In this review, we will be comparing two different types of speakers. SVS Ultra Elevation is a Surround speaker whereas the Motion MP10 is a Bookshelf speaker.
Let's have a brief look at the main features
of SVS Ultra Elevation and MartinLogan Motion MP10 first before getting into our more
detailed comparison.
| Key Specs | SVS Ultra Elevation | MartinLogan Motion MP10 |
|---|
| Brand | SVS
United States · founded 1998 | MartinLogan
United States · founded 1982 |
|---|
| Design | 2-way | 2-way |
|---|
| Tweeter | 1" Dome | 1.0 x 1.4" Folded Motion Ribbon |
|---|
| Woofer | 5.25" Composite glass-fiber | 5.5" Woven Fiberglass |
|---|
| Frequency response | 48-40k Hz | 81-25k Hz |
|---|
| Sensitivity | 87 dB | 92 dB |
|---|
| Impedance | 6 ohms | 5 ohms |
|---|
| Power range | 20-150 watts | 20-200 watts |
|---|
| Weight | 5.60kg / 12.3lbs | 4.40kg / 9.7lbs |
|---|
| Dimensions (H x W x D) | 11.14" x 7.28" x 9.82"
283 x 185 x 249.4mm | 14" x 8" x 5"
356 x 203 x 127mm |
|---|
What size room are the SVS Ultra Elevation and MartinLogan Motion MP10 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* |
SVS Ultra Elevation |
MartinLogan Motion MP10 |
| Near-field |
Poor |
Poor |
| Small Room |
Average |
Average |
| Mid-size Room |
Good |
Good |
| Large Room |
Average |
Average |
| Very Large Room |
Poor |
Poor |
(* 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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Drivers
Both Ultra Elevation and Motion MP10 are 2-way speakers.
SVS Ultra ElevationMartinLogan Motion MP10
TweeterWoofer
Front view, drawn to scale - cabinets and drivers share one scale, so sizes are directly comparable. Hover a driver for its size.
| Driver |
SVS Ultra Elevation |
MartinLogan Motion MP10 |
|
Driver Setup
|
2-way
|
2-way
|
|
Tweeter
|
1-inch
|
1.0 x 1.4-inch
|
|
Midrange
|
- |
- |
|
Woofer
|
1 x 5.25-inch
|
1 x 5.5-inch
|
Ultra Elevation features a 1" aluminum Dome Tweeter and 1 x 5.25" Composite glass-fiber Woofer with a Crossover frequency at 1900Hz. On the other hand, the Motion MP10 features a 1.0 x 1.4" Folded Motion Ribbon Tweeter and 1 x 5.5" Woven Fiberglass Woofer with a Crossover frequency at 2100Hz.
Frequency Response
Ultra Elevation has a frequency range of 48-40k Hz whereas Motion MP10 has a frequency range of 81-25k Hz. With a minimum frequency of 48Hz, the Ultra Elevation can go significantly deeper on the low side and provide stronger bass compared to the Motion MP10's min frequency of 81Hz.
The graph below depicts how these two speakers compare with the max, min and average Low Frequency values of other speakers in the Surround class in our database.
Low Frequency
Surround 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
Ultra Elevation is a 6 ohms speaker compared to the Motion MP10 which has a nominal impedance of 5 ohms.
These two speakers also have different sensitivity levels. Ultra Elevation sensitivity is rated at 87 dB and the Motion MP10's is rated at 92 dB. This 5 dB difference makes the MartinLogan Motion MP10 a more sensitive speaker compared to SVS Ultra Elevation, hence will play louder with the same amount of watts.
Sensitivity
Surround 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 MP10 can handle a max power of 200 watts RMS, whereas Ultra Elevation has a max power handling value of 150 watts RMS, 50 watts less than the Motion MP10.
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
Ultra Elevation features Custom 5-way binding posts type posts and Motion MP10 has a Custom 5-way binding posts type posts. None of these speakers feature bi-amping/bi-wiring.
SVS Ultra Elevation's Gold-plated 5-way terminals
MartinLogan Motion MP10's Custom 5-way binding posts terminals
Cabinet Type and Port Position
Both Ultra Elevation and Motion MP10 have rear firing ports. Rear ported speakers generally need more room between the backside of the speaker and the wall compared to sealed and front/bottom ported speakers. Placing the speakers too close to the walls may cause the bass to sound boomy.
If you are limited in space and can't get the speakers away from the backwall, check our Speakers with Front Firing Ports page.
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 SVS Ultra Elevation's and MartinLogan Motion MP10's external dimensions. SVS Ultra Elevation has external dimensions of 283 x 185 x 249.4mm (11.14 x 7.28 x 9.82”) whereas MartinLogan Motion MP10 has external dimensions of 356 x 203 x 127mm (14inch x 8inch x 5inch).
SVS Ultra Elevation is 18mm narrower and 73mm shorter than MartinLogan Motion MP10 but it is also 122mm deeper.
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 SVS Ultra Elevation is approximately 460.7cm2 / 71.4inch2 and base area of the MartinLogan Motion MP10 is approximately 257.8cm2 / 40.0inch2. The Ultra Elevation requires 79% more surface area than the Motion MP10 which gives it a small disadvantage on placement in tight spaces.