MartinLogan 35XTi vs MartinLogan 6i Comparison

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MartinLogan 35XTi

Passive Bookshelf | 50-25k Hz

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MartinLogan 6i

Passive Center Channel | 120-23k Hz

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MartinLogan 35XTi

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MartinLogan 6i

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MartinLogan 35XTi

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MartinLogan 6i

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MartinLogan 35XTi vs MartinLogan 6i Speaker Comparison

In this review, we will be comparing two different types of speakers by MartinLogan. MartinLogan Motion 35XTi is a Bookshelf speaker whereas the Motion 6i is a Center Channel speaker.

Let's have a brief look at the main features of MartinLogan 35XTi and MartinLogan 6i first before getting into our more detailed comparison.

Key Specs	MartinLogan 35XTi	MartinLogan 6i
Brand	MartinLogan United States · founded 1982	MartinLogan United States · founded 1982
Design	2-way	2-way
Tweeter	1.25 x 2.4" Folded Motion XT	1.0 x 1.0" Folded Motion
Woofer	6.5" Aluminum	2 x 3.5" poly cone woofers with rigid dust caps
Frequency response	50-25k Hz	120-23k Hz
Sensitivity	92 dB	89 dB
Impedance	4 ohms	6 ohms
Power range	20-250 watts	20-130 watts
Weight	8.40kg / 18.5lbs	2.59kg / 5.7lbs
Dimensions (H x W x D)	13.5" x 7.5" x 11.8" 343.0 x 192.0 x 300.0mm	5-1/4" x 17-1/2" x 4" 134.0 x 445.0 x 102.0mm

Motion 35XTi and Motion 6i 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	Sensitivity	Impedance	Woofer
MartinLogan 60XTi	Floor-standing	35-25k Hz	94 dB	4Ω	2 x 8"
MartinLogan 15i	Bookshelf	60-25k Hz	92 dB	5Ω	1 x 5.25"
MartinLogan 35XTi	Bookshelf	50-25k Hz	92 dB	4Ω	1 x 6.5"
MartinLogan 40i	Floor-standing	40-25k Hz	92 dB	4Ω	2 x 6.5"
MartinLogan 50XTi	Center Channel	50-25k Hz	94 dB	4Ω	2 x 6.5"
MartinLogan 20i	Floor-standing	46-25k Hz	90 dB	4Ω	2 x 5.5"
MartinLogan LX16	Bookshelf	60-25k Hz	92 dB	5Ω	1 x 5.25"
MartinLogan 30i	Center Channel	65-25k Hz	91 dB	4Ω	1 x 5.25"
MartinLogan 6i	Center Channel	120-23k Hz	89 dB	6Ω	2 x 3.5"
MartinLogan 8i	Center Channel	70-23k Hz	89 dB	4Ω	2 x 4"

What size room are the MartinLogan 35XTi and MartinLogan 6i 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 6i
Near-field	Poor	Poor
Small Room	Poor	Average
Mid-size Room	Good	Good
Large Room	Good	Average
Very Large Room	Average	Poor

(* 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 35XTi and Motion 6i are 2-way speakers.

MartinLogan 35XTi

MartinLogan 6i

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 35XTi	MartinLogan 6i
Driver Setup	2-way	2-way
Tweeter	1.25 x 2.4-inch	1.0 x 1.0-inch
Midrange	-	-
Woofer	1 x 6.5-inch	2 x 3.5-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 6i features a 1.0 x 1.0" Folded Motion Tweeter and 2 x 3.5" poly cone woofers with rigid dust caps Woofer.

Frequency Response

Motion 35XTi has a frequency range of 50-25k Hz whereas Motion 6i has a frequency range of 120-23k Hz. With a minimum frequency of 50Hz, the Motion 35XTi can go significantly deeper on the low side and provide stronger bass compared to the Motion 6i's min frequency of 120Hz.

The graph below depicts how these two speakers compare with the max, min and average Low Frequency values of other speakers in the Bookshelf class in our database.

Low Frequency

Bookshelf Speakers

Motion 35XTi

Motion 6i

Min

Average

Median

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 35XTi is a 4 ohms speaker compared to the Motion 6i which has a nominal impedance of 6 ohms. Lower impedance speakers, especially the ones that are rated at 4 ohms may put more pressure on the amplifier unit especially when played at high volume levels, so make sure the amp you pair with the Motion 35XTi can provide this impedance level.

These two speakers also have different sensitivity levels. Motion 35XTi sensitivity is rated at 92 dB and the Motion 6i's is rated at 89 dB. This 3 dB difference makes the MartinLogan 35XTi a more sensitive speaker compared to MartinLogan 6i, hence will play louder with the same amount of watts.

Sensitivity

Bookshelf Speakers

Motion 35XTi

Motion 6i

Min

Average

Median

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 6i has a max power handling value of 130 watts RMS, 120 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.

Amplifier - change this

Distance

Playing as

MartinLogan 35XTi

MartinLogan 6i

Input Type and Bi-Amping / Bi-Wiring

Motion 35XTi features Custom 5-way bi-wire tool-less binding posts posts which make bi-amping or bi-wiring possible. Motion 6i has a Spring post which doesn't feature bi-amping/bi-wiring.

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

MartinLogan 6i's Spring post terminals

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 35XTi's and MartinLogan 6i'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 6i has external dimensions of 134.0 x 445.0 x 102.0mm (5-1/4 x 17-1/2 x 4inch).

MartinLogan 6i is 209mm shorter and 198mm less deeper than MartinLogan 35XTi but it is also 253mm 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 35XTi is approximately 576.0cm² / 89.3inch² and base area of the MartinLogan 6i is approximately 453.9cm² / 70.4inch². The Motion 35XTi requires 27% more surface area than the Motion 6i which gives it a small disadvantage 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 6i?

Here are the items that come with the Motion 6i:

LCR loudspeaker
Grille
2 Wall-bracket
2 Shoulder bolts
4 Rubber bumpers
Cleaning cloth
User-feets Manual (En/Fr)
Installation template
Product Registration Card

Reasons to choose MartinLogan Motion 35XTi over MartinLogan Motion 6i

Max Input Power	250 watts vs 130 watts	Handle more power from your amplifier
Sensitivity	92 dB vs 89 dB	Play louder with same amount of amplification power
Woofer Size	6.5 inches vs 3.5 inches	Larger woofer
Low Frequency Response	50 Hz vs 120 Hz	Generates deeper bass
High Frequency Response	25k Hz vs 23k Hz	Generates higher frequency

Reasons to choose MartinLogan Motion 6i over MartinLogan Motion 35XTi

Nominal Impedance	6 ohms vs 4 ohms	Less selective with amplifiers
Number of Woofers	2 vs 1	More woofers
Height	134mm vs 343mm	Easier to fit in smaller spaces
Base Surface Area	453cm² vs 576cm²	Takes less floor space
Price per pair*	300USD vs 1500USD	costs less (*prices may change depending on the seller, location and time)

MartinLogan 35XTi vs MartinLogan 6i Specs Table

Detailed comparison of specifications

General	MartinLogan Motion 35XTi	MartinLogan Motion 6i
Brand	MartinLogan	MartinLogan
Speaker Type	Bookshelf speakers	Center channel speaker
Power Range	20-250 watts	20-130 watts
Sensitivity	92 dB	89 dB
Impedance	4 ohms	6 ohms
Frequency Response	50-25k Hz	120-23k Hz
Drivers
Woofer Quantity	1	2
Woofer Size	6.5"	3.5"
Woofer Composition	Aluminum	poly cone woofers with rigid dust caps
Woofer Surround Material	Rubber	n/a
Tweeter Size	1.25 x 2.4"	1.0 x 1.0"
Tweeter Type	Folded Motion XT	Folded Motion
Aimable Tweeter	No	No
Midrange Driver	No	No
Crossover Frequency	2200Hz	n/a
Firing Direction	rear	n/a
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")	134.0mm (5.3")
Width	192.0mm (7.6")	445.0mm (17.5")
Depth	300.0mm (11.8")	102.0mm (4")
Weight	8.40kg (18.5lbs)	2.59kg (5.7lbs)
Enclosure	Bass Reflex	Passive Radiator
Finish	MDF/Lacquer	n/a
Available Colors	Gloss Black, Matt White, Red Walnut	Gloss Black, Matt White, Red Walnut
Mounting Bracket	No	No
Recommended Stand Height	24-26"	n/a
Grille	Yes	Yes
Moisture Resistancy	No	No
Connections
Biamp Inputs	Yes	n/a
Other
Parts Warranty	5 Years	5 Yrs w/ Registration
Labor Warranty	5 Years	5 Yrs w/ Registration

Verdict

Siblings in MartinLogan's Motion series, so they share a family sound. It comes down to size, output and price.

Area	Better	Why
Bass	A	MartinLogan 35XTi digs deeper - 50Hz against 120Hz.
Amplifier needs	A	MartinLogan 35XTi is more sensitive (92dB vs 89dB), so it goes louder on the same amplifier.
Amplifier match	B	MartinLogan 6i is the easier load at 6 ohms; the other is 4 ohms and wants an amplifier rated for it.
Headroom	A	MartinLogan 35XTi takes more power (250W vs 130W) - more in hand in a big room.
Size	depends	MartinLogan 6i is easier to place; MartinLogan 35XTi is bigger, which usually goes with fuller bass. Your room decides.
Type	depends	A Passive Bookshelf against a Passive Center Channel - a different job rather than a better one.
Cabinet	depends	Ported vs Passive Radiator.
Expandability	A	MartinLogan 35XTi: bi-amping.
Price	B	MartinLogan 6i is cheaper - $300 against $1,500, about 80% less; arguably a different class.

A MartinLogan 35XTi B MartinLogan 6i
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?

The usual trade-off: MartinLogan 35XTi measures better, MartinLogan 6i costs about about 5x the price% less. Whether that gap is worth the money is the call only you can make - and in a normal room it is often smaller than the numbers suggest. If a subwoofer is in your plans, the bass gap largely stops mattering - you would be crossing over above 120Hz anyway, which makes the cheaper MartinLogan 6i much easier to justify. Match it to your room: we rate MartinLogan 35XTi the better fit for a large room and a very large room, and MartinLogan 6i for a small 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.