In this review, we will be comparing two different types of speakers by MartinLogan. MartinLogan Motion 50XTi is a Center Channel speaker whereas the Motion 20i is a Floor-standing speaker.
Let's have a brief look at the main features
of MartinLogan 50XTi and MartinLogan 20i first before getting into our more
detailed comparison.
| Key Specs | MartinLogan 50XTi | MartinLogan 20i |
|---|
| Brand | MartinLogan
United States · founded 1982 | MartinLogan
United States · founded 1982 |
|---|
| Design | 3-way | 2-way |
|---|
| Tweeter | 1.25 x 2.4" Folded Motion XT | 1.0 x 1.4" Folded Motion |
|---|
| Woofer | 2 x 6.5" Aluminum | 2 x 5.5" Aluminum |
|---|
| Frequency response | 50-25k Hz | 46-25k Hz |
|---|
| Sensitivity | 94 dB | 90 dB |
|---|
| Impedance | 4 ohms | 4 ohms |
|---|
| Power range | 20-300 watts | 20-200 watts |
|---|
| Weight | 13.86kg / 30.5lbs | 15.00kg / 33lbs |
|---|
| Dimensions (H x W x D) | 7-11/16" x 23" x 13-5/8"
196.0 x 585.0 x 347.0mm | 35-5/8" x 6-7/8" x 12-1/16"
905.0 x 175.0 x 307.0mm |
|---|
Motion 50XTi and Motion 20i 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 50XTi and MartinLogan 20i 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 50XTi |
MartinLogan 20i |
| Near-field |
Poor |
Bad |
| Small Room |
Poor |
Poor |
| Mid-size Room |
Good |
Good |
| Large Room |
Good |
Good |
| 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
One of the fundamental differences between these two speakers is that Motion 50XTi is a 3-way design whereas the Motion 20i is a 2-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 50XTiMartinLogan 20i
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 50XTi |
MartinLogan 20i |
|
Driver Setup
|
3-way
|
2-way
|
|
Tweeter
|
1.25 x 2.4-inch
|
1.0 x 1.4-inch
|
|
Midrange
|
- |
- |
|
Woofer
|
2 x 6.5-inch
|
2 x 5.5-inch
|
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. On the other hand, the 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.
Frequency Response
Motion 50XTi has a frequency range of 50-25k Hz whereas Motion 20i has a frequency range of 46-25k Hz. With a minimum frequency of 46Hz, the Motion 20i can go slightly deeper then the Motion 50XTi's min frequency of 50Hz.
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 50XTi and Motion 20i have the same Impedance of 4 ohms but where they differ is the sensitivity levels. Motion 50XTi sensitivity is rated at 94 dB and the Motion 20i's is at 90 dB. This 4 dB difference makes the MartinLogan 50XTi 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 50XTi and the Motion 50XTi 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 50XTi 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 50XTi.
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 50XTi and Motion 20i features dual binding post speaker terminals for bi-amping or bi-wiring.
MartinLogan 50XTi's Custom 5-way bi-wire tool-less binding posts terminals allows Bi-amping or bi-wiring
MartinLogan 20i's Custom 5-way bi-wire tool-less binding posts terminals allows Bi-amping or bi-wiring
Cabinet Type and Port Position
Both Motion 50XTi and Motion 20i 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
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 50XTi's and MartinLogan 20i's external dimensions. MartinLogan 50XTi has external dimensions of 196.0 x 585.0 x 347.0mm (7-11/16 x 23 x 13-5/8inch) whereas 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).
MartinLogan 20i is 410mm narrower and 40mm less deeper than MartinLogan 50XTi but it is also 709mm taller.
Below you can see the front view size comparison of MartinLogan 50XTi and MartinLogan 20i in scale.
Comparison image of MartinLogan 50XTi and MartinLogan 20i 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 50XTi is approximately 2030.0cm2 / 314.7inch2 and base area of the MartinLogan 20i is approximately 537.3cm2 / 83.3inch2. The Motion 50XTi requires 278% more surface area than the Motion 20i which gives it a small disadvantage on placement in tight spaces.
What's in the Box of MartinLogan 50XTi?
Here are the items that are included inside the box of Motion 50XTi:
- Center-channel loudspeaker
- Grille
- 4 Rubber feet
- Users Manual
- Warranty/Registration Information
What's in the Box of MartinLogan 20i?
Here are the items that come with the Motion 20i:
- Floorstanding loudspeaker
- 2 Grilles
- 4 Rubber feet (pre-installed)
- 4 Spike feet (w/ nuts attached)
- Users Manual
- Warranty/Registration Information