Monitor Audio CP-WT140LCR vs MartinLogan Motion CI MW4-LCR Comparison

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Monitor Audio CP-WT140LCR

Passive In-wall | 60-25kHz

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MartinLogan Motion CI MW4-LCR

Passive In-wall | 78-25kHz

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Monitor Audio CP-WT140LCR vs MartinLogan Motion CI MW4-LCR Speaker Comparison

In this review, we will be comparing CP-WT140LCR and Motion CI MW4-LCR, two Passive In-wall speakers from Monitor Audio and MartinLogan.

Let's have a brief look at the main features of Monitor Audio CP-WT140LCR and MartinLogan Motion CI MW4-LCR first before getting into our more detailed comparison.

Key Specs	Monitor Audio CP-WT140LCR	MartinLogan Motion CI MW4-LCR
Brand	Monitor Audio United Kingdom · founded 1972	MartinLogan United States · founded 1982
Design	2-way	2-way
Tweeter	1" Hard-Dome	1" Folded Motion Ribbon
Woofer	2 x 4" Polymer	2 x 4" Fiberglass
Frequency response	60-25kHz	78-25kHz
Sensitivity	88 dB	93 dB
Impedance	6 ohms	8 ohms
Power range	20-100 watts	50-100 watts
Weight	—	2.77kg / 6.1lbs
Dimensions (H x W x D)	11.7500" x 7.1875" x 3.8125" 299.0 x 183.0 x 97.0mm	5.2500" x 11.8750" x 2.6875" 134.0 x 302.0 x 69.0mm

What size room are the Monitor Audio CP-WT140LCR and MartinLogan Motion CI MW4-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*	Monitor Audio CP-WT140LCR	MartinLogan Motion CI MW4-LCR
Near-field	Average	Average
Small Room	Good	Good
Mid-size Room	Average	Average
Large Room	Poor	Poor
Very Large Room	Bad	Bad

(* 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 CP-WT140LCR and Motion CI MW4-LCR are 2-way speakers.

Monitor Audio CP-WT140LCR

MartinLogan Motion CI MW4-LCR

TweeterWoofer

Front view, drawn to scale - cabinets and drivers share one scale, so sizes are directly comparable. Hover a driver for its size.

Driver	Monitor Audio CP-WT140LCR	MartinLogan Motion CI MW4-LCR
Driver Setup	2-way	2-way
Tweeter	1-inch	1-inch
Midrange	-	-
Woofer	2 x 4-inch	2 x 4-inch

CP-WT140LCR features a 1" Hard-Dome Tweeter and 2 x 4" Polymer Woofer. On the other hand, the Motion CI MW4-LCR features a 1" Folded Motion Ribbon Tweeter and 2 x 4" Fiberglass Woofer.

Frequency Response

CP-WT140LCR has a frequency range of 60-25kHz whereas Motion CI MW4-LCR has a frequency range of 78-25kHz. With a minimum frequency of 60Hz, the CP-WT140LCR can go significantly deeper on the low side and provide stronger bass compared to the Motion CI MW4-LCR's min frequency of 78Hz.

The graph below depicts how these two speakers compare with the max, min and average Low Frequency values of other speakers in the In-wall class in our database.

Low Frequency

In-wall Speakers

CP-WT140LCR

Motion CI MW4-LCR

Min

Average

Median

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

CP-WT140LCR is a 6 ohms speaker compared to the Motion CI MW4-LCR which has a nominal impedance of 8 ohms.

These two speakers also have different sensitivity levels. CP-WT140LCR sensitivity is rated at 88 dB and the Motion CI MW4-LCR's is rated at 93 dB. This 5 dB difference makes the MartinLogan Motion CI MW4-LCR a more sensitive speaker compared to Monitor Audio CP-WT140LCR, hence will play louder with the same amount of watts.

Sensitivity

In-wall Speakers

CP-WT140LCR

Motion CI MW4-LCR

Min

Average

Median

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.

Both handle the same maximum of 100 watts RMS, though CP-WT140LCR is rated 20-100 watts and Motion CI MW4-LCR 50-100 watts.

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.

Amplifier - change this

Distance

Playing as

Monitor Audio CP-WT140LCR

MartinLogan Motion CI MW4-LCR

Input Type and Bi-Amping / Bi-Wiring

CP-WT140LCR features Spring post type posts and Motion CI MW4-LCR has a Spring post type posts. None of these speakers feature bi-amping/bi-wiring.

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 Monitor Audio CP-WT140LCR's and MartinLogan Motion CI MW4-LCR's external dimensions. Monitor Audio CP-WT140LCR has external dimensions of 299.0 x 183.0 x 97.0mm (11.7500-inch x 7.1875-inch x 3.8125-inch) whereas MartinLogan Motion CI MW4-LCR has external dimensions of 134.0 x 302.0 x 69.0mm (5.2500-inch x 11.8750-inch x 2.6875-inch).

MartinLogan Motion CI MW4-LCR is 165mm shorter and 28mm less deeper than Monitor Audio CP-WT140LCR but it is also 119mm wider.

Below you can see the front view size comparison of Monitor Audio CP-WT140LCR and MartinLogan Motion CI MW4-LCR in scale.

Comparison image of Monitor Audio CP-WT140LCR and MartinLogan Motion CI MW4-LCR Size and External Dimensions

What's in the Box of Monitor Audio CP-WT140LCR?

Here are the items that are included inside the box of CP-WT140LCR:

In-wall LCR loudspeaker
Magnetic grille
Cosmetic scrim
Installation Guide
Important Safety Instructions
Limited Warranty/Registration Card
MountingTemplate

What's in the Box of MartinLogan Motion CI MW4-LCR?

Here are the items that come with the Motion CI MW4-LCR:

In-wall loudspeaker
Grille
Torx-bit
User-feets Manual
Cutout Template

Reasons to choose Monitor Audio CP-WT140LCR over MartinLogan Motion CI MW4-LCR

Low Frequency Response	60 Hz vs 78 Hz	Generates deeper bass
Base Surface Area	177cm² vs 208cm²	Takes less floor space
Price per pair*	1080USD vs 1100USD	costs less (*prices may change depending on the seller, location and time)

Reasons to choose MartinLogan Motion CI MW4-LCR over Monitor Audio CP-WT140LCR

Sensitivity	93 dB vs 88 dB	Play louder with same amount of amplification power
Nominal Impedance	8 ohms vs 6 ohms	Less selective with amplifiers
Height	134mm vs 299mm	Easier to fit in smaller spaces

Monitor Audio CP-WT140LCR vs MartinLogan Motion CI MW4-LCR Specs Table

Detailed comparison of specifications

General	Monitor Audio CP-WT140LCR	MartinLogan Motion CI MW4-LCR
Brand	Monitor Audio	MartinLogan
Speaker Type	Passive In-wall Speaker	Passive In-wall Speaker
Power Range	20-100 watts	50-100 watts
Sensitivity	88 dB	93 dB
Impedance	6 ohms	8 ohms
Frequency Response	60-25kHz	78-25kHz
Drivers
Woofer Quantity	2	2
Woofer Size	4"	4"
Woofer Composition	Polymer	Fiberglass
Woofer Surround Material	Rubberr	Rubber
Tweeter Size	1"	1"
Tweeter Type	Hard-Dome	Folded Motion Ribbon
Aimable Tweeter	No	No
Midrange Driver	No	No
Physical Specs
Height	299.0mm (11.8")	134.0mm (5.3")
Width	183.0mm (7.2")	302.0mm (11.9")
Depth	97.0mm (3.8")	69.0mm (2.7")
Weight	n/a	2.77kg (6.1lbs)
Enclosure	In-wall	In-wall
Moisture Resistancy	No	No
Connections
Biamp Inputs	No	No
Other
Parts Warranty	Lifetime	5 Years
Labor Warranty	Lifetime	5 Years

Verdict

A generation apart: MartinLogan Motion CI MW4-LCR is the newer design, against a 2017 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	Monitor Audio CP-WT140LCR digs deeper - 60Hz against 78Hz.
Amplifier needs	B	MartinLogan Motion CI MW4-LCR is more sensitive (93dB vs 88dB), so it goes louder on the same amplifier.
Amplifier match	B	MartinLogan Motion CI MW4-LCR is the easier load at 8 ohms.
Headroom	evenly matched	Similar power handling (100W vs 100W).
Size	depends	MartinLogan Motion CI MW4-LCR is easier to place; Monitor Audio CP-WT140LCR is bigger, which usually goes with fuller bass. Your room decides.
Expandability	depends	Neither adds bi-amping, a sub output or height drivers. MartinLogan Motion CI MW4-LCR sits in a wider range (18 models), so a matched surround system is easier later.
Price	evenly matched	Much the same money ($1,080 vs $1,100 a pair).

A Monitor Audio CP-WT140LCR B MartinLogan Motion CI MW4-LCR
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 CI MW4-LCR 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 a subwoofer is in your plans, the bass gap largely stops mattering - you would be crossing over above 78Hz anyway, so judge these on the other rows instead. In a large or open-plan room, Monitor Audio CP-WT140LCR has the cabinet volume to fill it more easily; in a small room, near a wall or at desk distance, MartinLogan Motion CI MW4-LCR is the easier speaker to get right.

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.