In this review, we will be comparing S7t and Motion 60XTi, two Passive Floor-standing speakers from Perlisten and MartinLogan.
Let's have a brief look at the main features
of Perlisten S7t and MartinLogan 60XTi first before getting into our more
detailed comparison.
| Key Specs | Perlisten S7t | MartinLogan 60XTi |
|---|
| Brand | Perlisten
United States · founded 2016 | MartinLogan
United States · founded 1982 |
|---|
| Design | 3-way | 3-way |
|---|
| Tweeter | — | 1.25 x 2.4" Folded Motion XT |
|---|
| Midrange | — | 6.5" |
|---|
| Woofer | — | 2 x 8" Aluminum |
|---|
| Frequency response | 22-37k Hz | 35-25k Hz |
|---|
| Sensitivity | 92.2 dB | 94 dB |
|---|
| Impedance | 4 ohms | 4 ohms |
|---|
| Power range | 100 - 600W RMS watts | 20-400 watts |
|---|
| Weight | 55.70kg / 122.5lbs | 30.00kg / 66lbs |
|---|
| Dimensions (H x W x D) | 50.98" x 9.45" x 15.75"
1294.9 x 240.0 x 400.1mm | 46-3/16" x 9-1/16" x 15-9/16"
1174.0 x 231.0 x 396.0mm |
|---|
What size room are the Perlisten S7t and MartinLogan 60XTi 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* |
Perlisten S7t |
MartinLogan 60XTi |
| Near-field |
Bad |
Are you nuts? |
| Small Room |
Poor |
Poor |
| Mid-size Room |
Average |
Average |
| Large Room |
Good |
Good |
| Very Large Room |
Average |
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 S7t and Motion 60XTi are 3-way speakers.
| Driver |
Perlisten S7t |
MartinLogan 60XTi |
|
Driver Setup
|
3-way
|
3-way
|
|
Tweeter
|
-inch
|
1.25 x 2.4-inch
|
|
Midrange
|
- |
1 x 6.5-inch |
|
Woofer
|
x -inch
|
2 x 8-inch
|
S7t features a " Tweeter and x " Woofer. On the other hand, the Motion 60XTi features a 1.25 x 2.4" Folded Motion XT Tweeter, a 6.5" Midrange and 2 x 8" Aluminum Woofer with a Crossover frequency at 400Hz and 2200Hz.
Frequency Response
S7t has a frequency range of 22-37k Hz whereas Motion 60XTi has a frequency range of 35-25k Hz. With a minimum frequency of 22Hz, the S7t can go significantly deeper on the low side and provide stronger bass compared to the Motion 60XTi's min frequency of 35Hz.
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
S7t and Motion 60XTi have the same Impedance of 4 ohms but where they differ is the sensitivity levels. S7t sensitivity is rated at 92.2 dB and the Motion 60XTi's is at 94 dB. This 2 dB difference makes the MartinLogan 60XTi a more sensitive speaker compared to Perlisten S7t, 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 S7t and the S7t 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. Staying
within that range gives nominal performance; driving the speaker beyond its maximum wattage can damage it.
S7t can handle a max power of 600 watts RMS, whereas Motion 60XTi has a max power handling value of 400 watts RMS, 200 watts less than the S7t.
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.
Input Type and Bi-Amping / Bi-Wiring
Motion 60XTi features Custom 5-way bi-wire tool-less binding posts posts which make bi-amping or bi-wiring possible. S7t has a Binding post which doesn't feature bi-amping/bi-wiring.
MartinLogan 60XTi's Custom 5-way bi-wire tool-less binding posts terminals allows Bi-amping or 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 Perlisten S7t's and MartinLogan 60XTi's external dimensions. Perlisten S7t has external dimensions of 1294.9 x 240.0 x 400.1mm (50.98 x 9.45 x 15.75inch) whereas MartinLogan 60XTi has external dimensions of 1174.0 x 231.0 x 396.0mm (46-3/16 x 9-1/16 x 15-9/16inch).
Perlisten S7t is clearly the larger of the two speakers. Its body is 9mm wider, 120.9mm taller and 4.1mm deeper than MartinLogan 60XTi.
Size, drawn to scale
Both speakers and both views share one scale, so everything here is directly comparable. Hover a box for its dimensions.
One scale for both, standing on the same surface and pushed back to the same wall, so the deeper one visibly sticks out further.
Near-identical footprints. Perlisten S7t is 121mm taller.
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 Perlisten S7t is approximately 960.2cm2 / 148.8inch2 and base area of the MartinLogan 60XTi is approximately 914.8cm2 / 141.8inch2. The S7t requires 5% more surface area than the Motion 60XTi 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 Perlisten S7t weighs 55.70kg / 122.5lbs and the MartinLogan 60XTi weighs 30.00kg / 66lbs. This makes the S7t 86% heavier than the Motion 60XTi.
Here is a comparison of how S7t and Motion 60XTi's weights compare with the average, max and min weights in Passive Floor-standing class.
Weight
All Floor-standing Speakers
What's in the Box of MartinLogan 60XTi?
Here are the items that come with the Motion 60XTi:
- Floorstanding loudspeaker
- 2 Grilles
- 4 Rubber feet (pre-installed)
- 4 Spike feet (w/ nuts attached)
- 2 Feet stabizers
- 4 Bolts
- Hex-key
- Users Manual
- Warranty/Registration Information
 Max Input Power |
600 watts
vs
400 watts
|
Handle more power from your amplifier |
 Low Frequency Response |
22 Hz
vs
35 Hz
|
Generates deeper bass |
 High Frequency Response |
37k Hz
vs
25k Hz
|
Generates higher frequency |
 Sensitivity |
94 dB
vs
92 dB
|
Play louder with same amount of amplification power |
|
Woofer Size |
8 inches
vs
inches
|
Larger woofer |
 Height |
1174mm
vs
1294mm
|
Easier to fit in smaller spaces |
 Base Surface Area |
914cm2
vs
960cm2
|
Takes less floor space |
 Price per pair* |
3750USD
vs
19190USD
|
costs less (*prices may change depending on the seller, location and time) |
| General |
Perlisten S7t |
MartinLogan Motion 60XTi |
| Brand |
Perlisten |
MartinLogan |
| Speaker Type |
Floor-standing speaker |
Floor-standing speaker |
| Power Range |
100 - 600W RMS watts |
20-400 watts |
| Sensitivity |
92.2 dB |
94 dB |
| Impedance |
4 ohms |
4 ohms |
| Impedance |
3.2 ohms |
n/a |
| Frequency Response |
22-37k Hz |
35-25k Hz |
Drivers |
|
|
| Woofer Quantity |
|
2 |
| Woofer Size |
" |
8" |
| Woofer Composition |
|
Aluminum |
| Woofer Surround Material |
n/a |
Rubber |
| Tweeter Size |
- |
1.25 x 2.4" |
| Tweeter Type |
n/a |
Folded Motion XT |
| Aimable Tweeter |
No |
No |
| Midrange Driver |
No |
6.5" |
| Crossover Frequency |
n/a |
400Hz and 2200Hz |
| Firing Direction |
n/a |
rear |
| Suggested Break-in Period |
n/a |
Allow 72 hours of break-in at 90 dB |
Physical Specs |
|
|
| Height |
1294.9mm (51") |
1174.0mm (46.2") |
| Width |
240.0mm (9.4") |
231.0mm (9.1") |
| Depth |
400.1mm (15.8") |
396.0mm (15.6") |
| Weight |
55.70kg (122.5lbs) |
30.00kg (66lbs) |
| Enclosure |
Bass Reflex |
Bass Reflex |
| Finish |
n/a |
MDF/Lacquer |
| Available Colors |
n/a |
Gloss Black, Matt White, Red Walnut |
| Grille |
Yes |
Yes |
| Moisture Resistancy |
No |
No |
Connections |
|
|
| Biamp Inputs |
n/a |
Yes |
Other |
|
|
| Parts Warranty |
|
5 Years |
| Labor Warranty |
|
5 Years |
These sit in different price classes - Perlisten S7t costs roughly 5.1x what MartinLogan 60XTi 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 | Perlisten S7t digs deeper - 22Hz against 35Hz. |
| Amplifier needs | B | MartinLogan 60XTi is more sensitive (94dB vs 92dB), so it goes louder on the same amplifier. |
| Headroom | A | Perlisten S7t takes more power (600W vs 400W) - more in hand in a big room. |
| Size | depends | Similar cabinet size - neither is easier to fit. |
| Expandability | B | MartinLogan 60XTi: bi-amping. |
| Price | B | MartinLogan 60XTi is cheaper - $3,750 against $19,190, about 80% less; arguably a different class. |
A Perlisten S7t B MartinLogan 60XTi
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?
Neither runs away with it - they trade advantages. Let the "depends" rows and your own room settle it. If a subwoofer is in your plans, the bass gap largely stops mattering - you would be crossing over above 35Hz anyway, which makes the cheaper MartinLogan 60XTi much easier to justify. Match it to your room: we rate MartinLogan 60XTi 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.