MartinLogan Motion XT CI XTW5-LCR vs Definitive UIW RLS III Comparison

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MartinLogan Motion XT CI XTW5-LCR

Passive In-wall | 61-25kHz

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Definitive UIW RLS III

Passive In-wall | 24-30kHz

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MartinLogan Motion X...

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Definitive UIW RLS I...

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MartinLogan Motion X...

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MartinLogan Motion XT CI XTW5-LCR vs Definitive UIW RLS III Speaker Comparison

In this review, we will be comparing Motion XT CI XTW5-LCR and UIW RLS III, two Passive In-wall speakers from MartinLogan and Definitive Technology.

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

Key Specs	MartinLogan Motion XT CI XTW5-LCR	Definitive UIW RLS III
Brand	MartinLogan United States · founded 1982	Definitive Technology United States · founded 1990
Design	2-way	2-way
Tweeter	1.27 x 2.4" Folded Motion Ribbon	1" Hard-Dome
Woofer	2 x 5.25" Kevlar	2 x 5.25" Polypropylene
Frequency response	61-25kHz	24-30kHz
Sensitivity	92 dB	92 dB
Impedance	8 ohms	8 ohms
Power range	50-125 watts	10-325 watts
Dimensions (H x W x D)	6.5000" x 14.5000" x 3.3125" 166.0 x 369.0 x 85.0mm	23.7500" x 5.8750" x 3.8750" 604.0 x 150.0 x 99.0mm

What size room are the MartinLogan Motion XT CI XTW5-LCR and Definitive UIW RLS III 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 CI XTW5-LCR	Definitive UIW RLS III
Near-field	Poor	Are you nuts?
Small Room	Average	Bad
Mid-size Room	Good	Poor
Large Room	Average	Good
Very Large Room	Poor	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.

Drivers

Both Motion XT CI XTW5-LCR and UIW RLS III are 2-way speakers.

MartinLogan Motion XT CI XTW5-LCR

Definitive UIW RLS III

TweeterWoofer

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 CI XTW5-LCR	Definitive UIW RLS III
Driver Setup	2-way	2-way
Tweeter	1.27 x 2.4-inch	1-inch
Midrange	-	-
Woofer	2 x 5.25-inch	2 x 5.25-inch

Motion XT CI XTW5-LCR features a 1.27 x 2.4" Folded Motion Ribbon Tweeter and 2 x 5.25" Kevlar Woofer. On the other hand, the UIW RLS III features a 1" Hard-Dome Tweeter and 2 x 5.25" Polypropylene Woofer.

Frequency Response

Motion XT CI XTW5-LCR has a frequency range of 61-25kHz whereas UIW RLS III has a frequency range of 24-30kHz. With a minimum frequency of 24Hz, the UIW RLS III 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 In-wall class in our database.

Low Frequency

In-wall Speakers

Motion XT CI XTW5-LCR

UIW RLS III

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 CI XTW5-LCR and UIW RLS III have the same Impedance of 8 ohms and their sensitivity is also same at 92 dB.

Sensitivity

In-wall Speakers

Motion XT CI XTW5-LCR

UIW RLS III

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.

UIW RLS III can handle a max power of 325 watts RMS, whereas Motion XT CI XTW5-LCR has a max power handling value of 125 watts RMS, 200 watts less than the UIW RLS III.

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 CI XTW5-LCR

Definitive UIW RLS III

Input Type and Bi-Amping / Bi-Wiring

Motion XT CI XTW5-LCR features Spring post type posts and UIW RLS III has a Spring post type posts. None of these speakers feature bi-amping/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 CI XTW5-LCR's and Definitive UIW RLS III's external dimensions. 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) whereas Definitive UIW RLS III has external dimensions of 604.0 x 150.0 x 99.0mm (23.7500-inch x 5.8750-inch x 3.8750-inch).

MartinLogan Motion XT CI XTW5-LCR is 438mm shorter and 14mm less deeper than Definitive UIW RLS III but it is also 219mm wider.

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

Here are the items that are included inside the box of Motion XT CI XTW5-LCR:

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

What's in the Box of Definitive UIW RLS III?

Here are the items that come with the UIW RLS III:

In-wall loudspeaker
Grille
Self-adhesive foam gasket
Paint mask
Wall-Mount Template
Owners Manual
Online Product Registration Card

Reasons to choose MartinLogan Motion XT CI XTW5-LCR over Definitive Technology UIW RLS III

Height	166mm vs 604mm	Easier to fit in smaller spaces

Reasons to choose Definitive Technology UIW RLS III over MartinLogan Motion XT CI XTW5-LCR

Max Input Power	325 watts vs 125 watts	Handle more power from your amplifier
Low Frequency Response	24 Hz vs 61 Hz	Generates deeper bass
High Frequency Response	30k Hz vs 25k Hz	Generates higher frequency
Passive Radiator	2 x 5.25-inch vs None	Increases the bass performance
Base Surface Area	148cm² vs 313cm²	Takes less floor space
Price per pair*	1398USD vs 2200USD	costs less (*prices may change depending on the seller, location and time)

MartinLogan Motion XT CI XTW5-LCR vs Definitive UIW RLS III Specs Table

Detailed comparison of specifications

General	MartinLogan Motion XT CI XTW5-LCR	Definitive Technology UIW RLS III
Brand	MartinLogan	Definitive Technology
Speaker Type	Passive In-wall Speaker	Passive In-wall Speaker
Power Range	50-125 watts	10-325 watts
Sensitivity	92 dB	92 dB
Impedance	8 ohms	8 ohms
Frequency Response	61-25kHz	24-30kHz
Drivers
Woofer Quantity	2	2
Woofer Size	5.25"	5.25"
Woofer Composition	Kevlar	Polypropylene
Woofer Surround Material	Rubber	Butyl Rubber
Tweeter Size	1.27 x 2.4"	1"
Tweeter Type	Folded Motion Ribbon	Hard-Dome
Aimable Tweeter	Yes	No
Midrange Driver	No	No
Physical Specs
Height	166.0mm (6.5")	604.0mm (23.8")
Width	369.0mm (14.5")	150.0mm (5.9")
Depth	85.0mm (3.3")	99.0mm (3.9")
Enclosure	In-wall	In-wall
Moisture Resistancy	No	Yes
Connections
Biamp Inputs	No	No
Other
Parts Warranty	5 Years	5 Years
Labor Warranty	5 Years	5 Years

Verdict

A generation apart: MartinLogan Motion XT CI XTW5-LCR is the newer design, against a 2017 model. Newer is not automatically better, but the older one is more likely to be discounted or near run-out.

Area	Better	Why
Bass	B	Definitive UIW RLS III digs deeper - 24Hz against 61Hz.
Amplifier needs	evenly matched	Similar sensitivity (92dB vs 92dB) - both want much the same power.
Headroom	B	Definitive UIW RLS III takes more power (325W vs 125W) - more in hand in a big room.
Size	depends	MartinLogan Motion XT CI XTW5-LCR is easier to place; Definitive UIW RLS III is bigger, which usually goes with fuller bass. Your room decides.
Expandability	depends	Neither adds bi-amping, a sub output or height drivers. MartinLogan Motion XT CI XTW5-LCR sits in a wider range (7 models), so a matched surround system is easier later.
Price	B	Definitive UIW RLS III is cheaper - $1,398 against $2,200, about 36% less.

A MartinLogan Motion XT CI XTW5-LCR B Definitive UIW RLS III
depends neither is better in the abstract - it turns on your room, your system 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?

Definitive UIW RLS III is the easier recommendation: it leads on most of the measured areas and costs less. Take MartinLogan Motion XT CI XTW5-LCR if its size, looks or fit in your room suit you better. If a subwoofer is in your plans, the bass gap largely stops mattering - you would be crossing over above 61Hz anyway, so judge these on the other rows instead. Match it to your room: we rate MartinLogan Motion XT CI XTW5-LCR the better fit for a small room and a mid-size room, and Definitive UIW RLS III for a large room and a very large 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.