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.
MartinLogan Motion F10 Key Specs
- 3-way Design
- 1.0 x 1.4" Folded Motion Ribbon Tweeter
- 5.5" Midrange
- 2 x 5.5" Aluminum Woofer
- 38-25k Hz Frequency Response
- 92 dB Sensitivity
- Impedance: 4ohms
- Power Range:20-250watts
- Weight:22.90kg
- Dimensions (H x W x D): 971.0" x 11-1/4" x 13-1/4"( 971 x 286 x 336mm )
B&W 704 S3 Key Specs
- 3-way Design
- 1" Tweeter
- 5" Midrange
- 2 x 5" Aerofoil Woofer
- 5" Midrange
- 46-28k Hz Frequency Response
- 88 dB Sensitivity
- Impedance: 8ohms
- Power Range:30-150watts
- Weight:20.53kg
- Dimensions (H x W x D): 964.0" 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.)
In the following sections, we will get into more detail in order to better understand how the MartinLogan Motion F10 and B&W 704 S3 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 F10 and 704 S3 are 3-way speakers.
| 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.
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 Floor-standing class in our database.
Low Frequency
Floor-standing Speakers
High Frequency
Floor-standing Speakers
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 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. 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 F10 can handle a max power of 250 watts RMS from the amp the whereas 704 S3 has a max power handling value of 150 watts RMS, 100 watts less than the Motion F10.
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
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
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 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.
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.