In this review, we will be comparing Motion XT CI XTW6 and CWM7.4 S2, two Passive In-wall speakers from MartinLogan and Bowers Wilkins. Let's have a brief look at the main features
of MartinLogan Motion XT CI XTW6 and B&W CWM7.4 S2 first before getting into our more
detailed comparison.
What size room are the MartinLogan Motion XT CI XTW6 and B&W CWM7.4 S2 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:
In the following sections, we will get into more detail in order to better understand how the MartinLogan Motion XT CI XTW6 and B&W CWM7.4 S2 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 CI XTW6 is a 2-way design whereas the CWM7.4 S2 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 CI XTW6 |
B&W CWM7.4 S2 |
Driver Setup
|
2-way
|
3-way
|
Tweeter
|
1.27 x 2.4-inch
|
1-inch
|
Midrange
|
- |
- |
Woofer
|
1 x 6.5-inch
|
4 x 4-inch
|
Motion XT CI XTW6 features a 1.27 x 2.4" Folded Motion Ribbon Tweeter and 1 x 6.5" Kevlar Woofer . On the other hand, the CWM7.4 S2 features a 1" Soft-Dome Tweeter and 4 x 4" Aramid fiber/paper cone Woofer .
Frequency Response
Motion XT CI XTW6 has a frequency range of 56-25kHz whereas CWM7.4 S2 has a frequency range of 45-28kHz. With a minimum frequency of 45Hz, the CWM7.4 S2 can go significantly deeper on the low side and provide stronger bass compared to the Motion XT CI XTW6's min frequency of 56Hz.
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
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 and CWM7.4 S2 have the same Impedance of 8 ohms but where they differ is the sensitivity levels. Motion XT CI XTW6 sensitivity is rated at 91 dB and the CWM7.4 S2's is at 86 dB. This 5 dB difference makes the MartinLogan Motion XT CI XTW6 a more sensitive speaker compared to B&W CWM7.4 S2, 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 can handle a max power of 150 watts RMS from the amp the whereas Motion XT CI XTW6 has a max power handling value of 100 watts RMS , 50 watts less than the CWM7.4 S2.
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 features Spring post type posts and CWM7.4 S2 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's and B&W CWM7.4 S2's external dimensions. MartinLogan Motion XT CI XTW6 has external dimensions of 258.0 x 178.0 x 88.0mm ( 10.1250-inch x 7.0000-inch x 3.4375-inch) whereas B&W CWM7.4 S2 has external dimensions of 597.0 x 148.0 x 94.0mm ( 23.5000-inch x 5.8125-inch x 3.6875-inch) .
MartinLogan Motion XT CI XTW6 is 339mm shorter and 6mm less deeper than B&W CWM7.4 S2 but it is also 30mm wider.
What's in the Box of MartinLogan Motion XT CI XTW6?
Here are the items that are included inside the box of Motion XT CI XTW6:
In-wall loudspeakerGrilleT20 torx-bitUser-feets ManualCutout Template
What's in the Box of B&W CWM7.4 S2?
Here are the items that come with the CWM7.4 S2:
In-wall loudspeakerMounting frameGrillePaint shieldCutout TemplateInstallation InstructionsWarranty Information