Customer Reviews

MartinLogan Motion 2 Bookshelf Speaker (Piano Black, each)

5 star:		(6)
4 star:		(4)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

MartinLogan. Honestly, when I received the Motion 2, it was the first I had heard of them. To the layman, they are certainly not as ubiquitous to stereo electronics as say, Sony, Pioneer, Harman Kardon, Yamaha, Polk Audio, Bose or Onkyo. There's a reason for that really. Until the Motion Series of speakers, MartinLogan specialized in extremely high-end electrostatic speakers that were priced way beyond the realm of affordability for the average consumer. We are talking tens of thousands of dollars. Ah, but what's this? MartinLogan has decided to let us common folk finally appreciate what the elite have been enoying for years. Watch out! Here comes the comMotion.

PROS:
- Affordable high-fidelity
- Fantastic highs and mids
- Sleek good looks
- Unique cable connection
- Includes wall mounting kit

CONS:
- Insufficient bass as stand-alone bookshelf speakers
- Not magnetically shielded

Over the years, I had drastically down-sized my stereo components due to lack of ideal space and the grabby-hands of little children. What remained before receiving the Motion 2 speakers were an Onkyo receiver, a Pioneer DVD/CD player, a TiVo Series 2, and a 32" CRT Sanyo television. A sad state of affairs, I know. I wasn't sure if I would be doing the Motion 2's justice with this set up. I quickly found out that while better quality source components would indeed help, even the most pathetic systems would benefit greatly from the inclusion of MartinLogan's Motion Series. Keep in mind that I am reviewing the Motion 2's as bookshelf speakers, not as part of a surround system.

AESTHETICS
I generally prefer classier, reserved aesthetics in my stereo components. This is why when I was actually trying to keep up with hi-fi circles, I invested in Linn equipment. What I wouldn't give to have my Linn equipment again to match up with MartinLogan speakers. The Motion 2's have a glossy black finish and come in a cloth-like bag to protect it during shipping. A cleaning cloth is also included in the box to help keep them looking shiny and pristine. The curves of the speakers give them a distinctive appearance and is much more attractive than the standard, boring rectangular speakers you often see. There aren't any giant logos on the speaker grill either and it was at least several minutes before I even noticed the small MartinLogan name badge on the bottom of the grill, which by the way, is removable!

SOUND
As with most good audio equipment, burn in time is recommended. MartinLogan recommends at least 72 hours. I have to admit that I did not burn the Motion 2's in for the recommended time. I didn't feel the need as I was immediately impressed with the sound. I started out by playing some music through them and I really could not believe my ears. You hear a lot of people say that good equipment, speakers and headphones especially, make you hear elements of a song you had never heard before. This was absolutely true for me with the music I was playing. I even paused the music a few times because I thought I was hearing external sounds from outside my home but it was that I hadn't heard the sounds before in the music! I played a range of music from rock, pop, synth pop, and folk. I could've dug up the few classical CD's I owned but those were buried in a box somewhere in a closet so I decided against it, fully believing that Tchaikovsky's Swan Lake would've made me weep. Also, these speakers were meant to be played loudly. They shine more brightly at mid to high volumes. The only drawback I found in the sound department was the lack of bass. I can hardly blame the speakers since you typically need a subwoofer to get the best overall sound from a system. Bookshelf speakers normally lack the proper bass characteristics without them, even the very expensive ones. Still, if you intend to use them as bookshelf speakers, you'll either have to live with insufficient bass, or invest in a sub.

MISCELLANEOUS
MartinLogan uses a unique, proprietary cable connection that works well. It's a push-button style which you can use to insert bare speaker wire into the speaker that allows the wire to become more flush with the back of the speaker. This is ideal for mounting on walls. Should you choose, you can also use banana plugs.

The only problem I had with the MartinLogan Motion2's was the fact that they were not magnetically shielded. Why? Because it appears that I am that lone jerk who refuses to upgrade their TV set to an LCD/LED or plasma. See "grabby-hands" comment above. Due to the speakers being unshielded, I had to make sure I kept them a fair distance away from my CRT television. MartinLogan recommends 2 feet! I had hoped to put the Motion2's right next to my TV on the TV stand but alas, I had to use a pair of speaker stands to avoid damaging my TV.

SUMMARY
The MartinLogan Motion2's sound amazing. However, a subwoofer would greatly improve the overall sound. They are a classic hi-fi trap; they make you want to upgrade everything else to achieve the best possible sound, even though they sound wonderful with even the most basic systems. For use without a sub however, I might recommend giving the Motion 4's a listen. The Motion 4's at least have a bass reflex port for better bass. If you want hi-fi on a budget, MartinLogan's Motion Series deserve very serious consideration.

We have two very good Polk floor speakers, on a quality stereo system and that is what I had to compare these to.

They compared very well. They are small and very attractive looking and would work great for any home theater system. You can put them on a shelf or mount them to the wall.

The clarity of sound was very impressive. Only the bass was not quite as good as our Polk speakers but it was a very slight difference. And the MartinLogan 4 are supposed to have improved bass for only $20 more per speaker, so that could be considered as well. Hooking it up was easy and they have a push style terminal that was easy.

I had not heard of MartinLogan before I saw these speakers, and I am very impressed. We listened to 8 - 10 of our older albums, both rock and classical on variations of our Polk speakers and the MartinLogan speakers. I think as we hit the 72 hour burn in time (which they recommend) that the difference between these and our Polk's will be very small indeed.

These are very impressive, especially considering how small they are. Recommended!

The "Test":

Four people in a room: 1 Audiophile, 3 Others who appreciate great music and great sound
Artist/Album: Pink Floyd Original Master Recording of Dark Side of the Moon (Gold Disk) Dark Side of the Moon
Song: Money
Why: Because I said so (my experiment, my choice)
Comparison: 1982 Bose 301 Series II bookshelf speakers encased in a hideous "walnut grained vinyl veneer"(again.. circa 1982). While old school, there are 100's of people online who swear by these speakers and vow never to replace them (I am guessing their home still has wood paneling and shag carpets... no judgments).

The Results:

The winner chosen by all four was the MartinLogan speakers.

Why?

- Crisper, clearer and true sounds. Everyone said they sounded better including the owner of the aforementioned Bose speakers who, up until that point, was going on and on that the Bose speakers would only be replaced by another set of Bose speakers. The beginning of the Pink Floyd song "Money" (you know... "cha ching" and other cash noises) was a perfect example of the clarity of the sound. The Bose were a bit more muffled while the MartinLogan's sounded as though someone was right next to you pulling the cash register and playing with change (in a very quiet and empty store). There were many sounds and nuances lost on the Bose that were surprising to hear on the MartinLogans.

- Looks (obviously the Bose lose here.. by no fault of their own.. it was the early 80's after all). However, these are some sexy looking speakers. Nicely designed. Sleek lines. More esthetically pleasing than most you see at your local electronics store.

- Size. Very small package for the output of sound they produce. The Bose were about the size of four of these speakers so I will have to stop comparing to the Bose here. I have a very expensive Boston Acoustic surround sound setup in my room with speakers about the same size. The output on those don't carry the clarity and rich sound compared to the MartinLogan's either.


Who is it not for?

Those who need a ton of bass. The Bose had this nailed. The MartinLogan's fell a little short. I personally don't need that much bass. I'm not a huge fan of rap, however, I hate my new car's speakers that disappoint when I am in the mood for some "Brass Monkey." (I recently realized that song sucks without bass. When someone is telling you to "put your left leg down and your right leg up" without the bass... it is just a bad game of Twister).

I digress. While my new car's speakers (which will be upgraded) are abysmal, the MartinLogan's bass is good enough for most. If you want your windows to rattle you will need a subwoofer or a different pair of speakers. If you want a moderate amount of bass, clarity, to hear every detail the artist intended and overall beautiful sound we would recommend the MartinLogans.

Martin Logan, a longtime mainstay of the audiophile high end, has created a new line of modestly priced home speakers, of which these are one member. I was somewhat skeptical, since these speakers moved outside of their proven area of strength, and frequently that means more an attempt at creating new revenue streams than a legitimate extension of the line.

And that is, in fact, somewhat the case here. These speakers, while quite good for their niche, would hardly satisfy a true audiophile, even one on a space or financial budget.

That said, these really do sound quite good for bookshelf speakers. They are clear, with good, distinct, non fatiguing highs and adequate midrange. They sound pretty good even as the volume is increased. Bass is inferior to larger speakers, but that's how physics works. When combined with a subwoofer, that problem is easily solved and these sound strong across the frequency spectrum.

Two notes:

1) These are not shielded. That means they aren't meant to sit next to your monitor (may cause interference).
2) These are not powered speakers. That is, they are to be used with a traditional amplifier. They won't work plugged directly into your PC (even if the lack of shielding isn't a problem). They also won't work with a TV, unless the TV has a built in amplifier, or else you run them through an intermediary amplifier.

Those caveats noted, these are fine speakers, and are assuredly among the better sounding speakers I've auditioned in this product segment. Assuming you have an amplifier to run them, and especially if you also have a subwoofer in your system, I would strongly recommend listening to these speakers when consider a moderately sized set of bookshelf units.

As the title of my review suggests, the MartinLogan Motion 2 Bookshelf Speakers deliver impressive audio performance for bookshelf speakers of this size, but have an odd shape that love or merely tolerate.

The speakers are curved so that if you mount them upside down on a wall they will direct sound down toward the likely direction of the listener (in a typical home theater setup). This is a GREAT idea ... if you plan to mount the speakers on your wall. However, this design suffers from a minor problem if you have them resting on a bookshelf or table (despite the fact that these are called "bookshelf" speakers). If you have these resting on a bookshelf (as pictured) then the curved design directs the sound slightly up.

If your shelves are located fairly high on your wall then the sound goes up toward your ceiling rather than down toward your position on the couch. This doesn't destroy the audio quality, but the clarity is slightly impacted by the sound bouncing off the ceiling and coming down instead of being directed straight at you.

Despite this minor design quirk, the MartinLogan Motion 2 speakers offer some excellent sound quality with excellent clarity, good range and a fair amount of bass for speakers that aren't designed like subwoofers to specifically deliver bass.

We connected the speakers (two of them) to our Pioneer system, and they work great. The sound is very clear and clean. We put them on the shelf, so I am not sure how easy it would be to install on the wall. The speakers are really good for their size, look stylish and work very well in our family room. Highly recommended.

I was given these speakers to evaluate and though I am not really in to speakers and audio peripherals and could frankly care less what comes out of my TV or stereo (as I rarely do watch/listen to it) I could not resist the opportunity. As a background, I have 26 years experience as a well accomplished pianist. Most of the music I listen to daily - I play. :)

These speakers are very nice. They are clear, clean and smooth. Chopin's Nocturne 48 #1 never sounded so wonderful and was a great way for me to test out these speakers as it is a very complex work both in density and volume changes. The speakers handled the task very well. If you look at this company's other products you will find everything you need to create a wonderful listening experience and they go from these lower cost speakers all the way up to the serious equipment and even custom speakers from their website. If you are looking at these and gawking at the price then perhaps you would like to try to go around and do some bargin hunting. I believe this price point is fair for the quality you get. If you want speakers that perform to a high standard you will not be dissapointed. I pride myself on my musical ear (and can even tell when my piano is the slightest bit flat or sharp as I have perfect pitch) and can say this is the best sound I have heard without being in a theatre or at the piano myself.

As a side note, I found these easy to set up and quite sturdy. They are compact and sleek looking with the piano black finish.

ETA - Update Nov 1, 2011 - I remain pleased with my Martin Logan speakers. Now that I am a little more tech savvy and have a few more "toys" ;) I have figured out more uses for my tv and such so they do get more usage. Currently saving up for a better amp and possibly a couple other speakers to complement these. I use a damp microfiber lens cloth to clean them and that seems to keep the dust at bay.

While this is marketed as a bookshelf speaker, I have found a set of them very happy as part of my home theater system as the front left & right speakers. I did this specifically because I often use the home theater system to play music and listen to podcasts rather than watch movies. My previous speakers were several years old, were smaller and had sounded flat when new, and worse after years.

The size and shape is smaller than your typical bookshelf and larger than your typical home theater satellite. Build quality is exceptional, and sound reproduction is second to none for a class of speakers that "normal" audiophiles are willing to buy. Even at very low volumes voices are crisp and sounds are so crisp, clear and "sparkly" I find myself snapping my head wondering what a sound is as I walk through the house-- they've made that much of a difference in the type and discrete clarity and projection compared to my previous speakers.

Upsides: Super, great, clear mids & highs without sounding like you are missing mid range specific speakers. Great design, appearance, weight, utility

Downsides: I am not a huge fan of the wire connection system though it was touted. It's totally secure & adequate but a bit difficult to reach. The price may be more than some are willing to pay to buy a speaker they haven't heard. Which is why I recommend you try to find someone who owns them to listen if you can... they're worth it.

I can't say that I'm a classical audiophile at all... I would never claim it. I can tell the difference between a full quality WAV vs a 320 bitrate MP3 vs a 256. I'm a discerning person who really appreciates a well balanced, clear clean audio source. I really like these speakers. I am using them with two sub woofers as part of my home theater system.

I used these speakers with only a moderate 650 watt system, and the Sony head unit was able to calibrate with these speakers for volume and timing with no issues whatsoever.

While it's a lovely, well-constructed unit with a clean sound, it's hard to come up with any purpose that this speaker serves better than many other choices.

The Motion 2 is a small-to-medium-sized 2-way speaker, smaller than a conventional "bookshelf" speaker and larger than a conventional "satellite" or "surround" unit. This is an interesting niche, but one that leaves it seeming overpriced and oversized for one use, while it's undersized and undervoiced for the other. The combination of the "Folded Motion" tweeter and a 3.5-inch cone midrange produces a very nice voice for highs and midranges, and the speaker is very heavy, obviously very well built, and can be driven quite loud without concern. The enclosure is a beautiful, thinnish, fingerprint-magnet-glossy black, built in a clever curve so that it can be wall-mounted. (I wasn't able to evaluate the unit's mounting capacity for this review.) But it really has too little bass to serve as the primary stereo speaker for anything but a small-room system, and it is too large to seem like a good choice for an unobtrusive home-theater rear/surround channel. Really, it will need to be supplemented with a subwoofer for almost any imaginable use.

So it's a bit hard to see what advantage this speaker has over its larger and smaller competitors: as front stereo speakers for a music-listening setup, sub or no sub, users will do better with its larger sibling the Motion 4, which is only slightly pricier and has a bass-ported construction and a larger 4" driver that should be (I haven't been able to compare the sound directly) much more robust in the essential low-mid-range. And while the Motion's sound and construction quality are both quite good, there are much less costly bookshelf models from other companies that sound at least as good, such as Polk's excellent units, the cheaper RTi4 and price-competitive RTi A3. And for rear/satellite/surround use, these are bigger and beefier than most users will need for any but the largest home-theater room. These are very nice speakers, but they seem like a solution in search of a problem.

PROS:
' Asthetically pleasing piano black in a very wet gloss
' Sleek
CONS:
' Affordability

This is definitely on the higher end of sound equipment, for the serious stereo aficionado. It has crisp and clear sound. They're very small for the amount of sound they produce. There isn't a lot of bass that comes out of the speakers, but this was better for me since I live in an apartment. Still, this helps keep the sound clear and unmuffled.