In this review, we will be comparing Motion 6i and Motion 50XTi, two Passive Center Channel speakers by MartinLogan
Let's have a brief look at the main features
of MartinLogan 6i and MartinLogan 50XTi first before getting into our more
detailed comparison.
MartinLogan 6i Key Specs
- 2-way Design
- 1.0 x 1.0" Folded Motion Tweeter
- 2 x 3.5" poly cone woofers with rigid dust caps Woofer
- 120-23k Hz Frequency Response
- 89 dB Sensitivity
- Impedance: 6ohms
- Power Range:20-130watts
- Weight:2.59kg
- Dimensions (H x W x D): 134.0" x 17-1/2" x 4"( 134.0 x 445.0 x 102.0mm )
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 6i 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
What size room are the MartinLogan 6i 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 6i |
MartinLogan 50XTi |
| Near-field |
Poor |
Poor |
| Small Room |
Average |
Poor |
| Mid-size Room |
Good |
Good |
| 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.)
In the following sections, we will get into more detail in order to better understand how the MartinLogan 6i and MartinLogan 50XTi compare and hopefully end up with enough arguments to decide which one of these loudspeakers is the better choice for you.
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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 6i 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 6i |
MartinLogan 50XTi |
|
Driver Setup
|
2-way
|
3-way
|
|
Tweeter
|
1.0 x 1.0-inch
|
1.25 x 2.4-inch
|
|
Midrange
|
- |
- |
|
Woofer
|
2 x 3.5-inch
|
2 x 6.5-inch
|
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 . 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 6i has a frequency range of 120-23k Hz whereas Motion 50XTi has a frequency range of 50-25k Hz. With a minimum frequency of 50Hz, the Motion 50XTi can go significantly deeper on the low side and provide stronger bass compared to the Motion 6i's min frequency of 120Hz.
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 Center Channel class in our database.
Low Frequency
Center Channel Speakers
High Frequency
Center Channel Speakers
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 6i is a 6 ohms speaker compared to the Motion 50XTi which has a nominal impedance of 4 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 50XTi can provide this impedance level.
These two speakers also have different sensitivity levels. Motion 6i sensitivity is rated at 89 dB and the Motion 50XTi's is rated at 94 dB. This 5 dB difference makes the MartinLogan 50XTi a more sensitive speaker compared to MartinLogan 6i, hence will play louder with the same amount of watts.
Sensitivity
Center Channel Speakers
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 6i can handle a max power of 300 watts RMS from the amp the whereas Motion 6i has a max power handling value of 130 watts RMS , 170 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
Motion 50XTi 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 6i's Spring post terminals
MartinLogan 50XTi's Custom 5-way bi-wire tool-less binding posts terminals allows Bi-amping or bi-wiring
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 6i's and MartinLogan 50XTi's external dimensions. MartinLogan 6i has external dimensions of 134.0 x 445.0 x 102.0mm ( 5-1/4 x 17-1/2 x 4inch) 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 50XTi is clearly the larger of the two speakers. Its body is 140mm wider, 62mm taller and 245mm deeper than MartinLogan 6i.
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 6i is approximately 453.9cm2 / 70.4inch2 and base area of the MartinLogan 50XTi is approximately 2030.0cm2 / 314.7inch2. The Motion 6i requires 78% less surface area than the Motion 50XTi which gives it a small advantage on placement in tight spaces.