In this review, we will be comparing Ultra Evolution Titan and Motion XT F100, two Passive Floor-standing speakers from SVS and MartinLogan.
Let's have a brief look at the main features
of SVS Ultra Evolution Titan and MartinLogan Motion XT F100 first before getting into our more
detailed comparison.
| Key Specs | SVS Ultra Evolution Titan | MartinLogan Motion XT F100 |
|---|
| Brand | SVS
United States · founded 1998 | MartinLogan
United States · founded 1982 |
|---|
| Design | 3-way | 3-way |
|---|
| Tweeter | 1" Dome | 1.25 x 2.4" Folded Motion XT |
|---|
| Midrange | 2 x 4.5" | 6.5" |
|---|
| Woofer | 4 x 6.5" Composite glass-fiber | 3 x 6.5" Aluminum |
|---|
| Frequency response | 27-40k Hz | 31-25k Hz |
|---|
| Sensitivity | 88 dB | 92 dB |
|---|
| Impedance | 6 ohms | 4 ohms |
|---|
| Power range | 20-300 watts | 20-450 watts |
|---|
| Weight | 31.60kg / 69.5lbs | 34.50kg / 75.9lbs |
|---|
| Dimensions (H x W x D) | 47.1" x 9.8" x 17.3"
1197 x 249 x 439.3mm (D | 47-3/4" x 12-1/2" x 15"
1213 x 318 x 381mm |
|---|
What size room are the SVS Ultra Evolution Titan and MartinLogan Motion XT F100 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 Evolution Titan |
MartinLogan Motion XT F100 |
| 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 Ultra Evolution Titan and Motion XT F100 are 3-way speakers.
SVS Ultra Evolution TitanMartinLogan Motion XT F100
TweeterMidrangeWoofer
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 Evolution Titan |
MartinLogan Motion XT F100 |
|
Driver Setup
|
3-way
|
3-way
|
|
Tweeter
|
1-inch
|
1.25 x 2.4-inch
|
|
Midrange
|
2 x 4.5-inch |
1 x 6.5-inch |
|
Woofer
|
4 x 6.5-inch
|
3 x 6.5-inch
|
Ultra Evolution Titan features a 1" aluminum Dome Tweeter, a 4.5" Midrange and 4 x 6.5" Composite glass-fiber Woofer with a Crossover frequency at 160HZ and 1900Hz. On the other hand, the Motion XT F100 features a 1.25 x 2.4" Folded Motion XT Tweeter, a 6.5" Midrange and 3 x 6.5" Aluminum Woofer with a Crossover frequency at 280Hz and 2600Hz.
Frequency Response
Ultra Evolution Titan has a frequency range of 27-40k Hz whereas Motion XT F100 has a frequency range of 31-25k Hz. With a minimum frequency of 27Hz, the Ultra Evolution Titan can go slightly deeper then the Motion XT F100'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
Ultra Evolution Titan is a 6 ohms speaker compared to the Motion XT F100 which has a nominal impedance of 4 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 F100 can provide this impedance level.
These two speakers also have different sensitivity levels. Ultra Evolution Titan sensitivity is rated at 88 dB and the Motion XT F100's is rated at 92 dB. This 4 dB difference makes the MartinLogan Motion XT F100 a more sensitive speaker compared to SVS Ultra Evolution Titan, 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 F100 can handle a max power of 450 watts RMS, whereas Ultra Evolution Titan has a max power handling value of 300 watts RMS, 150 watts less than the Motion XT F100.
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.
SVS Ultra Evolution Titan
MartinLogan Motion XT F100
Input Type and Bi-Amping / Bi-Wiring
Both Ultra Evolution Titan and Motion XT F100 features dual binding post speaker terminals for bi-amping or bi-wiring.
SVS Ultra Evolution Titan's Gold-plated 5-way terminals allows Bi-amping or bi-wiring
MartinLogan Motion XT F100's Custom 5-way bi-wire tool-less binding posts terminals allows Bi-amping or bi-wiring
Cabinet Type and Port Position
Ultra Evolution Titan has a rear firing port whereas Motion XT F100 has a bottom firing ports. MartinLogan Motion XT F100's bottom-firing port gives more flexibility in placement in regards to proximity to walls compared to SVS Ultra Evolution Titan 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 SVS Ultra Evolution Titan's and MartinLogan Motion XT F100's external dimensions. SVS Ultra Evolution Titan has external dimensions of 1197 x 249 x 439.3mm (D (47.13 x 9.8 x 17.3”) whereas MartinLogan Motion XT F100 has external dimensions of 1213 x 318 x 381mm (47-3/4inch x 12-1/2inch x 15inch).
SVS Ultra Evolution Titan is 69mm narrower and 16mm shorter than MartinLogan Motion XT F100 but it is also 58mm 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 Evolution Titan is approximately 1093.1cm2 / 169.4inch2 and base area of the MartinLogan Motion XT F100 is approximately 1211.6cm2 / 187.8inch2. The Ultra Evolution Titan requires 10% less surface area than the Motion XT F100 which gives it a small advantage 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 SVS Ultra Evolution Titan weighs 31.60kg / 69.5lbs and the MartinLogan Motion XT F100 weighs 34.50kg / 75.9lbs. This makes the Motion XT F100 9% heavier than the Ultra Evolution Titan.
Here is a comparison of how Ultra Evolution Titan and Motion XT F100's weights compare with the average, max and min weights in Passive Floor-standing class.
Weight
All Floor-standing Speakers
SVS Ultra Evolution Titan
MartinLogan Motion XT F100
 Nominal Impedance |
6 ohms
vs
4 ohms
|
Less selective with amplifiers |
 Number of Woofers |
4
vs
3
|
More woofers |
|
Low Frequency Response |
27 Hz
vs
31 Hz
|
Generates deeper bass |
 High Frequency Response |
40k Hz
vs
25k Hz
|
Generates higher frequency |
 Height |
1197mm
vs
1213mm
|
Easier to fit in smaller spaces |
 Base Surface Area |
1093cm2
vs
1211cm2
|
Takes less floor space |
 Price per pair* |
3999USD
vs
4498USD
|
costs less (*prices may change depending on the seller, location and time) |
 Max Input Power |
450 watts
vs
300 watts
|
Handle more power from your amplifier |
 Sensitivity |
92 dB
vs
88 dB
|
Play louder with same amount of amplification power |
| General |
SVS Ultra Evolution Titan |
MartinLogan Motion® XT F100 |
| Brand |
SVS |
MartinLogan |
| Speaker Type |
Floor-standing speaker |
Floor-standing speaker |
| Power Range |
20-300 watts |
20-450 watts |
| Sensitivity |
88 dB |
92 dB |
| Impedance |
6 ohms |
4 ohms |
| Frequency Response |
27-40k Hz |
31-25k Hz |
Drivers |
|
|
| Woofer Quantity |
4 |
3 |
| Woofer Size |
6.5" |
6.5" |
| Woofer Composition |
Composite glass-fiber |
Aluminum |
| Woofer Surround Material |
Rubber |
Rubber |
| Tweeter Size |
1" |
1.25 x 2.4" |
| Tweeter Type |
Dome |
Folded Motion XT |
| Aimable Tweeter |
No |
No |
| Midrange Driver |
4.5" |
6.5" |
| Crossover Frequency |
160HZ and 1900Hz |
280Hz and 2600Hz |
| Firing Direction |
rear |
bottom |
| Suggested Break-in Period |
n/a |
Allow 72 hours of break-in |
Physical Specs |
|
|
| Height |
1197.0mm (47.1") |
1213.0mm (47.8") |
| Width |
249.0mm (9.8") |
318.0mm (12.5") |
| Depth |
439.0mm (17.3") |
381.0mm (15") |
| Weight |
31.60kg (69.5lbs) |
34.50kg (75.9lbs) |
| Enclosure |
Bass Reflex |
Bass Reflex |
| Finish |
n/a |
MDF/Wood veneer |
| Available Colors |
Piano Gloss Black,Piano Gloss White,Black Oak Veneer |
Gloss Black, Walnut, and Satin White |
| 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 |
No single best speaker here - they are built to different priorities, and the right one depends on your room, your amplifier and what you listen to.
| Area | Better | Why |
|---|
| Bass | A | SVS Ultra Evolution Titan digs deeper - 27Hz against 31Hz. A subwoofer would even that out. |
| Amplifier needs | B | MartinLogan Motion XT F100 is more sensitive (92dB vs 88dB), so it goes louder on the same amplifier. |
| Amplifier match | A | SVS Ultra Evolution Titan is the easier load at 6 ohms; the other is 4 ohms and wants an amplifier rated for it. |
| Headroom | B | MartinLogan Motion XT F100 takes more power (450W vs 300W) - more in hand in a big room. |
| Size | depends | Similar cabinet size - neither is easier to fit. |
| Expandability | depends | SVS Ultra Evolution Titan: bi-amping; MartinLogan Motion XT F100: bi-amping. |
| Price | A | SVS Ultra Evolution Titan is cheaper - $3,999 against $4,498, about 11% less. |
A SVS Ultra Evolution Titan B MartinLogan Motion XT F100
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 your amplifier is modest, vintage or valve-based, MartinLogan Motion XT F100 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.