In this review, we will be comparing two different types of speakers by MartinLogan. MartinLogan Motion XT CI XTW5-LCR is a In-wall speaker whereas the Motion XT B100 is a Bookshelf speaker.
Let's have a brief look at the main features
of MartinLogan Motion XT CI XTW5-LCR and MartinLogan Motion XT B100 first before getting into our more
detailed comparison.
| Key Specs | MartinLogan Motion XT CI XTW5-LCR | MartinLogan Motion XT B100 |
|---|
| Design | 2-way | 2-way |
|---|
| Tweeter | 1.27 x 2.4" Folded Motion Ribbon | 1.25 x 2.4" Folded Motion XT |
|---|
| Woofer | 2 x 5.25" Kevlar | 6.5" Kevlar |
|---|
| Frequency response | 61-25kHz | 45-25k Hz |
|---|
| Sensitivity | 92 dB | 93 dB |
|---|
| Impedance | 8 ohms | 4 ohms |
|---|
| Power range | 50-125 watts | 20-250 watts |
|---|
| Weight | — | 9.30kg / 20.5lbs |
|---|
| Dimensions (H x W x D) | 6.5000" x 14.5000" x 3.3125"
166.0 x 369.0 x 85.0mm | 14-1/2" x 8" x 12-1/2"
368 x 203 x 318mm |
|---|
Motion XT CI XTW5-LCR and Motion XT B100 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 CI XTW5-LCR and MartinLogan Motion XT B100 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 |
MartinLogan Motion XT B100 |
| Near-field |
Poor |
Poor |
| Small Room |
Average |
Poor |
| Mid-size Room |
Good |
Good |
| Large Room |
Average |
Good |
| Very Large Room |
Poor |
Average |
(* 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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Drivers
Both Motion XT CI XTW5-LCR and Motion XT B100 are 2-way speakers.
MartinLogan Motion XT CI XTW5-LCRMartinLogan Motion XT B100
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 CI XTW5-LCR |
MartinLogan Motion XT B100 |
|
Driver Setup
|
2-way
|
2-way
|
|
Tweeter
|
1.27 x 2.4-inch
|
1.25 x 2.4-inch
|
|
Midrange
|
- |
- |
|
Woofer
|
2 x 5.25-inch
|
1 x 6.5-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 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.
Frequency Response
Motion XT CI XTW5-LCR has a frequency range of 61-25kHz whereas Motion XT B100 has a frequency range of 45-25k Hz. With a minimum frequency of 45Hz, the Motion XT B100 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
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 is a 8 ohms speaker compared to the Motion XT B100 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 B100 can provide this impedance level.
These two speakers also have different sensitivity levels. Motion XT CI XTW5-LCR sensitivity is rated at 92 dB and the Motion XT B100's is rated at 93 dB. This 1 dB difference makes the MartinLogan Motion XT B100 a more sensitive speaker compared to MartinLogan Motion XT CI XTW5-LCR, hence will play louder with the same amount of watts.
Sensitivity
In-wall 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 B100 can handle a max power of 250 watts RMS, whereas Motion XT CI XTW5-LCR has a max power handling value of 125 watts RMS, 125 watts less than the Motion XT B100.
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 CI XTW5-LCR
MartinLogan Motion XT B100
Input Type and Bi-Amping / Bi-Wiring
Motion XT B100 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 B100'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 CI XTW5-LCR's and MartinLogan Motion XT B100'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 MartinLogan Motion XT B100 has external dimensions of 368 x 203 x 318mm (14-1/2-inch x 8inch x 12-1/2inch).
MartinLogan Motion XT CI XTW5-LCR is 202mm shorter and 233mm less deeper than MartinLogan Motion XT B100 but it is also 166mm wider.
Below you can see the front view size comparison of MartinLogan Motion XT CI XTW5-LCR and MartinLogan Motion XT B100 in scale.
Comparison image of MartinLogan Motion XT CI XTW5-LCR and MartinLogan Motion XT B100 Size and External Dimensions
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