Frequency response
Bass output, subwoofer (CEA-2010A standard)
Ultra-low bass (20-31.5 Hz) average: 96.5 dB
Low bass (40-63 Hz) average: 115.2 dB
Bass limits
I measured the MotionVision soundbar much as I’d measure separate left/right and center speakers: by feeding a signal to the right channel and placing the microphone 2 meters in front of the right speaker, then feeding a signal into left and right channels and placing the microphone 2 meters in front of the center speaker. I placed the soundbar atop a 2-meter stand and used quasi-anechoic technique to remove the effects of reflections from nearby objects. For both measurements, I adjusted the microphone position for the flattest on-axis response, then averaged the measurements at 0°, ±10°, ±20°, and ±30°, smoothed to 1/12th octave. Bass response of the soundbar was measured using ground plane technique with the microphone on the ground 2 meters from the speaker. I turned the bass level down to where the measured output was comparable to that of the rest of the soundbar’s drivers. The bass measurement was smoothed to 1/3rd octave and spliced to the quasi-anechoic measurements at 300 Hz. I measured the Dynamo 700’s frequency response by close-miking the driver. All frequency response measurements were made with a Clio FW audio analyzer and then imported into a LinearX LMS analyzer for post-processing.
The soundbar measures somewhere between good and amazing, depending on the measurement. The right speaker measurement is remarkably smooth, with no significant flaws and a ±2.5-dB response that even few conventional speakers can achieve. That MartinLogan got this response from a horizontally oriented speaker is especially amazing. Off-axis response is extremely smooth, except for a narrow, 15-dB dip centered at 2.9 kHz that appears at 30° to the speaker’s right side and 45° and 60° to the speaker’s left side.
The center speaker’s not quite as smooth, due to interactions between the two midwoofers. Its averaged response is marred mainly by a dip at 2.7 kHz, which could take a bit of the life out of voices. But still, ±5.3 dB is really good, especially considering I had to feed the unit an analog left+right signal and go through the soundbar’s internal matrix decoder, which probably altered the test signal a bit. Off-axis, a dip of -12 to -15 dB appears between 2.5 and 2.9 kHz, depending on the off-axis angle, at angles of 20° and greater.
CEA-2010A output measurements for the Dynamo 700 subwoofer were taken at 3 meters and then scaled up 9.54 dB per CEA-2010A requirements so that they are equivalent to 1-meter results. Measurements that were dictated by the unit’s internal limiter are designated with an “L” after the dB result. The output is quite decent for such a small subwoofer, averaging 115.2 dB in the low bass (40-63 Hz) and 96.5 dB in the ultra-low bass (20-31.5 Hz). I’m especially impressed that it delivered measurable output down to 20 Hz. The combined low-pass function of the driver, box, and internal crossover measured -18 dB/octave with the crossover set to 80 Hz.
But I’m even more impressed with the bass output of the soundbar, which I measured using CEA-2010 technique. It puts out more than 100 dB down at 40 Hz, which must be a first for a one-piece soundbar. Output falls quickly below that, to 85.8 dB at 31.5 Hz, but still….— Test Bench by Brent Butterworth
This sound bar is amaz. Between this one and the Bose for the same price the ML sounds so much better. Especially if you will be playing music through it. Even without a sub it's impressive. If I had the money though I would purchase the B&W Panorama. Hands down better but 7 hundo more.