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MartinLogan LX16 vs MartinLogan 20i Comparison

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MartinLogan LX16

Passive Bookshelf | 60-25k Hz

MartinLogan Motion LX16
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MartinLogan 20i

Passive Floor-standing | 46-25k Hz

MartinLogan Motion 20i
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MartinLogan LX16 MartinLogan LX16
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MartinLogan 20i MartinLogan 20i
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MartinLogan LX16
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MartinLogan 20i
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MartinLogan LX16 vs MartinLogan 20i Speaker Comparison

In this review, we will be comparing two different type of speakers by MartinLogan. MartinLogan Motion LX16 is a Bookshelf speaker whereas the Motion 20i is a Floor-standing speaker.

Let's have a brief look at the main features of MartinLogan LX16 and MartinLogan 20i first before getting into our more detailed comparison.

MartinLogan LX16 Key Specs

  • 2-way Design
  • 1.0 x 1.4" Folded Motion Tweeter
  • 5.25" Aluminum Woofer
  • 60-25k Hz Frequency Response
  • 92 dB Sensitivity
  • Impedance: 5ohms
  • Power Range:20-200watts
  • Weight:5.40kg
  • Dimensions (H x W x D): 280.0" x 6.4" x 9.5"( 280.0 x 165.0 x 242.0mm )

MartinLogan 20i Key Specs

  • 2-way Design
  • 1.0 x 1.4" Folded Motion Tweeter
  • 2 x 5.5" Aluminum Woofer
  • 46-25k Hz Frequency Response
  • 90 dB Sensitivity
  • Impedance: 4ohms
  • Power Range:20-200watts
  • Weight:15.00kg
  • Dimensions (H x W x D): 905.0" x 6-7/8" x 12-1/16"( 905.0 x 175.0 x 307.0mm )

Motion LX16 and Motion 20i are members of MartinLogan's Motion series of speakers. Below you can find the loudspeakers from this series.

MartinLogan Motion Series History
Model Body Frequency SensitivityImpedance Woofer
MartinLogan 15i
  
Bookshelf 60-25k Hz 92 dB5Ω 1 x 5.25"
MartinLogan 35XTi
  
Bookshelf 50-25k Hz 92 dB4Ω 1 x 6.5"
MartinLogan 60XTi
  
Floor-standing 35-25k Hz 94 dB4Ω 2 x 8"
MartinLogan 50XTi
  
Center Channel 50-25k Hz 94 dB4Ω 2 x 6.5"
MartinLogan LX16
Bookshelf 60-25k Hz 92 dB5Ω 1 x 5.25"
MartinLogan 40i
  
Floor-standing 40-25k Hz 92 dB4Ω 2 x 6.5"
MartinLogan 20i
Floor-standing 46-25k Hz 90 dB4Ω 2 x 5.5"
MartinLogan 30i
  
Center Channel 65-25k Hz 91 dB4Ω 1 x 5.25"
MartinLogan 6i
  
Center Channel 120-23k Hz 89 dB6Ω 2 x 3.5"
MartinLogan 8i
  
Center Channel 70-23k Hz 89 dB4Ω 2 x 4"

What size room are the MartinLogan LX16 and MartinLogan 20i 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 LX16 MartinLogan 20i
Near-field Poor Bad
Small Room Average Poor
Mid-size Room Good Good
Large Room Average Good
Very Large Room Poor 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 LX16 and MartinLogan 20i compare and hopefully end up with enough arguments to decide which one of these loudspeakers is the better choice for you.


**This post contains affiliate links, and I will be compensated if you make a purchase after clicking through my links. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.


Drivers

Both Motion LX16 and Motion 20i are 2-way speakers.

Driver MartinLogan LX16 MartinLogan 20i
Driver Setup 2-way 2-way
Tweeter 1.0 x 1.4-inch 1.0 x 1.4-inch
Midrange - -
Woofer 1 x 5.25-inch 2 x 5.5-inch

Motion LX16 features a 1.0 x 1.4" Folded Motion Tweeter and 1 x 5.25" Aluminum Woofer with a Crossover frequency at 2700Hz. On the other hand, the Motion 20i features a 1.0 x 1.4" Folded Motion Tweeter and 2 x 5.5" Aluminum Woofer with a Crossover frequency at 500Hz and 2600Hz.

Frequency Response

Motion LX16 has a frequency range of 60-25k Hz whereas Motion 20i has a frequency range of 46-25k Hz. With a minimum frequency of 46Hz, the Motion 20i can go significantly deeper on the low side and provide stronger bass compared to the Motion LX16's min frequency of 60Hz.

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 Bookshelf class in our database.

Low Frequency

Bookshelf Speakers

Motion LX16
Motion 20i
Min
Average
Max
High Frequency

Bookshelf Speakers

MartinLogan LX16
MartinLogan 20i
Min
Average
Max

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 LX16 is a 5 ohms speaker compared to the Motion 20i 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 20i can provide this impedance level.

These two speakers also have different sensitivity levels. Motion LX16 sensitivity is rated at 92 dB and the Motion 20i's is rated at 90 dB. This 2 dB difference makes the MartinLogan LX16 a more sensitive speaker compared to MartinLogan 20i, hence will play louder with the same amount of watts.

Sensitivity

Bookshelf Speakers

Motion LX16
Motion 20i
Min
Average
Max

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 LX16 and Motion 20i has the same power range of 20-200 watts.

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 20i features Custom 5-way bi-wire tool-less binding posts posts which make bi-amping or bi-wiring possible. Motion LX16 has a Custom 5-way binding posts which doesn't feature bi-amping/bi-wiring.

MartinLogan LX16 Terminals
MartinLogan LX16's Custom 5-way binding posts terminals

MartinLogan 20i Terminals
MartinLogan 20i's Custom 5-way bi-wire tool-less binding posts terminals allows Bi-amping or bi-wiring

Cabinet Type and Port Position

Both Motion LX16 and Motion 20i have rear firing ports. Rear ported speakers generally need more room between the backside of the speaker and the wall compared to sealed and front/bottom ported speakers. Placing the speakers too close to the walls may cause the bass to sound boomy.

If you are limited in space and can't get the speakers away from the backwall, check our Speakers with Front Firing Ports page.

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 LX16's and MartinLogan 20i's external dimensions. MartinLogan LX16 has external dimensions of 280.0 x 165.0 x 242.0mm ( 11.0 x 6.4 x 9.5inch) whereas MartinLogan 20i has external dimensions of 905.0 x 175.0 x 307.0mm ( 35-5/8 x 6-7/8 x 12-1/16inch) .

MartinLogan 20i is clearly the larger of the two speakers. Its body is 10mm wider, 625mm taller and 65mm deeper than MartinLogan LX16.

Below you can see the front view size comparison of MartinLogan LX16 and MartinLogan 20i in scale.

MartinLogan LX16 vs MartinLogan 20i Size Comparison - Front View
Comparison image of MartinLogan LX16 and MartinLogan 20i 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 LX16 is approximately 399.3cm2 / 61.9inch2 and base area of the MartinLogan 20i is approximately 537.3cm2 / 83.3inch2. The Motion LX16 requires 26% less surface area than the Motion 20i which gives it a small advantage on placement in tight spaces.

What's in the Box of MartinLogan LX16?

Here are the items that are included inside the box of Motion LX16:
  • Bookshelf loudspeaker
  • Magnetic grille
  • 4 Rubber bumpers
  • User's Manual (En/Fr)
  • What's in the Box of MartinLogan 20i?

    Here are the items that come with the Motion 20i:
  • Floorstanding loudspeaker
  • 2 Grilles
  • 4 Rubber feet (pre-installed)
  • 4 Spike feet (w/ nuts attached)
  • Users Manual
  • Warranty/Registration Information

  • Reasons to choose MartinLogan Motion LX16 over MartinLogan Motion 20i
    Sensitivity 92 dB vs 90 dB Play louder with same amount of amplification power
    Nominal Impedance 5 ohms vs 4 ohms Less selective with amplifiers
    Mounting Bracket Yes vs No Allows mounting on walls
    Height 280mm vs 905mm Easier to fit in smaller spaces
    Base Surface Area 399cm2 vs 537cm2 Takes less floor space

    Reasons to choose MartinLogan Motion 20i over MartinLogan Motion LX16

    Woofer Size 5.5 inches vs 5.25 inches Larger woofer
    Number of Woofers 2 vs 1 More woofers
    Low Frequency Response 46 Hz vs 60 Hz Generates deeper bass
    Bi-Amping and Bi-Wiring Yes vs No Allows bi-amping and bi-wiring connections
    MartinLogan LX16 vs MartinLogan 20i Specs Table
    Detailed comparison of specifications
    General MartinLogan Motion LX16 MartinLogan Motion 20i
    Brand MartinLogan MartinLogan
    Speaker Type Bookshelf speakers Floor-standing speaker
    Power Range 20-200 watts 20-200 watts
    Sensitivity 92 dB 90 dB
    Impedance 5 ohms 4 ohms
    Frequency Response 60-25k Hz 46-25k Hz
    Drivers
    Woofer Quantity 1 2
    Woofer Size 5.25" 5.5"
    Woofer Composition Aluminum Aluminum
    Woofer Surround Material Rubber Rubber
    Tweeter Size 1.0 x 1.4" 1.0 x 1.4"
    Tweeter Type Folded Motion Folded Motion
    Aimable Tweeter No No
    Midrange Driver No No
    Crossover Frequency 2700Hz 500Hz and 2600Hz
    Firing Direction rear rear
    Suggested Break-in Period Allow 72 hours of break-in at 90 dB Allow 72 hours of break-in at 90 dB
    Physical Specs
    Height 280.0mm (11") 905.0mm (35.6")
    Width 165.0mm (6.5") 175.0mm (6.9")
    Depth 242.0mm (9.5") 307.0mm (12.1")
    Weight 5.40kg (11.9lbs) 15.00kg (33lbs)
    Enclosure Bass Reflex Bass Reflex
    Finish Piano Lacquer MDF/Lacquer
    Available Colors Cherry (dark) Gloss Black, Matt White, Red Walnut
    Mounting Bracket 3/18-16 threaded insert No
    Recommended Stand Height 28-31" n/a
    Grille Yes Yes
    Moisture Resistancy No No
    Connections
    Biamp Inputs No Yes
    Other
    Parts Warranty 5 Yrs w/Registration 5 Years
    Labor Warranty 5 Yrs w/Registration 5 Years

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