By MartinLogan is a legendary name in the audiophile speaker business, known best for using special electrostatic technology to make high-level sound in their speakers and subwoofers. Dating back to 1983, MartinLogan has been famous for these electrostatic speakers, which need plenty of room to breathe and can cost thousands of dollars. Seeing the MartinLogan name on a $349.99 bookshelf speaker might not be what you would expect, but that is exactly what they are chasing with their Motion Foundation Series, taking the same technology from their pricier lines and putting it into speakers for people building their first real system, not for people decades into this.
The Motion Foundation B1 is a $349.99 per speaker (buy at Crutchfield) bookshelf speaker that is built around a two-way design. It contains both a second-generation folded motion tweeter, the same technology (slightly smaller) found in their pricier Motion series, and a 5.5-inch aluminum midbass driver, which is ported behind the speaker. MartinLogan recommends anywhere from 15-100 watts per channel to drive these speakers, which allows them to be compatible with modest streaming amps. For my setup, I used a WiiM amp as the streaming and power source, which is currently being bundled at MartinLogan.com, thus a logical pairing.
What Makes the MartinLogan Motion Foundation B1 Speakers Special?
- The Motion Foundation B1 speakers are ideal for small spaces. For a high-quality speaker from a prestigious audiophile company, there are likely no smaller options. The footprint on these is legitimately small, and they can truly be bookshelf speakers, they are easy to transport, and do not take up much space relative to their quality.
- The Motion Foundation B1 works great with STAND25. Although these can absolutely be bookshelf speakers, I used them with MartinLogan’s STAND25 ($249.99 each, buy at Crutchfield). The Motion Foundation B1 speakers are offered in three color schemes that come with STAND25, which is designed to thread into the bottom of these speakers. These stands connect easily, are stand-ready by design, and are aesthetically pleasing with the accent options to match whichever color speaker you choose.
- The Motion Foundation B1 speakers sound good in most positions in my room. No matter where you sit, the sound is of similar quality; there is not just one sweet spot in a certain place. These are engineered for wide dispersion that can spread wide around any room.
- Vocals sound incredibly clear and believable on the Foundation B1 speakers. They are quite resolved-sounding speakers, making vocals much clearer and smoother than through more mainstream speakers. This was honestly the biggest difference that I found between these and what I am used to.
- The Motion Foundation speakers contain premium technology for a fair price. The tweeter technology contained inside of these speakers is the same as that inside MartinLogan’s much pricier Motion series. This is not a cost-cutting imitation product; it shares the same DNA that makes MartinLogan’s premium products special, and it shows.
Why Should You Care About the MartinLogan Motion Foundation B1 Speakers?
These speakers are legit high-fidelity speakers that offer an audiophile experience at a reasonable price and a reasonable size. For people looking for a high-quality listening experience and a radically better setup then a soundbar or Bluetooth speakers, this is a very attainable option that will not break the bank or fill up a small bedroom, while serving as a perfect entry-level speaker into audiophile-level equipment. For someone who wants a legitimate audio setup and owns an amp or receiver, this will be a legitimate upgrade. Another important aspect of the market that MartinLogan is targeting with this product is the space-constrained listener. These are small, and for people who want real high-fidelity sound where floor-standing speakers may be unrealistic, these are a fantastic option. These really fit for someone looking to use a streaming amp and bookshelf speaker, trending towards how people are constructing their introductory systems.
Some Things You Might Not Like About the MartinLogan Motion Foundation B1 Speakers
- The deep bass on the MartinLogan Motion Foundation B1 speakers can be limited, as you might expect from a small form factor speaker. The speakers, which rock a 5.5-inch woofer, are rated at 48 Hz. Some things, like kick drums or movie sound effects, can sound slightly thinner without a subwoofer. There are some reports of disappointing bass. I did not experience that at my preferred volume but, obviously, some bass support will greatly benefit a small audiophile bookshelf speaker.
- The Motion Foundation B1s are not ideal for very large rooms or very loud playback. They are smaller, compact speakers with a single 5.5-inch driver. They work fantastically in a small room, but larger speakers would definitely provide more bass and audio output, if that is what you are seeking.
Will the MartinLogan Motion Foundation B1 Speakers Hold Their Value?
MartinLogan is a name brand, and that always will carry weight on the used market. Some of their other lines retain their value quite well, compared to the rest of the market. With that said, the B1 is a completely different speaker than the incredibly expensive electrostatic panel that MartinLogan is known for. Entry-level bookshelf speakers like this one typically struggle in the resale market. This is a fast-moving, crowded category, where buyers are typically looking to upgrade or build a first system, and there is a large supply of speakers in this segment. If you’re planning on reselling these speakers for serious value, I wouldn’t exactly count on it. I don’t expect their electrostatic prestige to move the resale needle on what is an ordinarily-priced, well-built, and incredibly solid bookshelf speaker.
Listening to the MartinLogan Motion Foundation B1 Speakers
I tested out the MartinLogan Motion Foundation B1 speakers through my WiiM Amp (buy at Crutchfield), with STAND25 stands. These worked very well together and made for a very affordable pairing. I used these speakers to listen to music while I did work from home and while I built Lego structures (I like Legos, especially leaving them around for my speaker designer Dad to step on, which is passive-aggressive but funny nonetheless). There were other power options that worked well, including a modestly-powered and -priced NAD integrated amp and other streamers like the entry-level Bluesound Node Nano (read the review), but the WiiM was the unit that I used the most during my testing. Powering the MartinLogan Motion Foundation B1 speakers to levels that were lively was not a thing in my room and across many electronics options at 89 dB efficacy, which isn’t terribly hard to drive.
Tame Impala “Let it Happen” – Currents (buy on Amazon) – I thought that this song would be a great test for the dispersion claim that comes alongside these speakers and listened to it from different parts of my room. This song has a lot of layered textures and isn’t just centered vocals over a singular beat; well-controlled dispersion should shine here. This was definitely the case, as the song sounded wide open. As the vocals sat inside the busy mix of layers, these speakers made the lyrics the standout. Compared to what I am used to hearing on other comparable speakers and even through headphones, the resolved sound was the most notable sonic factor. The B1 presented things in a very clear way and made the song very immersive, no matter where I sat in my room. That is an advantage that MartinLogan AMT-based speakers have over their more positionally-challenged and far more expensive hybrid electrostatic (ESL) big brothers.
The Weeknd – “Blinding Lights” – After Hours (buy on Amazon) – This song felt like a fair test of the MartinLogan B1s’ allegedly low-end limitation, but at the moderate volumes that I prefer to listen to music, they held up better than I expected. There was definitely still a punch, and it was not thin or hollowed out during the bass that goes on from start to finish in this track. I wasn’t frequently pushing these speakers to their limits (that’s my job, right?) but, for more moderate listeners, it’s just not going to be an issue. You could still feel the hit of the bass throughout the song, combining with the background melody and lyrics to create a cohesive listening experience.
Led Zeppelin – “All My Love” – In Through the Out Door (buy on Amazon) – Using my trusty U-Turn Audio turntable, I went with a little blue-chip classic rock from Led Zeppelin’s In Through the Out Door and “All My Love.” A track from later in Led Zeppelin’s run, the synthed-out sounds of bassist and former studio musician John Paul Jones were very much on display on this track. From vinyl, the dynamics wasn’t quite the same as remastered HD digital, but I liked the authenticity of listening to an important, time-tested rock track in the format for which it was released. Sonically, what caught my attention with the MartinLogan Motion Foundation B1s was the overall openness and coherence of the sound. There was a musicality that audiophiles love from vinyl opening up and presenting layering and dynamics suitable for perhaps the best rock band of all time. The vintage instruments, specifically effects, sounded good, vintage and believable on the MartinLogans. It felt like the speakers were more of a window onto the recording and that is a very good thing in a speaker at this low a price.
What is the Competition for the MartinLogan Motion Foundation B1 Speakers?
With regard to competition for these speakers, you would look towards cheaper, audiophile-level bookshelf speakers. This is basically the competition over the “first real setup” speakers.
One good comparable would be the Klipsch RP-600M II (read the review), priced at $489.99 per pair. To begin, these speakers come at a lower price than the MartinLogans, and come from another legendary American speaker brand, offering a mid-sized bookshelf speaker. With that said, the Klipsch RP-600M II (buy at Crutchfield) has a slightly more dynamic high end versus the MartinLogan which, with the use of an AMT tweeter (air motion tweeter), aims to be more open-sounding.
Another good comp would be the Paradigm 120B v2, offered at $399.99 each (buy at Crutchfield). Like the MartinLogan Foundation B1, these Paradigm 120B v2 speakers (read the review) offer an entry-level bookshelf speaker with many color options. There is a big difference in the tweeters, as the B1 uses a folded motion film tweeter, while Paradigm uses a traditional aluminum-magnesium alloy dome. These entry-level Paradigm speakers are next-generation performance from one of the audiophile business’ most well-respected brands. The dynamics and coherence are great on Paradigms; the MartinLogans differentiate themselves with the sound of the AMT tweeter.
Every good loudspeaker brand out there makes an entry-level bookshelf speaker that could be a comparable here. Next on my hit list are options from Dali from Denmark and Bowers & Wilkins from the U.K. SVS, KEF, Polk and so many others come to mind, but few have that specifically open sound without the AMT tweeter as MartinLogan uses.
Final Thoughts on the MartinLogan Motion Foundation B1 …
The MartinLogan Motion Foundation B1 ($349.99 each – buy at Crutchfield) are highly evolved yet low-cost audiophile speakers. I personally feel like these speakers punch well above their price point. MartinLogan did not cut corners here, even while keeping the prices reasonable. These speakers sound clear and detailed, and they can bring MartinLogan’s legendary sound to someone’s first system. The pairing that I got alongside the WiiM amp was a natural match, where the app allowed me to easily play music through these speakers and provided ample power to activate a medium-sized listening room.
There are many absolutely fantastic speakers that a young audiophile can invest in and get started in the hobby in ways that will lead to a long audiophile journey. The MartinLogan Foundation B1s are some of the elite best options out there, as they bring a little bit of those open highs and mids that the company is famous for in their iconic hybrid ESL speakers into a form factor that is appealing to nearly every audiophile. The price is absolutely reasonable and the Motion Foundation B1s are easy to drive on electronics that any level of audiophile can likely afford. This is an Everyman’s audiophile speaker with great sound, great lineage and fantastic value. Consider the MartinLogan Foundation B1 speakers a winner.
