MartinLogan - Motion LX16 5-1/4" Passive 2-Way Bookshelf Speaker (Each) - Gloss Black

I have had these for about 5 weeks now, and they are wonderful. That said, they do need some serious break-in. The shy bass (given the size, they'll never go too low) is a result of very stiff surrounds, after about 100 hours these free up and totally improve the bottom end. I'm using these as near-field monitors and they are simply fantastic. They tell the truth, about your gear, your recordings, so be warned, they won't cover up flaws (like cheap low res mp3's). The top end is really nice, I was expecting them to be bright, but they don't seem that way at all, very smooth but extended, and the blending between drivers is very good. I am using a parasound amp for reference, and they go together great, but like most speakers, the better your gear, the better the results. I used EDM played at a fairly hi level to break them in (while I was away at work), although my musical tastes run all over the place. Classical has great tone and imaging, rock has drive (some older records were not recorded that well sadly, and pop music will reveal who is real and who is using auto-tune (sorry, I warned you). I really like these, they have exceeded what I expected from them (after break-in), but others are correct, out of the box they are thin on the bottom end, but just wait, it's coming, and then they will sing. (you'll still want a good sub though, but it's not needed).

While I’ll keep this review brief I’ll say they are an amazing speaker for their size and get equal points for their stunning, simplistic beauty. At first I wasn’t blown away by these but after running MCACC from my Pioneer LX-503 receiver these diminutive little guys came to life like I was listening to much larger, dare I say tower speakers. The bass was tight and clean, the mids were quite present and the highs were soaring, with little to no ear fatigue after listening thru the afternoon. The folded motion tweeter design was a first for me but I was duly impressed. Be sure to set your high pass crossover to around 50-60 to get the most out of, and avoid overstressing the 5-1/4” woofer. Currently searching for the right sub to complete my 2.1 setup, but having these Motion LX16s for my mains has left me with no regrets at all.

For the size I was thoroughly surprised at the level of sound these little bookshelves reproduce. Mids and highs are substantial, they are crystal clear, and they give a perfect image when properly spaced. Bass is evident, however, if you are a bass junkie then get a sub woofer. The gloss finish on the cabinet was reported by many as lacking. In some cases people reported errors in the finish. The pair I received had no flaws whatsoever (I haven't seen any Martin Logan products with a flaw in the cabinet finish. It's probably people that just like to hate on expensive audio equipment that say so). Overall, worth the buy, they will soon become the rear channels of my martin Logan surround sound.

Yea I misread the ad and thought I was getting a pair. I took weeks to arrive instore and there was only one. I immediately returned it and bought some klipsch as they were all that was left and it's a rear channel. Oh well I'll give it a good rating as why say something bad about something you know nothing about. That's just stupid right

These speakers sound great out of the box. I ended up returning them for the larger 35XT's, but that was more because of the larger (20x20 which opens into a 15x20 kitchen) room. I debated keeping them for my speakers in my den, but couldn't justify the cost.

Got these on sale at bb. Always wanted to try Martins. I've used the slmxl line in some installs and wanted to see what there regular speakers are like. Wow I was not disappointed. Everyone knows how great the sound quality is... But the build quality is unreal. Great refinement and materials.

If you love music, these speakers are great for audiophile people.

Great sale caught my attention to complete my Martin Logan theater. These replaced my Motion 4s as my L/R surrounds. Motion 4s are now my rear surrounds. The LX16s are crisp and have a great punch and for my setup I couldn't be more pleased.