In this review, we will be comparing Motion C10 and HTM71 S3, two Passive Center Channel speakers from MartinLogan and Bowers Wilkins.
Let's have a brief look at the main features
of MartinLogan Motion C10 and B&W HTM71 S3 first before getting into our more
detailed comparison.
MartinLogan Motion C10 Key Specs
- 2-way Design
- 1.0 x 1.4" Folded Motion Ribbon Tweeter
- 2 x 5.5" Woven Fiberglass Woofer
- 63-25k Hz Frequency Response
- 93 dB Sensitivity
- Impedance: 4ohms
- Power Range:20-200watts
- Weight:10.70kg
- Dimensions (H x W x D): 184.0" x 19" x 11-1/2"( 184 x 483 x 293mm )
B&W HTM71 S3 Key Specs
- 3-way Design
- 1" Solid Body Soft-Dome Tweeter
- 4" Midrange
- 4 x 5" Aerofoil Profile Woofer
- 4" Midrange
- 50-28k Hz Frequency Response
- 89 dB Sensitivity
- Impedance: 8ohms
- Power Range:30-200watts
- Weight:17.50kg
- Dimensions (H x W x D): 235.0" x 24-3/4" x 14"( 235.0 x 629.0 x 356.0mm )
What size room are the MartinLogan Motion C10 and B&W HTM71 S3 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 C10 |
B&W HTM71 S3 |
| Near-field |
Poor |
Poor |
| Small Room |
Average |
Average |
| Mid-size Room |
Good |
Good |
| Large Room |
Average |
Average |
| Very Large Room |
Poor |
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.)
In the following sections, we will get into more detail in order to better understand how the MartinLogan Motion C10 and B&W HTM71 S3 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 C10 is a 2-way design whereas the HTM71 S3 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 C10 |
B&W HTM71 S3 |
|
Driver Setup
|
2-way
|
3-way
|
|
Tweeter
|
1.0 x 1.4-inch
|
1-inch
|
|
Midrange
|
- |
1 x 4-inch |
|
Woofer
|
2 x 5.5-inch
|
4 x 5-inch
|
Motion C10 features a 1.0 x 1.4" Folded Motion Ribbon Tweeter and 2 x 5.5" Woven Fiberglass Woofer with a Crossover frequency at 1000Hz and 2000Hz. On the other hand, the HTM71 S3 features a 1" Decoupled Carbon Solid Body Soft-Dome Tweeter , a 4" Midrange and 4 x 5" Aerofoil Profile Woofer .
Frequency Response
Motion C10 has a frequency range of 63-25k Hz whereas HTM71 S3 has a frequency range of 50-28k Hz. With a minimum frequency of 50Hz, the HTM71 S3 can go significantly deeper on the low side and provide stronger bass compared to the Motion C10's min frequency of 63Hz.
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 C10 is a 4 ohms speaker compared to the HTM71 S3 which has a nominal impedance of 8 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 C10 can provide this impedance level.
These two speakers also have different sensitivity levels. Motion C10 sensitivity is rated at 93 dB and the HTM71 S3's is rated at 89 dB. This 4 dB difference makes the MartinLogan Motion C10 a more sensitive speaker compared to B&W HTM71 S3, 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.
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
HTM71 S3 features Binding post posts which make bi-amping or bi-wiring possible. Motion C10 has a Custom 5-way binding posts which doesn't feature bi-amping/bi-wiring.
MartinLogan Motion C10's Custom 5-way binding posts terminals
B&W HTM71 S3's Binding post terminals allows Bi-amping or bi-wiring
Cabinet Type and Port Position
Both Motion C10 and HTM71 S3 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 Motion C10's and B&W HTM71 S3's external dimensions. MartinLogan Motion C10 has external dimensions of 184 x 483 x 293mm ( 7-1/4inch x 19inch x 11-1/2inch ) whereas B&W HTM71 S3 has external dimensions of 235.0 x 629.0 x 356.0mm ( 9-1/4inch x 24-3/4inch x 14inch ) .
B&W HTM71 S3 is clearly the larger of the two speakers. Its body is 146mm wider, 51mm taller and 63mm deeper than MartinLogan Motion C10.
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 C10 is approximately 1415.2cm2 / 219.4inch2 and base area of the B&W HTM71 S3 is approximately 2239.2cm2 / 347.1inch2. The Motion C10 requires 37% less surface area than the HTM71 S3 which gives it a small advantage on placement in tight spaces.