Description

MartinLogan Motion XTC8 – Premium 8-Inch In-Ceiling Speaker (Single)

The MartinLogan Motion XTC8 is a premium two-way architectural in-ceiling loudspeaker designed for exceptional musical clarity, detailed high-frequency reproduction and powerful bass performance.

Part of MartinLogan’s Motion XT CI range, the XTC8 combines an advanced Folded Motion XT (FMT XT) tweeter with an 8-inch woven Kevlar bass/midrange driver.

Its controlled sound dispersion, sophisticated crossover design and discreet architectural appearance make it an excellent choice for high-performance multi-room audio and premium home cinema installations.

Sold individually – the price is for one speaker.

Advanced Folded Motion XT Tweeter

The XTC8 features MartinLogan’s high-performance Folded Motion XT transducer, designed to reproduce fine musical details with exceptional clarity and precision.

Unlike conventional dome tweeters, the folded diaphragm moves air through a controlled motion, providing fast transient response and detailed high-frequency reproduction.

Its controlled 30° × 80° dispersion pattern helps direct sound towards the intended listening area and reduce unwanted room reflections.

Premium 8-Inch Kevlar Woofer

An 8-inch woven black Kevlar woofer with Nomex backing delivers controlled bass and natural midrange performance.

The rigid, lightweight cone and cast-aluminium basket provide the structural stability required for demanding music and home cinema applications.

High-Performance Crossover

The XTC8 uses a carefully engineered two-way crossover with premium components, including air-core inductors and polypropylene film capacitors.

Integrated tweeter protection helps maintain reliable operation under demanding listening conditions.

Discreet Architectural Design

The XTC8 features a low-profile, paintable white grille designed to blend into the surrounding ceiling.

Its magnetic grille attachment provides a clean finish without visible fixing screws, making the speaker suitable for contemporary residential interiors.

Premium Home Cinema Performance

The XTC8 is well suited to high-quality home cinema installations, including compatible overhead surround and immersive audio speaker configurations.

Its controlled dispersion helps installers direct sound towards the listening area for greater precision and consistency.

Whole-Home Music & Smart Home Integration

The XTC8 can be integrated into professionally designed multi-room audio systems using suitable external amplification.

It is also suitable for Control4-controlled installations when connected to compatible multi-zone amplifiers and audio distribution equipment.

Typical applications include:

• Premium living room audio
• Dedicated home cinema rooms
• Multi-room music installations
• Kitchens and open-plan living spaces
• Bedrooms and private listening areas
• Smart home audio systems
• Suitable hospitality and commercial interiors

Key Features

• Premium two-way architectural in-ceiling loudspeaker
• Advanced Folded Motion XT tweeter
• 8-inch woven Kevlar woofer with Nomex backing
• Controlled high-frequency dispersion
• Frequency response of 51Hz–25kHz
• 91dB sensitivity
• 150W maximum power handling
• 4-ohm nominal impedance, compatible with suitable 8-ohm-rated amplification
• Premium crossover components
• Paintable low-profile magnetic grille
• Secure architectural mounting system
• Suitable for premium home cinema and multi-room audio
• Supplied individually

Complete Technical Specifications

Dimensions, Weight & Installation Requirements

Important Installation Information

The MartinLogan XTC8 requires a circular ceiling opening approximately 235mm in diameter and sufficient clearance behind the finished ceiling.

The manufacturer’s published dimensions specify approximately 140mm of required installation depth. Additional space may be needed for speaker cabling and site-specific installation conditions.

The XTC8 is a passive loudspeaker and must be connected to a compatible external amplifier.

Although MartinLogan describes the speaker as compatible with 8-ohm amplification, the published nominal impedance is 4 ohms. Amplifier compatibility should therefore be checked carefully, particularly when multiple speakers are connected to a multi-zone system.

The optional pre-installation bracket and retrofit enclosure are available separately.

For humid environments, bathrooms or outdoor installations, use speakers specifically rated for those conditions.

Expert MartinLogan Advice & Installation at Riverside HiFi

At Riverside HiFi, we specialise in premium architectural audio, high-end hi-fi, home cinema and integrated smart home entertainment.

Our services include:

• In-ceiling and in-wall loudspeaker installation
• Premium home cinema system design
• Dolby Atmos speaker system planning
• Multi-room music distribution
• Control4 smart home integration
• Amplifier and loudspeaker matching
• Professional speaker positioning
• Acoustic optimisation and system configuration

Whether you’re designing a dedicated cinema room or a discreet whole-home audio installation, Riverside HiFi can help you achieve exceptional performance with MartinLogan architectural loudspeakers.

MartinLogan Motion XTC8 In-Ceiling Speaker – Sold Individually

Riverside HiFi – Hi-Fi | Home Cinema | Smart Home | Professional Installation

In-Ceiling Speaker.

For true next level performance over the MC8 (its Motion CI counterpart), the XTC8 features our largest and highest performing FMT XT and a woven Kevlar woofer. These features make a noticeable improvement to the sound but also help to reduce unwanted room acoustic artifacts. With a more controlled 80° x 30° dispersion, the FMT XT is a powerful tool that delivers unheard levels of realism from a CI speaker in even the most acoustically challenging rooms. The XTC8 is a great choice for a high performance whole house music system, or for premium home theater. Its unique combination of high-performance drivers and controlled dispersion allows you to control where sound is placed in a room and provides an even better experience.

The MartinLogan Motion XT CI series takes performance to the next level over Motion CI. The Folded Motion XT tweeter gives each model in the Motion XT series even more of the clarity, output and efficiency that the standard size FMT is famous for. With Motion XT, we wanted to increase all aspects of performance over the Motion series, so we didn’t just stop at the tweeter. All Motion XT models feature woven Kevlar woofers for increased rigidity and lightness as well as a special Nomex layer on the back side of the woofer material which increases clarity and realism by reducing resonance and ringing. In addition to the larger tweeter, and lighter, stronger woofers, MartinLogan’s design and engineering team has fitted the Motion XT series with a more substantial chassis to strengthen the speaker and provide a more accurate sound, similar to a better cabinet on a traditional speaker. The Nomex layer and the chassis are not something you can see after installation, but it matters to the performance of the speaker, so it matters to us. With Motion XT CI, the difference is in the details.

The Sound of Invisibility:
Folded Motion^® Tweeters

MartinLogan’s signature Folded Motion Tweeter utilizes an extremely low-mass diaphragm that “squeezes” air, thus requiring significantly less excursion than the typical 1-inch dome tweeter. Its folded design allows for a much larger surface area (compared to that of a regular 1-inch dome tweeter), controlled dispersion characteristics, and vanishingly low distortion. It’s a miracle of audio engineering that delivers much of the high-frequency detail, speed and response of a large, dynamic electrostatic panel in a small space. Folded Motion XT tweeters advance thin-film transducer technology even further with a 40% larger radiating surface and 80×30-degree controlled dispersion. This upgrade increases audible bandwidth without sacrificing detail and reduces distortion to an incredibly low level while increasing efficiency and the tweeter’s already lightning-fast response time. The result is superior realism and alarming specificity that is aurally astounding, and only by MartinLogan.

This thin-film transducer design packs all the accuracy and delicacy of an electrostatic panel into a small space. Folding the dramatically lightweight film into an accordion-like structure increases the surface area, giving Folded Motion tweeters eight to ten times greater surface area than typical tweeters. This ideal combination of light and large produces superior accuracy, extended frequency bandwidth and higher output capability; all with a faster, more efficient transient response, and virtually zero distortion. In these characteristics, the Folded Motion Tweeter design can mimic the performance of a large electrostatic panel in the confines of a more traditional loudspeaker enclosure.

Woven Kevlar Cones

All Motion XT CI speakers feature very lightweight woven Kevlar cones specifically engineered to keep pace with the lightning speed of our highest performance Folded Motion Tweeter XT. While these high-performance drivers offer both increased rigidity and lightness, we took an extra step by adding a special Nomex layer on the back side of the woofer material which increases clarity and realism by reducing resonance and ringing. This layer is not something you can see after installation, but it matters to the performance of the speaker, so it matters to us.

No matter which Motion XT CI speaker you choose for your room, rest assured they are designed to provide a consistently high level of performance and can easily be used with other MartinLogan speakers to make creating the perfect system for your unique listening space that much easier.

The MartinLogan Sound

MartinLogan Motion XT CI speakers sound incredible in any room. Regardless of the environment, our speakers just sound better, more articulate, more detailed, and more realistic. With Controlled Dispersion and one of the most responsive tweeters in the industry, our in-wall and in-ceiling models can compete with and often exceed the performance of traditional cabinet speakers.

Spring-Loaded Binding Posts

With easy pre-installation access, our spring-loaded binding posts feature a large 4.5mm wire access hole and connect via banana plug, pin, or 12AWG bare wire.

Micro-Perforated Grilles

All MartinLogan architectural speakers feature an ultra-low profile, paintable, micro-perforated grilles with no visible bezel for a near-invisible integration into any wall or ceiling. A series of powerful magnets hidden inside the speaker quickly secure grilles into place, reducing the risk of warping or damage during installation. Optional square grilles are available for all current MartinLogan in-ceiling speakers.

Proprietary Vojtko^™ Crossover Networks

Vojtko Crossovers are named after MartinLogan’s chief audio technologist, Joe Vojtko.

His unique approach to crossover design is just as crucial to MartinLogan’s Truth in Sound as are our innovative electrostatic and Folded Motion thin-film driver technologies. A Vojtko Crossover isn’t just a set of design requirements; it’s a philosophy.

Vojtko Crossovers are hand-built from the highest quality components and avoid overly complex topologies. This crossover has a straightforward objective: breathtaking realism.

Hand-Selected Components

In designing each crossover topology, we take the drivers themselves into consideration. Carefully selected drivers, engineered for specific performance characteristics, are kept within their optimal frequency range by the custom Vojtko Crossover.

Each crossover is handcrafted using exceptional polypropylene and polyester capacitors, custom wound and large steel laminate low-DCR inductors, and double thick PCBs. This precision-tuned network preserves even the most microscopic sonic nuances while handling the full dynamics of any source. It’s a recipe for vanishingly low distortion and seamless driver integration.

The most critical aspect of a Vojtko Crossover design is the final voicing, always conducted in a real-world environment. This uniquely pragmatic approach guarantees that even the most amazing MartinLogan loudspeakers deliver Truth in Sound in any room, including yours.

Optional Retrofit Enclosure

All Motion XT CI in-ceiling speakers have the option for a retrofittable back can or enclosure. This helps contain the sound coming off the back of the speaker to dramatically reduce unwanted sound that can travel through the floor and up into the living space above the speaker. For those desiring increased bass output, or for when sound control is not required, you can simply choose to use the speaker without the optional enclosure so it can take full advantage of the larger air volume provided by the space in the ceiling.

Pre-Installation Brackets
(sold separately)

Pre-installation brackets are available for every 
model in the Motion XT CI Series.

Specifications

Specifications are subject to change without notice

Frequency Response	51 – 25,000 Hz ±3dB
Tweeter Dispersion (horizontal x vertical)	30 x 80 degrees
Recommended Amplifier Power	Range 50–300 Watts
Sensitivity	91dB @2.83V/ 1 meter
Impedance	4 ohms. Compatible with 8 ohms
High Frequency Driver	FMT Transducer 1.27” x 2.4” (3.22cm x 6.09cm) Opening 4.5” x 2.75” (11.43cm x 6.98cm) Diaphragm
Crossover Frequency	2,270 Hz
Crossover Type	2 way
Driver Configuration	1 x 1.27” x 2.75” FMT, 1 x 8” Woofers
Woofer Specifications	One 8” (20.32 cm) cast aluminum basket, black Kevlar with Nomex backer cone, Open back chamber format. Concave dust cap.
Cabinet Material	Black w/ White Paintable Grill
Connector	Push style
Components	Custom air core coil inductors, polypropylene film capacitors in series and low DF electrolytic capacitors FMT thermal/current protection.
Max Power Handling	150 Watts
Weight	7.9 lbs. (3.6 kg) each
Dimensions (overall size)	10.35” x 5.30” (26.30 x 13.46cm)
Required Wall Opening (includes tolerance)	9.25” (23.5cm) diameter
Projection From Wall Surface	0.33” (23.5cm)
Depth Behind Wall Surface	5.50” (13.97cm)

Special order item.