In this review, we will be comparing Motion XT F200 and Performa3 F208, two Passive Floor-standing speakers from MartinLogan and Revel.
Let's have a brief look at the main features
of MartinLogan Motion XT F200 and Revel Performa3 F208 first before getting into our more
detailed comparison.
| Key Specs | MartinLogan Motion XT F200 | Revel Performa3 F208 |
|---|
| Brand | MartinLogan
United States · founded 1982 | Revel
United States · founded 1996 |
|---|
| Design | 3-way | 3-way |
|---|
| Tweeter | 1.25 x 2.4" Folded Motion XT | 1" Hard-Dome with Acoustic Lens Waveguide |
|---|
| Midrange | 6.5" | 5.25" |
|---|
| Woofer | 3 x 8" Aluminum | 2 x 8" Aluminum |
|---|
| Frequency response | 27-25k Hz | 31Hz- 20kHz |
|---|
| Sensitivity | 92 dB | 88.5 dB |
|---|
| Impedance | 4 ohms | 8 ohms |
|---|
| Power range | 20-600 watts | 50-350 watts |
|---|
| Weight | 39.00kg / 85.8lbs | 36.27kg / 79.8lbs |
|---|
| Dimensions (H x W x D) | 50-3/4" x 13-3/4" x 16-1/2"
1289 x 349 x 419mm | 46-3/4" x 13-5/8" x 15"
1188.0 x 347.0 x 381.0mm |
|---|
What size room are the MartinLogan Motion XT F200 and Revel Performa3 F208 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 F200 |
Revel Performa3 F208 |
| Near-field |
Are you nuts? |
Are you nuts? |
| Small Room |
Poor |
Poor |
| Mid-size Room |
Average |
Average |
| Large Room |
Good |
Good |
| Very Large Room |
Good |
Good |
(* 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 F200 and Performa3 F208 are 3-way speakers.
MartinLogan Motion XT F200Revel Performa3 F208
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 F200 |
Revel Performa3 F208 |
|
Driver Setup
|
3-way
|
3-way
|
|
Tweeter
|
1.25 x 2.4-inch
|
1-inch
|
|
Midrange
|
1 x 6.5-inch |
1 x 5.25-inch |
|
Woofer
|
3 x 8-inch
|
2 x 8-inch
|
Motion XT F200 features a 1.25 x 2.4" Folded Motion XT Tweeter, a 6.5" Midrange and 3 x 8" Aluminum Woofer with a Crossover frequency at 300Hz and 2600Hz. On the other hand, the Performa3 F208 features a 1" Aluminum Hard-Dome with Acoustic Lens Waveguide Tweeter, a 5.25" Midrange and 2 x 8" Aluminum Woofer with a Crossover frequency at 270Hz and 2200Hz.
Frequency Response
Motion XT F200 has a frequency range of 27-25k Hz whereas Performa3 F208 has a frequency range of 31Hz- 20kHz. With a minimum frequency of 27Hz, the Motion XT F200 can go slightly deeper then the Performa3 F208's min frequency of 31Hz.
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 F200 is a 4 ohms speaker compared to the Performa3 F208 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 F200 can provide this impedance level.
These two speakers also have different sensitivity levels. Motion XT F200 sensitivity is rated at 92 dB and the Performa3 F208's is rated at 88.5 dB. This 3 dB difference makes the MartinLogan Motion XT F200 a more sensitive speaker compared to Revel Performa3 F208, 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 F200 can handle a max power of 600 watts RMS, whereas Performa3 F208 has a max power handling value of 350 watts RMS, 250 watts less than the Motion XT F200.
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 F200
Input Type and Bi-Amping / Bi-Wiring
Both Motion XT F200 and Performa3 F208 features dual binding post speaker terminals for bi-amping or bi-wiring.
MartinLogan Motion XT F200's Custom 5-way bi-wire tool-less binding posts terminals allows Bi-amping or bi-wiring
Revel Performa3 F208's Binding post terminals allows Bi-amping or bi-wiring
Cabinet Type and Port Position
Motion XT F200 has a bottom firing port whereas Performa3 F208 has a rear firing ports. MartinLogan Motion XT F200's bottom-firing port gives more flexibility in placement in regards to proximity to walls compared to Revel Performa3 F208 with its rear-firing 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 F200's and Revel Performa3 F208's external dimensions. MartinLogan Motion XT F200 has external dimensions of 1289 x 349 x 419mm (50-3/4inch x 13-3/4inch x 16-1/2inch) whereas Revel Performa3 F208 has external dimensions of 1188.0 x 347.0 x 381.0mm (46-3/4 x 13-5/8 x 15inch).
MartinLogan Motion XT F200 is clearly the larger of the two speakers. Its body is 2mm wider, 101mm taller and 38mm deeper than Revel Performa3 F208.
Below you can see the front view size comparison of MartinLogan Motion XT F200 and Revel Performa3 F208 in scale.
Comparison image of MartinLogan Motion XT F200 and Revel Performa3 F208 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 F200 is approximately 1462.3cm2 / 226.7inch2 and base area of the Revel Performa3 F208 is approximately 1322.1cm2 / 204.9inch2. The Motion XT F200 requires 11% more surface area than the Performa3 F208 which gives it a small disadvantage 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 F200 weighs 39.00kg / 85.8lbs and the Revel Performa3 F208 weighs 36.27kg / 79.8lbs. This makes the Motion XT F200 8% heavier than the Performa3 F208.
Here is a comparison of how Motion XT F200 and Performa3 F208's weights compare with the average, max and min weights in Passive Floor-standing class.
Weight
All Floor-standing Speakers
MartinLogan Motion XT F200
What's in the Box of Revel Performa3 F208?
Here are the items that come with the Performa3 F208:
- Floorstanding loudspeaker
- Grille
- 4 Spike feet
- 4 Locking rings
- 4 Washers
- 2 Terminal jumpers (pre-installed)
- Foam port plug
- Owners Manual
 Max Input Power |
600 watts
vs
350 watts
|
Handle more power from your amplifier |
 Sensitivity |
92 dB
vs
89 dB
|
Play louder with same amount of amplification power |
 Number of Woofers |
3
vs
2
|
More woofers |
|
Low Frequency Response |
27 Hz
vs
31 Hz
|
Generates deeper bass |
 High Frequency Response |
25k Hz
vs
20k Hz
|
Generates higher frequency |
 Price per pair* |
5498USD
vs
5500USD
|
costs less (*prices may change depending on the seller, location and time) |
 Nominal Impedance |
8 ohms
vs
4 ohms
|
Less selective with amplifiers |
 Height |
1188mm
vs
1289mm
|
Easier to fit in smaller spaces |
 Base Surface Area |
1322cm2
vs
1462cm2
|
Takes less floor space |
| General |
MartinLogan Motion® XT F200 |
Revel Performa3 F208 |
| Brand |
MartinLogan |
Revel |
| Speaker Type |
Floor-standing speaker |
Floor-standing speaker |
| Power Range |
20-600 watts |
50-350 watts |
| Sensitivity |
92 dB |
88.5 dB |
| Impedance |
4 ohms |
8 ohms |
| Frequency Response |
27-25k Hz |
31Hz- 20kHz |
Drivers |
|
|
| Woofer Quantity |
3 |
2 |
| Woofer Size |
8" |
8" |
| Woofer Composition |
Aluminum |
Aluminum |
| Woofer Surround Material |
Rubber |
Rubber |
| Tweeter Size |
1.25 x 2.4" |
1" |
| Tweeter Type |
Folded Motion XT |
Hard-Dome with Acoustic Lens Waveguide |
| Aimable Tweeter |
No |
No |
| Midrange Driver |
6.5" |
5.25" |
| Crossover Frequency |
300Hz and 2600Hz |
270Hz and 2200Hz |
| Firing Direction |
bottom |
rear |
| Suggested Break-in Period |
Allow 72 hours of break-in |
n/a |
Physical Specs |
|
|
| Height |
1289.0mm (50.7") |
1188.0mm (46.8") |
| Width |
349.0mm (13.7") |
347.0mm (13.7") |
| Depth |
419.0mm (16.5") |
381.0mm (15") |
| Weight |
39.00kg (85.8lbs) |
36.27kg (79.8lbs) |
| Enclosure |
Bass Reflex |
Bass Reflex |
| Finish |
MDF/Wood veneer |
Wood/Lacquer |
| Available Colors |
Gloss Black, Walnut, and Satin White |
Gloss Black |
| 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 |
A generation apart: MartinLogan Motion XT F200 is the newer design, against a 2013 model. Newer is not automatically better, but the older one is more likely to be discounted or near run-out.
| Area | Better | Why |
|---|
| Bass | A | MartinLogan Motion XT F200 digs deeper - 27Hz against 31Hz. A subwoofer would even that out. |
| Amplifier needs | A | MartinLogan Motion XT F200 is more sensitive (92dB vs 89dB), so it goes louder on the same amplifier. |
| Amplifier match | B | Revel Performa3 F208 is the easier load at 8 ohms; the other is 4 ohms and wants an amplifier rated for it. |
| Headroom | A | MartinLogan Motion XT F200 takes more power (600W vs 350W) - more in hand in a big room. |
| Size | depends | Similar cabinet size - neither is easier to fit. |
| Expandability | depends | MartinLogan Motion XT F200: bi-amping; Revel Performa3 F208: bi-amping. |
| Price | evenly matched | Much the same money ($5,498 vs $5,500 a pair). |
A MartinLogan Motion XT F200 B Revel Performa3 F208
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?
MartinLogan Motion XT F200 has the edge on paper, though the margin is not large. The rows marked "depends" may matter more to you than the score does. If your amplifier is modest, vintage or valve-based, MartinLogan Motion XT F200 is the safer partner - the other will want more current or more watts to sound its best.
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.