MartinLogan Foundation F1 is a 3-way Passive Bass Reflex Floor-standing speaker by MartinLogan. It features a 1" Folded Motion Ribbon Tweeter, 1 x 5.5" Midrange and 3 x 5.5" Aluminum Woofer. The speaker has a frequency range of 41-23k Hz and a sensitivity of 92 dB. MartinLogan Foundation F1 has an MSRP of 1499$ per pair but can often be found around 1498$ per pair.
Room Size Suitability
The size of the room where you plan to use the MartinLogan Foundation F1 is a crucial factor in your decision. We have assessed its suitability for various room sizes based on its dimensions and maximum power output:
| Listening Environment* |
Suitability |
| Near-field | Bad |
| Small Room | Poor |
| Mid-size Room | Good |
| Large Room | Good |
| Very Large Room | 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.)
MartinLogan Foundation F1 Lifestyle
MartinLogan's Foundation Series of Loudspeakers
MartinLogan Foundation F1 is a member of MartinLogan's Foundation series of Passive speakers. Below you can see the main specs of these speakers.
MartinLogan Foundation Series Speakers
MartinLogan Foundation Series Speakers
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Frequency Response of the MartinLogan Foundation F1 Speaker
MartinLogan Foundation F1 has a Frequency response range of 41-23k Hz at ±3dB and Power Range of up to 200 watts. With a minimum frequency of 41 Hz, MartinLogan Foundation F1 delivers deep bass that will likely satisfy most listeners, especially those who enjoy music. However, movie enthusiasts and music fans who prefer a full range of sound may still benefit from adding a subwoofer.
To focus on the subwoofers that are in a similar price range with MartinLogan Foundation F1, check out the Powered Subwoofers under $1500. Alternatively, find the Full list of Powered Subwoofers regardless of the price.
Here we have a comparison of how MartinLogan Foundation F1's Low and High frequency values compare with the average, max and min Low and High frequency values in its class.
Low Frequency
Floor-standing Speakers
MartinLogan Foundation F1
High Frequency
Floor-standing Speakers
MartinLogan Foundation F1
Among the speakers in our database with a max MSRP price of 1500$ (Pair), these are the 5 Passive Floor-standing speakers that have the deeper bass levels than the MartinLogan Foundation F1's 41Hz:
Crossover frequency of the MartinLogan Foundation F1?
MartinLogan Foundation F1 is a 3-way speaker and its crossover frequency between the woofer and the midrange set to 240Hz and the Crossover frequency between the midrange and the tweeter is set to 3700Hz.
Impedance and Sensitivity
MartinLogan Foundation F1's nominal impedance level is
4 ohms and has a sensitivity of
92 dB.
Sensitivity
Floor-standing Speakers
MartinLogan Foundation F1
Nominal Impedance of the 4 Ohms means that the MartinLogan Foundation F1 is a difficult to drive speaker from nominal Impedance perspective, make sure that you choose an amplifier than can provide 4 Ohms for this speaker.
Many AVRs (audio/video receiver) in the market may have difficulty when the speakers dip below the 4 Ohms levels (this may cause clipping or even physical damage), so we recommend to not pair the MartinLogan Foundation F1 with an AVR but use an Integrated Amplifier instead.
Sensitivity
92dB of the MartinLogan Foundation F1 is considered a high sensitivity compared to average stereo speaker which makes MartinLogan Foundation F1 an easy to drive from Sensitivity perspective. If you are planning to power your speaker with a Tube amp which are generally very low power, the MartinLogan Foundation F1 will be a good choice.
Check the amplifiers that are in a similar price range to the MartinLogan Foundation F1:
Input Type
MartinLogan Foundation F1 features Binding post type connectors. Bi-amping and Bi-wiring are not possible.
MartinLogan Foundation F1 Back View
MartinLogan Foundation F1 External Dimensions and Weight
MartinLogan Foundation F1 has external dimensions of (Height x Width x Depth) 41-7/16inch x 8-3/8inch x 14-7/16inch (1053.0 x 213.0 x 367.0mm ).
Base Surface Area
Base surface area of a loudspeaker may become a determining factor when the space in your room or desk is limited.
The base area of MartinLogan Foundation F1 is approximately 781.7cm2 / 121.2inch2.
WeightThe MartinLogan Foundation F1 weighs 21.14kg / 46.5lbs per piece. Here is a comparison of how MartinLogan Foundation F1's weight compares with the average, max and min weights in its class.
Weight
All Floor-standing Speakers
MartinLogan Foundation F1
Weight
Floor-standing Speakers under $1500
MartinLogan Foundation F1
How does the MartinLogan Foundation F1 compare to the MartinLogan-Foundation-F2?
One of the natural alternative to the MartinLogan Foundation F1 is the MartinLogan Foundation F2 which is located one step higher in MartinLogan's Passive Floor-standing selection.
Check the Detailed Comparison of MartinLogan Foundation F1 vs MartinLogan Foundation F2 for more details.
Cabinet type and Materials
MartinLogan Foundation F1 has a
Bass Reflex type cabinet. Bass Reflex type loudspeakers (aka Ported, Vented or Reflex Port) have enclosures that uses a port, hole or vent cut into the cabinet. Ported designs are generally more efficient than the Sealed designs.
MartinLogan Foundation F1 - Side View
Port Position
MartinLogan Foundation F1 is a rear-firing port speaker so you have to make sure you leave enough space between the back of the speaker and wall or bookshelf so that it has room to breathe.
Available colors
MartinLogan Foundation F1 is available in Walnut, Black and Satin White.
MartinLogan Foundation F1 Colors
Does the MartinLogan Foundation F1 come with a Grille?
MartinLogan Foundation F1 comes with grilles. The purpose of the grille is to protect the delicate driver elements from external impacts while still allowing the sound to pass as clearly as possible.
MartinLogan Foundation F1 with Grille
Recommended Accessories
Here is a list of accessories that we think you may need for the MartinLogan Foundation F1.
User's Manual
For more information about how to setup, use and maintain the MartinLogan Foundation F1, use the direct link below to download the official manual document:
Download User Manual for MartinLogan Foundation F1
Official Brochure
Here is a link to download the official brochure for the MartinLogan Foundation F1 speaker:
Official Brochure for MartinLogan Foundation F1
Official Product Page
Official manufacturer's product page for the MartinLogan Foundation F1 speaker can be found below:
Official Product Page for MartinLogan Foundation F1
Warranty
5 years of parts warranty and 5 years of labor warranty is generally provided by the manufacturer.