Article: $249 MartinLogan Motion 4i Review

[Sonis]

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[The Computer Audiophile]

Thanks for the quick and no nonsense write-up @Sonis

[rickca]

Any idea how these speakers + sub might compare to a mini Maggie system from Magneplanar?

[gmgraves]

2 hours ago, rickca said:

Any idea how these speakers + sub might compare to a mini Maggie system from Magneplanar?

 

2 hours ago, rickca said:

Any idea how these speakers + sub might compare to a mini Maggie system from Magneplanar?

Well, in my opinion, the question is a lot like asking how does a Honda Civic compare to a wheel chair? They both have four wheels and are used for transportation, but the comparison pretty much ends there. I had the mini Maggie’s in my system when they first came out and was not really impressed. I thought that the planar woofer was pretty much a joke and the main panels,  while hey sounded fine, took up too much desk space. Were I to contemplate going that way, I think that I would forego the bass panel and just get the two main panels and pair them with a suitable self powered subwoofer (or two).

[rickca]

3 hours ago, gmgraves said:

I had the mini Maggie’s in my system when they first came out and was not really impressed.

I agree.  That's why I'm asking.

[Lane32x]

Seems to me that the ML LX16 should win (hands down) against these in sound quality and in price.

 

I’ve been eyeing the LX16 for a few years since I have the Motion 12 speakers and absolutely love them. I love them even more because I got on the phenomenal buy-one-get-one-free deal several years ago. Not sure I’ll manage to find that kind of quality at $600 ever again. 

[Ralf11]

LX16 has a rear firing port - kills it for me (corner use)

[Superdad]

I watched the video and got a laugh when one of the sales guys said that the speaker "Delivers an audiophile-like experience without the audiophile price."    

For those of us who are "like" an audiophile but not? 

And this from a company that also produces $80K+ speakers...

Still, they might look and sound nice on my desk.

[The Computer Audiophile]

1 hour ago, Superdad said:

And this from a company that also produces $80K+ speakers...

Not sure what to make of this comment. Is it that they really know what they are doing because they make really good speakers? 

[Superdad]

1 hour ago, The Computer Audiophile said:

Not sure what to make of this comment. Is it that they really know what they are doing because they make really good speakers? 

 

I was just kidding.  I'm sure the speakers sound very nice and are an EXCELLENT value.  I mean where else can you get a pair of audiophile-like speakers for $500? 

[lmitche]

15 minutes ago, Superdad said:

 

I was just kidding.  I'm sure the speakers sound very nice and are an EXCELLENT value.  I mean where else can you get a pair of audiophile-like speakers for $500? 

I just checked Godaddy and audiophilelikestyle.com is available. 

[k-man]

Any other amps out there that also "deliver the audiophile-like experience without the audiophile price"?

 

Actually I just meant to ask anything that will pair well with these 4i's for no more than $400? 

[Superdad]

35 minutes ago, k-man said:

Any other amps out there that also "deliver the audiophile-like experience without the audiophile price"?

 

Actually I just meant to ask anything that will pair well with these 4i's for no more than $400? 

 

Well for a small desktop system with built-in DAC I keep eyeing this ICE-amp-based TEAC, seen about for $399.  I would set my iMac on top of it to put my monitor at a more ergonomic height.

http://audio.teac.com/product/ai-301da/

 

[Paul R]

On 7/2/2019 at 9:26 AM, rickca said:

Any idea how these speakers + sub might compare to a mini Maggie system from Magneplanar?

 

Treble wise, they are quite nice, imaging well as all the ML Motion series do. Nothing at all lacking in the treble world, right up to shimmering cymbals hanging delicately in mid air.  Bass however, is really really lacking, and the midrange sounds lacking because of that. Hard to fill in with a sub, as that lack exceeds 80hz.

 

The MiniMaggies with the bass panel are better, though only for nearfield listening. (Or a really small room.)

 

A set of MMGs at $600, or .7s at around $1400 are far superior in overall sound, to either.

 

YMMV.

 

[Paul R]

31 minutes ago, Superdad said:

 

Well for a small desktop system with built-in DAC I keep eyeing this ICE-amp-based TEAC, seen about for $399.  I would set my iMac on top of it to put my monitor at a more ergonomic height.

http://audio.teac.com/product/ai-301da/

 

 

I might suggest looking at some of the Chi-fi equipment. I have found this one in particular to provide some incredibly satisfying sound. T(at is before looks at the incredible price too. Could not set you Mac on it though. 😁

 

https://www.china-hifi-audio.com/en/oldchen-tube-amplifier-laochen-c-74/oldchen-kt88-k1-tube-amplifier-class-a-hifi-audio-amp-handmade-scaffolding-p-2203?zenid=5e6d9e42507c3dee01b7a1138dff59c6

 

[Ralf11]

for an amp, check out the NuForce STA200 - a GOLDMUND Swiss-design

 

I paid $300 or 350 IIRC; retails for $400

 

 

[k-man]

8 minutes ago, Paul R said:

Could not set your Mac on it though. 😁

 

I should have mentioned as an ideal desktop system. I'm afraid some of those valves would melt any nearby plasticky equipment (Router, NAS, etc).

[k-man]

6 minutes ago, Ralf11 said:

for an amp, check out the NuForce STA200 - a GOLDMUND Swiss-design

I had enjoyed the Nuforce ICON and S-1 speaker pairing for a good number of years, but I haven't thought about them for a while since the Optoma takeover.

[fas42]

These are exactly the sort of thing I look for in speaker behaviour - fake, completely unrealistic bass doesn't interest me in the slightest; provided the amp has enough clean grunt to deliver satisfying volume levels then adding low bass wallop is completely unnecessary.

 

Yes, cheap as chips gear can do the job - as it always has been able to ...

[Ralf11]

we are all looking for clean, grunt-worthy amps

[fas42]

Most amps don't deliver this - as is obvious when one wanders around the typical audio show ...

 

Just looked at the specs at these 4i's - key 'issue' would be the impedance at the terminals; a capable amp would have no trouble driving these to intense sound levels, as good as any "audiophile" speaker. Just stabilise the cabinet with mass loading, and you would be good to go, .

 

Seriously, it would fun to grab a pair of these and tweak a rig to drive them which would blow the typical audiophile setup totally into the weeds, .

 

[gmgraves]

2 hours ago, Paul R said:

 

Treble wise, they are quite nice, imaging well as all the ML Motion series do. Nothing at all lacking in the treble world, right up to shimmering cymbals hanging delicately in mid air.  Bass however, is really really lacking, and the midrange sounds lacking because of that. Hard to fill in with a sub, as that lack exceeds 80hz.

 

The MiniMaggies with the bass panel are better, though only for nearfield listening. (Or a really small room.)

 

A set of MMGs at $600, or .7s at around $1400 are far superior in overall sound, to either.

 

YMMV.

 

Of course the MMG and the Point Sevens are better, overall, but neither work very well as desktop speakers,  or speakers for small bookshelf systems, which was the point of the review, I suspect. The MMG is, in my opinion, probably the best speakers under $1k that there are, but they require a lot of power as do the Point Sevens.

I thought that the MiniMaggies were the worst Maggie’s I’ve heard, especially for the price. But the Motion 4i is 70 - 23,000 +/- 3dB. That’s pretty flat over the speaker’s range. 

[gmgraves]

3 hours ago, Paul R said:

 

I might suggest looking at some of the Chi-fi equipment. I have found this one in particular to provide some incredibly satisfying sound. T(at is before looks at the incredible price too. Could not set you Mac on it though. 😁

 

https://www.china-hifi-audio.com/en/oldchen-tube-amplifier-laochen-c-74/oldchen-kt88-k1-tube-amplifier-class-a-hifi-audio-amp-handmade-scaffolding-p-2203?zenid=5e6d9e42507c3dee01b7a1138dff59c6

 

Looks good; especially for the money. But, 15 WPC is a little anemic for most purposes. I’d say that 25 WPC would be adequate though. I think that the best value in tube Chi-Fi is the Yaqin MC-100b. 100 WPC, full dual-mono, about $700.

[fas42]

Perhaps surprising to many people what 15 watts can do - the Philips HT all in one only used 15W chip amps, with nothing special specs; the speakers were nothing special in sensitivity. But the system could still do realistic sound level piano pieces, mainly because the system held together at max gain. Also helped by having a separate, powered subwoofer.

 

On a modern, compressed recording the SPLs were intense enough to cause ringing in the ears after 5 mins or so ...

[Paul R]

8 hours ago, fas42 said:

These are exactly the sort of thing I look for in speaker behaviour - fake, completely unrealistic bass doesn't interest me in the slightest; provided the amp has enough clean grunt to deliver satisfying volume levels then adding low bass wallop is completely unnecessary.

 

Yes, cheap as chips gear can do the job - as it always has been able to ...

 

Not a chance Frank. Lack of energy below say, 110hz generally makes for terrible sound with many different kinds of music. At any volume level. 

 

Well, maybe it can improve rap.