In this review, we will be comparing two different type of speakers by MartinLogan. MartinLogan Motion® XT C100 is a Center Channel speaker whereas the Motion XT F100 is a Floor-standing speaker.
Let's have a brief look at the main features
of MartinLogan Motion XT C100 and MartinLogan Motion XT F100 first before getting into our more
detailed comparison.
MartinLogan Motion XT C100 Key Specs
- 2-way Design
- 1.25 x 2.4" Folded Motion XT Tweeter
- 2 x 6.5" Aluminum Woofer
- 42-25k Hz Frequency Response
- 93 dB Sensitivity
- Impedance: 5ohms
- Power Range:20-300watts
- Weight:15.40kg
- Dimensions (H x W x D): 203.0" x 24" x 14-1/2"( 203 x 610 x 368mm )
MartinLogan Motion XT F100 Key Specs
- 3-way Design
- 1.25 x 2.4" Folded Motion XT Tweeter
- 6.5" Midrange
- 3 x 6.5" Aluminum Woofer
- 6.5" Midrange
- 31-25k Hz Frequency Response
- 92 dB Sensitivity
- Impedance: 4ohms
- Power Range:20-450watts
- Weight:34.50kg
- Dimensions (H x W x D): 1213.0" x 12-1/2" x 15"( 1213 x 318 x 381mm )
Motion XT C100 and Motion XT F100 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 C100 and MartinLogan Motion XT F100 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 F100 |
| 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.)
In the following sections, we will get into more detail in order to better understand how the MartinLogan Motion XT C100 and MartinLogan Motion XT F100 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
One of the fundamental differences between these two speakers is that Motion XT C100 is a 2-way design whereas the Motion XT F100 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.
| Driver |
MartinLogan Motion XT C100 |
MartinLogan Motion XT F100 |
|
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
|
2 x 6.5-inch
|
3 x 6.5-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 F100 features a 1.25 x 2.4" Folded Motion XT Tweeter , a 6.5" Midrange and 3 x 6.5" Aluminum Woofer with a Crossover frequency at 280Hz and 2600Hz.
Frequency Response
Motion XT C100 has a frequency range of 42-25k Hz whereas Motion XT F100 has a frequency range of 31-25k Hz. With a minimum frequency of 31Hz, the Motion XT F100 can go significantly deeper on the low side and provide stronger bass compared to the Motion XT C100's min frequency of 42Hz.
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 Center Channel class in our database.
Low Frequency
Center Channel Speakers
High Frequency
Center Channel Speakers
MartinLogan Motion XT C100
MartinLogan Motion XT F100
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 XT C100 is a 5 ohms speaker compared to the Motion XT F100 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 XT F100 can provide this impedance level.
These two speakers also have different sensitivity levels. Motion XT C100 sensitivity is rated at 93 dB and the Motion XT F100'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 F100, hence will play louder with the same amount of watts.
Sensitivity
Center Channel 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 XT C100 can handle a max power of 450 watts RMS from the amp the whereas Motion XT C100 has a max power handling value of 300 watts RMS , 150 watts less than the Motion XT F100.
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 XT C100 and Motion XT F100 features dual binding post speaker terminals for bi-amping or bi-wiring.
MartinLogan Motion XT C100's Custom 5-way bi-wire tool-less binding posts terminals allows Bi-amping or bi-wiring
MartinLogan Motion XT F100's Custom 5-way bi-wire tool-less binding posts terminals allows Bi-amping or bi-wiring
Cabinet Type and Port Position
Motion XT C100 has a rear firing port whereas Motion XT F100 has a bottom firing ports. MartinLogan Motion XT F100's bottom-firing port gives more flexibility in placement in regards to proximity to walls compared to MartinLogan Motion XT C100 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 XT C100's and MartinLogan Motion XT F100'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 F100 has external dimensions of 1213 x 318 x 381mm ( 47-3/4inch x 12-1/2inch x 15inch ) .
MartinLogan Motion XT C100 is 1010mm shorter and 13mm less deeper than MartinLogan Motion XT F100 but it is also 292mm wider.
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 C100 is approximately 2244.8cm2 / 347.9inch2 and base area of the MartinLogan Motion XT F100 is approximately 1211.6cm2 / 187.8inch2. The Motion XT C100 requires 85% more surface area than the Motion XT F100 which gives it a small disadvantage on placement in tight spaces.
Sensitivity 
Nominal Impedance 
Height 
Price per pair* 
Max Input Power 
Driver Setup 
Number of Woofers 
Base Surface Area