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.
MartinLogan ESL 9 Key Specs
- 2-way Design
- 9.2 x 44" curved electrostatic transducer Tweeter
- 2 x 8" high-excursion paper cone Woofer
- 34-23k Hz Frequency Response
- 90 dB Sensitivity
- Impedance: 4ohms
- Power Range:20-400watts
- Weight:35.45kg
- 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 )
MartinLogan Neolith Key Specs
- 2-way Design
- " Electrostatic Tweeter
- 15" Aluminium Woofer
- 23-22k Hz Frequency Response
- 90 dB Sensitivity
- Impedance: 4ohms
- Power Range:20-1300watts
- Weight:175.00kg
- Dimensions (H x W x D): 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.)
In the following sections, we will get into more detail in order to better understand how the MartinLogan ESL 9 and MartinLogan Neolith compare and hopefully end up with enough arguments to decide which one of these loudspeakers is the better choice for you.
**This post contains affiliate links, and I will be compensated if you make a purchase after clicking
through my links. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.
Drivers
Both ESL 9 and Neolith are 2-way speakers.
| 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.
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 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. 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 9 can handle a max power of 1300 watts RMS from the amp the whereas ESL 9 has a max power handling value of 400 watts RMS , 900 watts less than the Neolith.
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
ESL 9 features Binding post posts which make bi-amping or bi-wiring possible. Neolith 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
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 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.
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.