In this review, we will be comparing Motion CI MW6 and Motion CI MW4-LCR, two Passive In-wall speakers by MartinLogan.
Let's have a brief look at the main features
of MartinLogan Motion CI MW6 and MartinLogan Motion CI MW4-LCR first before getting into our more
detailed comparison.
| Key Specs | MartinLogan Motion CI MW6 | MartinLogan Motion CI MW4-LCR |
|---|
| Brand | MartinLogan
United States · founded 1982 | MartinLogan
United States · founded 1982 |
|---|
| Design | 2-way | 2-way |
|---|
| Tweeter | 1" Folded Motion Ribbon | 1" Folded Motion Ribbon |
|---|
| Woofer | 6.5" Fiberglass | 2 x 4" Fiberglass |
|---|
| Frequency response | 62-25kHz | 78-25kHz |
|---|
| Sensitivity | 90 dB | 93 dB |
|---|
| Impedance | 5 ohms | 8 ohms |
|---|
| Power range | 50-60 watts | 50-100 watts |
|---|
| Weight | 2.72kg / 6lbs | 2.77kg / 6.1lbs |
|---|
| Dimensions (H x W x D) | 10.1250" x 7.0000" x 3.8750"
258.0 x 178.0 x 99.0mm | 5.2500" x 11.8750" x 2.6875"
134.0 x 302.0 x 69.0mm |
|---|
Motion CI MW6 and Motion CI MW4-LCR 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 Motion CI MW4-LCR 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 Motion CI MW4-LCR |
| Near-field |
Good |
Average |
| Small Room |
Good |
Good |
| Mid-size Room |
Average |
Average |
| Large Room |
Poor |
Poor |
| Very Large Room |
No way |
Bad |
(* 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 CI MW4-LCR are 2-way speakers.
MartinLogan Motion CI MW6MartinLogan Motion CI MW4-LCR
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 Motion CI MW4-LCR |
|
Driver Setup
|
2-way
|
2-way
|
|
Tweeter
|
1-inch
|
1-inch
|
|
Midrange
|
- |
- |
|
Woofer
|
1 x 6.5-inch
|
2 x 4-inch
|
Motion CI MW6 features a 1" Folded Motion Ribbon Tweeter and 1 x 6.5" Fiberglass Woofer. On the other hand, the Motion CI MW4-LCR features a 1" Folded Motion Ribbon Tweeter and 2 x 4" Fiberglass Woofer.
Frequency Response
Motion CI MW6 has a frequency range of 62-25kHz whereas Motion CI MW4-LCR has a frequency range of 78-25kHz. With a minimum frequency of 62Hz, the Motion CI MW6 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
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 CI MW4-LCR 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 Motion CI MW4-LCR's is rated at 93 dB. This 3 dB difference makes the MartinLogan Motion CI MW4-LCR 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 CI MW4-LCR can handle a max power of 100 watts RMS, whereas Motion CI MW6 has a max power handling value of 60 watts RMS, 40 watts less than the Motion CI MW4-LCR.
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
MartinLogan Motion CI MW4-LCR
Input Type and Bi-Amping / Bi-Wiring
Motion CI MW6 features Spring post type posts and Motion CI MW4-LCR has a Spring post type posts. None of these speakers feature bi-amping/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 MW6's and MartinLogan Motion CI MW4-LCR'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 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).
MartinLogan Motion CI MW4-LCR is 124mm shorter and 30mm less deeper than MartinLogan Motion CI MW6 but it is also 124mm wider.
Below you can see the front view size comparison of MartinLogan Motion CI MW6 and MartinLogan Motion CI MW4-LCR in scale.
Comparison image of MartinLogan Motion CI MW6 and MartinLogan Motion CI MW4-LCR Size and External Dimensions
Weight Comparison The weight of a loudspeaker can become an important factor if you need to move and reposition the unit often. Weight of a speaker can also "sometimes" be an indicator of the rigidity of the enclosure and the quality of the internal components used. The MartinLogan Motion CI MW6 weighs 2.72kg / 6lbs and the MartinLogan Motion CI MW4-LCR weighs 2.77kg / 6.1lbs. This makes the Motion CI MW4-LCR 2% heavier than the Motion CI MW6.
Here is a comparison of how Motion CI MW6 and Motion CI MW4-LCR's weights compare with the average, max and min weights in Passive In-wall class.
Weight
All In-wall Speakers
MartinLogan Motion CI MW6
MartinLogan Motion CI MW4-LCR
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 Motion CI MW4-LCR?
Here are the items that come with the Motion CI MW4-LCR:
- In-wall loudspeaker
- Grille
- Torx-bit
- User-feets Manual
- Cutout Template
 Woofer Size |
6.5 inches
vs
4 inches
|
Larger woofer |
|
Low Frequency Response |
62 Hz
vs
78 Hz
|
Generates deeper bass |
 Base Surface Area |
176cm2
vs
208cm2
|
Takes less floor space |
 Max Input Power |
100 watts
vs
60 watts
|
Handle more power from your amplifier |
 Sensitivity |
93 dB
vs
90 dB
|
Play louder with same amount of amplification power |
 Nominal Impedance |
8 ohms
vs
5 ohms
|
Less selective with amplifiers |
|
Number of Woofers |
2
vs
1
|
More woofers |
 Height |
134mm
vs
258mm
|
Easier to fit in smaller spaces |
| General |
MartinLogan Motion CI MW6 |
MartinLogan Motion CI MW4-LCR |
| Brand |
MartinLogan |
MartinLogan |
| Speaker Type |
Passive In-wall Speaker |
Passive In-wall Speaker |
| Power Range |
50-60 watts |
50-100 watts |
| Sensitivity |
90 dB |
93 dB |
| Impedance |
5 ohms |
8 ohms |
| Frequency Response |
62-25kHz |
78-25kHz |
Drivers |
|
|
| Woofer Quantity |
1 |
2 |
| Woofer Size |
6.5" |
4" |
| Woofer Composition |
Fiberglass |
Fiberglass |
| Woofer Surround Material |
Rubber |
Rubber |
| Tweeter Size |
1" |
1" |
| Tweeter Type |
Folded Motion Ribbon |
Folded Motion Ribbon |
| Aimable Tweeter |
No |
No |
| Midrange Driver |
No |
No |
Physical Specs |
|
|
| Height |
258.0mm (10.2") |
134.0mm (5.3") |
| Width |
178.0mm (7") |
302.0mm (11.9") |
| Depth |
99.0mm (3.9") |
69.0mm (2.7") |
| Weight |
2.72kg (6lbs) |
2.77kg (6.1lbs) |
| Enclosure |
In-wall |
In-wall |
| Moisture Resistancy |
No |
No |
Connections |
|
|
| Biamp Inputs |
No |
No |
Other |
|
|
| Parts Warranty |
5 Years |
5 Years |
| Labor Warranty |
5 Years |
5 Years |
Siblings in MartinLogan's Motion series, so they share a family sound. It comes down to size, output and price.
| Area | Better | Why |
|---|
| Bass | A | MartinLogan Motion CI MW6 digs deeper - 62Hz against 78Hz. |
| Amplifier needs | B | MartinLogan Motion CI MW4-LCR is more sensitive (93dB vs 90dB), so it goes louder on the same amplifier. |
| Amplifier match | B | MartinLogan Motion CI MW4-LCR is the easier load at 8 ohms. |
| Headroom | B | MartinLogan Motion CI MW4-LCR takes more power (100W vs 60W) - more in hand in a big room. |
| Size | depends | MartinLogan Motion CI MW4-LCR is easier to place; MartinLogan Motion CI MW6 is bigger, which usually goes with fuller bass. Your room decides. |
| Price | evenly matched | Much the same money ($1,100 vs $1,100 a pair). |
A MartinLogan Motion CI MW6 B MartinLogan Motion CI MW4-LCR
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 Motion CI MW4-LCR has the edge on paper, though the margin is not large. The rows marked "depends" may matter more to you than the score does. If a subwoofer is in your plans, the bass gap largely stops mattering - you would be crossing over above 78Hz anyway, so judge these on the other rows instead. Match it to your room: we rate MartinLogan Motion CI MW6 the better fit for near-field listening; elsewhere the two are rated the same.
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.