Summary – Martin Logan ElectroMotion ESL Review
The ElectroMotion ESL is a flagship Martin Logan speaker that features an electrostatic loudspeaker system. This speaker is designed to reproduce some of the best sound you’ve ever heard with impeccable details and a crazy amount of soundstage and separation. This speaker features full-sized 34-inch tall curvilinear XState electrostatic transducers with an integrated high-performance woofer for full-range sound reproduction. This speaker is specifically designed for 2-channel sound systems and can be added to dynamic multi-channel home theater systems if required. Furthermore, the ESL speaker features 129 square inches of radiating surface, deep bass performance and a high sensitivity of 91dB. It’s a speaker that delivers immersive sound with plenty of soundstage that moves all around you, and allows you to hear music from an entire different perspective.
How do these speakers sound?
I think that the ElectroMotion ESL speaker should be the gold standard of the ideal stereo listening experience. What you are getting with these speakers is a truly immersive listening experience where the soundstage and audio separation moves all around you. This allows you to spatially locate the instruments in the music and hear exactly where the vocalists are standing from. The sound feels natural and crisp, and you don’t get any listening fatigue after prolonged periods of listening. This speaker system also has a good amount of bass to it – the woofers in the ESLs are themselves more than adequate for rock, jazz and R&B music genres. One curious feature about these speakers is that the ‘sweet spot’ is slightly spread out and not pin-pointed – allowing you a wider range to appreciate the subtle notes in music performances.
The ESL speakers require a period of burn in
The ElectroMotion ESL speaker does have a period of burn in where the sound will start to smoothen out and sound natural. Once the sound is properly broken in, you’ll get detailed notes and pretty amazing soundstage with natural layers of sound distribution. The bass from the speaker is strong and punchy with a tight and refined kick.
Hybrid Electrostatic Design
The ESL speaker radiates sound with equal intensity from the front and back of its diaphragm, with outputs in opposite phase. The sound waves ripping out towards the sides meet at the speaker’s edge and cancel, which means that you get much better sonic detail and stereo imaging. The ESL speaker also features a proprietary topology filter utilizing custom air core coils and low DCR steel laminate inductors, polyester film capacitors in series, and low DF electrolytic capacitors in parallel. All these features create a listening experience that you’ll probably never forget.
The Verdict?
The Martin Logan EelectroMotion ESL speakers have some of the most detailed sound we have ever heard from a pair of Martin Logans’. The ESL speakers come with a CLS XStat electrostatic transducer, ultra-rigid Air-Frame and an 8 inch high-excursion woofer which delivers superb highs and midbass performance. It also comes with a precision built advanced topology crossover system for smoother sound reproduction. I was thoroughly impressed by the sound quality from these speakers – the soundstage and stereo imaging that you get is realistic and highly detailed. The bass, mid-ranges and highs feel smooth and defined at every frequency level. You can practically push these speakers to maximum volume without hearing an inch of distortion. Listening to these speakers is truly an audiophile treat, but bear in mind that they require a period of burn in before the sound fully matures.