In this review, we will be comparing Motion XT F100 and R700, two Passive Floor-standing speakers from MartinLogan and Polk Audio.
Let's have a brief look at the main features
of MartinLogan Motion XT F100 and Polk R700 first before getting into our more
detailed comparison.
| Key Specs | MartinLogan Motion XT F100 | Polk R700 |
|---|
| Brand | MartinLogan
United States · founded 1982 | Polk Audio
United States · founded 1972 |
|---|
| Design | 3-way | 3-way |
|---|
| Tweeter | 1.25 x 2.4" Folded Motion XT | 1" Pinnacle Ring Radiator |
|---|
| Midrange | 6.5" | 6.5" |
|---|
| Woofer | 3 x 6.5" Aluminum | 2 x 8" Polypropylene |
|---|
| Frequency response | 31-25k Hz | 38-38k Hz |
|---|
| Sensitivity | 92 dB | 88 dB |
|---|
| Impedance | 4 ohms | 8 ohms |
|---|
| Power range | 20-450 watts | 50-300 watts |
|---|
| Weight | 34.50kg / 75.9lbs | 35.90kg / 79lbs |
|---|
| Dimensions (H x W x D) | 47-3/4" x 12-1/2" x 15"
1213 x 318 x 381mm | 45" x 12.6" x 16.9"
1143.8 x 320.7 x 428.3mm |
|---|
What size room are the MartinLogan Motion XT F100 and Polk R700 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 |
Polk R700 |
| Near-field |
Are you nuts? |
Bad |
| Small Room |
Poor |
Poor |
| Mid-size Room |
Average |
Average |
| 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.)
The sections below take each area in turn: drivers, frequency response, physical size and what you get in the box.
Drivers
Both Motion XT F100 and R700 are 3-way speakers.
MartinLogan Motion XT F100Polk R700
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 F100 |
Polk R700 |
|
Driver Setup
|
3-way
|
3-way
|
|
Tweeter
|
1.25 x 2.4-inch
|
1-inch
|
|
Midrange
|
1 x 6.5-inch |
1 x 6.5-inch |
|
Woofer
|
3 x 6.5-inch
|
2 x 8-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 R700 features a 1" Pinnacle Ring Radiator Tweeter, a 6.5" Midrange and 2 x 8" Polypropylene Woofer with a Crossover frequency at 350Hz and 2700Hz.
Frequency Response
Motion XT F100 has a frequency range of 31-25k Hz whereas R700 has a frequency range of 38-38k 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 R700's min frequency of 38Hz.
The graph below depicts how these two speakers compare with the max, min and average Low Frequency values of other speakers in the Floor-standing class in our database.
Low Frequency
Floor-standing 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 F100 is a 4 ohms speaker compared to the R700 which has a nominal impedance of 8 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 F100 can provide this impedance level.
These two speakers also have different sensitivity levels. Motion XT F100 sensitivity is rated at 92 dB and the R700's is rated at 88 dB. This 4 dB difference makes the MartinLogan Motion XT F100 a more sensitive speaker compared to Polk R700, hence will play louder with the same amount of watts.
Sensitivity
Floor-standing 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 F100 can handle a max power of 450 watts RMS, whereas R700 has a max power handling value of 300 watts RMS, 150 watts less than the Motion XT F100.
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 F100
Input Type and Bi-Amping / Bi-Wiring
Both Motion XT F100 and R700 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
Polk R700's Post terminals allows Bi-amping or bi-wiring
Cabinet Type and Port Position
Both Motion XT F100 and R700 have bottom firing ports.
Polk R700 Port
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 F100's and Polk R700'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 Polk R700 has external dimensions of 1143.8 x 320.7 x 428.3mm (45 x 12.6 x 16.9inch).
MartinLogan Motion XT F100 is 2.7mm narrower and 47.3mm less deeper than Polk R700 but it is also 69.2mm taller.
Below you can see the front view size comparison of MartinLogan Motion XT F100 and Polk R700 in scale.
Comparison image of MartinLogan Motion XT F100 and Polk R700 Size and External Dimensions
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 Polk R700 is approximately 1373.6cm2 / 212.9inch2. The Motion XT F100 requires 12% less surface area than the R700 which gives it a small advantage on placement in tight spaces.
Weight Comparison The weight of a loudspeaker can become an important factor if you need to move and reposition the unit often. Weight of a speaker can also "sometimes" be an indicator of the rigidity of the enclosure and the quality of the internal components used. The MartinLogan Motion XT F100 weighs 34.50kg / 75.9lbs and the Polk R700 weighs 35.90kg / 79lbs. This makes the R700 4% heavier than the Motion XT F100.
Here is a comparison of how Motion XT F100 and R700's weights compare with the average, max and min weights in Passive Floor-standing class.
Weight
All Floor-standing Speakers
MartinLogan Motion XT F100
What's in the Box of Polk R700?
Here are the items that come with the R700:
- Floorstanding loudspeaker
- 4 Outrigger feet (pre-installed)
- 4 Rubber feet (pre-installed)
- 4 Spike feet (pre-installed)
- Grille
- Hex-key
- Owner's Manual
- Online Registration
 Max Input Power |
450 watts
vs
300 watts
|
Handle more power from your amplifier |
 Sensitivity |
92 dB
vs
88 dB
|
Play louder with same amount of amplification power |
 Number of Woofers |
3
vs
2
|
More woofers |
|
Low Frequency Response |
31 Hz
vs
38 Hz
|
Generates deeper bass |
 Base Surface Area |
1211cm2
vs
1373cm2
|
Takes less floor space |
 Nominal Impedance |
8 ohms
vs
4 ohms
|
Less selective with amplifiers |
|
Woofer Size |
8 inches
vs
6.5 inches
|
Larger woofer |
 High Frequency Response |
38k Hz
vs
25k Hz
|
Generates higher frequency |
 Height |
1143mm
vs
1213mm
|
Easier to fit in smaller spaces |
 Price per pair* |
2198USD
vs
4498USD
|
costs less (*prices may change depending on the seller, location and time) |
| General |
MartinLogan Motion® XT F100 |
Polk Audio Reserve R700 |
| Brand |
MartinLogan |
Polk Audio |
| Speaker Type |
Floor-standing speaker |
Floor-standing speaker |
| Power Range |
20-450 watts |
50-300 watts |
| Sensitivity |
92 dB |
88 dB |
| Impedance |
4 ohms |
8 ohms |
| Impedance |
n/a |
3.6 ohms |
| Frequency Response |
31-25k Hz |
38-38k Hz |
Drivers |
|
|
| Woofer Quantity |
3 |
2 |
| Woofer Size |
6.5" |
8" |
| Woofer Composition |
Aluminum |
Polypropylene |
| Woofer Surround Material |
Rubber |
Rubber |
| Tweeter Size |
1.25 x 2.4" |
1" |
| Tweeter Type |
Folded Motion XT |
Pinnacle Ring Radiator |
| Aimable Tweeter |
No |
No |
| Midrange Driver |
6.5" |
6.5" |
| Crossover Frequency |
280Hz and 2600Hz |
350Hz and 2700Hz |
| Firing Direction |
bottom |
bottom |
| Suggested Break-in Period |
Allow 72 hours of break-in |
n/a |
Physical Specs |
|
|
| Height |
1213.0mm (47.8") |
1143.8mm (45") |
| Width |
318.0mm (12.5") |
320.7mm (12.6") |
| Depth |
381.0mm (15") |
428.3mm (16.9") |
| Weight |
34.50kg (75.9lbs) |
35.90kg (79lbs) |
| Enclosure |
Bass Reflex |
Bass Reflex |
| Finish |
MDF/Wood veneer |
MDF/Vinyl |
| Available Colors |
Gloss Black, Walnut, and Satin White |
Black, Walnut, White |
| Grille |
Yes |
Yes |
| Moisture Resistancy |
No |
No |
Connections |
|
|
| Biamp Inputs |
Yes |
Yes |
Other |
|
|
| Parts Warranty |
5 Years |
5 Years |
| Labor Warranty |
5 Years |
5 Years |
These sit in different price classes - MartinLogan Motion XT F100 costs roughly 2x what Polk R700 does. Expect it to lead on paper; the question is whether the gap is audible enough in your room to be worth it.
| Area | Better | Why |
|---|
| Bass | A | MartinLogan Motion XT F100 digs deeper - 31Hz against 38Hz. A subwoofer would even that out. |
| Amplifier needs | A | MartinLogan Motion XT F100 is more sensitive (92dB vs 88dB), so it goes louder on the same amplifier. |
| Amplifier match | B | Polk R700 is the easier load at 8 ohms; the other is 4 ohms and wants an amplifier rated for it. |
| Headroom | A | MartinLogan Motion XT F100 takes more power (450W vs 300W) - more in hand in a big room. |
| Size | depends | Similar cabinet size - neither is easier to fit. |
| Expandability | depends | MartinLogan Motion XT F100: bi-amping; Polk R700: bi-amping. Polk R700 sits in a wider range (10 models), so a matched surround system is easier later. |
| Price | B | Polk R700 is cheaper - $2,198 against $4,498, about 51% less; arguably a different class. |
A MartinLogan Motion XT F100 B Polk R700
depends neither is better in the abstract - it turns on your room, your system or how you will use them. Only specs published for both speakers are judged; anything missing on either side is left out rather than guessed.
Which should you choose?
The usual trade-off: MartinLogan Motion XT F100 measures better, Polk R700 costs about about 105% more% less. Whether that gap is worth the money is the call only you can make - and in a normal room it is often smaller than the numbers suggest. If a subwoofer is in your plans, the bass gap largely stops mattering - you would be crossing over above 38Hz anyway, which makes the cheaper Polk R700 much easier to justify. Match it to your room: we rate MartinLogan Motion XT F100 the better fit for a very large room; elsewhere the two are rated the same.
And remember what a spec sheet cannot show: how each looks in your room and whether the finish suits it, what dealer support and warranty are like where you live, and how they actually sound to you. If you can hear them first - ideally with your own music - that will tell you more than any number above.