MartinLogan Motion CI MW4-LCR vs MartinLogan 20i Comparison

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MartinLogan Motion CI MW4-LCR

Passive In-wall | 78-25kHz

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MartinLogan 20i

Passive Floor-standing | 46-25k Hz

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MartinLogan Motion C...

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MartinLogan 20i

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MartinLogan 20i

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MartinLogan Motion CI MW4-LCR vs MartinLogan 20i Speaker Comparison

In this review, we will be comparing two different types of speakers by MartinLogan. MartinLogan Motion CI MW4-LCR is a In-wall speaker whereas the Motion 20i is a Floor-standing speaker.

Let's have a brief look at the main features of MartinLogan Motion CI MW4-LCR and MartinLogan 20i first before getting into our more detailed comparison.

Key Specs	MartinLogan Motion CI MW4-LCR	MartinLogan 20i
Brand	MartinLogan United States · founded 1982	MartinLogan United States · founded 1982
Design	2-way	2-way
Tweeter	1" Folded Motion Ribbon	1.0 x 1.4" Folded Motion
Woofer	2 x 4" Fiberglass	2 x 5.5" Aluminum
Frequency response	78-25kHz	46-25k Hz
Sensitivity	93 dB	90 dB
Impedance	8 ohms	4 ohms
Power range	50-100 watts	20-200 watts
Weight	2.77kg / 6.1lbs	15.00kg / 33lbs
Dimensions (H x W x D)	5.2500" x 11.8750" x 2.6875" 134.0 x 302.0 x 69.0mm	35-5/8" x 6-7/8" x 12-1/16" 905.0 x 175.0 x 307.0mm

Motion CI MW4-LCR 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

Model	Body	Frequency	Sensitivity	Impedance	Woofer
MartinLogan 60XTi	Floor-standing	35-25k Hz	94 dB	4Ω	2 x 8"
MartinLogan 15i	Bookshelf	60-25k Hz	92 dB	5Ω	1 x 5.25"
MartinLogan 35XTi	Bookshelf	50-25k Hz	92 dB	4Ω	1 x 6.5"
MartinLogan 40i	Floor-standing	40-25k Hz	92 dB	4Ω	2 x 6.5"
MartinLogan 50XTi	Center Channel	50-25k Hz	94 dB	4Ω	2 x 6.5"
MartinLogan 20i	Floor-standing	46-25k Hz	90 dB	4Ω	2 x 5.5"
MartinLogan LX16	Bookshelf	60-25k Hz	92 dB	5Ω	1 x 5.25"
MartinLogan 30i	Center Channel	65-25k Hz	91 dB	4Ω	1 x 5.25"
MartinLogan 6i	Center Channel	120-23k Hz	89 dB	6Ω	2 x 3.5"
MartinLogan 8i	Center Channel	70-23k Hz	89 dB	4Ω	2 x 4"

What size room are the MartinLogan Motion CI MW4-LCR 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 Motion CI MW4-LCR	MartinLogan 20i
Near-field	Average	Bad
Small Room	Good	Poor
Mid-size Room	Average	Good
Large Room	Poor	Good
Very Large Room	Bad	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

Both Motion CI MW4-LCR and Motion 20i are 2-way speakers.

MartinLogan Motion CI MW4-LCR

MartinLogan 20i

TweeterWoofer

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 CI MW4-LCR	MartinLogan 20i
Driver Setup	2-way	2-way
Tweeter	1-inch	1.0 x 1.4-inch
Midrange	-	-
Woofer	2 x 4-inch	2 x 5.5-inch

Motion CI MW4-LCR features a 1" Folded Motion Ribbon Tweeter and 2 x 4" Fiberglass Woofer. 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 CI MW4-LCR has a frequency range of 78-25kHz whereas Motion 20i has a frequency range of 46-25k Hz. With a minimum frequency of 46Hz, the Motion 20i can go significantly deeper on the low side and provide stronger bass compared to the Motion CI MW4-LCR's min frequency of 78Hz.

The graph below depicts how these two speakers compare with the max, min and average Low Frequency values of other speakers in the In-wall class in our database.

Low Frequency

In-wall Speakers

Motion CI MW4-LCR

Motion 20i

Min

Average

Median

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 CI MW4-LCR is a 8 ohms speaker compared to the Motion 20i 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 20i can provide this impedance level.

These two speakers also have different sensitivity levels. Motion CI MW4-LCR sensitivity is rated at 93 dB and the Motion 20i's is rated at 90 dB. This 3 dB difference makes the MartinLogan Motion CI MW4-LCR a more sensitive speaker compared to MartinLogan 20i, hence will play louder with the same amount of watts.

Sensitivity

In-wall Speakers

Motion CI MW4-LCR

Motion 20i

Min

Average

Median

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 20i can handle a max power of 200 watts RMS, whereas Motion CI MW4-LCR has a max power handling value of 100 watts RMS, 100 watts less than the Motion 20i.

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.

Amplifier - change this

Distance

Playing as

MartinLogan Motion CI MW4-LCR

MartinLogan 20i

Input Type and Bi-Amping / Bi-Wiring

Motion 20i features Custom 5-way bi-wire tool-less binding posts posts which make bi-amping or bi-wiring possible. Motion CI MW4-LCR has a Spring post which doesn't feature bi-amping/bi-wiring.

MartinLogan 20i's Custom 5-way bi-wire tool-less binding posts terminals allows Bi-amping or bi-wiring

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 CI MW4-LCR's and MartinLogan 20i's external dimensions. MartinLogan Motion CI MW4-LCR has external dimensions of 134.0 x 302.0 x 69.0mm (5.2500-inch x 11.8750-inch x 2.6875-inch) 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 Motion CI MW4-LCR is 771mm shorter and 238mm less deeper than MartinLogan 20i but it is also 127mm wider.

Below you can see the front view size comparison of MartinLogan Motion CI MW4-LCR and MartinLogan 20i in scale.

Comparison image of MartinLogan Motion CI MW4-LCR and MartinLogan 20i Size and External Dimensions

What's in the Box of MartinLogan Motion CI MW4-LCR?

Here are the items that are included inside the box of Motion CI MW4-LCR:

In-wall loudspeaker
Grille
Torx-bit
User-feets Manual
Cutout Template

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

Reasons to choose MartinLogan Motion CI MW4-LCR over MartinLogan Motion 20i

Sensitivity	93 dB vs 90 dB	Play louder with same amount of amplification power
Nominal Impedance	8 ohms vs 4 ohms	Less selective with amplifiers
Height	134mm vs 905mm	Easier to fit in smaller spaces
Base Surface Area	208cm² vs 537cm²	Takes less floor space
Price per pair*	1100USD vs 2000USD	costs less (*prices may change depending on the seller, location and time)

Reasons to choose MartinLogan Motion 20i over MartinLogan Motion CI MW4-LCR

Max Input Power	200 watts vs 100 watts	Handle more power from your amplifier
Woofer Size	5.5 inches vs 4 inches	Larger woofer
Low Frequency Response	46 Hz vs 78 Hz	Generates deeper bass
Bi-Amping and Bi-Wiring	Yes vs No	Allows bi-amping and bi-wiring connections

MartinLogan Motion CI MW4-LCR vs MartinLogan 20i Specs Table

Detailed comparison of specifications

General	MartinLogan Motion CI MW4-LCR	MartinLogan Motion 20i
Brand	MartinLogan	MartinLogan
Speaker Type	Passive In-wall Speaker	Floor-standing speaker
Power Range	50-100 watts	20-200 watts
Sensitivity	93 dB	90 dB
Impedance	8 ohms	4 ohms
Frequency Response	78-25kHz	46-25k Hz
Drivers
Woofer Quantity	2	2
Woofer Size	4"	5.5"
Woofer Composition	Fiberglass	Aluminum
Woofer Surround Material	Rubber	Rubber
Tweeter Size	1"	1.0 x 1.4"
Tweeter Type	Folded Motion Ribbon	Folded Motion
Aimable Tweeter	No	No
Midrange Driver	No	No
Crossover Frequency	n/a	500Hz and 2600Hz
Firing Direction	n/a	rear
Suggested Break-in Period	n/a	Allow 72 hours of break-in at 90 dB
Physical Specs
Height	134.0mm (5.3")	905.0mm (35.6")
Width	302.0mm (11.9")	175.0mm (6.9")
Depth	69.0mm (2.7")	307.0mm (12.1")
Weight	2.77kg (6.1lbs)	15.00kg (33lbs)
Enclosure	In-wall	Bass Reflex
Finish	n/a	MDF/Lacquer
Available Colors	n/a	Gloss Black, Matt White, Red Walnut
Grille	n/a	Yes
Moisture Resistancy	No	No
Connections
Biamp Inputs	No	Yes
Other
Parts Warranty	5 Years	5 Years
Labor Warranty	5 Years	5 Years

Verdict

Siblings in MartinLogan's Motion series, so they share a family sound. It comes down to size, output and price.

Area	Better	Why
Bass	B	MartinLogan 20i digs deeper - 46Hz against 78Hz.
Amplifier needs	A	MartinLogan Motion CI MW4-LCR is more sensitive (93dB vs 90dB), so it goes louder on the same amplifier.
Amplifier match	A	MartinLogan Motion CI MW4-LCR is the easier load at 8 ohms; the other is 4 ohms and wants an amplifier rated for it.
Headroom	B	MartinLogan 20i takes more power (200W vs 100W) - more in hand in a big room.
Size	depends	MartinLogan Motion CI MW4-LCR is easier to place; MartinLogan 20i is bigger, which usually goes with fuller bass. Your room decides.
Type	depends	A Passive In-wall against a Passive Floor-standing - a different job rather than a better one.
Cabinet	depends	In-wall vs Ported.
Expandability	B	MartinLogan 20i: bi-amping.
Price	A	MartinLogan Motion CI MW4-LCR is cheaper - $1,100 against $2,000, about 45% less; arguably a different class.

A MartinLogan Motion CI MW4-LCR B MartinLogan 20i
depends neither is better in the abstract - it turns on your room, your system or how you will use them. Only specs published for both speakers are judged; anything missing on either side is left out rather than guessed.

Which should you choose?

MartinLogan 20i is ahead, but only on 1 of the measured areas, and it costs about 82% more. That is a lot of money for a narrow margin on paper - MartinLogan Motion CI MW4-LCR looks like the sensible buy unless something else about the MartinLogan 20i appeals to you. If a subwoofer is in your plans, the bass gap largely stops mattering - you would be crossing over above 78Hz anyway, which makes the cheaper MartinLogan Motion CI MW4-LCR much easier to justify. Match it to your room: we rate MartinLogan Motion CI MW4-LCR the better fit for near-field listening and a small room, and MartinLogan 20i for a mid-size room and a large room.

And remember what a spec sheet cannot show: how each looks in your room and whether the finish suits it, what dealer support and warranty are like where you live, and how they actually sound to you. If you can hear them first - ideally with your own music - that will tell you more than any number above.