In this review, we will be comparing two different types of speakers by MartinLogan. MartinLogan Masterpiece Classic ESL 9 is a Floor-standing speaker whereas the Masterpiece Focus ESL C18 is a Center Channel speaker.
Let's have a brief look at the main features
of MartinLogan ESL 9 and MartinLogan Masterpiece Focus ESL C18 first before getting into our more
detailed comparison.
| Key Specs | MartinLogan ESL 9 | MartinLogan Masterpiece Focus ESL C18 |
|---|
| Brand | MartinLogan
United States · founded 1982 | MartinLogan
United States · founded 1982 |
|---|
| Design | 2-way | 3-way |
|---|
| Tweeter | 9.2 x 44" curved electrostatic transducer | 1" x 1-7/16"" Folded Motion Ribbon |
|---|
| Midrange | — | 18" x 7-1/2"" |
|---|
| Woofer | 2 x 8" high-excursion paper cone | 2 x 6-1/2" |
|---|
| Frequency response | 34-23k Hz | 50-23K Hz |
|---|
| Sensitivity | 90 dB | 90 dB |
|---|
| Impedance | 4 ohms | 4 ohms |
|---|
| Power range | 20-400 watts | — |
|---|
| Weight | 35.45kg / 78lbs | 22.73kg / 50lbs |
|---|
| Dimensions (H x W x D) | 59-13/16" x 10-7/16" x 25-7/16"
1520.0 x 266.0 x 647.0mm | 9-5/8" x 43-1/4" x 9-1/4"
245.0 x 1099.0 x 235.0mm |
|---|
ESL 9 and Masterpiece Focus ESL C18 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
One of the fundamental differences between these two speakers is that ESL 9 is a 2-way design whereas the Masterpiece Focus ESL C18 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 9 |
MartinLogan Masterpiece Focus ESL C18 |
|
Driver Setup
|
2-way
|
3-way
|
|
Tweeter
|
9.2 x 44-inch
|
1" x 1-7/16"-inch
|
|
Midrange
|
- |
1 x 18" x 7-1/2"-inch |
|
Woofer
|
2 x 8-inch
|
2 x 6-1/2-inch
|
ESL 9 features a 9.2 x 44" curved electrostatic transducer Tweeter and 2 x 8" high-excursion paper cone Woofer. On the other hand, the Masterpiece Focus ESL C18 features a 1" x 1-7/16"" Folded Motion Ribbon Tweeter, a 18" x 7-1/2"" Midrange and 2 x 6-1/2" Woofer.
Frequency Response
ESL 9 has a frequency range of 34-23k Hz whereas Masterpiece Focus ESL C18 has a frequency range of 50-23K Hz. With a minimum frequency of 34Hz, the ESL 9 can go significantly deeper on the low side and provide stronger bass compared to the Masterpiece Focus ESL C18's min frequency of 50Hz.
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
Masterpiece Focus ESL C18
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 9 and Masterpiece Focus ESL C18 have the same Impedance of 4 ohms and their sensitivity is also same at 90 dB.
One thing to keep in mind that the lower impedance speakers, especially the ones that are rated at 4 ohms may put more pressure on the amplifier unit comared to higher impedance speakers especially at high volume levels, so make sure the amp you pair with the ESL 9 and the ESL 9 can provide this impedance level.
Sensitivity
Floor-standing Speakers
Masterpiece Focus ESL C18
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.
MartinLogan Masterpiece Focus ESL C18
Input Type and Bi-Amping / Bi-Wiring
ESL 9 features Binding post posts which make bi-amping or bi-wiring possible. Masterpiece Focus ESL C18 has a Binding post which doesn't feature bi-amping/bi-wiring.
MartinLogan ESL 9's Binding post terminals allows Bi-amping or 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 ESL 9's and MartinLogan Masterpiece Focus ESL C18's external dimensions. MartinLogan ESL 9 has external dimensions of 1520.0 x 266.0 x 647.0mm (59-13/16 x 10-7/16 x 25-7/16inch) whereas MartinLogan Masterpiece Focus ESL C18 has external dimensions of 245.0 x 1099.0 x 235.0mm (9-5/8inch x 43-1/4inch x 9-1/4inch).
MartinLogan Masterpiece Focus ESL C18 is 1275mm shorter and 412mm less deeper than MartinLogan ESL 9 but it is also 833mm 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 Masterpiece Focus ESL C18 needs about 50% more floor or shelf area. MartinLogan ESL 9 is 412mm deeper, so it stands that much further out from the wall. MartinLogan ESL 9 is 1275mm 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 ESL 9 is approximately 1721.0cm2 / 266.8inch2 and base area of the MartinLogan Masterpiece Focus ESL C18 is approximately 2582.7cm2 / 400.3inch2. The ESL 9 requires 33% less surface area than the Masterpiece Focus ESL C18 which gives it a small advantage on placement in tight spaces.
What's in the Box of MartinLogan ESL 9?
Here are the items that are included inside the box of ESL 9:
- Floorstanding hybrid electrostatic loudspeaker
- AC power adapter (w/ attached 10-feet DC cord)
- Grille
- 4 Spike Feet
- Users Manual
- Product Registration Card