In this review, we will be comparing two different types of speakers by MartinLogan. MartinLogan Motion CI MW6 is a In-wall speaker whereas the Motion 30i is a Center Channel speaker.
Let's have a brief look at the main features
of MartinLogan Motion CI MW6 and MartinLogan 30i first before getting into our more
detailed comparison.
| Key Specs | MartinLogan Motion CI MW6 | MartinLogan 30i |
|---|
| 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 | 6.5" Fiberglass | 5.25" Aluminum |
|---|
| Frequency response | 62-25kHz | 65-25k Hz |
|---|
| Sensitivity | 90 dB | 91 dB |
|---|
| Impedance | 5 ohms | 4 ohms |
|---|
| Power range | 50-60 watts | 20-200 watts |
|---|
| Weight | 2.72kg / 6lbs | 8.18kg / 18lbs |
|---|
| Dimensions (H x W x D) | 10.1250" x 7.0000" x 3.8750"
258.0 x 178.0 x 99.0mm | 6-15/16" x 16-5/8" x 11-1/16"
177.0 x 423.0 x 281.0mm |
|---|
Motion CI MW6 and Motion 30i are members of MartinLogan's Motion series of speakers. Below you can find the loudspeakers from this series.
MartinLogan Motion Series
History
What size room are the MartinLogan Motion CI MW6 and MartinLogan 30i 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 |
MartinLogan 30i |
| 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.)
The sections below take each area in turn: drivers, frequency response, physical size and what you get in the box.
Drivers
Both Motion CI MW6 and Motion 30i are 2-way speakers.
MartinLogan Motion CI MW6MartinLogan 30i
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 MW6 |
MartinLogan 30i |
|
Driver Setup
|
2-way
|
2-way
|
|
Tweeter
|
1-inch
|
1.0 x 1.4-inch
|
|
Midrange
|
- |
- |
|
Woofer
|
1 x 6.5-inch
|
1 x 5.25-inch
|
Motion CI MW6 features a 1" Folded Motion Ribbon Tweeter and 1 x 6.5" Fiberglass Woofer. On the other hand, the Motion 30i features a 1.0 x 1.4" Folded Motion Tweeter and 1 x 5.25" Aluminum Woofer with a Crossover frequency at 400Hz and 2600Hz.
Frequency Response
Motion CI MW6 has a frequency range of 62-25kHz whereas Motion 30i has a frequency range of 65-25k Hz. With a minimum frequency of 62Hz, the Motion CI MW6 can go slightly deeper then the Motion 30i's min frequency of 65Hz.
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
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 MW6 is a 5 ohms speaker compared to the Motion 30i 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 30i can provide this impedance level.
These two speakers also have different sensitivity levels. Motion CI MW6 sensitivity is rated at 90 dB and the Motion 30i's is rated at 91 dB. This 1 dB difference makes the MartinLogan 30i a more sensitive speaker compared to MartinLogan Motion CI MW6, 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. Staying
within that range gives nominal performance; driving the speaker beyond its maximum wattage can damage it.
Motion 30i can handle a max power of 200 watts RMS, whereas Motion CI MW6 has a max power handling value of 60 watts RMS, 140 watts less than the Motion 30i.
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.
MartinLogan Motion CI MW6
Input Type and Bi-Amping / Bi-Wiring
Motion CI MW6 features Custom 5-way tool-less binding posts type posts and Motion 30i has a Custom 5-way tool-less binding posts type posts. None of these speakers feature bi-amping/bi-wiring.
MartinLogan 30i's Custom 5-way tool-less binding posts terminals
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 MW6's and MartinLogan 30i'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 MartinLogan 30i has external dimensions of 177.0 x 423.0 x 281.0mm (6-15/16 x 16-5/8 x 11-1/16inch).
MartinLogan Motion CI MW6 is 245mm narrower and 182mm less deeper than MartinLogan 30i but it is also 81mm 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 loudspeaker
- Grille
- T20 Torx bit
- User-feets Manual
- Cutout Template
What's in the Box of MartinLogan 30i?
Here are the items that come with the Motion 30i:
- Center-channel loudspeaker
- Grille
- 4 Rubber feet
- Users Manual
- Warranty/Registration Information