SpeakerDecision
  • SPEAKERS by TYPE
    • Passive Bookshelf Speakers
    • Passive Floor-standing Speakers
    • Passive Center Channel Speakers
    • Passive In-wall Speakers
    • All Passive Speakers
    • Powered Subwoofers
    • Powered Stereo Speakers
  • AMPLIFIERS
  • SMART FIND

MartinLogan 35XTi vs MartinLogan 50XTi Comparison

x
Speaker to replace
Change

MartinLogan 35XTi

Passive Bookshelf | 50-25k Hz

MartinLogan Motion 35XTi
CHECK PRICE
Change
    
MartinLogan 50XTi

Passive Center Channel | 50-25k Hz

MartinLogan Motion 50XTi
CHECK PRICE
MartinLogan 35XTi MartinLogan 35XTi
See at AMAZON
MartinLogan 50XTi MartinLogan 50XTi
See at AMAZON
MartinLogan 35XTi
See at AMAZON
MartinLogan 50XTi
See at AMAZON
MartinLogan 35XTi vs MartinLogan 50XTi Speaker Comparison

In this review, we will be comparing two different type of speakers by MartinLogan. MartinLogan Motion 35XTi is a Bookshelf speaker whereas the Motion 50XTi is a Center Channel speaker.

Let's have a brief look at the main features of MartinLogan 35XTi and MartinLogan 50XTi first before getting into our more detailed comparison.

MartinLogan 35XTi Key Specs

  • 2-way Design
  • 1.25 x 2.4" Folded Motion XT Tweeter
  • 6.5" Aluminum Woofer
  • 50-25k Hz Frequency Response
  • 92 dB Sensitivity
  • Impedance: 4ohms
  • Power Range:20-250watts
  • Weight:8.40kg
  • Dimensions (H x W x D): 343.0" x 7.5" x 11.8"( 343.0 x 192.0 x 300.0mm )

MartinLogan 50XTi Key Specs

  • 3-way Design
  • 1.25 x 2.4" Folded Motion XT Tweeter
  • 2 x 6.5" Aluminum Woofer
  • 50-25k Hz Frequency Response
  • 94 dB Sensitivity
  • Impedance: 4ohms
  • Power Range:20-300watts
  • Weight:13.86kg
  • Dimensions (H x W x D): 196.0" x 23" x 13-5/8"( 196.0 x 585.0 x 347.0mm )

Motion 35XTi and Motion 50XTi 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 35XTi and MartinLogan 50XTi 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 35XTi MartinLogan 50XTi
Near-field Poor Poor
Small Room Poor Poor
Mid-size Room Good Good
Large Room Good Good
Very Large Room Average 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.)

In the following sections, we will get into more detail in order to better understand how the MartinLogan 35XTi and MartinLogan 50XTi 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 35XTi is a 2-way design whereas the Motion 50XTi 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 35XTi MartinLogan 50XTi
Driver Setup 2-way 3-way
Tweeter 1.25 x 2.4-inch 1.25 x 2.4-inch
Midrange - -
Woofer 1 x 6.5-inch 2 x 6.5-inch

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. On the other hand, the Motion 50XTi features a 1.25 x 2.4" Folded Motion XT Tweeter and 2 x 6.5" Aluminum Woofer with a Crossover frequency at 900Hz and 2200Hz.

Frequency Response

Motion 35XTi and Motion 50XTi has exactly the same frequency range of 50-25k Hz.

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 Bookshelf class in our database.

Low Frequency

Bookshelf Speakers

Motion 35XTi
Motion 50XTi
Min
Average
Max
High Frequency

Bookshelf Speakers

MartinLogan 35XTi
MartinLogan 50XTi
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 35XTi and Motion 50XTi have the same Impedance of 4 ohms but where they differ is the sensitivity levels. Motion 35XTi sensitivity is rated at 92 dB and the Motion 50XTi's is at 94 dB. This 2 dB difference makes the MartinLogan 50XTi a more sensitive speaker compared to MartinLogan 35XTi, 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 35XTi and the Motion 35XTi can provide this impedance level.

Sensitivity

Bookshelf Speakers

Motion 35XTi
Motion 50XTi
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 35XTi can handle a max power of 300 watts RMS from the amp the whereas Motion 35XTi has a max power handling value of 250 watts RMS , 50 watts less than the Motion 50XTi.

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 35XTi and Motion 50XTi features dual binding post speaker terminals for bi-amping or bi-wiring.

MartinLogan 35XTi Terminals
MartinLogan 35XTi's Custom 5-way bi-wire tool-less binding posts terminals allows Bi-amping or bi-wiring

MartinLogan 50XTi Terminals
MartinLogan 50XTi's Custom 5-way bi-wire tool-less binding posts terminals allows Bi-amping or bi-wiring

Cabinet Type and Port Position

Both Motion 35XTi and Motion 50XTi 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 35XTi's and MartinLogan 50XTi's external dimensions. MartinLogan 35XTi has external dimensions of 343.0 x 192.0 x 300.0mm ( 13.5 x 7.5 x 11.8inch) whereas MartinLogan 50XTi has external dimensions of 196.0 x 585.0 x 347.0mm ( 7-11/16 x 23 x 13-5/8inch) .

MartinLogan 35XTi is 393mm narrower and 47mm less deeper than MartinLogan 50XTi but it is also 147mm taller.

Below you can see the front view size comparison of MartinLogan 35XTi and MartinLogan 50XTi in scale.

MartinLogan 35XTi vs MartinLogan 50XTi Size Comparison - Front View
Comparison image of MartinLogan 35XTi and MartinLogan 50XTi 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 35XTi is approximately 576.0cm2 / 89.3inch2 and base area of the MartinLogan 50XTi is approximately 2030.0cm2 / 314.7inch2. The Motion 35XTi requires 72% less surface area than the Motion 50XTi which gives it a small advantage on placement in tight spaces.

What's in the Box of MartinLogan 35XTi?

Here are the items that are included inside the box of Motion 35XTi:
  • Bookshelf loudspeaker
  • Grille
  • 4 Rubber feet
  • 2 Jumper-straps (pre-installed)
  • Users Manual
  • Warranty/Registration Information
  • What's in the Box of MartinLogan 50XTi?

    Here are the items that come with the Motion 50XTi:
  • Center-channel loudspeaker
  • Grille
  • 4 Rubber feet
  • Users Manual
  • Warranty/Registration Information

  • Reasons to choose MartinLogan Motion 35XTi over MartinLogan Motion 50XTi
    Base Surface Area 576cm2 vs 2030cm2 Takes less floor space

    Reasons to choose MartinLogan Motion 50XTi over MartinLogan Motion 35XTi

    Max Input Power 300 watts vs 250 watts Handle more power from your amplifier
    Driver Setup 3-way vs 2-way Have a dedicated mid-range driver
    Sensitivity 94 dB vs 92 dB Play louder with same amount of amplification power
    Number of Woofers 2 vs 1 More woofers
    Height 196mm vs 343mm Easier to fit in smaller spaces
    Price per pair* 1200USD vs 1500USD costs less (*prices may change depending on the seller, location and time)
    MartinLogan 35XTi vs MartinLogan 50XTi Specs Table
    Detailed comparison of specifications
    General MartinLogan Motion 35XTi MartinLogan Motion 50XTi
    Brand MartinLogan MartinLogan
    Speaker Type Bookshelf speakers Center channel speaker
    Power Range 20-250 watts 20-300 watts
    Sensitivity 92 dB 94 dB
    Impedance 4 ohms 4 ohms
    Frequency Response 50-25k Hz 50-25k Hz
    Drivers
    Woofer Quantity 1 2
    Woofer Size 6.5" 6.5"
    Woofer Composition Aluminum Aluminum
    Woofer Surround Material Rubber Rubber
    Tweeter Size 1.25 x 2.4" 1.25 x 2.4"
    Tweeter Type Folded Motion XT Folded Motion XT
    Aimable Tweeter No No
    Midrange Driver No No
    Crossover Frequency 2200Hz 900Hz 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 343.0mm (13.5") 196.0mm (7.7")
    Width 192.0mm (7.6") 585.0mm (23")
    Depth 300.0mm (11.8") 347.0mm (13.7")
    Weight 8.40kg (18.5lbs) 13.86kg (30.5lbs)
    Enclosure Bass Reflex Bass Reflex
    Finish MDF/Lacquer MDF/Lacquer
    Available Colors Gloss Black, Matt White, Red Walnut Walnut
    Mounting Bracket No No
    Recommended Stand Height 24-26" n/a
    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

    Most Popular Speakers
    Klipsch Reference R-51M
    Klipsch R-51M
    2-way | 93 dB | 8 ohms
    Wharfedale Elysian 2
    Wharfedale Elysian 2
    3-way | 89 dB | 4 ohms
    ELAC Debut 2.0 B6.2
    ELAC Debut 2.0 B6.2
    2-way | 87 dB | 6 ohms
    Bowers & Wilkins 606 S2 Anniversary Edition
    B&W 606 S2
    2-way | 88 dB | 8 ohms
    KEF Q150
    KEF Q150
    2-way | 86 dB | 8 ohms
    Klipsch Reference Premiere RP-500M
    Klipsch RP-500M
    2-way | 93 dB | 8 ohms
    Wharfedale EVO4.1
    Wharfedale EVO4.1
    2-way | 87 dB | 8 ohms
    Bowers & Wilkins 606
    B&W 606
    2-way | 88 dB | 8 ohms
    Copyright © 2025 by SpeakerDecision
    About Privacy Contact US Camera Decision

    Report a Correction