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MartinLogan 20i vs MartinLogan 60XTi Comparison

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MartinLogan 20i

Passive Floor-standing | 46-25k Hz

MartinLogan Motion 20i
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MartinLogan 60XTi

Passive Floor-standing | 35-25k Hz

MartinLogan Motion 60XTi
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MartinLogan 20i MartinLogan 20i
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MartinLogan 60XTi MartinLogan 60XTi
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MartinLogan 20i
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MartinLogan 60XTi
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MartinLogan 20i vs MartinLogan 60XTi Speaker Comparison

In this review, we will be comparing Motion 20i and Motion 60XTi, two Passive Floor-standing speakers by MartinLogan

Let's have a brief look at the main features of MartinLogan 20i and MartinLogan 60XTi 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 )

MartinLogan 60XTi Key Specs

  • 3-way Design
  • 1.25 x 2.4" Folded Motion XT Tweeter
  • 6.5" Midrange
  • 2 x 8" Aluminum Woofer
  • 6.5" Midrange
  • 35-25k Hz Frequency Response
  • 94 dB Sensitivity
  • Impedance: 4ohms
  • Power Range:20-400watts
  • Weight:30.00kg
  • Dimensions (H x W x D): 1174.0" x 9-1/16" x 15-9/16"( 1174.0 x 231.0 x 396.0mm )

Motion 20i and Motion 60XTi are members of MartinLogan's Motion series of speakers. Below you can find the loudspeakers from this series.

MartinLogan Motion Series History
Model Body Frequency SensitivityImpedance Woofer
MartinLogan 15i
  
Bookshelf 60-25k Hz 92 dB5Ω 1 x 5.25"
MartinLogan 35XTi
  
Bookshelf 50-25k Hz 92 dB4Ω 1 x 6.5"
MartinLogan 60XTi
Floor-standing 35-25k Hz 94 dB4Ω 2 x 8"
MartinLogan 50XTi
  
Center Channel 50-25k Hz 94 dB4Ω 2 x 6.5"
MartinLogan LX16
  
Bookshelf 60-25k Hz 92 dB5Ω 1 x 5.25"
MartinLogan 40i
  
Floor-standing 40-25k Hz 92 dB4Ω 2 x 6.5"
MartinLogan 20i
Floor-standing 46-25k Hz 90 dB4Ω 2 x 5.5"
MartinLogan 30i
  
Center Channel 65-25k Hz 91 dB4Ω 1 x 5.25"
MartinLogan 6i
  
Center Channel 120-23k Hz 89 dB6Ω 2 x 3.5"
MartinLogan 8i
  
Center Channel 70-23k Hz 89 dB4Ω 2 x 4"

What size room are the MartinLogan 20i and MartinLogan 60XTi 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 60XTi
Near-field Bad Are you nuts?
Small Room Poor Poor
Mid-size Room Good Average
Large Room Good Good
Very Large Room Poor Good

(* 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.)

In the following sections, we will get into more detail in order to better understand how the MartinLogan 20i and MartinLogan 60XTi compare and hopefully end up with enough arguments to decide which one of these loudspeakers is the better choice for you.


**This post contains affiliate links, and I will be compensated if you make a purchase after clicking through my links. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.


Drivers

One of the fundamental differences between these two speakers is that Motion 20i is a 2-way design whereas the Motion 60XTi 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 MartinLogan 60XTi
Driver Setup 2-way 3-way
Tweeter 1.0 x 1.4-inch 1.25 x 2.4-inch
Midrange - 1 x 6.5-inch
Woofer 2 x 5.5-inch 2 x 8-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 60XTi features a 1.25 x 2.4" Folded Motion XT Tweeter , a 6.5" Midrange and 2 x 8" Aluminum Woofer with a Crossover frequency at 400Hz and 2200Hz.

Frequency Response

Motion 20i has a frequency range of 46-25k Hz whereas Motion 60XTi has a frequency range of 35-25k Hz. With a minimum frequency of 35Hz, the Motion 60XTi 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

Motion 20i
Motion 60XTi
Min
Average
Max
High Frequency

Floor-standing Speakers

MartinLogan 20i
MartinLogan 60XTi
Min
Average
Max

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 and Motion 60XTi 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 60XTi's is at 94 dB. This 4 dB difference makes the MartinLogan 60XTi 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

Motion 20i
Motion 60XTi
Min
Average
Max

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 400 watts RMS from the amp the whereas Motion 20i has a max power handling value of 200 watts RMS , 200 watts less than the Motion 60XTi.

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 Motion 60XTi features dual binding post speaker terminals for bi-amping or bi-wiring.

MartinLogan 20i Terminals
MartinLogan 20i's Custom 5-way bi-wire tool-less binding posts terminals allows Bi-amping or bi-wiring

MartinLogan 60XTi Terminals
MartinLogan 60XTi'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 60XTi 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

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 MartinLogan 60XTi'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 60XTi has external dimensions of 1174.0 x 231.0 x 396.0mm ( 46-3/16 x 9-1/16 x 15-9/16inch) .

MartinLogan 60XTi is clearly the larger of the two speakers. Its body is 56mm wider, 269mm taller and 89mm deeper than MartinLogan 20i.

Below you can see the front view size comparison of MartinLogan 20i and MartinLogan 60XTi in scale.

MartinLogan 20i vs MartinLogan 60XTi Size Comparison - Front View
Comparison image of MartinLogan 20i and MartinLogan 60XTi 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 60XTi is approximately 914.8cm2 / 141.8inch2. The Motion 20i requires 41% less surface area than the Motion 60XTi 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 60XTi weighs 30.00kg / 66lbs. This makes the Motion 60XTi 100% heavier than the Motion 20i.

Here is a comparison of how Motion 20i and Motion 60XTi's weights compare with the average, max and min weights in Passive Floor-standing class.

Weight
All Floor-standing Speakers
MartinLogan 20i
MartinLogan 60XTi
Min
Average
Max

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 60XTi?

    Here are the items that come with the Motion 60XTi:
  • Floorstanding loudspeaker
  • 2 Grilles
  • 4 Rubber feet (pre-installed)
  • 4 Spike feet (w/ nuts attached)
  • 2 Feet stabizers
  • 4 Bolts
  • Hex-key
  • Users Manual
  • Warranty/Registration Information

  • Reasons to choose MartinLogan Motion 20i over MartinLogan Motion 60XTi
    Height 905mm vs 1174mm Easier to fit in smaller spaces
    Base Surface Area 537cm2 vs 914cm2 Takes less floor space
    Price per pair* 2000USD vs 3750USD costs less (*prices may change depending on the seller, location and time)

    Reasons to choose MartinLogan Motion 60XTi over MartinLogan Motion 20i

    Max Input Power 400 watts vs 200 watts Handle more power from your amplifier
    Driver Setup 3-way vs 2-way Have a dedicated mid-range driver
    Sensitivity 94 dB vs 90 dB Play louder with same amount of amplification power
    Woofer Size 8 inches vs 5.5 inches Larger woofer
    Low Frequency Response 35 Hz vs 46 Hz Generates deeper bass
    MartinLogan 20i vs MartinLogan 60XTi Specs Table
    Detailed comparison of specifications
    General MartinLogan Motion 20i MartinLogan Motion 60XTi
    Brand MartinLogan MartinLogan
    Speaker Type Floor-standing speaker Floor-standing speaker
    Power Range 20-200 watts 20-400 watts
    Sensitivity 90 dB 94 dB
    Impedance 4 ohms 4 ohms
    Frequency Response 46-25k Hz 35-25k Hz
    Drivers
    Woofer Quantity 2 2
    Woofer Size 5.5" 8"
    Woofer Composition Aluminum Aluminum
    Woofer Surround Material Rubber Rubber
    Tweeter Size 1.0 x 1.4" 1.25 x 2.4"
    Tweeter Type Folded Motion Folded Motion XT
    Aimable Tweeter No No
    Midrange Driver No 6.5"
    Crossover Frequency 500Hz and 2600Hz 400Hz and 2200Hz
    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") 1174.0mm (46.2")
    Width 175.0mm (6.9") 231.0mm (9.1")
    Depth 307.0mm (12.1") 396.0mm (15.6")
    Weight 15.00kg (33lbs) 30.00kg (66lbs)
    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

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