In this review, we will be comparing ESL 9 and Neolith, two Passive Floor-standing speakers by MartinLogan.
Let's have a brief look at the main features
of MartinLogan ESL 9 and MartinLogan Neolith first before getting into our more
detailed comparison.
| Key Specs | MartinLogan ESL 9 | MartinLogan Neolith |
|---|
| Brand | MartinLogan
United States · founded 1982 | MartinLogan
United States · founded 1982 |
|---|
| Design | 2-way | 2-way |
|---|
| Tweeter | 9.2 x 44" curved electrostatic transducer | Electrostatic |
|---|
| Woofer | 2 x 8" high-excursion paper cone | 15" Aluminium |
|---|
| Frequency response | 34-23k Hz | 23-22k Hz |
|---|
| Sensitivity | 90 dB | 90 dB |
|---|
| Impedance | 4 ohms | 4 ohms |
|---|
| Power range | 20-400 watts | 20-1300 watts |
|---|
| Weight | 35.45kg / 78lbs | 175.00kg / 385lbs |
|---|
| 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 | 74-3/4" x 30-1/4" x 34-1/4"
1899.0 x 769.0 x 870.0mm |
|---|
ESL 9 and Neolith are members of MartinLogan's Masterpiece series of speakers. Below you can find the loudspeakers from this series.
MartinLogan Masterpiece Series
History
What size room are the MartinLogan ESL 9 and MartinLogan Neolith 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 9 |
MartinLogan Neolith |
| Near-field |
Are you nuts? |
Are you nuts? |
| Small Room |
Poor |
Poor |
| Mid-size Room |
Average |
Average |
| Large Room |
Good |
Good |
| Very Large Room |
Good |
Good |
(* 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.
Drivers
Both ESL 9 and Neolith are 2-way speakers.
MartinLogan ESL 9MartinLogan Neolith
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 ESL 9 |
MartinLogan Neolith |
|
Driver Setup
|
2-way
|
2-way
|
|
Tweeter
|
9.2 x 44-inch
|
-inch
|
|
Midrange
|
- |
- |
|
Woofer
|
2 x 8-inch
|
1 x 15-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 Neolith features a " Electrostatic panel Electrostatic Tweeter and 1 x 15" Aluminium Woofer with a Crossover frequency at 60, 250–400 Hz.
Frequency Response
ESL 9 has a frequency range of 34-23k Hz whereas Neolith has a frequency range of 23-22k Hz. With a minimum frequency of 23Hz, the Neolith can go significantly deeper on the low side and provide stronger bass compared to the ESL 9's min frequency of 34Hz.
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 9 and Neolith 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
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.
Neolith can handle a max power of 1300 watts RMS, whereas ESL 9 has a max power handling value of 400 watts RMS, 900 watts less than the Neolith.
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
Both ESL 9 and Neolith features dual binding post speaker terminals for bi-amping or 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 Neolith'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 Neolith has external dimensions of 1899.0 x 769.0 x 870.0mm (74-3/4 x 30-1/4 x 34-1/4inch).
MartinLogan Neolith is clearly the larger of the two speakers. Its body is 503mm wider, 379mm taller and 223mm deeper than MartinLogan ESL 9.
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 Neolith needs about 289% more floor or shelf area. MartinLogan Neolith is 223mm deeper, so it stands that much further out from the wall. MartinLogan Neolith is 379mm 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 Neolith is approximately 6690.3cm2 / 1,037.0inch2. The ESL 9 requires 74% less surface area than the Neolith 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 9 weighs 35.45kg / 78lbs and the MartinLogan Neolith weighs 175.00kg / 385lbs. This makes the Neolith 394% heavier than the ESL 9.
Here is a comparison of how ESL 9 and Neolith'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 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
 Number of Woofers |
2
vs
1
|
More woofers |
 High Frequency Response |
23k Hz
vs
22k Hz
|
Generates higher frequency |
 Height |
1520mm
vs
1899mm
|
Easier to fit in smaller spaces |
 Base Surface Area |
1721cm2
vs
6690cm2
|
Takes less floor space |
 Price per pair* |
7000USD
vs
120000USD
|
costs less (*prices may change depending on the seller, location and time) |
 Max Input Power |
1300 watts
vs
400 watts
|
Handle more power from your amplifier |
|
Woofer Size |
15 inches
vs
8 inches
|
Larger woofer |
|
Low Frequency Response |
23 Hz
vs
34 Hz
|
Generates deeper bass |
| General |
MartinLogan Masterpiece Classic ESL 9 |
MartinLogan Neolith |
| Brand |
MartinLogan |
MartinLogan |
| Speaker Type |
Floor-standing speaker |
Floor-standing speaker |
| Power Range |
20-400 watts |
20-1300 watts |
| Sensitivity |
90 dB |
90 dB |
| Impedance |
4 ohms |
4 ohms |
| Frequency Response |
34-23k Hz |
23-22k Hz |
Drivers |
|
|
| Woofer Quantity |
2 |
1 |
| Woofer Size |
8" |
15" |
| Woofer Composition |
high-excursion paper cone |
Aluminium |
| Woofer Surround Material |
Rubber |
n/a |
| Tweeter Size |
9.2 x 44" |
- |
| Tweeter Type |
curved electrostatic transducer |
Electrostatic |
| Aimable Tweeter |
No |
No |
| Midrange Driver |
No |
No |
| Crossover Frequency |
n/a |
60, 250–400 Hz |
Physical Specs |
|
|
| Height |
1520.0mm (59.8") |
1899.0mm (74.8") |
| Width |
266.0mm (10.5") |
769.0mm (30.3") |
| Depth |
647.0mm (25.5") |
870.0mm (34.3") |
| Weight |
35.45kg (78lbs) |
175.00kg (385lbs) |
| Enclosure |
Bass Reflex |
Dipole |
| Finish |
Composite |
n/a |
| Available Colors |
Gloss Black |
n/a |
| Grille |
Yes |
Yes |
| Moisture Resistancy |
No |
No |
Connections |
|
|
| Biamp Inputs |
Yes |
Yes |
Other |
|
|
| Parts Warranty |
5 Years w/ Registration |
|
| Labor Warranty |
5 Years w/ Registration |
|
Siblings in MartinLogan's Masterpiece series, so they share a family sound. It comes down to size, output and price.
| Area | Better | Why |
|---|
| Bass | B | MartinLogan Neolith digs deeper - 23Hz against 34Hz. |
| Amplifier needs | evenly matched | Similar sensitivity (90dB vs 90dB) - both want much the same power. |
| Headroom | B | MartinLogan Neolith takes more power (1300W vs 400W) - more in hand in a big room. |
| Size | depends | MartinLogan ESL 9 is easier to place; MartinLogan Neolith is bigger, which usually goes with fuller bass. Your room decides. |
| Cabinet | depends | Ported vs Dipole. |
| Expandability | depends | MartinLogan ESL 9: bi-amping; MartinLogan Neolith: bi-amping. |
| Price | A | MartinLogan ESL 9 is cheaper - $7,000 against $120,000, about 94% less; arguably a different class. |
A MartinLogan ESL 9 B MartinLogan Neolith
depends neither is better in the abstract - it turns on your room, your system 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?
The usual trade-off: MartinLogan Neolith measures better, MartinLogan ESL 9 costs about about 17.1x the price% less. Whether that gap is worth the money is the call only you can make - and in a normal room it is often smaller than the numbers suggest. If a subwoofer is in your plans, the bass gap largely stops mattering - you would be crossing over above 34Hz anyway, which makes the cheaper MartinLogan ESL 9 much easier to justify. In a large or open-plan room, MartinLogan Neolith has the cabinet volume to fill it more easily; in a small room, near a wall or at desk distance, MartinLogan ESL 9 is the easier speaker to get right.
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.