In this review, we will be comparing CP-WT380IDC and Motion XT CI XTW6, two Passive In-wall speakers from Monitor Audio and MartinLogan.
Let's have a brief look at the main features
of Monitor Audio CP-WT380IDC and MartinLogan Motion XT CI XTW6 first before getting into our more
detailed comparison.
| Key Specs | Monitor Audio CP-WT380IDC | MartinLogan Motion XT CI XTW6 |
|---|
| Brand | Monitor Audio
United Kingdom · founded 1972 | MartinLogan
United States · founded 1982 |
|---|
| Design | 3-way | 2-way |
|---|
| Tweeter | 1" Hard-Dome | 1.27 x 2.4" Folded Motion Ribbon |
|---|
| Midrange | 4" | — |
|---|
| Woofer | 8" C-CAM | 6.5" Kevlar |
|---|
| Frequency response | 50-30kHz | 56-25kHz |
|---|
| Sensitivity | 89 dB | 91 dB |
|---|
| Impedance | 6 ohms | 8 ohms |
|---|
| Power range | 30-120 watts | 50-100 watts |
|---|
| Weight | 5.67kg / 12.5lbs | 3.22kg / 7.1lbs |
|---|
| Dimensions (H x W x D) | 17.1875" x 10.5625" x 3.8750"
437.0 x 269.0 x 99.0mm | 10.1250" x 7.0000" x 3.4375"
258.0 x 178.0 x 88.0mm |
|---|
What size room are the Monitor Audio CP-WT380IDC and MartinLogan Motion XT CI XTW6 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-WT380IDC |
MartinLogan Motion XT CI XTW6 |
| Near-field |
Poor |
Average |
| Small Room |
Average |
Good |
| Mid-size Room |
Good |
Average |
| Large Room |
Average |
Poor |
| Very Large Room |
Poor |
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.
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through our links. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.
Drivers
One of the fundamental differences between these two speakers is that CP-WT380IDC is a 3-way design whereas the Motion XT CI XTW6 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.
Monitor Audio CP-WT380IDCMartinLogan Motion XT CI XTW6
TweeterMidrangeWoofer
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-WT380IDC |
MartinLogan Motion XT CI XTW6 |
|
Driver Setup
|
3-way
|
2-way
|
|
Tweeter
|
1-inch
|
1.27 x 2.4-inch
|
|
Midrange
|
1 x 4-inch |
- |
|
Woofer
|
1 x 8-inch
|
1 x 6.5-inch
|
CP-WT380IDC features a 1" Hard-Dome Tweeter, a 4" Midrange and 1 x 8" C-CAM Woofer. On the other hand, the Motion XT CI XTW6 features a 1.27 x 2.4" Folded Motion Ribbon Tweeter and 1 x 6.5" Kevlar Woofer.
Frequency Response
CP-WT380IDC has a frequency range of 50-30kHz whereas Motion XT CI XTW6 has a frequency range of 56-25kHz. With a minimum frequency of 50Hz, the CP-WT380IDC can go significantly deeper on the low side and provide stronger bass compared to the Motion XT CI XTW6's min frequency of 56Hz.
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
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-WT380IDC is a 6 ohms speaker compared to the Motion XT CI XTW6 which has a nominal impedance of 8 ohms.
These two speakers also have different sensitivity levels. CP-WT380IDC sensitivity is rated at 89 dB and the Motion XT CI XTW6's is rated at 91 dB. This 2 dB difference makes the MartinLogan Motion XT CI XTW6 a more sensitive speaker compared to Monitor Audio CP-WT380IDC, 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. Staying
within that range gives nominal performance; driving the speaker beyond its maximum wattage can damage it.
CP-WT380IDC can handle a max power of 120 watts RMS, whereas Motion XT CI XTW6 has a max power handling value of 100 watts RMS, 20 watts less than the CP-WT380IDC.
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.
Monitor Audio CP-WT380IDC
MartinLogan Motion XT CI XTW6
Input Type and Bi-Amping / Bi-Wiring
CP-WT380IDC features Spring post type posts and Motion XT CI XTW6 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-WT380IDC's and MartinLogan Motion XT CI XTW6's external dimensions. Monitor Audio CP-WT380IDC has external dimensions of 437.0 x 269.0 x 99.0mm (17.1875-inch x 10.5625-inch x 3.8750-inch) whereas 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).
Monitor Audio CP-WT380IDC is clearly the larger of the two speakers. Its body is 91mm wider, 179mm taller and 11mm deeper than MartinLogan Motion XT CI XTW6.
Below you can see the front view size comparison of Monitor Audio CP-WT380IDC and MartinLogan Motion XT CI XTW6 in scale.
Comparison image of Monitor Audio CP-WT380IDC and MartinLogan Motion XT CI XTW6 Size and External Dimensions
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 Monitor Audio CP-WT380IDC weighs 5.67kg / 12.5lbs and the MartinLogan Motion XT CI XTW6 weighs 3.22kg / 7.1lbs. This makes the CP-WT380IDC 76% heavier than the Motion XT CI XTW6.
Here is a comparison of how CP-WT380IDC and Motion XT CI XTW6's weights compare with the average, max and min weights in Passive In-wall class.
Weight
All In-wall Speakers
Monitor Audio CP-WT380IDC
MartinLogan Motion XT CI XTW6
What's in the Box of Monitor Audio CP-WT380IDC?
Here are the items that are included inside the box of CP-WT380IDC:
- In-Wall speaker
- Magnetic grille
- Paint skim
- Installation Guide
- Important Safety Instructions
- Limited Warranty/Registration Card
- MountingTemplate
What's in the Box of MartinLogan Motion XT CI XTW6?
Here are the items that come with the Motion XT CI XTW6:
- In-wall loudspeaker
- Grille
- T20 torx-bit
- User-feets Manual
- Cutout Template
 Max Input Power |
120 watts
vs
100 watts
|
Handle more power from your amplifier |
 Driver Setup |
3-way
vs
2-way
|
Have a dedicated mid-range driver |
 Woofer Size |
8 inches
vs
6.5 inches
|
Larger woofer |
|
Low Frequency Response |
50 Hz
vs
56 Hz
|
Generates deeper bass |
 High Frequency Response |
30k Hz
vs
25k Hz
|
Generates higher frequency |
 Sensitivity |
91 dB
vs
89 dB
|
Play louder with same amount of amplification power |
 Nominal Impedance |
8 ohms
vs
6 ohms
|
Less selective with amplifiers |
 Height |
258mm
vs
437mm
|
Easier to fit in smaller spaces |
 Base Surface Area |
156cm2
vs
266cm2
|
Takes less floor space |
 Price per pair* |
1600USD
vs
2350USD
|
costs less (*prices may change depending on the seller, location and time) |
| General |
Monitor Audio CP-WT380IDC |
MartinLogan Motion XT CI XTW6 |
| Brand |
Monitor Audio |
MartinLogan |
| Speaker Type |
Passive In-wall Speaker |
Passive In-wall Speaker |
| Power Range |
30-120 watts |
50-100 watts |
| Sensitivity |
89 dB |
91 dB |
| Impedance |
6 ohms |
8 ohms |
| Frequency Response |
50-30kHz |
56-25kHz |
Drivers |
|
|
| Woofer Quantity |
1 |
1 |
| Woofer Size |
8" |
6.5" |
| Woofer Composition |
C-CAM |
Kevlar |
| Woofer Surround Material |
Rubber |
Rubber |
| Tweeter Size |
1" |
1.27 x 2.4" |
| Tweeter Type |
Hard-Dome |
Folded Motion Ribbon |
| Aimable Tweeter |
No |
No |
| Midrange Driver |
4" |
No |
Physical Specs |
|
|
| Height |
437.0mm (17.2") |
258.0mm (10.2") |
| Width |
269.0mm (10.6") |
178.0mm (7") |
| Depth |
99.0mm (3.9") |
88.0mm (3.5") |
| Weight |
5.67kg (12.5lbs) |
3.22kg (7.1lbs) |
| 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 |
A generation apart: MartinLogan Motion XT CI XTW6 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-WT380IDC digs deeper - 50Hz against 56Hz. A subwoofer would even that out. |
| Amplifier needs | B | MartinLogan Motion XT CI XTW6 is more sensitive (91dB vs 89dB), so it goes louder on the same amplifier. |
| Amplifier match | B | MartinLogan Motion XT CI XTW6 is the easier load at 8 ohms. |
| Headroom | evenly matched | Similar power handling (120W vs 100W). |
| Size | depends | MartinLogan Motion XT CI XTW6 is easier to place; Monitor Audio CP-WT380IDC is bigger, which usually goes with fuller bass. Your room decides. |
| Price | B | MartinLogan Motion XT CI XTW6 is cheaper - $1,600 against $2,350, about 32% less. |
A Monitor Audio CP-WT380IDC B MartinLogan Motion XT CI XTW6
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 CI XTW6 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 56Hz anyway, which makes the cheaper MartinLogan Motion XT CI XTW6 much easier to justify. Match it to your room: we rate Monitor Audio CP-WT380IDC the better fit for a mid-size room and a large room, and MartinLogan Motion XT CI XTW6 for near-field listening and a small room.
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.