deeper than MartinLogan 20i.
Below you can see the front view size comparison of MartinLogan 20i and MartinLogan 40i in scale.
Comparison image of MartinLogan 20i and MartinLogan 40i 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 40i is approximately 640.8cm2 / 99.3inch2. The Motion 20i requires 16% less surface area than the Motion 40i 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 MartinLogan 40i weighs 20.40kg / 44.9lbs. This makes the Motion 40i 36% heavier than the Motion 20i.
Here is a comparison of how Motion 20i and Motion 40i'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 MartinLogan 40i?
Here are the items that come with the Motion 40i:
- Floorstanding loudspeaker
- 2 Grilles
- 4 Rubber feet (pre-installed)
- 4 Spike feet (w/ nuts attached)
- Users Manual
- Warranty/Registration Information
 Height |
905mm
vs
1055mm
|
Easier to fit in smaller spaces |
 Base Surface Area |
537cm2
vs
640cm2
|
Takes less floor space |
 Price per pair* |
2000USD
vs
2600USD
|
costs less (*prices may change depending on the seller, location and time) |
 Max Input Power |
300 watts
vs
200 watts
|
Handle more power from your amplifier |
 Driver Setup |
3-way
vs
2-way
|
Have a dedicated mid-range driver |
 Sensitivity |
92 dB
vs
90 dB
|
Play louder with same amount of amplification power |
 Woofer Size |
6.5 inches
vs
5.5 inches
|
Larger woofer |
|
Low Frequency Response |
40 Hz
vs
46 Hz
|
Generates deeper bass |
| General |
MartinLogan Motion 20i |
MartinLogan Motion 40i |
| Brand |
MartinLogan |
MartinLogan |
| Speaker Type |
Floor-standing speaker |
Floor-standing speaker |
| Power Range |
20-200 watts |
20-300 watts |
| Sensitivity |
90 dB |
92 dB |
| Impedance |
4 ohms |
4 ohms |
| Frequency Response |
46-25k Hz |
40-25k Hz |
Drivers |
|
|
| Woofer Quantity |
2 |
2 |
| Woofer Size |
5.5" |
6.5" |
| Woofer Composition |
Aluminum |
Aluminum |
| Woofer Surround Material |
Rubber |
Rubber |
| Tweeter Size |
1.0 x 1.4" |
1.0 x 1.4" |
| Tweeter Type |
Folded Motion |
Folded Motion |
| Aimable Tweeter |
No |
No |
| Midrange Driver |
No |
5.5" |
| Crossover Frequency |
500Hz and 2600Hz |
500Hz and 2600Hz |
| Firing Direction |
rear |
rear |
| Suggested Break-in Period |
Allow 72 hours of break-in at 90 dB |
Allow 72 hours of break-in at 90 dB |
Physical Specs |
|
|
| Height |
905.0mm (35.6") |
1055.0mm (41.5") |
| Width |
175.0mm (6.9") |
193.0mm (7.6") |
| Depth |
307.0mm (12.1") |
332.0mm (13.1") |
| Weight |
15.00kg (33lbs) |
20.40kg (44.9lbs) |
| Enclosure |
Bass Reflex |
Bass Reflex |
| Finish |
MDF/Lacquer |
MDF/Lacquer |
| Available Colors |
Gloss Black, Matt White, Red Walnut |
Gloss Black, Matt White, Red Walnut |
| Grille |
Yes |
Yes |
| Moisture Resistancy |
No |
No |
Connections |
|
|
| Biamp Inputs |
Yes |
Yes |
Other |
|
|
| Parts Warranty |
5 Years |
5 Years |
| Labor Warranty |
5 Years |
5 Years |
Siblings in MartinLogan's Motion series, so they share a family sound. It comes down to size, output and price.
| Area | Better | Why |
|---|
| Bass | B | MartinLogan 40i digs deeper - 40Hz against 46Hz. A subwoofer would even that out. |
| Amplifier needs | B | MartinLogan 40i is more sensitive (92dB vs 90dB), so it goes louder on the same amplifier. |
| Headroom | B | MartinLogan 40i takes more power (300W vs 200W) - more in hand in a big room. |
| Size | depends | MartinLogan 20i is easier to place; MartinLogan 40i is bigger, which usually goes with fuller bass. Your room decides. |
| Expandability | depends | MartinLogan 20i: bi-amping; MartinLogan 40i: bi-amping. |
| Price | A | MartinLogan 20i is cheaper - $2,000 against $2,600, about 23% less. |
A MartinLogan 20i B MartinLogan 40i
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?
MartinLogan 40i leads across most of the measured areas for a fairly modest premium, which makes it the easier pick if the budget stretches. MartinLogan 20i is the one to take if it does not. If a subwoofer is in your plans, the bass gap largely stops mattering - you would be crossing over above 46Hz anyway, which makes the cheaper MartinLogan 20i much easier to justify. Match it to your room: we rate MartinLogan 20i the better fit for a mid-size room, and MartinLogan 40i for a very large room.
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.