In this review, we will be comparing two different types of speakers by MartinLogan. MartinLogan Expression ESL 13A is a Floor-standing speaker whereas the Illusion ESL C34A is a Center Channel speaker.
Let's have a brief look at the main features
of MartinLogan Expression ESL 13A and MartinLogan Illusion ESL C34A first before getting into our more
detailed comparison.
| Key Specs | MartinLogan Expression ESL 13A | MartinLogan Illusion ESL C34A |
|---|
| Brand | MartinLogan
United States · founded 1982 | MartinLogan
United States · founded 1982 |
|---|
| Design | 2-way | 2-way |
|---|
| Built-in amplifier | 300-watt RMS | 250-watt RMS |
|---|
| Tweeter | Electrostatic | AMT |
|---|
| Woofer | 2 x 10" Aluminium | 4 x 6.5" Aluminium |
|---|
| Frequency response | 24-23k Hz | 45-23k Hz |
|---|
| Sensitivity | 91 dB | 90 dB |
|---|
| Impedance | 4 ohms | 6 ohms |
|---|
| Power range | 20-600 watts | 20-600 watts |
|---|
| Weight | 46.80kg / 103lbs | 40.90kg / 90lbs |
|---|
| Dimensions (H x W x D) | 61-7/16" x 13-3/8" x 27-1/2"
1561.0 x 339.0 x 699.0mm | 23-3/4" x 32-3/8" x 23-1/16"
603.0 x 822.0 x 586.0mm |
|---|
Expression ESL 13A and Illusion ESL C34A are members of MartinLogan's Masterpiece series of speakers. Below you can find the loudspeakers from this series.
MartinLogan Masterpiece Series
History
The sections below take each area in turn: drivers, frequency response, physical size and what you get in the box.
Drivers
Both Expression ESL 13A and Illusion ESL C34A are 2-way speakers.
MartinLogan Expression ESL 13AMartinLogan Illusion ESL C34A
Woofer
Front view, drawn to scale - cabinets and drivers share one scale, so sizes are directly comparable. Hover a driver for its size.
| Driver |
MartinLogan Expression ESL 13A |
MartinLogan Illusion ESL C34A |
|
Driver Setup
|
2-way
|
2-way
|
|
Tweeter
|
-inch
|
-inch
|
|
Midrange
|
- |
- |
|
Woofer
|
2 x 10-inch
|
4 x 6.5-inch
|
Expression ESL 13A features a " Electrostatic panel Electrostatic Tweeter and 2 x 10" Aluminium Woofer with a Crossover frequency at 300Hz. On the other hand, the Illusion ESL C34A features a " Folded Motion AMT Tweeter and 4 x 6.5" Aluminium Woofer with a Crossover frequency at 500, 2000 Hz.
Frequency Response
Expression ESL 13A has a frequency range of 24-23k Hz whereas Illusion ESL C34A has a frequency range of 45-23k Hz. With a minimum frequency of 24Hz, the Expression ESL 13A can go significantly deeper on the low side and provide stronger bass compared to the Illusion ESL C34A's min frequency of 45Hz.
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
Expression ESL 13A is a 4 ohms speaker compared to the Illusion ESL C34A which has a nominal impedance of 6 ohms. Lower impedance speakers, especially the ones that are rated at 4 ohms may put more pressure on the amplifier unit especially when played at high volume levels, so make sure the amp you pair with the Expression ESL 13A can provide this impedance level.
These two speakers also have different sensitivity levels. Expression ESL 13A sensitivity is rated at 91 dB and the Illusion ESL C34A's is rated at 90 dB. This 1 dB difference makes the MartinLogan Expression ESL 13A a more sensitive speaker compared to MartinLogan Illusion ESL C34A, 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.
Expression ESL 13A and Illusion ESL C34A have the same power range of 20-600 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.
Input Type and Bi-Amping / Bi-Wiring
Expression ESL 13A features Binding post type posts and Illusion ESL C34A has a Binding post type posts. None of these speakers feature bi-amping/bi-wiring.
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 Expression ESL 13A's and MartinLogan Illusion ESL C34A's external dimensions. MartinLogan Expression ESL 13A has external dimensions of 1561.0 x 339.0 x 699.0mm (61-7/16 x 13-3/8 x 27-1/2inch) whereas MartinLogan Illusion ESL C34A has external dimensions of 603.0 x 822.0 x 586.0mm (23-3/4 x 32-3/8 x 23-1/16inch).
MartinLogan Illusion ESL C34A is 958mm shorter and 113mm less deeper than MartinLogan Expression ESL 13A but it is also 483mm wider.
Size, drawn to scale
Both speakers and both views share one scale, so everything here is directly comparable. Hover a box for its dimensions.
One scale for both, standing on the same surface and pushed back to the same wall, so the deeper one visibly sticks out further.
MartinLogan Illusion ESL C34A needs about 103% more floor or shelf area. MartinLogan Expression ESL 13A is 113mm deeper, so it stands that much further out from the wall. MartinLogan Expression ESL 13A is 958mm taller.
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 Expression ESL 13A is approximately 2369.6cm2 / 367.3inch2 and base area of the MartinLogan Illusion ESL C34A is approximately 4816.9cm2 / 746.6inch2. The Expression ESL 13A requires 51% less surface area than the Illusion ESL C34A which gives it a small advantage on placement in tight spaces.