In this review, we will be comparing two different type of speakers by MartinLogan. MartinLogan Motion® XT F100 is a Floor-standing speaker whereas the Motion XT B100 is a Bookshelf speaker.
Let's have a brief look at the main features
of MartinLogan Motion XT F100 and MartinLogan Motion XT B100 first before getting into our more
detailed comparison.
MartinLogan Motion XT F100 Key Specs
- 3-way Design
- 1.25 x 2.4" Folded Motion XT Tweeter
- 6.5" Midrange
- 3 x 6.5" Aluminum Woofer
- 31-25k Hz Frequency Response
- 92 dB Sensitivity
- Impedance: 4ohms
- Power Range:20-450watts
- Weight:34.50kg
- Dimensions (H x W x D): 1213.0" x 12-1/2" x 15"( 1213 x 318 x 381mm )
MartinLogan Motion XT B100 Key Specs
- 2-way Design
- 1.25 x 2.4" Folded Motion XT Tweeter
- 6.5" Kevlar Woofer
- 45-25k Hz Frequency Response
- 93 dB Sensitivity
- Impedance: 4ohms
- Power Range:20-250watts
- Weight:9.30kg
- Dimensions (H x W x D): 368.0" x 8" x 12-1/2"( 368 x 203 x 318mm )
Motion XT F100 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 F100 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 F100 |
MartinLogan Motion XT B100 |
| Near-field |
Are you nuts? |
Poor |
| Small Room |
Poor |
Poor |
| Mid-size Room |
Average |
Good |
| Large Room |
Good |
Good |
| Very Large Room |
Good |
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.)
In the following sections, we will get into more detail in order to better understand how the MartinLogan Motion XT F100 and MartinLogan Motion XT B100 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 F100 is a 3-way design whereas the Motion XT B100 is a 2-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 F100 |
MartinLogan Motion XT B100 |
|
Driver Setup
|
3-way
|
2-way
|
|
Tweeter
|
1.25 x 2.4-inch
|
1.25 x 2.4-inch
|
|
Midrange
|
1 x 6.5-inch |
- |
|
Woofer
|
3 x 6.5-inch
|
1 x 6.5-inch
|
Motion XT F100 features a 1.25 x 2.4" Folded Motion XT Tweeter , a 6.5" Midrange and 3 x 6.5" Aluminum Woofer with a Crossover frequency at 280Hz and 2600Hz. 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 F100 has a frequency range of 31-25k Hz whereas Motion XT B100 has a frequency range of 45-25k Hz. With a minimum frequency of 31Hz, the Motion XT F100 can go significantly deeper on the low side and provide stronger bass compared to the Motion XT B100's min frequency of 45Hz.
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 Floor-standing class in our database.
Low Frequency
Floor-standing Speakers
High Frequency
Floor-standing Speakers
MartinLogan Motion XT F100
MartinLogan Motion XT B100
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 F100 and Motion XT B100 have the same Impedance of 4 ohms but where they differ is the sensitivity levels. Motion XT F100 sensitivity is rated at 92 dB and the Motion XT B100's is at 93 dB. This 1 dB difference makes the MartinLogan Motion XT B100 a more sensitive speaker compared to MartinLogan Motion XT F100, hence will play louder with the same amount of watts.
One thing to keep in mind that the lower impedance speakers, especially the ones that are rated at 4 ohms may put more pressure on the amplifier unit comared to higher impedance speakers especially at high volume levels, so make sure the amp you pair with the Motion XT F100 and the Motion XT F100 can provide this impedance level.
Sensitivity
Floor-standing 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 F100 can handle a max power of 450 watts RMS from the amp the whereas Motion XT B100 has a max power handling value of 250 watts RMS, 200 watts less than the Motion XT F100.
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
Both Motion XT F100 and Motion XT B100 features dual binding post speaker terminals for bi-amping or bi-wiring.
MartinLogan Motion XT F100's Custom 5-way bi-wire tool-less binding posts terminals allows Bi-amping or bi-wiring
MartinLogan Motion XT B100's Custom 5-way bi-wire tool-less binding posts terminals allows Bi-amping or bi-wiring
Cabinet Type and Port Position
Motion XT F100 has a bottom firing port whereas Motion XT B100 has a rear firing ports. MartinLogan Motion XT F100's bottom-firing port gives more flexibility in placement in regards to proximity to walls compared to MartinLogan Motion XT B100 with its rear-firing port.
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 F100's and MartinLogan Motion XT B100's external dimensions. MartinLogan Motion XT F100 has external dimensions of 1213 x 318 x 381mm ( 47-3/4inch x 12-1/2inch x 15inch ) 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 F100 is clearly the larger of the two speakers. Its body is 115mm wider, 845mm taller and 63mm deeper than MartinLogan Motion XT B100.
Base Surface Area Comparison
Base surface area of a loudspeaker may become a determining factor when the space in your room or desk is limited.
The base surface area of the MartinLogan Motion XT F100 is approximately 1211.6cm2 / 187.8inch2 and base area of the MartinLogan Motion XT B100 is approximately 645.5cm2 / 100.1inch2. The Motion XT F100 requires 88% more surface area than the Motion XT B100 which gives it a small disadvantage on placement in tight spaces.
Max Input Power 
Driver Setup 
Number of Woofers 
Sensitivity 
Height 
Base Surface Area 
Price per pair*