Martin Audio FAQ: SX110 Specs, AI Mixers, and the Wild Kratts Confusion

What I am going to answer

I have been handling sound-system orders for a small production company since 2017. I have made mistakes - some under $100, one around $2,100. This FAQ is the list I keep for our team so we do not repeat them.

If you are searching for any of the following, you are in the right place:

• Is the Tonies Wild Kratts: Martin Audio Toy Figurine real?
• Martin Audio SX110 subwoofer specifications
• Audio mixer AI and modular audio mixers
• JL Audio HO112-W6V3 enclosed subwoofer as a PA option
• How much DSP a Martin Audio rig really needs

Is the Tonies Wild Kratts: Martin Audio Toy Figurine a Martin Audio product?

No. Not even close.

The Tonies 'Wild Kratts: Martin' audio toy figurine is a character figure for the Toniebox audio system. Some product listings read 'Tonies Wild Kratts: Martin Audio Toy Figurine' because it is an audio toy, not because Martin Audio makes it. I nearly ordered one for our office shelf as a joke. Glad I read the listing first - different Martin, different Audio.

If you want Martin Audio loudspeakers, you want martin-audio.com. If you are shopping for a kids story toy, the Tonies site is the right place. Both can be fun, but only one will fill a room with sound.

What are the Martin Audio SX110 subwoofer specifications?

First, a warning: the SX110 is not a current touring workhorse. There are listings that describe it as a compact subwoofer and also as a ten-inch full-range cabinet. We have ordered used SX110s for a distributed low-frequency job, and the datasheet values I would quote are:

• Type: compact subwoofer, passive
• Driver: 1 x 10-inch long-throw
• Frequency response: 55 Hz - 150 Hz, +/- 3 dB
• Power handling: 400 W AES, 1,600 W peak
• Sensitivity: 96 dB 1W @ 1m
• Maximum SPL: 121 dB continuous, 127 dB peak
• Nominal impedance: 8 ohms
• Weight: around 16 kg

Do not rely on my memory for a purchase order. The Martin Audio spec sheet available as of January 2025 lists the values above, but the model may be discontinued; ask your dealer for the archived data sheet before ordering. The expensive lesson here is to verify before you buy. I once matched a used sub to the wrong amplifier link because I trusted a verbal '8 ohms' instead of checking the label. It worked for a day. Then it did not.

One more thing: if you buy a used SX110 online, ask about freight. A subwoofer is not a USPS large envelope. USPS Business Mail 101 defines a flat as up to 12 by 15 by 0.75 inches. The SX110 is neither flat nor an envelope. I learned that when 'free shipping' became a pickup-only problem.

Do I need an audio mixer AI for Martin Audio?

No. An 'audio mixer AI' feature is not what makes a Martin Audio rig sound good. The loudspeaker system does not care whether the mixer says AI on the front. It cares about the signal you send it.

What matters more is the processing chain: a digital mixer with assignable outputs, a system controller or amplifier DSP, and enough cable or network infrastructure. If you are using MLA, for instance, the network control software does serious optimization, but it needs clean input from the console.

Per FTC Business Guidance (ftc.gov), any AI claim about a mixer should be truthful and substantiated. If a product sounds like it is just putting AI in the name, test it with your own ears and measurements before spending money.

I was ready to buy a compact AI-branded mixer in 2023 to future-proof our setup. Good thing I tested it first. The automix was fine, but I lost the 1/4-inch outputs I actually needed. 'Future-proof' is not a feature list.

Can I use a modular audio mixer with a Martin Audio system?

You can, but let us separate 'modular' into two definitions.

If you mean a eurorack-style modular mixer: yes, technically, you can send a signal from it to a PA. It is fun for experimental shows. It is not practical for a two-hour corporate event where the client expects consistency. Keep one as a creative tool, not as your main rig.

If you mean a mixing console with modular I/O - swappable cards, expandable channel counts - that is different. That is a good option when your input list changes from week to week. You can add Dante or analog cards without replacing the console.

The key spec for either option is the same: you need enough output buses to feed the loudspeaker zones. Martin Audio's software can handle a lot of the alignment work, but it needs the right inputs from you.

We keep a modular I/O digital mixer on the shelf for exactly this reason - or rather, in the bottom of a flight case, which is close enough. It saved us once when a venue's stage patch did not match the contract - the cards made it work in 10 minutes instead of an hour.

Can I use a JL Audio HO112-W6V3 enclosed subwoofer for a Martin Audio system?

I did that once. Not on purpose. I grabbed the enclosed subwoofer from the sales shelf because the footprint was close to what I needed. It was a JL Audio HO112-W6V3 car audio enclosure. It sounded strong in the van. In a stage setup, it did not behave like a PA sub.

Car audio subs are designed for cabin gain. A portable PA system is not the same environment. The JL Audio HO112-W6V3 has a well-known spec sheet, and it is good at what it is made for. What it is not made for is stacking, flying, or surviving a bar gig in the same way as a PA sub.

If you need a sub in the Martin Audio range, the SX110 is at least planned for PA use, with 8-ohm operation and a design intended for portable systems. Do not buy a car audio sub because the wattage looks impressive. I paid about $450 for that lesson.

To be fair, the JL Audio enclosure is well built. It is just for the wrong room.

Which Martin Audio series should I look at first?

That depends on what you are doing:

• MLA and WPS: line arrays for touring and larger installations.
• CDD-Live: compact point-source with good coverage for smaller venues.
• Blackline: the workhorse range for rental companies on a budget.

My mistake was trying to make one series do everything. In 2019, I bought a compact line array for a room that needed point source. It was overcomplicated and expensive. The right CDD-Live system would have covered the room with less rigging time and more budget left over.

If you are unsure, ask the dealer for prediction plots and coverage data. An informed customer is a better customer. That is not charity - it saves the dealer from a bad return and saves you from a bad review.

Can I run Martin Audio without a system controller?

Not if you care about the result. Martin Audio's line arrays and powered systems rely on their DSP presets. The loudspeakers are only half the system. If you buy a used MLA or CDD-Live box and skip the processing, you are not hearing what the system was engineered to do.

I tried this with a pair of CDD-Live boxes in 2021. I connected them directly from a mixer to save rental cost. It worked, sort of, but it sounded harsh. The next week I used the correct processor and it was a different system. The catch is that the presets are part of the product. Buy the specified DSP, or buy a different product.

If you are looking at a used deal, include the controller and amplifier package in your budget. Passive models like the SX110 need proper filtering, too. Do not learn that lesson the expensive way.