In this review, we will be comparing two different types of speakers by MartinLogan. MartinLogan Motion 30i is a Center Channel speaker whereas the Motion 40i is a Floor-standing speaker.
Let's have a brief look at the main features
of MartinLogan 30i and MartinLogan 40i first before getting into our more
detailed comparison.
| Key Specs | MartinLogan 30i | 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 | 5.25" Aluminum | 2 x 6.5" Aluminum |
|---|
| Frequency response | 65-25k Hz | 40-25k Hz |
|---|
| Sensitivity | 91 dB | 92 dB |
|---|
| Impedance | 4 ohms | 4 ohms |
|---|
| Power range | 20-200 watts | 20-300 watts |
|---|
| Weight | 8.18kg / 18lbs | 20.40kg / 44.9lbs |
|---|
| Dimensions (H x W x D) | 6-15/16" x 16-5/8" x 11-1/16"
177.0 x 423.0 x 281.0mm | 41-1/2" x 7-9/16" x 13-1/16"
1055.0 x 193.0 x 332.0mm |
|---|
Motion 30i 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 30i 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 30i |
MartinLogan 40i |
| Near-field |
Poor |
Bad |
| Small Room |
Average |
Poor |
| Mid-size Room |
Good |
Average |
| Large Room |
Average |
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 30i 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 30iMartinLogan 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 30i |
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
|
1 x 5.25-inch
|
2 x 6.5-inch
|
Motion 30i features a 1.0 x 1.4" Folded Motion Tweeter and 1 x 5.25" Aluminum Woofer with a Crossover frequency at 400Hz 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 30i has a frequency range of 65-25k 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 30i's min frequency of 65Hz.
The graph below depicts how these two speakers compare with the max, min and average Low Frequency values of other speakers in the Center Channel class in our database.
Low Frequency
Center Channel 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 30i and Motion 40i have the same Impedance of 4 ohms but where they differ is the sensitivity levels. Motion 30i sensitivity is rated at 91 dB and the Motion 40i's is at 92 dB. This 1 dB difference makes the MartinLogan 40i a more sensitive speaker compared to MartinLogan 30i, 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 30i and the Motion 30i can provide this impedance level.
Sensitivity
Center Channel 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 30i 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
Motion 40i features Custom 5-way bi-wire tool-less binding posts posts which make bi-amping or bi-wiring possible. Motion 30i has a Custom 5-way tool-less binding posts which doesn't feature bi-amping/bi-wiring.
MartinLogan 30i's Custom 5-way tool-less binding posts terminals
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 30i 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 30i's and MartinLogan 40i's external dimensions. MartinLogan 30i has external dimensions of 177.0 x 423.0 x 281.0mm (6-15/16 x 16-5/8 x 11-1/16inch) 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 30i is 878mm shorter and 51mm less deeper than MartinLogan 40i but it is also 230mm wider.
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 30i is approximately 1188.6cm2 / 184.2inch2 and base area of the MartinLogan 40i is approximately 640.8cm2 / 99.3inch2. The Motion 30i requires 85% more surface area than the Motion 40i which gives it a small disadvantage on placement in tight spaces.
What's in the Box of MartinLogan 30i?
Here are the items that are included inside the box of Motion 30i:
- Center-channel loudspeaker
- Grille
- 4 Rubber feet
- 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