In this review, we will be comparing two different type of speakers by MartinLogan. MartinLogan Motion® B10 is a Bookshelf speaker whereas the Motion F20 is a Floor-standing speaker.
Let's have a brief look at the main features
of MartinLogan Motion B10 and MartinLogan Motion F20 first before getting into our more
detailed comparison.
MartinLogan Motion B10 Key Specs
- 2-way Design
- 1.0 x 1.4" Folded Motion Ribbon Tweeter
- 5.25" Woven Fiberglass Woofer
- 56-25k Hz Frequency Response
- 92 dB Sensitivity
- Impedance: 5ohms
- Power Range:20-200watts
- Weight:6.60kg
- Dimensions (H x W x D): 318.0" x 7" x 9-3/4"( 318 x 178 x 248mm )
MartinLogan Motion F20 Key Specs
- 3-way Design
- 1.0 x 1.4" Folded Motion Ribbon Tweeter
- 5.5" Midrange
- 2 x 5.5" Aluminum Woofer
- 5.5" Midrange
- 35-25k Hz Frequency Response
- 92 dB Sensitivity
- Impedance: 4ohms
- Power Range:20-300watts
- Weight:27.20kg
- Dimensions (H x W x D): 1127.0" x 11-3/4" x 14-1/4"( 1127 x 298 x 362mm )
Motion B10 and Motion F20 are members of MartinLogan's Motion(4th Gen) series of speakers. Below you can find the loudspeakers from this series.
MartinLogan Motion(4th Gen) Series History
What size room are the MartinLogan Motion B10 and MartinLogan Motion F20 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 Motion B10 |
MartinLogan Motion F20 |
| 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.)
In the following sections, we will get into more detail in order to better understand how the MartinLogan Motion B10 and MartinLogan Motion F20 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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Drivers
One of the fundamental differences between these two speakers is that Motion B10 is a 2-way design whereas the Motion F20 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 Motion B10 |
MartinLogan Motion F20 |
|
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 5.5-inch
|
Motion B10 features a 1.0 x 1.4" Folded Motion Ribbon Tweeter and 1 x 5.25" Woven Fiberglass Woofer with a Crossover frequency at 2370Hz. On the other hand, the Motion F20 features a 1.0 x 1.4" Folded Motion Ribbon Tweeter , a 5.5" Midrange and 2 x 5.5" Aluminum Woofer with a Crossover frequency at 230Hz and 2600Hz.
Frequency Response
Motion B10 has a frequency range of 56-25k Hz whereas Motion F20 has a frequency range of 35-25k Hz. With a minimum frequency of 35Hz, the Motion F20 can go significantly deeper on the low side and provide stronger bass compared to the Motion B10's min frequency of 56Hz.
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
High Frequency
Bookshelf 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 B10 is a 5 ohms speaker compared to the Motion F20 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 F20 can provide this impedance level.
On the other hand, they have the same sensitivity of 92 dBdB.
Sensitivity
Bookshelf 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 B10 can handle a max power of 300 watts RMS from the amp the whereas Motion B10 has a max power handling value of 200 watts RMS , 100 watts less than the Motion F20.
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 F20 features Custom 5-way bi-wire tool-less binding posts posts which make bi-amping or bi-wiring possible. Motion B10 has a Custom 5-way binding posts which doesn't feature bi-amping/bi-wiring.
MartinLogan Motion B10's Custom 5-way binding posts terminals
MartinLogan Motion F20's Custom 5-way bi-wire tool-less binding posts terminals allows Bi-amping or bi-wiring
Cabinet Type and Port Position
Motion B10 has a rear firing port whereas Motion F20 has a bottom firing ports. MartinLogan Motion F20's bottom-firing port gives more flexibility in placement in regards to proximity to walls compared to MartinLogan Motion B10 with its rear-firing port.
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 Motion B10's and MartinLogan Motion F20's external dimensions. MartinLogan Motion B10 has external dimensions of 318 x 178 x 248mm ( 12-1/2inch x 7inch x 9-3/4inch ) whereas MartinLogan Motion F20 has external dimensions of 1127 x 298 x 362mm ( 44-3/4inch x 11-3/4inch x 14-1/4inch ) .
MartinLogan Motion F20 is clearly the larger of the two speakers. Its body is 120mm wider, 809mm taller and 114mm deeper than MartinLogan Motion B10.
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 Motion B10 is approximately 441.4cm2 / 68.4inch2 and base area of the MartinLogan Motion F20 is approximately 1078.8cm2 / 167.2inch2. The Motion B10 requires 59% less surface area than the Motion F20 which gives it a small advantage on placement in tight spaces.
Nominal Impedance 
Height 
Base Surface Area 
Price per pair* 
Max Input Power 
Driver Setup 
Woofer Size 
Bi-Amping and Bi-Wiring