In this review, we will be comparing ESL X and BW 603, two Passive Floor-standing speakers from MartinLogan and Bowers Wilkins.
Let's have a brief look at the main features
of MartinLogan ESL X and B&W 603 first before getting into our more
detailed comparison.
MartinLogan ESL X Key Specs
- 2-way Design
- 8.6 x 40" curved electrostatic transducer Tweeter
- 2 x 8" high-excursion paper cone Woofer
- 41-22k Hz Frequency Response
- 91 dB Sensitivity
- Impedance: 6ohms
- Power Range:20-400watts
- Weight:23.64kg
- Dimensions (H x W x D): 1505.0" x 9-7/16" x 20-3/4"( 1505.0 x 240.0 x 528.0mm )
B&W 603 Key Specs
- 3-way Design
- 1" Tweeter
- 6" Midrange
- 2 x 6.5" Paper Woofer
- 6" Midrange
- 48-28k Hz Frequency Response
- 88.5 dB Sensitivity
- Impedance: 8ohms
- Power Range:30-200watts
- Weight:24.14kg
- Dimensions (H x W x D): 985.0" x 7.4" x 13.3"( 985.0 x 190.0 x 340.0mm )
What size room are the MartinLogan ESL X and B&W 603 speakers good for?
The size of the room in which you are planning to use these loudspeakers is an important decision
factor. Here we have compared their suitability to various sizes of environments considering their size
and max power parameters:
| Listening Environment* |
MartinLogan ESL X |
B&W 603 |
| Near-field |
Are you nuts? |
Bad |
| Small Room |
Poor |
Poor |
| Mid-size Room |
Average |
Good |
| Large Room |
Good |
Good |
| Very Large Room |
Good |
Poor |
(* Approximate Room sizes: Small < 100sq. ft / 9 m2,
Mid-size: 100-220 sq. ft / 9-20 m2, Large 220-400 sq. ft / 20-36 m2, Very Large: >
400 sq. ft / 36 m2.
Average Floor Height: 9" / 2.7m. Typical room sizes differ from country to country, and the actual
listening experience changes depending on floor height, room shape, surface materials, listening
position, speaker locations, etc.)
In the following sections, we will get into more detail in order to better understand how the MartinLogan ESL X and B&W 603 compare and hopefully end up with enough arguments to decide which one of these loudspeakers is the better choice for you.
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through my links. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.
Drivers
One of the fundamental differences between these two speakers is that ESL X is a 2-way design whereas the BW 603 is a 3-way speaker. 3-way designs utilize a midrange driver in addition to the tweeter and woofer on 2-way designs. Designing a crossover for a 3-way speaker is a complicated process and generally increases the overall cost of the speaker.
| Driver |
MartinLogan ESL X |
B&W 603 |
|
Driver Setup
|
2-way
|
3-way
|
|
Tweeter
|
8.6 x 40-inch
|
1-inch
|
|
Midrange
|
- |
1 x 6-inch |
|
Woofer
|
2 x 8-inch
|
2 x 6.5-inch
|
ESL X features a 8.6 x 40" curved electrostatic transducer Tweeter and 2 x 8" high-excursion paper cone Woofer . On the other hand, the BW 603 features a 1" Tweeter , a 6" Midrange and 2 x 6.5" Paper Woofer .
Frequency Response
ESL X has a frequency range of 41-22k Hz whereas BW 603 has a frequency range of 48-28k Hz. With a minimum frequency of 41Hz, the ESL X can go significantly deeper on the low side and provide stronger bass compared to the BW 603's min frequency of 48Hz.
Below graphs depict how these two speakers compare with the max, min and average values of the Min and Max Frequencies of other speakers in the Floor-standing class in our database.
Low Frequency
Floor-standing Speakers
High Frequency
Floor-standing Speakers
None of these speakers achieves full range experience which is commonly agreed as 20Hz-20kHz. In order to achieve lower lows / deeper bass, we recommend you pair these with a subwoofer. Visit our Powered Subwoofers section to find out more about the available options.
Impedance and Sensitivity
ESL X is a 6 ohms speaker compared to the BW 603 which has a nominal impedance of 8 ohms.
These two speakers also have different sensitivity levels. ESL X sensitivity is rated at 91 dB and the BW 603's is rated at 88.5 dB. This 2 dB difference makes the MartinLogan ESL X a more sensitive speaker compared to B&W 603, hence will play louder with the same amount of watts.
Sensitivity
Floor-standing Speakers
Power Range
Power
range is the range of input power in watts RMS that a loudspeaker is designed to handle. While using
an amplifier within this range ensures the nominal performance , inputting a power that is higher than the
max wattage can result in a damaged speaker.
ESL X can handle a max power of 400 watts RMS from the amp the whereas BW 603 has a max power handling value of 200 watts RMS, 200 watts less than the ESL X.
Keep in mind that a higher max power handling value doesn't necessarily make that a louder speaker
compared to a lower max handling speaker. Loudness or the sound level is also impacted by parameters
such as Impedance, sensitivity and system efficiencies.
Input Type and Bi-Amping / Bi-Wiring
Both ESL X and BW 603 features dual binding post speaker terminals for bi-amping or bi-wiring.
Physical Specs
Size of a speaker can sometimes become an important decision factor due to space constraints or in some cases purely for esthetic reasons. In this section, we are going to compare MartinLogan ESL X's and B&W 603's external dimensions. MartinLogan ESL X has external dimensions of 1505.0 x 240.0 x 528.0mm ( 59-1/4 x 9-7/16 x 20-3/4inch) whereas B&W 603 has external dimensions of 985.0 x 190.0 x 340.0mm ( 38.7 x 7.4 x 13.3inch) .
MartinLogan ESL X is clearly the larger of the two speakers. Its body is 50mm wider, 520mm taller and 188mm deeper than B&W 603.
Below you can see the front view size comparison of MartinLogan ESL X and B&W 603 in scale.
Comparison image of MartinLogan ESL X and B&W 603 Size and External Dimensions
Base Surface Area Comparison
Base surface area of a loudspeaker may become a determining factor when the space in your room or desk is limited.
The base surface area of the MartinLogan ESL X is approximately 1267.2cm2 / 196.4inch2 and base area of the B&W 603 is approximately 646.0cm2 / 100.1inch2. The ESL X requires 96% more surface area than the BW 603 which gives it a small disadvantage on placement in tight spaces.