In this review, we will be comparing two different types of speakers by MartinLogan. MartinLogan Motion® C10 is a Center Channel speaker whereas the Motion F20 is a Floor-standing speaker.
Let's have a brief look at the main features
of MartinLogan Motion C10 and MartinLogan Motion F20 first before getting into our more
detailed comparison.
| Key Specs | MartinLogan Motion C10 | MartinLogan Motion F20 |
|---|
| Design | 2-way | 3-way |
|---|
| Tweeter | 1.0 x 1.4" Folded Motion Ribbon | 1.0 x 1.4" Folded Motion Ribbon |
|---|
| Midrange | — | 5.5" |
|---|
| Woofer | 2 x 5.5" Woven Fiberglass | 2 x 5.5" Aluminum |
|---|
| Frequency response | 63-25k Hz | 35-25k Hz |
|---|
| Sensitivity | 93 dB | 92 dB |
|---|
| Impedance | 4 ohms | 4 ohms |
|---|
| Power range | 20-200 watts | 20-300 watts |
|---|
| Weight | 10.70kg / 23.5lbs | 27.20kg / 59.8lbs |
|---|
| Dimensions (H x W x D) | 7-1/4" x 19" x 11-1/2"
184 x 483 x 293mm | 44-3/4" x 11-3/4" x 14-1/4"
1127 x 298 x 362mm |
|---|
Motion C10 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 C10 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 C10 |
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.)
The sections below take each area in turn: drivers, frequency response, physical size and what you get in the box.
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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 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.
MartinLogan Motion C10MartinLogan Motion F20
MidrangeWoofer
Front view, drawn to scale - cabinets and drivers share one scale, so sizes are directly comparable. Hover a driver for its size.
| Driver |
MartinLogan Motion C10 |
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
|
2 x 5.5-inch
|
2 x 5.5-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 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 C10 has a frequency range of 63-25k 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 C10's min frequency of 63Hz.
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 C10 and Motion F20 have the same Impedance of 4 ohms but where they differ is the sensitivity levels. Motion C10 sensitivity is rated at 93 dB and the Motion F20's is at 92 dB. This 1 dB difference makes the MartinLogan Motion C10 a more sensitive speaker compared to MartinLogan Motion F20, 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 C10 and the Motion C10 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 F20 can handle a max power of 300 watts RMS, whereas Motion C10 has a max power handling value of 200 watts RMS, 100 watts less than the Motion F20.
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
Motion F20 features Custom 5-way bi-wire tool-less binding posts 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
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 C10 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 C10 with its rear-firing port.
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 Motion C10's and MartinLogan Motion F20'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 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 C10 is 943mm shorter and 69mm less deeper than MartinLogan Motion F20 but it is also 185mm 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 Motion C10 is approximately 1415.2cm2 / 219.4inch2 and base area of the MartinLogan Motion F20 is approximately 1078.8cm2 / 167.2inch2. The Motion C10 requires 31% more surface area than the Motion F20 which gives it a small disadvantage on placement in tight spaces.