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.
MartinLogan Motion XT CI XTW6-LCR Key Specs
- 3-way Design
- 1.27 x 2.4" Folded Motion Ribbon Tweeter
- 6.5" Midrange
- 2 x 6.5" Kevlar Woofer
- 44-25kHz Frequency Response
- 93 dB Sensitivity
- Impedance: 8ohms
- Power Range:50-150watts
- Dimensions (H x W x D): 686.0" x 6.6250" x 3.5625"( 686.0 x 169.0 x 91.0mm )
Focal 300 IW6 LCR Key Specs
- 3-way Design
- 1" Inverted Hard-Dome Tweeter
- 2 x 6.5" Flax Woofer
- 40-28kHz Frequency Response
- 92 dB Sensitivity
- Impedance: 8ohms
- Power Range:50-150watts
- Dimensions (H x W x D): 572.0" 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.)
In the following sections, we will get into more detail in order to better understand how the MartinLogan Motion XT CI XTW6-LCR and Focal 300 IW6 LCR 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
Both Motion XT CI XTW6-LCR and 300 IW6 LCR are 3-way speakers.
| 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 |
- |
|
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 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.
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 In-wall class in our database.
Low Frequency
In-wall Speakers
High Frequency
In-wall Speakers
MartinLogan Motion XT CI XTW6-LCR
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 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. 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 CI XTW6-LCR and 300 IW6 LCR has the same power range of 50-150 watts.
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
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
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 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.
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 loudspeakerGrilleT20 torx-bitUser-feets ManualCutout 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 speaker1 metal-mesh grill (white)23.5
Sensitivity 
Base Surface Area 
Low Frequency Response 
High Frequency Response 
Height 
Price per pair*