Name: MartinLogan Motion® LX16
Brand: MartinLogan
SKU: 839MLX16GB
Rating: 5 (114 reviews)

A compact speaker with a big voice

MartinLogan's Motion® LX16 bookshelf speaker has been a smash hit with our customers — and for good reason. This compact speaker creates stunningly natural, transparent sound at a great value. Use a pair to create a high-quality stereo music system, or build a multi-channel home theater around them with a matching subwoofer.

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A compact speaker with a big voice

A treat for the ears and the eyes

The LX16 doesn't just sound good — it's a visually striking speaker as well. It sports a furniture-grade, high-gloss finish. And its magnetically attached perforated steel grille lends a stylish look to any room you put it in. Though small in size, the Motion LX16 delivers huge musical enjoyment.

Folded Motion™ tweeter for detailed sound

This member of MartinLogan's award-winning Motion series features advanced speaker technologies like the Folded Motion tweeter.

Dave's expert take

Long-time Crutchfield advisor, writer, and audio guru Dave Bar had this to say about the LX16's unique tweeter design:

"MartinLogan's innovative Folded Motion tweeter uses a pleated diaphragm that works like an accordion by 'squeezing' air to create sound. It requires about 90% less excursion than a typical 1" dome tweeter, resulting in quicker response time and much lower distortion.

The tweeter's controlled sound dispersion creates a focused soundstage with a real sense of presence. Music sounds amazingly detailed, but smooth and effortless, without a trace of harshness."
—Dave Bar, long-time Crutchfield audio expert

Bass that keeps pace

The Motion LX16 uses a 5-1/4" aluminum cone woofer to supply fast, clean midrange and lower-mid frequencies that blend in seamlessly with the Folded Motion tweeter. A low-turbulence rear-firing port extends bass performance, but keeps it tight and tuneful.

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Product highlights:

1" x 1.4" Folded Motion™ tweeter for exceptional musical detail with low distortion
5-1/4" black aluminum-cone woofer with cast basket
bass-reflex (ported) enclosure
high-precision, advanced topology audiophile-grade crossover network
black-anodized brushed aluminum front baffle
frequency response: 60-25,000 Hz (±3dB)
sensitivity: 92 dB
impedance: 5 ohms
recommended amplifier power: 20-200 watts
custom binding post speaker terminals
perforated steel grille attaches magnetically to cabinet
high-gloss Piano Black finish
6-9/16"W x 11-1/8"H x 9-11/16"D
weight: 12 lbs.
warranty: 5 years (with product registration)
MFR # Motion LX16-GB

What's in the box:

MartinLogan Motion® LX16 owner's manual

Bookshelf loudspeaker
Magnetic grille
4 Rubber bumpers
User's Manual (En/Fr)

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Researched by Crutchfield's Stacey B.

Features & specs


Enclosure	Bass Reflex
Finish	Piano Lacquer
Color	Gloss Black
Tweeter Type	Folded Motion
Tweeter Size (inches)	1.0 x 1.4
Midrange Size (inches)	N/A
Woofer Size (inches)	5.25
Woofer Composition	Aluminum
Woofer Surround	Rubber
Power Range	20-200
Sensitivity	92 dB
Impedance (Ohms)	5
Frequency Response	60-25k Hz
Connector Type	Post
Bi-amp Inputs	No
Height (inches)	11-1/8
Width (inches)	6-9/16
Depth (inches)	9-11/16
Weight (pounds)	12
Wall-mountable	---
Bracket Included	No
Recommended Stand Height (inches)	28-31
Parts Warranty	5 Yrs w/Registration
Labor Warranty	5 Yrs w/Registration

Product Research

Features

Two-Way Bookshelf Loudspeaker: The MartinLogan Motion LX16 bookshelf loudspeaker employs a two-way speaker design and features MartinLogan's advanced resolution Folded Motion tweeter and a single 5.25" black-aluminum cone midbass woofer. Pairing these two drivers together creates a dynamic full-range sound with an expansive soundstage.

Folded Motion Tweeter: MartinLogan's Folded Motion tweeter helps give the Motion LX16 bookshelf loudspeaker its natural, realistic high frequency sound. Lightning fast transient response, combined with a large surface area (8x that of a typical 1" dome tweeter) creates clear, dynamic, and precise sound. The 1" x 1.4" Folded Motion tweeter works by moving air (which creates sound) perpendicular to the folded ridges of the diaphragm, similar to how an accordion works. This extremely low mass diaphragm "squeezes" air and requires almost 90% less excursion than the typical 1" dome tweeter, which drastically minimizes distortion while providing a lightning fast response time. The increased surface area also provides a wide, yet controlled sound dispersion (80°x80°) to create a realistic and carefully etched sound stage.
Aluminum Cone Woofer w/ Bass Port: The MartinLogan Motion LX16 bookshelf loudspeaker features a high-excursion 5.25" black-aluminum cone woofer with a cast basket housed in a non-resonant asymmetrical chamber with a rear-firing bass port. The aluminum cone woofer uses a rigid structured dust cap to reduce cone break-up and distortion. Pairing the 5.25" woofer with a rear-firing bass port provides higher output and audibly richer, deeper bass performance.

Precision Crossover: To seamlessly blend the audio output from the high frequency driver (tweeter) and the midbass driver (woofer), the Motion LX16 loudspeaker features a precision 2,700Hz crossover utilizing custom air core coil and low DCR steel laminate inductors, polyester film capacitors in series, and low DF electrolytic capacitors in parallel.

High-Gloss MDF Cabinet: Complementing the Motion LX16 loudspeaker's sonic accuracy is its solidly constructed 3/4" thick MDF cabinet. The cabinet is finished in either high-gloss piano black or black cherrywood, and includes MartinLogan's signature perforated grille. The Motion LX16 speaker's elegant and timeless look will blend into almost any decor. The speaker cabinet also features rounded edges and a gently tapered top.

Binding Posts: MartinLogan's proprietary tool-less binding posts simplify cable connection and management. The binding posts will accept bare wire (16- to 10-gauge), pin-connectors, spade-connectors, and banana plugs (single only).

Break-in Period: Allow approximately 72 hours of break-in at 90 dB (moderate listening levels) before any critical listening.

Mounting Options: The bookshelf loudspeaker comes with 4 rubber self-adhesive feet to help secure them in place on a flat-surface, prevent slippage, and reduce vibration. The optional PinPoint heavy duty side-grip wall-mounting bracket (121AM41B, sold separately) can be used to wall mount the speaker. A 3/8"-16 threaded insert on the back of the speaker can also be used with 3rd-party wall-mount brackets; however, 3/8"-16 is not a common size bolt used in wall mount brackets.

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6 questions already asked

I am replacing Definitive Technology Studio Monitor 45's with these. Any thoughts? I couldn't resist the cherry finish and the price...

jeanine Feb 07, 2020

5 answers

You will not be disappointed! Great addition to any system. Enjoy

junior Mar 10, 2020

I think them alot, I have several pairs of speakers that I listen to in different rooms and these sound great in small to medium rooms.

jerome Mar 10, 2020

I've had mine for about three years and love them. The close-out pricing is a steal! Get 'em.

daniel Mar 10, 2020

If sound quality and beauty mean something to you then you will be happy.

douglas Mar 10, 2020

Hi Matt, thank you for your question! No doubt about it, these speakers are outstanding, and the finish is very nice. It would be recommended for you to chat with an Advisor online or by phone at 1-800-324-9695. They will be able to give you more personalized advice, and go into much deeper detail, go over the sound quality you're looking for, and discuss the receiver or amplifier that you will be using with these!

jessica Mar 10, 2020 (Staff)

Can I use a banana clip on the ML LX16?

dan Jun 26, 2019

5 answers

Yes you can use banana plug

angel Jun 27, 2019

Of course, I used 10 gauge speaker wire with banana plugs, works great!

bob Jun 27, 2019

for sure. nice speaker too.

richard Jun 26, 2019

Yes you can.

chad Jun 26, 2019

yes, but it will protrude at about a 30 degree up angle from the back of the speaker entire length of clip. not a good look for me. i stripped wire and used hole in post.

ronald Jun 26, 2019

Should I be worried knowing my receiver calls for a minimum of 6 Ohms impedance? Receiver: 725W total power; 145W x 5 @ 6 ohms LX16: 20-200W; 5 ohms.

tameru Dec 21, 2017

5 answers

I think you would be fine - I run my pair of LX16s (and a motion center channel) on a Yamaha RX1800 which has similar specs. Sounds great and runs cool - my amp has a lower ohm setting and I use that. Plenty loud for a 5" bookshelf - tweeter is awesome and bass is very tight.

jonathan Dec 24, 2017

In the real world, 1 ohm will not make any difference. With that said, you may have an option in your receiver's settings to select various speaker loads (ohms) but I wouldn't think twice about it being problematic. Use good speaker wire and interface cabling, polarity matters and good eq matters. A real time analyzer to adjust eq for your listening space matters (you may have one built in your receiver). Enjoy!

paul Dec 22, 2017

I'm pretty sure they will work with your amp But call Crutchfield tech-support to be 100 percent sure

bruce Dec 21, 2017

Can't honestly answer that my receiver is rated to 4 ohms you should ask someone with a similar receiver good luck they are nice speakers

timothy Dec 21, 2017

You'll be fine . If you look at the Martin Logan literature for the lx 16 they are compatible. The lower the ohms on the speakers means they draw more power from the receiver. Good luck

ramon Dec 21, 2017

how are these for classic rock music with a small 10W tube amp?

thomas Jan 17, 2016

4 answers

Sorry but do not have that type of Amp. But with a medium price Solid state they sound fantastic. They don't seem to be power hungry.

jeff Jan 18, 2016

As they have a small woofer, the bass would be a little weak unless, like me, you have a subwoofer. They are efficient but not extremely so. You would not be able play these at a high volume level with a small amp. They are an accurate speaker but seem to be more suited for jazz and classical music.

gordon f. Jan 18, 2016

8 watts of power will produce 101db @ 1 meter (if you believe the 92db sensitivity rating). So, as long as you're in a smaller space they should get plenty loud on 10 watts. If you like to listen really loud though 10 watts may not be enough juice. As for how these handle classic rock.... they're awesome! The folded diaphragm tweeter really does something magical with vocals. I imagine some good Led Zeppelin or Stones recordings will sound great. The only drawback, and this may not be a huge issue for classic rock, is these don't go really low. I would say 60hz is where they start to fall off and I actually cross mine over at 100hz with a sub. Hope this helps!

andrew Jan 17, 2016

Used with NAD C740 35W. Did Bowie dedication on Sunday. I recommend these speakers.

bruce Jan 17, 2016

I noticed a boxy sound being produced, especially with rock music. Anyone care to comment if they have noticed a boxy sound being produced with the LX16's? Thanks, Ingrid

ingrid Sep 20, 2015

2 answers

I would describe the sound I have obtained from the LX16's as "crisp." Not as clean, airy and precise as my M-L electrostatics (Ascents), but generally pleasant and fit tonally with the Ascents and Cinema center speaker as rear channel speakers in my surround system (the LX16's are not ideal as rear surrounds but I have very limited placement limitations for the rears) . Before putting in the surround sound system, I used them as stereo speakers in my office, 6-8' from listening position, and found them pleasant if a bit limited in bass response. Only negative for me has been that with some source material they are brutally and unpleasantly revealing but that's not the speaker's fault.

william Oct 19, 2015

I never got those installed sorry

ghazala Sep 20, 2015

Can you use this as the center speaker on its side?

g007bond May 04, 2015

10 answers

Guess you could but I would not.

jeff May 08, 2015

Yes - not really designed for use on the side but the folded tweeter sounds so good in the voice range, which is what center channel is mostly used for, that I would definitely use it for the center, space allowing.

fielding May 06, 2015

The Martin Logan Motion 6 is designed for center - it has 2 mid range speakers and that incredible tweeter that will make voices and the high end sparkle.

fielding May 06, 2015

It's not really designed for this, but it would probably work very well. most center speakers are oblong with a speaker in the center. This is typical woofer on bottom tweeter on top so putting it on its side moves away from the norm. But, Depending on your space, if you have room below TV to place it there, it will deliver great sound. I haven't tried it with TV, Im just listing to music right now. For stereo it delivers the vocals as good as any speaker I've ever heard. Since center speakers are seemingly designed to deliver voice, this speaker should handle the job perfectly.

fielding May 06, 2015

I will not recommend as it will not only look odd esthetically and the placement of the tweeter will not give an optimal sound quality expected from a center channel. These speakers are not optimized to work as center channel. However, technically you can connect it to a center channel output.

amitabh May 04, 2015

Hello Greg. I don't know very much about setting up surround sound type systems, however I can say that I am very pleased with the high and mid range clarity produced by the LX16. Lots of detail comes out of these speakers. They are awesome. Also, I don't think it would matter much if the speaker was upright or sideways. My guess is that it would still sound pretty much the same, at least to my ears. Good luck.

brian May 04, 2015

you can, but the dispersion may not be correct from the tweeter... it would be 90 degrees from normal

james May 04, 2015

Yes. I have 3 of these handling F C L duty w/ the center channel on its side. Lobing can occur but this is only a concern if you are sitting pretty far off center.

andrew May 04, 2015

The only problem I see would be the ribbon tweeter not being positioned the way Martin Logan designed. The size of the speaker is consistent with other center channel designs so I dont think fit would be a problem. I would try it but I picked up a Motion CC2 center as an open box buy and am real happy with the sound. The Motion center does have two woofers with a ribbon tweeter in the middle. Not sure how one woofer would affect the sound. I wouldn't hesitate to try it as a center if I didn't already have the Motion center channel. I kind of had to disassemble the top of my TV stand to place my center channel speaker in the right place so I can not change them out very easily or I would offer to try it and get back with you.

larry May 04, 2015

I guess, but its not designed that way? They are great speakers though.

stephanie May 04, 2015

SHOW MORESHOW LESS

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