In this review, we will be comparing two different types of speakers by MartinLogan. MartinLogan Motion® XT B100 is a Bookshelf speaker whereas the Motion XT F200 is a Floor-standing speaker.
Let's have a brief look at the main features
of MartinLogan Motion XT B100 and MartinLogan Motion XT F200 first before getting into our more
detailed comparison.
| Key Specs | MartinLogan Motion XT B100 | MartinLogan Motion XT F200 |
|---|
| Design | 2-way | 3-way |
|---|
| Tweeter | 1.25 x 2.4" Folded Motion XT | 1.25 x 2.4" Folded Motion XT |
|---|
| Midrange | — | 6.5" |
|---|
| Woofer | 6.5" Kevlar | 3 x 8" Aluminum |
|---|
| Frequency response | 45-25k Hz | 27-25k Hz |
|---|
| Sensitivity | 93 dB | 92 dB |
|---|
| Impedance | 4 ohms | 4 ohms |
|---|
| Power range | 20-250 watts | 20-600 watts |
|---|
| Weight | 9.30kg / 20.5lbs | 39.00kg / 85.8lbs |
|---|
| Dimensions (H x W x D) | 14-1/2" x 8" x 12-1/2"
368 x 203 x 318mm | 50-3/4" x 13-3/4" x 16-1/2"
1289 x 349 x 419mm |
|---|
Motion XT B100 and Motion XT F200 are members of MartinLogan's Motion XT series of speakers. Below you can find the loudspeakers from this series.
MartinLogan Motion XT Series
History
What size room are the MartinLogan Motion XT B100 and MartinLogan Motion XT F200 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 XT B100 |
MartinLogan Motion XT F200 |
| Near-field |
Poor |
Are you nuts? |
| Small Room |
Poor |
Poor |
| Mid-size Room |
Good |
Average |
| Large Room |
Good |
Good |
| Very Large Room |
Average |
Good |
(* 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.
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through our links. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.
Drivers
One of the fundamental differences between these two speakers is that Motion XT B100 is a 2-way design whereas the Motion XT F200 is a 3-way speaker. 3-way designs utilize a midrange driver in addition to the tweeter and woofer on 2-way designs. Designing a crossover for a 3-way speaker is a complicated process and generally increases the overall cost of the speaker.
MartinLogan Motion XT B100MartinLogan Motion XT F200
MidrangeWoofer
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 XT B100 |
MartinLogan Motion XT F200 |
|
Driver Setup
|
2-way
|
3-way
|
|
Tweeter
|
1.25 x 2.4-inch
|
1.25 x 2.4-inch
|
|
Midrange
|
- |
1 x 6.5-inch |
|
Woofer
|
1 x 6.5-inch
|
3 x 8-inch
|
Motion XT B100 features a 1.25 x 2.4" Folded Motion XT Tweeter and 1 x 6.5" Kevlar Woofer with a Crossover frequency at 2600Hz. On the other hand, the Motion XT F200 features a 1.25 x 2.4" Folded Motion XT Tweeter, a 6.5" Midrange and 3 x 8" Aluminum Woofer with a Crossover frequency at 300Hz and 2600Hz.
Frequency Response
Motion XT B100 has a frequency range of 45-25k Hz whereas Motion XT F200 has a frequency range of 27-25k Hz. With a minimum frequency of 27Hz, the Motion XT F200 can go significantly deeper on the low side and provide stronger bass compared to the Motion XT B100's min frequency of 45Hz.
The graph below depicts how these two speakers compare with the max, min and average Low Frequency values of other speakers in the Bookshelf class in our database.
Low Frequency
Bookshelf 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 XT B100 and Motion XT F200 have the same Impedance of 4 ohms but where they differ is the sensitivity levels. Motion XT B100 sensitivity is rated at 93 dB and the Motion XT F200's is at 92 dB. This 1 dB difference makes the MartinLogan Motion XT B100 a more sensitive speaker compared to MartinLogan Motion XT F200, hence will play louder with the same amount of watts.
One thing to keep in mind that the lower impedance speakers, especially the ones that are rated at 4 ohms may put more pressure on the amplifier unit comared to higher impedance speakers especially at high volume levels, so make sure the amp you pair with the Motion XT B100 and the Motion XT B100 can provide this impedance level.
Sensitivity
Bookshelf 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 XT F200 can handle a max power of 600 watts RMS, whereas Motion XT B100 has a max power handling value of 250 watts RMS, 350 watts less than the Motion XT F200.
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 XT B100
MartinLogan Motion XT F200
Input Type and Bi-Amping / Bi-Wiring
Both Motion XT B100 and Motion XT F200 features dual binding post speaker terminals for bi-amping or bi-wiring.
MartinLogan Motion XT B100's Custom 5-way bi-wire tool-less binding posts terminals allows Bi-amping or bi-wiring
MartinLogan Motion XT F200's Custom 5-way bi-wire tool-less binding posts terminals allows Bi-amping or bi-wiring
Cabinet Type and Port Position
Motion XT B100 has a rear firing port whereas Motion XT F200 has a bottom firing ports. MartinLogan Motion XT F200's bottom-firing port gives more flexibility in placement in regards to proximity to walls compared to MartinLogan Motion XT B100 with its rear-firing port.
New
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 XT B100's and MartinLogan Motion XT F200's external dimensions. MartinLogan Motion XT B100 has external dimensions of 368 x 203 x 318mm (14-1/2-inch x 8inch x 12-1/2inch) whereas MartinLogan Motion XT F200 has external dimensions of 1289 x 349 x 419mm (50-3/4inch x 13-3/4inch x 16-1/2inch).
MartinLogan Motion XT F200 is clearly the larger of the two speakers. Its body is 146mm wider, 921mm taller and 101mm deeper than MartinLogan Motion XT B100.
Below you can see the front view size comparison of MartinLogan Motion XT B100 and MartinLogan Motion XT F200 in scale.
Comparison image of MartinLogan Motion XT B100 and MartinLogan Motion XT F200 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 XT B100 is approximately 645.5cm2 / 100.1inch2 and base area of the MartinLogan Motion XT F200 is approximately 1462.3cm2 / 226.7inch2. The Motion XT B100 requires 56% less surface area than the Motion XT F200 which gives it a small advantage on placement in tight spaces.