In this review, we will be comparing Motion XT CI XTW6-LCR and 300 IW6 LCR, two Passive In-wall speakers from MartinLogan and Focal.
Let's have a brief look at the main features
of MartinLogan Motion XT CI XTW6-LCR and Focal 300 IW6 LCR first before getting into our more
detailed comparison.
| Key Specs | MartinLogan Motion XT CI XTW6-LCR | Focal 300 IW6 LCR |
|---|
| Brand | MartinLogan
United States · founded 1982 | Focal
France · founded 1979 |
|---|
| Design | 3-way | 3-way |
|---|
| Tweeter | 1.27 x 2.4" Folded Motion Ribbon | 1" Inverted Hard-Dome |
|---|
| Midrange | 6.5" | 4" |
|---|
| Woofer | 2 x 6.5" Kevlar | 2 x 6.5" Flax |
|---|
| Frequency response | 44-25kHz | 40-28kHz |
|---|
| Sensitivity | 93 dB | 92 dB |
|---|
| Impedance | 8 ohms | 8 ohms |
|---|
| Power range | 50-150 watts | 50-150 watts |
|---|
| Weight | — | 5.62kg / 12.4lbs |
|---|
| Dimensions (H x W x D) | 27.0000" x 6.6250" x 3.5625"
686.0 x 169.0 x 91.0mm | 22.5000" x 7.5000" x 4.0000"
572.0 x 191.0 x 102.0mm |
|---|
What size room are the MartinLogan Motion XT CI XTW6-LCR and Focal 300 IW6 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 CI XTW6-LCR |
Focal 300 IW6 LCR |
| Near-field |
Poor |
Poor |
| Small Room |
Average |
Average |
| Mid-size Room |
Good |
Good |
| Large Room |
Average |
Average |
| Very Large Room |
Poor |
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.
Drivers
Both Motion XT CI XTW6-LCR and 300 IW6 LCR are 3-way speakers.
MartinLogan Motion XT CI XTW6-LCRFocal 300 IW6 LCR
TweeterMidrangeWoofer
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 XTW6-LCR |
Focal 300 IW6 LCR |
|
Driver Setup
|
3-way
|
3-way
|
|
Tweeter
|
1.27 x 2.4-inch
|
1-inch
|
|
Midrange
|
1 x 6.5-inch |
1 x 4-inch |
|
Woofer
|
2 x 6.5-inch
|
2 x 6.5-inch
|
Motion XT CI XTW6-LCR features a 1.27 x 2.4" Folded Motion Ribbon Tweeter, a 6.5" Midrange and 2 x 6.5" Kevlar Woofer. On the other hand, the 300 IW6 LCR features a 1" Inverted Hard-Dome Tweeter, a 4" Midrange and 2 x 6.5" Flax Woofer.
Frequency Response
Motion XT CI XTW6-LCR has a frequency range of 44-25kHz whereas 300 IW6 LCR has a frequency range of 40-28kHz. With a minimum frequency of 40Hz, the 300 IW6 LCR can go slightly deeper then the Motion XT CI XTW6-LCR's min frequency of 44Hz.
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 XTW6-LCR and 300 IW6 LCR have the same Impedance of 8 ohms but where they differ is the sensitivity levels. Motion XT CI XTW6-LCR sensitivity is rated at 93 dB and the 300 IW6 LCR's is at 92 dB. This 1 dB difference makes the MartinLogan Motion XT CI XTW6-LCR a more sensitive speaker compared to Focal 300 IW6 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 CI XTW6-LCR and 300 IW6 LCR have the same power range of 50-150 watts.
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 XTW6-LCR
Input Type and Bi-Amping / Bi-Wiring
Motion XT CI XTW6-LCR features Spring post type posts and 300 IW6 LCR 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 XTW6-LCR's and Focal 300 IW6 LCR's external dimensions. MartinLogan Motion XT CI XTW6-LCR has external dimensions of 686.0 x 169.0 x 91.0mm (27.0000-inch x 6.6250-inch x 3.5625-inch) whereas Focal 300 IW6 LCR has external dimensions of 572.0 x 191.0 x 102.0mm (22.5000-inch x 7.5000-inch x 4.0000-inch).
MartinLogan Motion XT CI XTW6-LCR is 22mm narrower and 11mm less deeper than Focal 300 IW6 LCR but it is also 114mm taller.
Below you can see the front view size comparison of MartinLogan Motion XT CI XTW6-LCR and Focal 300 IW6 LCR in scale.
Comparison image of MartinLogan Motion XT CI XTW6-LCR and Focal 300 IW6 LCR Size and External Dimensions
What's in the Box of MartinLogan Motion XT CI XTW6-LCR?
Here are the items that are included inside the box of Motion XT CI XTW6-LCR:
- In-wall LCR loudspeaker
- Grille
- T20 torx-bit
- User-feets Manual
- Cutout Template
What's in the Box of Focal 300 IW6 LCR?
Here are the items that come with the 300 IW6 LCR:
- One in-wall speaker
- 1 metal-mesh grill (white)
- 23.5