In this review, we will be comparing ESL 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 and B&W 603 first before getting into our more
detailed comparison.
What size room are the MartinLogan ESL 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:
In the following sections, we will get into more detail in order to better understand how the MartinLogan ESL 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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Drivers
One of the fundamental differences between these two speakers is that ESL 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 |
B&W 603 |
|
Driver Setup
|
2-way
|
3-way
|
|
Tweeter
|
8.6x34-inch
|
1-inch
|
|
Midrange
|
- |
1 x 6-inch |
|
Woofer
|
1 x 8-inch
|
2 x 6.5-inch
|
ESL features a 8.6x34" curved electrostatic transducer Tweeter and 1 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 has a frequency range of 42-22k Hz whereas BW 603 has a frequency range of 48-28k Hz. With a minimum frequency of 42Hz, the ESL 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 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 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 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 can handle a max power of 300 watts RMS from the amp the whereas BW 603 has a max power handling value of 200 watts RMS, 100 watts less than the ESL.
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
BW 603 features Post posts which make bi-amping or bi-wiring possible. ESL has a Spring post which doesn't feature bi-amping/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's and B&W 603's external dimensions. MartinLogan ESL has external dimensions of 1350.0 x 237.0 x 420.0mm ( 53-1/8 x 9-5/16 x 16-1/2inch) 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 is clearly the larger of the two speakers. Its body is 47mm wider, 365mm taller and 80mm deeper than B&W 603.
Below you can see the front view size comparison of MartinLogan ESL and B&W 603 in scale.
Comparison image of MartinLogan ESL 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 is approximately 995.4cm2 / 154.3inch2 and base area of the B&W 603 is approximately 646.0cm2 / 100.1inch2. The ESL requires 54% more surface area than the BW 603 which gives it a small disadvantage on placement in tight spaces.
Weight Comparison The weight of a loudspeaker can become an important factor if you need to move and reposition the unit often. Weight of a speaker can also "sometimes" be an indicator of the rigidity of the enclosure and the quality of the internal components used. The MartinLogan ESL weighs 16.14kg / 35.5lbs and the B&W 603 weighs 24.14kg / 53.1lbs. This makes the BW 603 50% heavier than the ESL.
Here is a comparison of how ESL and BW 603's weights compare with the average, max and min weights in Passive Floor-standing class.
Weight
All Floor-standing Speakers
What's in the Box of MartinLogan ESL?
Here are the items that are included inside the box of ESL:
Floor-standing hybrid electrostatic loudspeakerAC power adapter (w/ attached 10-feet DC cord)Cloth grille (installed)4 Pre-installed feetUsers Manual (En/Fr)Product Registration Card
What's in the Box of B&W 603?
Here are the items that come with the BW 603:
Floorstanding loudspeaker Grille Plinith (base) 2 Jumper-straps (pre-installed) 4 Rubber feet 4 Spike feet 4 Hex-nuts 4 Screws 4 Washers 4 Lock-washers Two-piece foam port plug Hex-key Manual Bowers & Wilkins brochure Warranty Information
 Max Input Power |
300 watts
vs
200 watts
|
Handle more power from your amplifier |
 Sensitivity |
91 dB
vs
89 dB
|
Play louder with same amount of amplification power |
 Woofer Size |
8 inches
vs
6.5 inches
|
Larger woofer |
| Low Frequency Response |
42 Hz
vs
48 Hz
|
Generates deeper bass |
 Driver Setup |
3-way
vs
2-way
|
Have a dedicated mid-range driver |
 Nominal Impedance |
8 ohms
vs
6 ohms
|
Less selective with amplifiers |
| Number of Woofers |
2
vs
1
|
More woofers |
 High Frequency Response |
28k Hz
vs
22k Hz
|
Generates higher frequency |
 Bi-Amping and Bi-Wiring |
Yes
vs
No
|
Allows bi-amping and bi-wiring connections |
 Height |
985mm
vs
1350mm
|
Easier to fit in smaller spaces |
 Base Surface Area |
646cm2 (190x340mm)
vs
995cm2 (237x420mm)
|
Takes less floor space |
| General |
MartinLogan ElectroMotion ESL |
Bowers & Wilkins 603 |
| Brand |
MartinLogan |
Bowers Wilkins |
| Speaker Type |
Floor-standing speaker |
Floor-standing speaker |
| Power Range |
20-300 watts |
30-200 watts |
| Sensitivity |
91 dB |
88.5 dB |
| Impedance |
6 ohms |
8 ohms |
| Frequency Response |
42-22k Hz |
48-28k Hz |
Drivers |
|
|
| Woofer Quantity |
1 |
2 |
| Woofer Size |
8" |
6.5" |
| Woofer Composition |
high-excursion paper cone |
Paper |
| Woofer Surround Material |
Rubber |
Rubber |
| Tweeter Size |
8.6x34" |
1" |
| Tweeter Type |
curved electrostatic transducer |
n/a |
| Aimable Tweeter |
No |
No |
| Midrange Driver |
No |
6" |
| Firing Direction |
n/a |
rear |
Physical Specs |
|
|
| Height |
1350.0mm (53.1") |
985.0mm (38.8") |
| Width |
237.0mm (9.3") |
190.0mm (7.5") |
| Depth |
420.0mm (16.5") |
340.0mm (13.4") |
| Weight |
16.14kg (35.5lbs) |
24.14kg (53.1lbs) |
| Enclosure |
Bass Reflex |
Bass Reflex |
| Finish |
Composite |
MDF/Vinyl |
| Available Colors |
Black |
Black, White, Oak |
| Grille |
Yes |
Yes |
| Moisture Resistancy |
No |
No |
Connections |
|
|
| Biamp Inputs |
No |
Yes |
Other |
|
|
| Parts Warranty |
5 Yrs w/ Registration |
5 Years |
| Labor Warranty |
5 Yrs w/ Registration |
5 Years |