Product Details
- Amazon Sales Rank: #4494 in Speakers
- Color: Black Ash
- Brand: Martin
- Model: Motion C
- Released on: 2010-09-30
- Dimensions: 6.00" h x
4.40" w x
24.00" l,
9.50 pounds
Features
- Folded Motion Tweeter "squeezes" air and requires almost 90% less excursion than the typical 1" dome tweeter
- Elegant yet understated styling with black ash real wood veneer to match the Motion 10 and Motion 12 floor standing speakers
- Convenient push-style speaker terminals and curved inserts help guide speaker wire effortlessly into place
- Low-profile design is recommended for both table-top and wall mount applocations.
MartinLogan Motion C Center Channel Speaker (Black)
Product Description
Inspired by MartinLogan's ultra-high-end electrostatic loudspeakers, the Motion Series was created to provide stunning sound for your ultimate-performance home theater or stereo. MartinLogan's dedicated in-house engineers carefully crafted the Motion Series to create an extremely affordable and compact product line that seamlessly blends our exquisite Folded Motion transducers with powerful, compact bass technology. The result is a smooth, refined sound with stunning dynamic range and jaw-dropping clarity. Complementing Motion's sonic accuracy is elegant yet understated styling. Motion C features a real-wood veneer finish and a stylish aesthetic certain to blend with Motion 10 and Motion 12 floor standing speakers. Convenient push-style speaker terminals and curved inserts help guide speaker wire effortlessly into place. The rubber end caps on the terminal are also removable for the use of banana plugs instead of bare wire. So simple, you'll actually enjoy hooking up these speakers.
Customer Reviews
Most helpful customer reviews
29 of 29 people found the following review helpful.
By Stephen M. Lerch
As part of the Amazon Vine program, I had actually received a MartinLogan Motion 8 Center Channel Speaker (Piano Black, each) and this was, as stated in my review of the MartinLogan Motion 12 Floorstanding Speaker (Black Ash, each) and MartinLogan Motion 10 Floorstanding Speaker (Black Ash, each), the impetus for my rebuilding my home theater. The Motion 8 eclipsed everything else in my setup (it was a home theater in a box (HTIB)).After hearing the clarity of the Motion 8, I had decided it time to upgrade my setup to something worthy of actual listening instead of a source of annoyance that it had become.As part of my auditioning speakers, I had decided to check out the above mentioned Motion 10 and Motion 12s as those are the speakers that are supposed to be matched with the Motion 8 and I was looking more for floor standers than bookshelf speakers. Also during this auditioning, I found a local hi-fi retailer with a Motion C in stock and I decided to compare the Motion 8 I had received with the Motion C. The Motion C is the more expensive option of the two, so I was curious what the difference was.After carefully comparing the two, both within a 5.1 setup with the other speakers in the Motion line and "side by side" in a blind direct comparison, it turns out that despite the $100 MSRP price difference, the Motion C really isn't worth the extra money. It sounds fantastic, reproducing movie dialog with stunning clarity, along with movie sound effects (clanging shell casings, etc). But then again, so too does the Motion 8!Just for fun I also tried out some music and found that the Motion C does an OK job reproducing that. The frequency response of the speaker doesn't lend itself to subwoofer free music playback (and that's not what it is meant for anyway) but the highs were high and mids were, well, OK at best (this is the same thing with the Motion 8; they weren't designed with music playback in mind in anything other than in movies as mostly background sound). Also to get a better feel, we configured the Motion 8 and Motion C as a stereo pair and played music. They were pretty evenly matched sonically as best I could tell, further lending me to not recommend the Motion C over the Motion 8.I was a little confused by the price discrepancy, and after a little research I found the specs on the Motin 8 and the Motion C. In spec comparison (yes, spec comparison. I did the listening test and couldn't really hear the difference), it seems the Motion C has a SLIGHTLY higher sensitivity. We're talking 1 db difference which most normal people will ever be able to differentiate. This also has a slightly better crossover frequency, but we're just splitting hairs with the differences for most listeners.If you are trying to decide between the Motion 8 and the Motion C for your center speakers and don't want to do proper auditioning, just buy the Motion 8. Most likely you'll never be able to hear the difference AND save yourself at LEAST $100 in MSRP comparison (and I've seen the Motion 8 sell for $350).Which brings me to another point. If you are trying to put together a good home theater, it is imperative that you do a proper audition if you have the means, especially if you are looking at potentially spending $400+ on one speaker alone. There is a lot of competition out there and without properly auditioning speakers you will never know if you purchase the speakers that you feel are perfect for your ears. At this particular price range, your local big box retailer (the one with the sign that is blue and yellow and looks like a price sticker) has plenty to offer you to listen to. I'd still recommend a local hi-fi shop, but those are becoming scarce like Siberian tigers.So why 4 stars? This is a very good speaker, no question. The problem becomes that for $100 less you can get one that you most likely won't be able to hear an audible difference on and performance, sensitivity and frequency response are so close that you are better off buying the Motion 8 and saving the money. You most likey won't hear the difference anyway. So the 4 stars comes into play that if you've decided on purchasing a Motion C, you definitely aren't going wrong. Sound is fantastic for the price certainly.
3 of 3 people found the following review helpful.
By AmazonNinja
Background:I've always loved music. I could never afford the greatest sound and pay 100k for audio, so I always have looked for great performance, at a good price. I upgraded my main L+R+Center speakers from JVC HTIB speakers to Sony SS-MF550H+SS-CN550H 8 years ago, and was overall really pleased with the sound for a while, considering I purchased those speakers on clearance. Overall price was awesome for the sound produced (not to mention what i could afford at the time). But Sony wasnt anything spectacular, and left me wanting... Until now... I've been looking to add more clarity in my sound(and speakers to the collection), and I finally landed on a set of Martin Logan Motion 12s for my stereo listening. Wow! These things can sing! Then the craving began for a voiced matched center channel, after integrating the 12s into my media room. Hmm...Decisions. Motion 8 or Motion C to complement the Motion 12s? But wait..couldnt justify the cost at MSRP. I saw the Motion C go on sale this past week (jumped for joy!), and finally made the move to do the upgrade! And we all know what happens every time you upgrade a component/speaker... You break out the speaker wires and test equipment, play with your setup for hours, doing critical listening and A/B testing to validate that your hard earned money was well spent on your newfound audio bliss.... well, maybe not everyone, but i definitely do.Speaker Review:If theres anything you learn from this review it's this: Feed these speakers power, and they will do magical things! I have a small listening room (10x10), and the Motion C vs Sony at low listening levels weren't that far off. Hrmf, I was expecting more...well, at first. But the more power i feed this guy....the more they spring into life!The Sony SS-CN550H center speaker held it's own at low listening levels, especially the combination of rock/pop music with male vocals. I almost preferred the warmth of this style of music and speaker at low levels, since it seemed to accentuate those frequencies well. Though with any classical stylings or music with female vocals, even at low power levels, the Motion C was far superior to the Sony. The female voices and and high frequency instruments were crystal clear and separated with the Martin Logans, and much more muddy with the Sony's. But at higher listening levels....the Motion C blew away the Sony by leaps and bounds in all directions. Sony sound got colored and muddy with more power, and the Motion C, just kept asking for more and more....and got better and better. The lack of low frequency reproduction and almost tinny-ness i heard at lower levels faded away, and the Martin Logan center blew me away with it's detail.The Motion C is definitely not made for a small room, or amplifiers with not enough juice to handle the 4ohm rating and necessary power to drive these clearly. They pair very well with the Martin Logan Motion lineup for voiced matched multi-channel awesomeness.Testing Setup:A/B comparison with Sony SS-CN550H wire to left channel, Martin Logan Motion C wired to right channel. Onkyo amplifier set to output mono to each channel, combining L+R signals to ensure speakers received identical signal. Set speaker level calibration on receiver with SPL meter and pink noise, to accommodate differences in speaker impedance and sensitivity(which can trick your ears). Once dB output ratings were equivalent, I began A/B testing, switching between each speaker with a speaker selector. Tested the following variety of artists/styles over a period of about 7+ hrs. This was, of course, all after i broke in the speakers for 72 hrs, per manufacturers suggestion. Whether or not it makes a difference, who knows...depending on your opinion.Sources: Normal (Redbook) CD's and DVDs with SPDIF out from DVD player, SACD analog output from PS3, and lossless MP3's on Macbook Pro optical out.Music: Metallica, Simon and Garfunkel, Steve Miller Band, Eagles, Hootie and the Blowfish, Mumford and Sons, Evanescence, Alanis Morisette, Final Fantasy: Distant Worlds, Phil Collins, Coldplay, Lionel Richie, REM, Michael Jackson, Cee Lo Green, Elton John, Madonna, Foreigner, STYX, Billy Joel, Midnight at Notre Dame SACD, Mozart/Bach/Pachabel selections.Movies: Matrix, Pitch Black, Inglorious BasterdsOverall:I'd give 4.5 stars if I could, and knock half a star due to a few small annoyances, for which some may not agree, such as- Sound a bit too bright at times(in low-mid listening levels), with lack of lower frequency reproduction sometimes causing unnatural/thin sound.- Performance of speaker at low power levels, specifically with male vocal range.- Value..very expensive, if paying MSRP, which was 4-5x the cost of my previous center speaker.Again...nothing too major, just personal preferences, and nuances in type/level of listening. Still an amazing speaker with extreme clarity/detail across Mid/High frequency spectrums. Plus, I tested this speaker beyond center channel expectations, and more so as main channel with music and movies across all genres. Just wanted to list my feedback to hopefully help others who are deciding if this speaker is right for them. Overall very pleased with the purchase, and the vendor, Audio Advisors/Amazon, for a very smooth transaction. My girlfriend will be extremely happy to have the media room back in order, now that all the setup/testing is complete, and wires and equipment all over the room are all put away....till next time...
2 of 2 people found the following review helpful.
By Brother Louie
I have a pair of GoldenEar Triton 2 speakers that were mismatched with an old Energy center channel speaker. I was interested in the Martin Logan C for a couple of reasons; the price and the fact that it has a "folded motion" tweeter, much the same as the GoldenEars (GE has a center channel speaker as well, a couple hundred bucks more than the Martin Logan). I brought the GE home from a local retailer and took a shot on the C on Amazon - liked the C better - all subjective of course but it seemed to have a bit more "body" and was even-up on the mids and highs. Kept the Martin Logan, all is well in my home theater. It's kind of a steal at this price, as long as you're willing to suffer the "indignity" of owning last year's model.
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