In this review, we will be comparing two different type of speakers by MartinLogan. MartinLogan Masterpiece Impression ESL 11A is a Floor-standing speaker whereas the MartinLogan Masterpiece Focus ESL C18 is a Center Channel speaker.
Let's have a brief look at the main features
of MartinLogan Masterpiece Impression ESL 11A and MartinLogan Masterpiece Focus ESL C18 first before getting into our more
detailed comparison.
MartinLogan Masterpiece Impression ESL 11A Key Specs
- 2-way Design
- 11 x 44" E-ST Tweeter
- 2 x 8" Woofer
- 29-23k Hz Frequency Response
- 91 dB Sensitivity
- Impedance: 4ohms
- Weight:kg
- Dimensions (H x W x D): 60-3/4" x 11-15/16" x 27-7/16"
MartinLogan Masterpiece Focus ESL C18 Key Specs
- 3-way Design
- 1" x 1-7/16"" Folded Motion Ribbon Tweeter
- 18" x 7-1/2"" Midrange
- 2 x 6-1/2" Woofer
- 18" x 7-1/2"" Midrange
- 50-23K Hz Frequency Response
- 90 dB Sensitivity
- Impedance: 4ohms
- Weight:22.73kg
- Dimensions (H x W x D): 9-5/8" x 43-1/4" x 9-1/4" ( 245.0 x 1099.0 x 235.0mm )
Masterpiece Impression ESL 11A and MartinLogan 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
In the following sections, we will get into more detail in order to better understand how the MartinLogan Masterpiece Impression ESL 11A and MartinLogan Masterpiece Focus ESL C18 compare and hopefully end up with enough arguments to decide which one of these loudspeakers is the better choice for you.
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Drivers
One of the fundamental differences between these two speakers is that Masterpiece Impression ESL 11A is a 2-way design whereas the MartinLogan 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 Masterpiece Impression ESL 11A |
MartinLogan Masterpiece Focus ESL C18 |
|
Driver Setup
|
2-way
|
3-way
|
|
Tweeter
|
11 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
|
Masterpiece Impression ESL 11A features a 11 x 44" E-ST Tweeter and 2 x 8" Woofer . On the other hand, the MartinLogan 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
Masterpiece Impression ESL 11A has a frequency range of 29-23k Hz whereas MartinLogan Masterpiece Focus ESL C18 has a frequency range of 50-23K Hz. With a minimum frequency of 29Hz, the Masterpiece Impression ESL 11A can go significantly deeper on the low side and provide stronger bass compared to the MartinLogan Masterpiece Focus ESL C18's min frequency of 50Hz.
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
Masterpiece Impression ESL 11A
MartinLogan Masterpiece Focus ESL C18
High Frequency
Floor-standing Speakers
MartinLogan Masterpiece Impression ESL 11A
MartinLogan Masterpiece Focus ESL C18
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
Masterpiece Impression ESL 11A and MartinLogan Masterpiece Focus ESL C18 have the same Impedance of 4 ohms but where they differ is the sensitivity levels. Masterpiece Impression ESL 11A sensitivity is rated at 91 dB and the MartinLogan Masterpiece Focus ESL C18's is at 90 dB. This 1 dB difference makes the MartinLogan Masterpiece Impression ESL 11A a more sensitive speaker compared to MartinLogan Masterpiece Focus ESL C18, hence will play louder with the same amount of watts.
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 Masterpiece Impression ESL 11A and the Masterpiece Impression ESL 11A can provide this impedance level.
Sensitivity
Floor-standing Speakers
Masterpiece Impression ESL 11A
MartinLogan Masterpiece Focus ESL C18
Input Type and Bi-Amping / Bi-Wiring
Masterpiece Impression ESL 11A features Binding post type posts and MartinLogan Masterpiece Focus ESL C18 has a Binding post type posts. None of these speakers feature bi-amping/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 Masterpiece Impression ESL 11A's and MartinLogan Masterpiece Focus ESL C18's external dimensions. MartinLogan Masterpiece Impression ESL 11A has external dimensions of ( ) 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 clearly the larger of the two speakers. Its body is 1099mm wider, 245mm taller and 235mm deeper than MartinLogan Masterpiece Impression ESL 11A.