A slim three-way floorstander, sold as a pair, with a folded thin-film Folded Motion S tweeter, one midrange and three 14 cm aluminium bass drivers, intended for rooms of modest size.
Foundation F1: how it is built
The Foundation F1 is the smaller of the two floorstanding models in the Motion Foundation series. It takes up less floor area than its bigger sibling, the F2, and MartinLogan recommends it for moderately sized rooms where the reach of a tower is wanted without a bulky cabinet. Stated response runs from 41 Hz to 23 kHz within ±3 dB, with 92 dB sensitivity and a 4 ohm impedance, figures that make it an easy load for amplifiers rated between 15 and 200 watts.
Treble is handled by the second-generation Folded Motion S tweeter in its Obsidian version. Its diaphragm is a thin film pleated like a concertina, giving 22.6 cm² of radiating area in very little space; low mass and minimal excursion translate into quick transient response. The waveguide around it controls dispersion, quoted at 90° both horizontally and vertically, cuts down on room reflections and keeps the sound more even over a broad listening area.
Below the tweeter sit four 14 cm drivers with Unibody aluminium cones and stamped steel baskets, the metal being chosen because it is both strong and light: one covers the midrange in its own sealed chamber, while the other three handle bass in an asymmetrical enclosure designed to curb resonances. The three-way crossover hands over at 240 Hz and at 2,700 Hz. The cabinet is a bass reflex design with its port at the rear, and the binding posts take a single run of cable, with no bi-wiring.
Specifications
- Type: three-way floorstander, rear-ported
- Frequency range: 41 Hz to 23 kHz, ±3 dB
- Impedance: 4 ohms
- Sensitivity: 92 dB
- Amplifier power: 15 to 200 W
- Crossover points: 240 Hz and 2,700 Hz
- Tweeter: 24 x 25 mm Folded Motion S Gen2, 22.6 cm² diaphragm
- Tweeter coverage: 90° horizontal, 90° vertical
- Midrange: 14 cm Unibody aluminium cone in a sealed chamber
- Bass drivers: three 14 cm Unibody aluminium cones, steel baskets
- Cabinet: bass reflex, port at the rear
- Terminals: five-way posts, single-wire only
- Grille: magnetic cloth grille over midrange and bass drivers
- Size with feet (H x W x D): 105.2 x 21 x 36.7 cm
- Weight: 21.1 kg
- Supplied: sold as a pair
- Finishes: black, white, walnut
