MartinLogan Motion 4i Bookshelf Speaker, Single Speaker (Gloss Black)

I own 4 of these now, I previously had a Dolby 5.1 setup with 2 of these as the sides-I bought 2 new ones since I just upgraded to a 7.1.2 configuration. I now have them for all 4 rear and side channels.Although I consider these ideal for surround sound I suppose they would also work well as bookshelfs in any room or a zone 2 etc. Buying three of three of these speakers would make a perfect way to start building a real surround sound system starting with a 3.1 config. You will always be able to re-use them for rears or heights etc. in the future when the budget is there for you.My current speaker config is 7.1.2:Fronts: Martin Logan PuritiesCenter: Martin Logan Fresco4 Rears/sides: these speakers.Front In Ceiling: Klipsch CDT-5650-C IISubwoofer: Hsu research VTF-2.It was the natural choice to buy two more of these for a perfect match to the other two. They match the Martin Logan sound profile perfectly. The weakness in my overall system is the Fresco as the center channel, It will be replaced eventually with the martin logan ESL C or Focus .Yes I know that trying the Klipsch as the in ceiling speakers was not ideal nor my first choice. I wanted a specific model of Martin Logan IC’s but it is nearly impossible to get them-and I had hired an installer for the wiring through the ceiling. @Martin Logan you have a real distribution problem on your Architectural series-you need to understand that people are usually not going to use your preferred dealers/contractors and the people that work at Best Buy are horrible-I will not deal with those clowns. My A/V contractor lives across the street from me , I am not going to hire your contractor that lives in Los Angeles 50 miles away sorry. There is not a reliable dealer in Orange County California for any of your products that I can find.Happy to say though, that the Klipsch ICs sound pair very well with Martin Logans overall. Using a well respected off brand for the in ceilings turned out fine. I would recommend the Klipsch IC speakers to anyone.In summary, I think these speakers are a great buy for a starter 3.1 system that you might actually never even want or need to upgrade to 5.1. If you did decide to do a 5.1, all you would have to do is buy 2 more of these and it would sound better than 99% of 5.1 systems on the market. ML makes amazing speakers. Three of these will beat the daylight out of any crappy soundbar you can buy. If you already have any of the ML ESL+ series , these are a natural choice for 5.1 or 7.1.X. configuration.

These speakers sound amazing!!! Very clear at high levels. Couldn't be happier

Martin Logan 4i Speakers12/11/18Item (first speaker) arrived quickly. The box was heavier than I expected. The speaker was double boxed. While removing the speaker from the box, I noticed that the speaker was heavier than normal. Hopefully this is a sign of the quality. I also noticed that the finish on the speaker was very nice. I guess this is known as the piano gloss finish. The speaker grill came in a separate bag and attaches with magnets. The speaker binding posts are recessed in the cabinet. They feel of high quality which is nice.12/16/18I didn’t want to wait a month until my 4 ohm amplifier arrived so I plugged these speakers into my Pioneer stereo receiver that I use only for the television audio. I loaded my music playlist from Amazon Music and played it. I was actually blown away by how good the sound was coming out of these speakers. Something about these speakers is really incredible. I just can’t believe how good they sound! AND, it’s a subpar amplifier not even meant for four ohm speakers. I almost can’t believe it. This must mean that the speakers make a huge difference and maybe not so much the quality of the amplifier. These are the best speakers I’ve ever heard before. I’m really glad I bought them. I don’t regret paying almost five hundred dollars for the pair.1/12/19I now have these speakers hooked up to a tube amplifier that you can hook 4 ohm speakers to. They still sound very nice. I was listening to a song with heavy bass yesterday and noticed that these speakers really can put out bass somehow even though they only have 4 inch drivers; pretty incredible. They must have put a lot of research and effort into the design of this speaker. The best thing about these speakers in my opinion is the incredible highs and detail.In the past two months I bought 5 or 6 sets of high end speakers to finally find these. I think it was worth it since I do spend quite a bit of time listening to music. This is just my preference though. You might like another brand better. I guess you never know until you've tried a bunch.

The Martin Logan 4i is exactly what you would expect from ML in a bookshelf speaker. The sound quality is great, tweeters hit highs very well. I have this paired with the 8i center channel and 700w subwoofer. I feel that the mid-range is lacking a bit with my current setup. I am moving speakers around and recalibrating my receiver to see if that helps. Watching Bohemian Rhapsody last night through the ML 4i was a delight. The music sounded great. Balance between the 8i and sub seemed appropriate. I have in an average sized living room. Depending on how much sound you are looking for to fill your sound stage these may be on the weaker side, depending on your setup. They are perfect for small to medium spaces, or situations where you may not have space for tower speakers, or trying to keep a minimal profile but have quality sound.I personally was keeping within a budget but looking for audiophile quality speakers. I would say these fit that bill. I may at some point buy another pair as a 5.1 setup or find a bit louder front speakers and move these to the surround. Again still playing with placement so I will update the review later.

I've been a fan of Martin Logan's electrostatics for decades.22 years ago, I was able to achieve my teenage dream of owning a pair when I bought my Aerius i's, which I still have and love.When ML first got into the "conventional" speaker business, I figured it was simply a monetary move. The market for electrostatics is small.I'd never given their bookshelf outings a listen until I got these.I am indeed impressed. I've long been impressed with ribbon tweeters, and I've owned several pairs of vintage Infinity EMIT tweeters over the years and loved them too.I'm grouping these tweeters into the ribbon category, as the voice coil is upon the driver surface, though I understand the distinction between conventional ribbons and the folded accordion designs in the ML speakers.They are simply magnificent. Fast, crisp, airy, and buttery smooth, with no high frequency exaggeration or ringing effects which are the calling cards of lesser tweeters.One can only expect so much from a 4 inch cone in terms of low frequency. The low bass is rolled off here, but that's not the point. These speakers, from their 3db downpoint on up, are simply spectacular.These make me want to try Martin Logan's higher-end bookshelf offerings.Very well done and highly recommended within the limits of what they are.

I am kind of a sound snob, not the kind that owns a distortion analyzer, but I really enjoy watching a movie in at least 7.1 (and actually built a home theatre running 7.2.2... that was fun). I’ve had friends that spent 4-digits per speaker, and my little Martin Logans blew them away. Honestly. I simply suggest you give these things the Pepsi challenge against any big ol speaker your friends have (who are overcompensating for other deficiencies). The fact is, these little bad boys deliver. In fact you will probably never find the limit of these. Yes, you need a subwoofer. But duh... it’s a bookshelf speaker. Buy a subwoofer (Martin Logan makes several great ones). But these are sooooooooooo with the price.

Speakers sound fantastic

Pretty disappointed...for the money you’d think that these speakers could stand up for themselves in a bookshelf environment. Virtually no low end punch with Rotel receiver maxed out on bass. For that matter, the treble highs seem to lack nice clarity. Using these in my den to play albums. IMO, AudioEngine makes a much better speaker at a much lower price.

Impressive crystal clear sound. You will need a subwoofer for the bass notes however

The speaker was very well packaged. It is performing as expected.