In this review, we will be comparing NS-2000A and Motion XT F200, two Passive Floor-standing speakers from Yamaha and MartinLogan.
Let's have a brief look at the main features
of Yamaha NS-2000A and MartinLogan Motion XT F200 first before getting into our more
detailed comparison.
| Key Specs | Yamaha NS-2000A | MartinLogan Motion XT F200 |
|---|
| Design | 3-way | 3-way |
|---|
| Tweeter | 1.25" Dome | 1.25 x 2.4" Folded Motion XT |
|---|
| Midrange | 3.25" | 6.5" |
|---|
| Woofer | 2 x 6.5" Cone | 3 x 8" Aluminum |
|---|
| Frequency response | 34-65k Hz | 27-25k Hz |
|---|
| Sensitivity | 88 dB | 92 dB |
|---|
| Impedance | 6 ohms | 4 ohms |
|---|
| Power range | 60-200 watts | 20-600 watts |
|---|
| Weight | 32.79kg / 72.1lbs | 39.00kg / 85.8lbs |
|---|
| Dimensions (H x W x D) | 44.625" x 13" x 18.125"
1133.5 x 330.2 x 460.4mm | 50-3/4" x 13-3/4" x 16-1/2"
1289 x 349 x 419mm |
|---|
What size room are the Yamaha NS-2000A and MartinLogan Motion XT F200 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* |
Yamaha NS-2000A |
MartinLogan Motion XT F200 |
| Near-field |
Poor |
Are you nuts? |
| Small Room |
Average |
Poor |
| Mid-size Room |
Good |
Average |
| Large Room |
Average |
Good |
| Very Large Room |
Poor |
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.
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through our links. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.
Drivers
Both NS-2000A and Motion XT F200 are 3-way speakers.
Yamaha NS-2000AMartinLogan Motion XT F200
TweeterMidrangeWoofer
Front view, drawn to scale - cabinets and drivers share one scale, so sizes are directly comparable. Hover a driver for its size.
| Driver |
Yamaha NS-2000A |
MartinLogan Motion XT F200 |
|
Driver Setup
|
3-way
|
3-way
|
|
Tweeter
|
1.25-inch
|
1.25 x 2.4-inch
|
|
Midrange
|
1 x 3.25-inch |
1 x 6.5-inch |
|
Woofer
|
2 x 6.5-inch
|
3 x 8-inch
|
NS-2000A features a 1.25" Dome Dome Tweeter, a 3.25" Midrange and 2 x 6.5" Cone Woofer with a Crossover frequency at 750 Hz/3.5 kHz. On the other hand, the Motion XT F200 features a 1.25 x 2.4" Folded Motion XT Tweeter, a 6.5" Midrange and 3 x 8" Aluminum Woofer with a Crossover frequency at 300Hz and 2600Hz.
Frequency Response
NS-2000A has a frequency range of 34-65k Hz whereas Motion XT F200 has a frequency range of 27-25k Hz. With a minimum frequency of 27Hz, the Motion XT F200 can go significantly deeper on the low side and provide stronger bass compared to the NS-2000A's min frequency of 34Hz.
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
NS-2000A is a 6 ohms speaker compared to the Motion XT F200 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 F200 can provide this impedance level.
These two speakers also have different sensitivity levels. NS-2000A sensitivity is rated at 88 dB and the Motion XT F200's is rated at 92 dB. This 4 dB difference makes the MartinLogan Motion XT F200 a more sensitive speaker compared to Yamaha NS-2000A, 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 F200 can handle a max power of 600 watts RMS, whereas NS-2000A has a max power handling value of 200 watts RMS, 400 watts less than the Motion XT F200.
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.
MartinLogan Motion XT F200
Input Type and Bi-Amping / Bi-Wiring
Motion XT F200 features Custom 5-way bi-wire tool-less binding posts posts which make bi-amping or bi-wiring possible. NS-2000A has a Binding post which doesn't feature bi-amping/bi-wiring.
MartinLogan Motion XT F200'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 Yamaha NS-2000A's and MartinLogan Motion XT F200's external dimensions. Yamaha NS-2000A has external dimensions of 1133.5 x 330.2 x 460.4mm (44.625 x 13 x 18.125inch) whereas MartinLogan Motion XT F200 has external dimensions of 1289 x 349 x 419mm (50-3/4inch x 13-3/4inch x 16-1/2inch).
Yamaha NS-2000A is 18.8mm narrower and 155.5mm shorter than MartinLogan Motion XT F200 but it is also 41.4mm 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 Yamaha NS-2000A is approximately 1520.2cm2 / 235.6inch2 and base area of the MartinLogan Motion XT F200 is approximately 1462.3cm2 / 226.7inch2. The NS-2000A requires 4% more surface area than the Motion XT F200 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 Yamaha NS-2000A weighs 32.79kg / 72.1lbs and the MartinLogan Motion XT F200 weighs 39.00kg / 85.8lbs. This makes the Motion XT F200 19% heavier than the NS-2000A.
Here is a comparison of how NS-2000A and Motion XT F200's weights compare with the average, max and min weights in Passive Floor-standing class.
Weight
All Floor-standing Speakers
MartinLogan Motion XT F200
 Nominal Impedance |
6 ohms
vs
4 ohms
|
Less selective with amplifiers |
 High Frequency Response |
65k Hz
vs
25k Hz
|
Generates higher frequency |
 Height |
1133mm
vs
1289mm
|
Easier to fit in smaller spaces |
 Max Input Power |
600 watts
vs
200 watts
|
Handle more power from your amplifier |
 Sensitivity |
92 dB
vs
88 dB
|
Play louder with same amount of amplification power |
 Woofer Size |
8 inches
vs
6.5 inches
|
Larger woofer |
|
Number of Woofers |
3
vs
2
|
More woofers |
|
Low Frequency Response |
27 Hz
vs
34 Hz
|
Generates deeper bass |
 Bi-Amping and Bi-Wiring |
Yes
vs
No
|
Allows bi-amping and bi-wiring connections |
 Base Surface Area |
1462cm2
vs
1520cm2
|
Takes less floor space |
 Price per pair* |
5498USD
vs
8600USD
|
costs less (*prices may change depending on the seller, location and time) |
| General |
Yamaha NS-2000A |
MartinLogan Motion® XT F200 |
| Brand |
Yamaha |
MartinLogan |
| Speaker Type |
Floor-standing speaker |
Floor-standing speaker |
| Power Range |
60-200 watts |
20-600 watts |
| Sensitivity |
88 dB |
92 dB |
| Impedance |
6 ohms |
4 ohms |
| Impedance |
3.5 ohms |
n/a |
| Frequency Response |
34-65k Hz |
27-25k Hz |
Drivers |
|
|
| Woofer Quantity |
2 |
3 |
| Woofer Size |
6.5" |
8" |
| Woofer Composition |
Cone |
Aluminum |
| Woofer Surround Material |
n/a |
Rubber |
| Tweeter Size |
1.25" |
1.25 x 2.4" |
| Tweeter Type |
Dome |
Folded Motion XT |
| Aimable Tweeter |
No |
No |
| Midrange Driver |
3.25" |
6.5" |
| Crossover Frequency |
750 Hz/3.5 kHz |
300Hz and 2600Hz |
| Firing Direction |
n/a |
bottom |
| Suggested Break-in Period |
n/a |
Allow 72 hours of break-in |
Physical Specs |
|
|
| Height |
1133.5mm (44.6") |
1289.0mm (50.7") |
| Width |
330.2mm (13") |
349.0mm (13.7") |
| Depth |
460.4mm (18.1") |
419.0mm (16.5") |
| Weight |
32.79kg (72.1lbs) |
39.00kg (85.8lbs) |
| Enclosure |
Bass Reflex |
Bass Reflex |
| Finish |
n/a |
MDF/Wood veneer |
| Available Colors |
n/a |
Gloss Black, Walnut, and Satin White |
| Grille |
Yes |
Yes |
| Moisture Resistancy |
No |
No |
Connections |
|
|
| Biamp Inputs |
No |
Yes |
Other |
|
|
| Parts Warranty |
|
5 Years |
| Labor Warranty |
|
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 |
B |
MartinLogan Motion XT F200 digs deeper - 27Hz against 34Hz. A subwoofer would even that out. |
| Amplifier needs |
B |
MartinLogan Motion XT F200 is more sensitive (92dB vs 88dB), so it goes louder on the same amplifier. |
| Amplifier match |
A |
Yamaha NS-2000A is the easier load at 6 ohms; the other is 4 ohms and wants an amplifier rated for it. |
| Headroom |
B |
MartinLogan Motion XT F200 takes more power (600W vs 200W) - more in hand in a big room. |
| Size |
depends |
Similar cabinet size - neither is easier to fit. |
| Expandability |
B |
MartinLogan Motion XT F200: bi-amping. MartinLogan Motion XT F200 sits in a wider range (7 models), so a matched surround system is easier later. |
| Price |
B |
MartinLogan Motion XT F200 is cheaper - $5,498 against $8,600, about 36% less. |
A Yamaha NS-2000A
B MartinLogan Motion XT F200
depends neither is better in the abstract - it turns on your room, placement 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 F200 is the easier recommendation: it leads on most of the measured areas and costs less. Take Yamaha NS-2000A if its size, looks or fit in your room suit you better. If a subwoofer is in your plans, the bass gap largely stops mattering - you would be crossing over above 34Hz anyway, so judge these on the other rows instead. Match it to your room: we rate Yamaha NS-2000A the better fit for a small room and a mid-size room, and MartinLogan Motion XT F200 for a large room and a very large 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.