MartinLogan Motion XT C100 vs MartinLogan Motion XT CI XTW5-LCR Comparison

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MartinLogan Motion XT C100

Passive Center Channel | 42-25k Hz

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MartinLogan Motion XT CI XTW5-LCR

Passive In-wall | 61-25kHz

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MartinLogan Motion XT C100 vs MartinLogan Motion XT CI XTW5-LCR Speaker Comparison

In this review, we will be comparing two different types of speakers by MartinLogan. MartinLogan Motion® XT C100 is a Center Channel speaker whereas the Motion XT CI XTW5-LCR is a In-wall speaker.

Let's have a brief look at the main features of MartinLogan Motion XT C100 and MartinLogan Motion XT CI XTW5-LCR first before getting into our more detailed comparison.

Key Specs	MartinLogan Motion XT C100	MartinLogan Motion XT CI XTW5-LCR
Design	2-way	2-way
Tweeter	1.25 x 2.4" Folded Motion XT	1.27 x 2.4" Folded Motion Ribbon
Woofer	2 x 6.5" Aluminum	2 x 5.25" Kevlar
Frequency response	42-25k Hz	61-25kHz
Sensitivity	93 dB	92 dB
Impedance	5 ohms	8 ohms
Power range	20-300 watts	50-125 watts
Weight	15.40kg / 33.9lbs	—
Dimensions (H x W x D)	8" x 24" x 14-1/2" 203 x 610 x 368mm	6.5000" x 14.5000" x 3.3125" 166.0 x 369.0 x 85.0mm

Motion XT C100 and Motion XT CI XTW5-LCR are members of MartinLogan's Motion XT series of speakers. Below you can find the loudspeakers from this series.

MartinLogan Motion XT Series History

Model	Body	Frequency	Sensitivity	Impedance	Woofer
MartinLogan Motion XT F200	Floor-standing	27-25k Hz	92 dB	4Ω	3 x 8"
MartinLogan Motion XT B100	Bookshelf	45-25k Hz	93 dB	4Ω	1 x 6.5"
MartinLogan Motion XT F100	Floor-standing	31-25k Hz	92 dB	4Ω	3 x 6.5"
MartinLogan Motion XT C100	Center Channel	42-25k Hz	93 dB	5Ω	2 x 6.5"
MartinLogan Motion XT CI XTW6-LCR	In-wall	44-25kHz	93 dB	8Ω	2 x 6.5"
MartinLogan Motion XT CI XTW5-LCR	In-wall	61-25kHz	92 dB	8Ω	2 x 5.25"
MartinLogan Motion XT CI XTW6	In-wall	56-25kHz	91 dB	8Ω	1 x 6.5"

What size room are the MartinLogan Motion XT C100 and MartinLogan Motion XT CI XTW5-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 XT C100	MartinLogan Motion XT CI XTW5-LCR
Near-field	Poor	Poor
Small Room	Poor	Average
Mid-size Room	Good	Good
Large Room	Good	Average
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.

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

Drivers

Both Motion XT C100 and Motion XT CI XTW5-LCR are 2-way speakers.

MartinLogan Motion XT C100

MartinLogan Motion XT CI XTW5-LCR

Woofer

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 C100	MartinLogan Motion XT CI XTW5-LCR
Driver Setup	2-way	2-way
Tweeter	1.25 x 2.4-inch	1.27 x 2.4-inch
Midrange	-	-
Woofer	2 x 6.5-inch	2 x 5.25-inch

Motion XT C100 features a 1.25 x 2.4" Folded Motion XT Tweeter and 2 x 6.5" Aluminum Woofer with a Crossover frequency at 1300Hz and 2500Hz. On the other hand, the Motion XT CI XTW5-LCR features a 1.27 x 2.4" Folded Motion Ribbon Tweeter and 2 x 5.25" Kevlar Woofer.

Frequency Response

Motion XT C100 has a frequency range of 42-25k Hz whereas Motion XT CI XTW5-LCR has a frequency range of 61-25kHz. With a minimum frequency of 42Hz, the Motion XT C100 can go significantly deeper on the low side and provide stronger bass compared to the Motion XT CI XTW5-LCR's min frequency of 61Hz.

The graph below depicts how these two speakers compare with the max, min and average Low Frequency values of other speakers in the Center Channel class in our database.

Low Frequency

Center Channel Speakers

Motion XT C100

Motion XT CI XTW5-LCR

Min

Average

Median

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 C100 is a 5 ohms speaker compared to the Motion XT CI XTW5-LCR which has a nominal impedance of 8 ohms.

These two speakers also have different sensitivity levels. Motion XT C100 sensitivity is rated at 93 dB and the Motion XT CI XTW5-LCR's is rated at 92 dB. This 1 dB difference makes the MartinLogan Motion XT C100 a more sensitive speaker compared to MartinLogan Motion XT CI XTW5-LCR, hence will play louder with the same amount of watts.

Sensitivity

Center Channel Speakers

Motion XT C100

Motion XT CI XTW5-LCR

Min

Average

Median

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 C100 can handle a max power of 300 watts RMS, whereas Motion XT CI XTW5-LCR has a max power handling value of 125 watts RMS, 175 watts less than the Motion XT C100.

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.

Amplifier — change this

Distance

Playing as

MartinLogan Motion XT C100

MartinLogan Motion XT CI XTW5-LCR

Input Type and Bi-Amping / Bi-Wiring

Motion XT C100 features Custom 5-way bi-wire tool-less binding posts posts which make bi-amping or bi-wiring possible. Motion XT CI XTW5-LCR has a Spring post which doesn't feature bi-amping/bi-wiring.

MartinLogan Motion XT C100's Custom 5-way bi-wire tool-less binding posts terminals allows Bi-amping or 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 XT C100's and MartinLogan Motion XT CI XTW5-LCR's external dimensions. MartinLogan Motion XT C100 has external dimensions of 203 x 610 x 368mm (8inch x 24inch x 14-1/2inch) whereas MartinLogan Motion XT CI XTW5-LCR has external dimensions of 166.0 x 369.0 x 85.0mm (6.5000-inch x 14.5000-inch x 3.3125-inch).

MartinLogan Motion XT C100 is clearly the larger of the two speakers. Its body is 241mm wider, 37mm taller and 283mm deeper than MartinLogan Motion XT CI XTW5-LCR.

Below you can see the front view size comparison of MartinLogan Motion XT C100 and MartinLogan Motion XT CI XTW5-LCR in scale.

Comparison image of MartinLogan Motion XT C100 and MartinLogan Motion XT CI XTW5-LCR Size and External Dimensions

What's in the Box of MartinLogan Motion XT CI XTW5-LCR?

Here are the items that come with the Motion XT CI XTW5-LCR:

In-wall LCR loudspeaker
Grille
T20 torx-bit
User-feets Manual
Cutout Template

Reasons to choose MartinLogan Motion® XT C100 over MartinLogan Motion XT CI XTW5-LCR

Max Input Power	300 watts vs 125 watts	Handle more power from your amplifier
Sensitivity	93 dB vs 92 dB	Play louder with same amount of amplification power
Woofer Size	6.5 inches vs 5.25 inches	Larger woofer
Low Frequency Response	42 Hz vs 61 Hz	Generates deeper bass
Bi-Amping and Bi-Wiring	Yes vs No	Allows bi-amping and bi-wiring connections

Reasons to choose MartinLogan Motion XT CI XTW5-LCR over MartinLogan Motion® XT C100

Nominal Impedance	8 ohms vs 5 ohms	Less selective with amplifiers
Height	166mm vs 203mm	Easier to fit in smaller spaces
Base Surface Area	313cm² vs 2244cm²	Takes less floor space
Price per pair*	2200USD vs 2998USD	costs less (*prices may change depending on the seller, location and time)

MartinLogan Motion XT C100 vs MartinLogan Motion XT CI XTW5-LCR Specs Table

Detailed comparison of specifications

General	MartinLogan Motion® XT C100	MartinLogan Motion XT CI XTW5-LCR
Brand	MartinLogan	MartinLogan
Speaker Type	Center channel speaker	Passive In-wall Speaker
Power Range	20-300 watts	50-125 watts
Sensitivity	93 dB	92 dB
Impedance	5 ohms	8 ohms
Frequency Response	42-25k Hz	61-25kHz
Drivers
Woofer Quantity	2	2
Woofer Size	6.5"	5.25"
Woofer Composition	Aluminum	Kevlar
Woofer Surround Material	Rubber	Rubber
Tweeter Size	1.25 x 2.4"	1.27 x 2.4"
Tweeter Type	Folded Motion XT	Folded Motion Ribbon
Aimable Tweeter	No	Yes
Midrange Driver	No	No
Crossover Frequency	1300Hz and 2500Hz	n/a
Firing Direction	rear	n/a
Suggested Break-in Period	Allow 72 hours of break-in	n/a
Physical Specs
Height	203.0mm (8")	166.0mm (6.5")
Width	610.0mm (24")	369.0mm (14.5")
Depth	368.0mm (14.5")	85.0mm (3.3")
Weight	15.40kg (33.9lbs)	n/a
Enclosure	Bass Reflex	In-wall
Finish	MDF/Wood veneer	n/a
Available Colors	Gloss Black, Walnut, and Satin White	n/a
Grille	Yes	n/a
Moisture Resistancy	No	No
Connections
Biamp Inputs	Yes	No
Other
Parts Warranty	5 Years	5 Years
Labor Warranty	5 Years	5 Years

Verdict

Siblings in MartinLogan's Motion XT series, so they share a family sound. It comes down to size, output and price.

Area	Better	Why
Bass	A	MartinLogan Motion XT C100 digs deeper - 42Hz against 61Hz.
Amplifier needs	evenly matched	Similar sensitivity (93dB vs 92dB) - both want much the same power.
Amplifier match	B	MartinLogan Motion XT CI XTW5-LCR is the easier load at 8 ohms.
Headroom	A	MartinLogan Motion XT C100 takes more power (300W vs 125W) - more in hand in a big room.
Size	depends	MartinLogan Motion XT CI XTW5-LCR is easier to place; MartinLogan Motion XT C100 is bigger, which usually goes with fuller bass. Your room decides.
Type	depends	A Passive Center Channel against a Passive In-wall - a different job rather than a better one.
Cabinet	depends	Ported vs In-wall.
Expandability	A	MartinLogan Motion XT C100: bi-amping.
Price	B	MartinLogan Motion XT CI XTW5-LCR is cheaper - $2,200 against $2,998, about 27% less.

A MartinLogan Motion XT C100 B MartinLogan Motion XT CI XTW5-LCR
depends neither is better in the abstract - it turns on your room, placement 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?

The usual trade-off: MartinLogan Motion XT C100 measures better, MartinLogan Motion XT CI XTW5-LCR costs about 27% less. Whether that gap is worth the money is the call only you can make - and in a normal room it is often smaller than the numbers suggest. If a subwoofer is in your plans, the bass gap largely stops mattering - you would be crossing over above 61Hz anyway, which makes the cheaper MartinLogan Motion XT CI XTW5-LCR much easier to justify. Match it to your room: we rate MartinLogan Motion XT C100 the better fit for a large room and a very large room, and MartinLogan Motion XT CI XTW5-LCR for a small 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.