Monolith by Monoprice Air Motion Cinema Center Channel Speaker Review
The MartinLogan Movement 4i bookshelf speaker comes from a company well known for its distinguished line of loftier-end speakers.
I've never owned a MartinLogan production but have been wowed by their sound at high-end dealers and sound shows. I was anxious to see how the company could interpret their expertise into a relatively low cost blueprint that could provide excellent sound at a very reasonable cost.
The MartinLogan Motion 4i speakers did extremely well in the context of their diminutive size and price. They provide a stable stereo image, lovely smooth loftier frequencies from their Folded Move design tweeter. The bass is sparse, but the visitor offers its ain subwoofers.
Highlights
MartinLogan Motion 4i Bookshelf Speaker
- First-class sound at this price point
- Exceptional loftier frequency reproduction and wide dispersion
- Nicely finished with glossy pianoforte black outside
- First-class setup booklet
- Magnetic mounted grille
- Deep bass needs help from a subwoofer
- Requires moderate to loftier amplifier power to audio their best
MartinLogan began in the tardily 1970s when Gayle Martin Sanders and Ron Logan Sutherland met in Kansas. They were interested in producing a high-terminate, reliable electrostatic speaker system, and past the 1980s their signature speaker, the Monolith was meeting with excellent reviews. At present, the company has a full line of electrostatic speakers and most 15 years agone started looking at lower cost systems and got much praise with an earlier version of the speaker we're reviewing here, which was called the Move 4 Speaker. The 'move' in the championship comes from the tweeter, the much lauded Folded Motion transducer. Invented in the 1970s past Oskar Heil, originally marketed past ESS speakers, the tweeter now appears in several variations from a multifariousness of manufacturers.
MARTINLOGAN MOTION 4I BOOKSHELF SPEAKER SPECIFICATIONS
Frequency Response:
70–23,000 Hz ±3dB
Horizontal Dispersion:
eighty degrees
Vertical Dispersion:
80 degrees
High Frequency Transducer:
one × one.four-inch (2.6cm × 3.6cm) Folded Motility Transducer with five.25 × ane.75-inch (13.3cm × 4.4cm) diaphragm
Low Frequency Transducer:
4-inch (ten.2cm) paper cone with stamped steel basket. Not-resonant asymmetrical bedroom format. Rigid structured grit cap to reduce cone interruption-up modes. Folded bass reflex port.
Sensitivity:
90 dB/2.83 volts/meter
Impedance:
4 Ohms Compatible with 4, 6, or 8 Ohm rated amplifiers.
Recommended Amplifier Ability:
20–150 watts per aqueduct
Crossover Frequency:
2900 Hz
Components:
Custom air core coil and low DCR steel laminate inductors; polyester pic capacitors in series and low DF electrolytic capacitors in parallel; overall system thermal/current protection.
Inputs:
Push button style with banana jacks
Dimensions:
12.6 inches x 5.6 inches x 5.7 inches (32cm x 14.3cm ten 14.5cm)
MSRP:
$249.95 each (1 speaker)
SECRETS Tags:
MartinLogan, MartinLogan 4i speakers, bookshelf speakers, Bookshelf Speakers Review 2019
The MartinLogan Move 4i joins a crowded field of bookshelf speakers. Although designated a bookshelf speaker, the 4i'southward can hands exist mounted on a wall, with the included hardware, or placed on stands.
Setting upwards the speakers is expressionless easy. Each speaker comes in an individual box, and includes protective pads for the bottom of the speaker, and hardware for wall mounting. I used the speakers on a tabular array peak, and on a long credenza assuasive me to adjust the distance from the wall to go the nigh bass out of the ducted port at the back.
The MartinLogan Motility 4i speakers accept robust spring-loaded clips for attaching speaker wires, and besides offering assistant connectors which I used in my listening rooms, since I am oftentimes switching speakers in and out for review.
In Use
The speakers were a pleasant surprise, given their small size, and relatively minor cost. The high frequencies using the folded tweeter design are exemplary. I also noticed a very wide dispersion in both the mid- and high- frequencies. This makes placement easier simplifying setup.
The speakers really don't produce much bass. With a test disc with low frequency sweeps I heard hardly anything beneath 70 Hz, but that'due south not a surprise given the size and cost of these speakers. MartinLogan offers subwoofers for these speakers, but none were provided for the review and my Klipsch R10SWI wireless subwoofer added quite a chip to the overall sound.
Without the subwoofer running, the speakers delivered a nice low stop for their size, and for non-critical listening I was happy with the overall remainder.
Listening to a diversity of material in my master bedroom where I accept a stereo setup was nearly interesting. My permanent speakers are KEF LS50's, which I consider near state-of-the-fine art. They are triple the toll of the MartinLogan speakers, and I was surprised how well the MartinLogans compared. Loftier frequencies were very like. The KEFs also do good from the aforementioned Klipsch Subwoofer, then the most differentiation betwixt the 2 very differently priced speakers was in the midrange, where the KEFs were smoother and slightly more detailed and forward. Switching back and along, the KEFs were stunning. The MartinLogan Movement 4i speakers were very skilful.
Having said that, the sound from the MartinLogans was smooth (except where it was slightly depressed in the midrange).
Without the subwoofer attached, the KEFs did better in the low finish, offering useful frequency response down to 45-50 Hz, a good bargain lower than the MartinLogan speakers. But as I e'er mind with a subwoofer, the differences don't make much practical difference to me.
The speakers are adequately easy to drive, but you want a loftier quality amplifier or receiver. I used Emotiva UPA-500 amps, and a Denon AVR-S640H receiver with good results.
Listening tests:
I auditioned a variety of CDs, and also several high resolution files that I knew would challenge the speakers. Since I know the tracks I played very well, it was easy to find differences between speakers.
Morton Feldman "The Rothko Chapel"
This is an excellent musical exam. This contemporary work features voices, percussion and strings. It is an excellent examination of ambiance reproduction, and directionality, as instruments pop out of the sound field at farthermost left and correct speaker. The 4i speakers acquitted themselves on this tough musical test.
Rachmaninoff "Vespers"
This is a Pentatone SACD from 2002 that has lovely choral music. Once more the MartinLogan speakers were able to offer precise placement of the voices making for a realistic presentation.
Basil Poledouris "Starship Troopers Deluxe Edition"
This soundtrack from the 1997 alien bugs movie has a large orchestra, percussion effects, and some electronics. The 4i speakers kept the sound congestion costless, quite an accomplishment for small drivers.
Eddie Jobson "Theme of Secrets"
Jazz and New Age music that has a squeamish mix of audio-visual and electronic instruments. The 4i speakers offered splendid separation, with highs smooth and realistic.
Conclusions
A lot of technical noesis and clever engineering science went into the design of the MARTINLOGAN Motion 4I BOOKSHELF SPEAKERS. They've succeeded at a depression toll.
Likes
- First-class loftier frequency reproduction
- Very wide dispersion
- Loftier quality materials, and speaker connectors
Would Like To Run into
- A version with ameliorate depression end
- A package price with included subwoofer for a 2.1 organisation.
- A more forward or elevated mid-range
I didn't expect these speakers to outperform higher cost speakers similar my KEFs, and they didn't. What was remarkable was how well they did. There's no deep bass here, simply even the KEFs demand a subwoofer. At this price range, the MartinLogan Movement 4i bookshelf speakers are a fine value. I wouldn't consider them for a main system in a big room, just in a chamber, an part or similar smaller space they offer broad dispersion, a clean not-congested sound, fine high frequencies from the folded motion tweeter design, and gimmicky looks with a shiny, piano blackness enclosure. A speaker this good needs a subwoofer to truly audio complete. MartinLogan offers matching subwoofers, and has just started aircraft a 5.one configuration based on 4 of their smaller motion 2i speakers, a Motility 6i center aqueduct and their Dynamo 400 subwoofer. I''d like to see a ii.ane parcel too.
Source: https://hometheaterhifi.com/reviews/speaker/bookshelf/martinlogan-motion-4i-bookshelf-speaker-review/