In this review, we will be comparing ESL and R700, two Passive Floor-standing speakers from MartinLogan and Polk Audio.
Let's have a brief look at the main features
of MartinLogan ESL and Polk R700 first before getting into our more
detailed comparison.
| Key Specs | MartinLogan ESL | Polk R700 |
|---|
| Design | 2-way | 3-way |
|---|
| Tweeter | 8.6x34" curved electrostatic transducer | 1" Pinnacle Ring Radiator |
|---|
| Midrange | — | 6.5" |
|---|
| Woofer | 8" high-excursion paper cone | 2 x 8" Polypropylene |
|---|
| Frequency response | 42-22k Hz | 38-38k Hz |
|---|
| Sensitivity | 91 dB | 88 dB |
|---|
| Impedance | 6 ohms | 8 ohms |
|---|
| Power range | 20-300 watts | 50-300 watts |
|---|
| Weight | 16.14kg / 35.5lbs | 35.90kg / 79lbs |
|---|
| Dimensions (H x W x D) | 53-1/8" x 9-5/16" x 16-1/2"
1350.0 x 237.0 x 420.0mm | 45" x 12.6" x 16.9"
1143.8 x 320.7 x 428.3mm |
|---|
What size room are the MartinLogan ESL and Polk R700 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 |
Polk R700 |
| Near-field |
Bad |
Bad |
| Small Room |
Poor |
Poor |
| Mid-size Room |
Average |
Average |
| Large Room |
Good |
Good |
| Very Large Room |
Average |
Average |
(* 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.)
The sections below take each area in turn: drivers, frequency response, physical size and what you get in the box.
**This post contains affiliate links, and we will be compensated if you make a purchase after clicking
through our links. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.
Drivers
One of the fundamental differences between these two speakers is that ESL is a 2-way design whereas the R700 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.
MartinLogan ESLPolk R700
TweeterMidrangeWoofer
Front view, drawn to scale - cabinets and drivers share one scale, so sizes are directly comparable. Hover a driver for its size.
| Driver |
MartinLogan ESL |
Polk R700 |
|
Driver Setup
|
2-way
|
3-way
|
|
Tweeter
|
8.6x34-inch
|
1-inch
|
|
Midrange
|
- |
1 x 6.5-inch |
|
Woofer
|
1 x 8-inch
|
2 x 8-inch
|
ESL features a 8.6x34" curved electrostatic transducer Tweeter and 1 x 8" high-excursion paper cone Woofer. On the other hand, the R700 features a 1" Pinnacle Ring Radiator Tweeter, a 6.5" Midrange and 2 x 8" Polypropylene Woofer with a Crossover frequency at 350Hz and 2700Hz.
Frequency Response
ESL has a frequency range of 42-22k Hz whereas R700 has a frequency range of 38-38k Hz. With a minimum frequency of 38Hz, the R700 can go slightly deeper then the ESL's min frequency of 42Hz.
The graph below depicts how these two speakers compare with the max, min and average Low Frequency values of other speakers in the Floor-standing class in our database.
Low Frequency
Floor-standing Speakers
Neither pair reaches down to 20Hz, the usual definition of full-range, which is normal for speakers of this size. If you want the bottom octave for movies or bass-heavy music, add a subwoofer to whichever you choose. 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 R700 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 R700's is rated at 88 dB. This 3 dB difference makes the MartinLogan ESL a more sensitive speaker compared to Polk R700, 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. Staying
within that range gives nominal performance; driving the speaker beyond its maximum wattage can damage it.
Both handle the same maximum of 300 watts RMS, though ESL is rated 20-300 watts and R700 50-300 watts.
Note that higher power handling does not make a speaker louder: that depends mainly on
sensitivity and impedance. The calculator below shows how loud each of these actually plays
on a real amplifier.
Which plays louder on your amplifier?
Starting with a popular amplifier — change it to the one you own, or any you are
considering, and watch both numbers move.
Input Type and Bi-Amping / Bi-Wiring
R700 features Post posts which make bi-amping or bi-wiring possible. ESL has a Spring post which doesn't feature bi-amping/bi-wiring.
Polk R700's Post terminals allows Bi-amping or bi-wiring
Polk R700 Port
Physical Specs
The size of a speaker can sometimes be 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 Polk R700'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 Polk R700 has external dimensions of 1143.8 x 320.7 x 428.3mm (45 x 12.6 x 16.9inch).
MartinLogan ESL is 83.7mm narrower and 8.3mm less deeper than Polk R700 but it is also 206.2mm taller.
Below you can see the front view size comparison of MartinLogan ESL and Polk R700 in scale.
Comparison image of MartinLogan ESL and Polk R700 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 Polk R700 is approximately 1373.6cm2 / 212.9inch2. The ESL requires 28% less surface area than the R700 which gives it a small advantage 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 Polk R700 weighs 35.90kg / 79lbs. This makes the R700 122% heavier than the ESL.
Here is a comparison of how ESL and R700'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 loudspeaker
- AC power adapter (w/ attached 10-feet DC cord)
- Cloth grille (installed)
- 4 Pre-installed feet
- Users Manual (En/Fr)
- Product Registration Card
What's in the Box of Polk R700?
Here are the items that come with the R700:
- Floorstanding loudspeaker
- 4 Outrigger feet (pre-installed)
- 4 Rubber feet (pre-installed)
- 4 Spike feet (pre-installed)
- Grille
- Hex-key
- Owner's Manual
- Online Registration
 Sensitivity |
91 dB
vs
88 dB
|
Play louder with same amount of amplification power |
 Base Surface Area |
995cm2
vs
1373cm2
|
Takes less floor space |
 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 |
|
Low Frequency Response |
38 Hz
vs
42 Hz
|
Generates deeper bass |
 High Frequency Response |
38k Hz
vs
22k Hz
|
Generates higher frequency |
 Bi-Amping and Bi-Wiring |
Yes
vs
No
|
Allows bi-amping and bi-wiring connections |
 Height |
1143mm
vs
1350mm
|
Easier to fit in smaller spaces |
| General |
MartinLogan ElectroMotion ESL |
Polk Audio Reserve R700 |
| Brand |
MartinLogan |
Polk Audio |
| Speaker Type |
Floor-standing speaker |
Floor-standing speaker |
| Power Range |
20-300 watts |
50-300 watts |
| Sensitivity |
91 dB |
88 dB |
| Impedance |
6 ohms |
8 ohms |
| Impedance |
n/a |
3.6 ohms |
| Frequency Response |
42-22k Hz |
38-38k Hz |
Drivers |
|
|
| Woofer Quantity |
1 |
2 |
| Woofer Size |
8" |
8" |
| Woofer Composition |
high-excursion paper cone |
Polypropylene |
| Woofer Surround Material |
Rubber |
Rubber |
| Tweeter Size |
8.6x34" |
1" |
| Tweeter Type |
curved electrostatic transducer |
Pinnacle Ring Radiator |
| Aimable Tweeter |
No |
No |
| Midrange Driver |
No |
6.5" |
| Crossover Frequency |
n/a |
350Hz and 2700Hz |
| Firing Direction |
n/a |
bottom |
Physical Specs |
|
|
| Height |
1350.0mm (53.1") |
1143.8mm (45") |
| Width |
237.0mm (9.3") |
320.7mm (12.6") |
| Depth |
420.0mm (16.5") |
428.3mm (16.9") |
| Weight |
16.14kg (35.5lbs) |
35.90kg (79lbs) |
| Enclosure |
Bass Reflex |
Bass Reflex |
| Finish |
Composite |
MDF/Vinyl |
| Available Colors |
Black |
Black, Walnut, White |
| 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 |
A generation apart: Polk R700 is the newer design, against a 2011 model. Newer is not automatically better, but the older one is more likely to be discounted or near run-out.
| Area | Better | Why |
|---|
| Bass |
B |
Polk R700 digs deeper - 38Hz against 42Hz. A subwoofer would even that out. |
| Amplifier needs |
A |
MartinLogan ESL is more sensitive (91dB vs 88dB), so it goes louder on the same amplifier. |
| Amplifier match |
B |
Polk R700 is the easier load at 8 ohms. |
| Headroom |
evenly matched |
Similar power handling (300W vs 300W). |
| Size |
depends |
Similar cabinet size - neither is easier to fit. |
| Expandability |
B |
Polk R700: bi-amping. Polk R700 sits in a wider range (10 models), so a matched surround system is easier later. |
A MartinLogan ESL
B Polk R700
depends neither is better in the abstract - it turns on your room, placement or how you will use them.
Only specs published for both speakers are judged; anything missing on either side is left out rather than guessed.
Which should you choose?
Polk R700 has the edge on paper, though the margin is not large. The rows marked "depends" may matter more to you than the score does. If your amplifier is modest, vintage or valve-based, MartinLogan ESL is the safer partner - the other will want more current or more watts to sound its best.
And remember what a spec sheet cannot show: how each looks in your room and whether the finish suits it, what dealer support and warranty are like where you live, and how they actually sound to you. If you can hear them first - ideally with your own music - that will tell you more than any number above.