In this review, we will be comparing Motion CI MW6 and 100 IW 6, two Passive In-wall speakers from MartinLogan and Focal. Let's have a brief look at the main features
of MartinLogan Motion CI MW6 and Focal 100 IW 6 first before getting into our more
detailed comparison.
MartinLogan Motion CI MW6 Key Specs
- 2-way Design
- 1" Folded Motion Ribbon Tweeter
- 6.5" Fiberglass Woofer
- 62-25kHz Frequency Response
- 90 dB Sensitivity
- Impedance: 5ohms
- Power Range:50-60watts
- Dimensions (H x W x D): 258.0" x 7.0000" x 3.8750"( 258.0 x 178.0 x 99.0mm )
Focal 100 IW 6 Key Specs
- 2-way Design
- 1" Inverted Hard-Dome Tweeter
- 6.5" Polyglass Woofer
- 60-23kHz Frequency Response
- 89 dB Sensitivity
- Impedance: 8ohms
- Power Range:25-120watts
- Dimensions (H x W x D): 274.0" x 6.6250" x 3.3750"( 274.0 x 169.0 x 86.0mm )
What size room are the MartinLogan Motion CI MW6 and Focal 100 IW 6 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 MW6 |
Focal 100 IW 6 |
| Near-field |
Good |
Poor |
| Small Room |
Good |
Average |
| Mid-size Room |
Average |
Good |
| Large Room |
Poor |
Average |
| Very Large Room |
No way |
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 CI MW6 and Focal 100 IW 6 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
Both Motion CI MW6 and 100 IW 6 are 2-way speakers.
| Driver |
MartinLogan Motion CI MW6 |
Focal 100 IW 6 |
|
Driver Setup
|
2-way
|
2-way
|
|
Tweeter
|
1-inch
|
1-inch
|
|
Midrange
|
- |
- |
|
Woofer
|
1 x 6.5-inch
|
1 x 6.5-inch
|
Motion CI MW6 features a 1" Folded Motion Ribbon Tweeter and 1 x 6.5" Fiberglass Woofer . On the other hand, the 100 IW 6 features a 1" Inverted Hard-Dome Tweeter and 1 x 6.5" Polyglass Woofer .
Frequency Response
Motion CI MW6 has a frequency range of 62-25kHz whereas 100 IW 6 has a frequency range of 60-23kHz. With a minimum frequency of 60Hz, the 100 IW 6 can go slightly deeper then the Motion CI MW6's min frequency of 62Hz.
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 In-wall class in our database.
Low Frequency
In-wall Speakers
High Frequency
In-wall Speakers
MartinLogan Motion CI MW6
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 CI MW6 is a 5 ohms speaker compared to the 100 IW 6 which has a nominal impedance of 8 ohms.
These two speakers also have different sensitivity levels. Motion CI MW6 sensitivity is rated at 90 dB and the 100 IW 6's is rated at 89 dB. This 1 dB difference makes the MartinLogan Motion CI MW6 a more sensitive speaker compared to Focal 100 IW 6, hence will play louder with the same amount of watts.
Sensitivity
In-wall 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 CI MW6 can handle a max power of 120 watts RMS from the amp the whereas Motion CI MW6 has a max power handling value of 60 watts RMS , 60 watts less than the 100 IW 6.
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 CI MW6 features Spring post type posts and 100 IW 6 has a Spring post type posts. None of these speakers feature bi-amping/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 Motion CI MW6's and Focal 100 IW 6's external dimensions. MartinLogan Motion CI MW6 has external dimensions of 258.0 x 178.0 x 99.0mm ( 10.1250-inch x 7.0000-inch x 3.8750-inch) whereas Focal 100 IW 6 has external dimensions of 274.0 x 169.0 x 86.0mm ( 10.7500-inch x 6.6250-inch x 3.3750-inch) .
Focal 100 IW 6 is 9mm narrower and 13mm less deeper than MartinLogan Motion CI MW6 but it is also 16mm taller.
What's in the Box of MartinLogan Motion CI MW6?
Here are the items that are included inside the box of Motion CI MW6:
In-wall loudspeakerGrilleT20 Torx bitUser-feets ManualCutout Template
What's in the Box of Focal 100 IW 6?
Here are the items that come with the 100 IW 6:
One in-wall speaker1 metal-mesh grill (white)Cut-out templateUser manual
Sensitivity 
High Frequency Response 
Height 
Max Input Power 
Nominal Impedance 
Low Frequency Response 
Base Surface Area 
Price per pair*