In this review, we will be comparing Motion F10 and 704 S3, two Passive Floor-standing speakers from MartinLogan and Bowers Wilkins.
Let's have a brief look at the main features
of MartinLogan Motion F10 and B&W 704 S3 first before getting into our more
detailed comparison.
| Key Specs | MartinLogan Motion F10 | B&W 704 S3 |
|---|
| Brand | MartinLogan
United States · founded 1982 | Bowers Wilkins
United Kingdom · founded 1966 |
|---|
| Design | 3-way | 3-way |
|---|
| Tweeter | 1.0 x 1.4" Folded Motion Ribbon | 1" |
|---|
| Midrange | 5.5" | 5" |
|---|
| Woofer | 2 x 5.5" Aluminum | 2 x 5" Aerofoil |
|---|
| Frequency response | 38-25k Hz | 46-28k Hz |
|---|
| Sensitivity | 92 dB | 88 dB |
|---|
| Impedance | 4 ohms | 8 ohms |
|---|
| Power range | 20-250 watts | 30-150 watts |
|---|
| Weight | 22.90kg / 50.4lbs | 20.53kg / 45.2lbs |
|---|
| Dimensions (H x W x D) | 38-1/4" x 11-1/4" x 13-1/4"
971 x 286 x 336mm | 38" x 6.5" x 11.8"
964.0 x 165.0 x 300.0mm |
|---|
What size room are the MartinLogan Motion F10 and B&W 704 S3 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 F10 |
B&W 704 S3 |
| Near-field |
Bad |
Bad |
| Small Room |
Poor |
Poor |
| Mid-size Room |
Average |
Good |
| Large Room |
Good |
Good |
| Very Large Room |
Average |
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 F10 and 704 S3 are 3-way speakers.
MartinLogan Motion F10B&W 704 S3
TweeterMidrangeWoofer
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 F10 |
B&W 704 S3 |
|
Driver Setup
|
3-way
|
3-way
|
|
Tweeter
|
1.0 x 1.4-inch
|
1-inch
|
|
Midrange
|
1 x 5.5-inch |
1 x 5-inch |
|
Woofer
|
2 x 5.5-inch
|
2 x 5-inch
|
Motion F10 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 280Hz and 3000Hz. On the other hand, the 704 S3 features a 1" Tweeter, a 5" Midrange and 2 x 5" Aerofoil Woofer.
Frequency Response
Motion F10 has a frequency range of 38-25k Hz whereas 704 S3 has a frequency range of 46-28k Hz. With a minimum frequency of 38Hz, the Motion F10 can go significantly deeper on the low side and provide stronger bass compared to the 704 S3's min frequency of 46Hz.
The graph below depicts how these two speakers compare with the max, min and average Low Frequency values of other speakers in the Floor-standing class in our database.
Low Frequency
Floor-standing 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 F10 is a 4 ohms speaker compared to the 704 S3 which has a nominal impedance of 8 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 F10 can provide this impedance level.
These two speakers also have different sensitivity levels. Motion F10 sensitivity is rated at 92 dB and the 704 S3's is rated at 88 dB. This 4 dB difference makes the MartinLogan Motion F10 a more sensitive speaker compared to B&W 704 S3, hence will play louder with the same amount of watts.
Sensitivity
Floor-standing 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 F10 can handle a max power of 250 watts RMS, whereas 704 S3 has a max power handling value of 150 watts RMS, 100 watts less than the Motion F10.
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
Both Motion F10 and 704 S3 features dual binding post speaker terminals for bi-amping or bi-wiring.
MartinLogan Motion F10's Custom 5-way bi-wire tool-less binding posts terminals allows Bi-amping or bi-wiring
B&W 704 S3's Binding post terminals allows Bi-amping or bi-wiring
Cabinet Type and Port Position
Motion F10 has a bottom firing port whereas 704 S3 has a rear firing ports. MartinLogan Motion F10's bottom-firing port gives more flexibility in placement in regards to proximity to walls compared to B&W 704 S3 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 F10's and B&W 704 S3's external dimensions. MartinLogan Motion F10 has external dimensions of 971 x 286 x 336mm (38-1/4inch x 11-1/4inch x 13-1/4inch) whereas B&W 704 S3 has external dimensions of 964.0 x 165.0 x 300.0mm (38-inch x 6.5-inch x 11.8-inch).
MartinLogan Motion F10 is clearly the larger of the two speakers. Its body is 121mm wider, 7mm taller and 36mm deeper than B&W 704 S3.
Below you can see the front view size comparison of MartinLogan Motion F10 and B&W 704 S3 in scale.
Comparison image of MartinLogan Motion F10 and B&W 704 S3 Size and External Dimensions
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 F10 is approximately 961.0cm2 / 149.0inch2 and base area of the B&W 704 S3 is approximately 495.0cm2 / 76.7inch2. The Motion F10 requires 94% more surface area than the 704 S3 which gives it a small disadvantage on placement in tight spaces.
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 F10 weighs 22.90kg / 50.4lbs and the B&W 704 S3 weighs 20.53kg / 45.2lbs. This makes the Motion F10 12% heavier than the 704 S3.
Here is a comparison of how Motion F10 and 704 S3's weights compare with the average, max and min weights in Passive Floor-standing class.
Weight
All Floor-standing Speakers
What's in the Box of B&W 704 S3?
Here are the items that come with the 704 S3:
- Floorstanding loudspeaker
- Grille
- Plinth (base)
- 2 Jumper-straps (pre-installed)
- Two-piece foam port plug
- 4 Rubber feet
- 4 Spike feet
- 4 Lock-nuts
- 4 Screws
- 4 Washers
- 4 Lock washers
- Hex-key
- Manual
- Bowers & Wilkins brochure
- Warranty Information
 Max Input Power |
250 watts
vs
150 watts
|
Handle more power from your amplifier |
 Sensitivity |
92 dB
vs
88 dB
|
Play louder with same amount of amplification power |
 Woofer Size |
5.5 inches
vs
5 inches
|
Larger woofer |
|
Low Frequency Response |
38 Hz
vs
46 Hz
|
Generates deeper bass |
 Price per pair* |
2498USD
vs
3998USD
|
costs less (*prices may change depending on the seller, location and time) |
 Nominal Impedance |
8 ohms
vs
4 ohms
|
Less selective with amplifiers |
 High Frequency Response |
28k Hz
vs
25k Hz
|
Generates higher frequency |
 Height |
964mm
vs
971mm
|
Easier to fit in smaller spaces |
 Base Surface Area |
495cm2
vs
961cm2
|
Takes less floor space |
| General |
MartinLogan Motion® F10 |
Bowers & Wilkins 704 S3 |
| Brand |
MartinLogan |
Bowers Wilkins |
| Speaker Type |
Floor-standing speaker |
Floor-standing speaker |
| Power Range |
20-250 watts |
30-150 watts |
| Sensitivity |
92 dB |
88 dB |
| Impedance |
4 ohms |
8 ohms |
| Impedance |
n/a |
3.1 ohms |
| Frequency Response |
38-25k Hz |
46-28k Hz |
Drivers |
|
|
| Woofer Quantity |
2 |
2 |
| Woofer Size |
5.5" |
5" |
| Woofer Composition |
Aluminum |
Aerofoil |
| Woofer Surround Material |
Rubber |
Rubber |
| Tweeter Size |
1.0 x 1.4" |
1" |
| Tweeter Type |
Folded Motion Ribbon |
n/a |
| Aimable Tweeter |
No |
No |
| Midrange Driver |
5.5" |
5" |
| Crossover Frequency |
280Hz and 3000Hz |
n/a |
| Firing Direction |
bottom |
rear |
| Suggested Break-in Period |
Allow 72 hours of break-in |
n/a |
Physical Specs |
|
|
| Height |
971.0mm (38.2") |
964.0mm (38") |
| Width |
286.0mm (11.3") |
165.0mm (6.5") |
| Depth |
336.0mm (13.2") |
300.0mm (11.8") |
| Weight |
22.90kg (50.4lbs) |
20.53kg (45.2lbs) |
| Enclosure |
Bass Reflex |
Bass Reflex |
| Finish |
n/a |
MDF/Lacquer |
| Available Colors |
Gloss Black, Walnut, and Satin White |
Gloss Black,Satin White,Mocha,Rosenut |
| Grille |
Yes |
Yes |
| Moisture Resistancy |
No |
No |
Connections |
|
|
| Biamp Inputs |
Yes |
Yes |
Other |
|
|
| Parts Warranty |
5 Years |
5 Years |
| Labor Warranty |
5 Years |
5 Years |
These sit in different price classes - B&W 704 S3 costs roughly 1.6x what MartinLogan Motion F10 does. Expect it to lead on paper; the question is whether the gap is audible enough in your room to be worth it.
| Area | Better | Why |
|---|
| Bass | A | MartinLogan Motion F10 digs deeper - 38Hz against 46Hz. A subwoofer would even that out. |
| Amplifier needs | A | MartinLogan Motion F10 is more sensitive (92dB vs 88dB), so it goes louder on the same amplifier. |
| Amplifier match | B | B&W 704 S3 is the easier load at 8 ohms; the other is 4 ohms and wants an amplifier rated for it. |
| Headroom | A | MartinLogan Motion F10 takes more power (250W vs 150W) - more in hand in a big room. |
| Size | depends | B&W 704 S3 is easier to place; MartinLogan Motion F10 is bigger, which usually goes with fuller bass. Your room decides. |
| Expandability | depends | MartinLogan Motion F10: bi-amping; B&W 704 S3: bi-amping. B&W 704 S3 sits in a wider range (8 models), so a matched surround system is easier later. |
| Price | A | MartinLogan Motion F10 is cheaper - $2,498 against $3,998, about 38% less; arguably a different class. |
A MartinLogan Motion F10 B B&W 704 S3
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 F10 is the easier recommendation: it leads on most of the measured areas and costs less. Take B&W 704 S3 if its size, looks or fit in your room suit you better. If a subwoofer is in your plans, the bass gap largely stops mattering - you would be crossing over above 46Hz anyway, so judge these on the other rows instead. Match it to your room: we rate MartinLogan Motion F10 the better fit for a very large room, and B&W 704 S3 for a mid-size 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.