MartinLogan 50XTi vs MartinLogan ESL C Comparison

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MartinLogan 50XTi

Passive Center Channel | 50-25k Hz

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MartinLogan ESL C

Passive Center Channel | 66-23k Hz

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MartinLogan 50XTi

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MartinLogan ESL C

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MartinLogan 50XTi

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MartinLogan ESL C

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MartinLogan 50XTi vs MartinLogan ESL C Speaker Comparison

In this review, we will be comparing Motion 50XTi and ElectroMotion ESL C, two Passive Center Channel speakers by MartinLogan.

Let's have a brief look at the main features of MartinLogan 50XTi and MartinLogan ESL C first before getting into our more detailed comparison.

Key Specs	MartinLogan 50XTi	MartinLogan ESL C
Design	3-way	3-way
Tweeter	1.25 x 2.4" Folded Motion XT	1 x 1-7/16" Folded Motion
Midrange	—	9 x 6.375"
Woofer	2 x 6.5" Aluminum	2 x 5.25" high-rigidity aluminum woofers
Frequency response	50-25k Hz	66-23k Hz
Sensitivity	94 dB	89 dB
Impedance	4 ohms	4 ohms
Power range	20-300 watts	20-300 watts
Weight	13.86kg / 30.5lbs	14.55kg / 32lbs
Dimensions (H x W x D)	7-11/16" x 23" x 13-5/8" 196.0 x 585.0 x 347.0mm	7-5/8" x 22-7/8" x 16-1/8" 194.0 x 582.0 x 410.0mm

What size room are the MartinLogan 50XTi and MartinLogan ESL C 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 50XTi	MartinLogan ESL C
Near-field	Poor	Poor
Small Room	Poor	Poor
Mid-size Room	Good	Good
Large Room	Good	Good
Very Large Room	Average	Average

(* 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.

**This post contains affiliate links, and we will be compensated if you make a purchase after clicking through our links. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

Drivers

Both Motion 50XTi and ElectroMotion ESL C are 3-way speakers.

MartinLogan 50XTi

MartinLogan ESL C

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 50XTi	MartinLogan ESL C
Driver Setup	3-way	3-way
Tweeter	1.25 x 2.4-inch	1 x 1-7/16-inch
Midrange	-	1 x 9 x 6.375-inch
Woofer	2 x 6.5-inch	2 x 5.25-inch

Motion 50XTi features a 1.25 x 2.4" Folded Motion XT Tweeter and 2 x 6.5" Aluminum Woofer with a Crossover frequency at 900Hz and 2200Hz. On the other hand, the ElectroMotion ESL C features a 1 x 1-7/16" Folded Motion Tweeter, a 9 x 6.375" Midrange and 2 x 5.25" high-rigidity aluminum woofers Woofer.

Frequency Response

Motion 50XTi has a frequency range of 50-25k Hz whereas ElectroMotion ESL C has a frequency range of 66-23k Hz. With a minimum frequency of 50Hz, the Motion 50XTi can go significantly deeper on the low side and provide stronger bass compared to the ElectroMotion ESL C's min frequency of 66Hz.

The graph below depicts how these two speakers compare with the max, min and average Low Frequency values of other speakers in the Center Channel class in our database.

Low Frequency

Center Channel Speakers

Motion 50XTi

ElectroMotion ESL C

Min

Average

Median

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

Motion 50XTi and ElectroMotion ESL C have the same Impedance of 4 ohms but where they differ is the sensitivity levels. Motion 50XTi sensitivity is rated at 94 dB and the ElectroMotion ESL C's is at 89 dB. This 5 dB difference makes the MartinLogan 50XTi a more sensitive speaker compared to MartinLogan ESL C, 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 Motion 50XTi and the Motion 50XTi can provide this impedance level.

Sensitivity

Center Channel Speakers

Motion 50XTi

ElectroMotion ESL C

Min

Average

Median

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.

Motion 50XTi and ElectroMotion ESL C have the same power range of 20-300 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.

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.

Amplifier — change this

Distance

Playing as

MartinLogan 50XTi

MartinLogan ESL C

Input Type and Bi-Amping / Bi-Wiring

Motion 50XTi features Custom 5-way bi-wire tool-less binding posts posts which make bi-amping or bi-wiring possible. ElectroMotion ESL C has a Binding post which doesn't feature bi-amping/bi-wiring.

MartinLogan 50XTi's Custom 5-way bi-wire tool-less binding posts terminals allows Bi-amping or bi-wiring

MartinLogan ESL C's Binding post terminals

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 50XTi's and MartinLogan ESL C's external dimensions. MartinLogan 50XTi has external dimensions of 196.0 x 585.0 x 347.0mm (7-11/16 x 23 x 13-5/8inch) whereas MartinLogan ESL C has external dimensions of 194.0 x 582.0 x 410.0mm (7-5/8 x 22-7/8 x 16-1/8inch).

MartinLogan ESL C is 3mm narrower and 2mm shorter than MartinLogan 50XTi but it is also 63mm deeper.

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 50XTi is approximately 2030.0cm² / 314.7inch² and base area of the MartinLogan ESL C is approximately 2386.2cm² / 369.9inch². The Motion 50XTi requires 15% less surface area than the ElectroMotion ESL C 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 50XTi weighs 13.86kg / 30.5lbs and the MartinLogan ESL C weighs 14.55kg / 32lbs. This makes the ElectroMotion ESL C 5% heavier than the Motion 50XTi.

Here is a comparison of how Motion 50XTi and ElectroMotion ESL C's weights compare with the average, max and min weights in Passive Center Channel class.

Weight
All Center Channel Speakers

MartinLogan 50XTi

MartinLogan ESL C

Min

Average

Max

What's in the Box of MartinLogan 50XTi?

Here are the items that are included inside the box of Motion 50XTi:

Center-channel loudspeaker
Grille
4 Rubber feet
Users Manual
Warranty/Registration Information

What's in the Box of MartinLogan ESL C?

Here are the items that come with the ElectroMotion ESL C:

Center-channel loudspeaker
Grille
AC power supply (attached 10-feet DC cord)
User-feets Manual (En/Fr)
Product Registration Card

Reasons to choose MartinLogan Motion 50XTi over MartinLogan ElectroMotion ESL C

Sensitivity	94 dB vs 89 dB	Play louder with same amount of amplification power
Woofer Size	6.5 inches vs 5.25 inches	Larger woofer
Low Frequency Response	50 Hz vs 66 Hz	Generates deeper bass
High Frequency Response	25k Hz vs 23k Hz	Generates higher frequency
Base Surface Area	2030cm² vs 2386cm²	Takes less floor space
Price per pair*	1200USD vs 1700USD	costs less (*prices may change depending on the seller, location and time)

Reasons to choose MartinLogan ElectroMotion ESL C over MartinLogan Motion 50XTi

Height	194mm vs 196mm	Easier to fit in smaller spaces

MartinLogan 50XTi vs MartinLogan ESL C Specs Table

Detailed comparison of specifications

General	MartinLogan Motion 50XTi	MartinLogan ElectroMotion ESL C
Brand	MartinLogan	MartinLogan
Speaker Type	Center channel speaker	Center channel speaker
Power Range	20-300 watts	20-300 watts
Sensitivity	94 dB	89 dB
Impedance	4 ohms	4 ohms
Frequency Response	50-25k Hz	66-23k Hz
Drivers
Woofer Quantity	2	2
Woofer Size	6.5"	5.25"
Woofer Composition	Aluminum	high-rigidity aluminum woofers
Woofer Surround Material	Rubber	n/a
Tweeter Size	1.25 x 2.4"	1 x 1-7/16"
Tweeter Type	Folded Motion XT	Folded Motion
Aimable Tweeter	No	No
Midrange Driver	No	9 x 6.375"
Crossover Frequency	900Hz and 2200Hz	n/a
Firing Direction	rear	n/a
Suggested Break-in Period	Allow 72 hours of break-in at 90 dB	Allow 72 hours of break-in at 90 dB
Physical Specs
Height	196.0mm (7.7")	194.0mm (7.6")
Width	585.0mm (23")	582.0mm (22.9")
Depth	347.0mm (13.7")	410.0mm (16.1")
Weight	13.86kg (30.5lbs)	14.55kg (32lbs)
Enclosure	Bass Reflex	Passive Radiator
Finish	MDF/Lacquer	n/a
Available Colors	Walnut	Black
Grille	Yes	Yes
Moisture Resistancy	No	No
Connections
Biamp Inputs	Yes	n/a
Other
Parts Warranty	5 Years	5 Yrs w/ Registration
Labor Warranty	5 Years	5 Yrs w/ Registration

Verdict

Both are MartinLogan, from different ranges - so the house sound is shared and the differences are mostly in scale, engineering and price.

Area	Better	Why
Bass	A	MartinLogan 50XTi digs deeper - 50Hz against 66Hz.
Amplifier needs	A	MartinLogan 50XTi is more sensitive (94dB vs 89dB), so it goes louder on the same amplifier.
Headroom	evenly matched	Similar power handling (300W vs 300W).
Size	depends	Similar cabinet size - neither is easier to fit.
Cabinet	depends	Ported vs Passive Radiator.
Expandability	A	MartinLogan 50XTi: bi-amping. MartinLogan 50XTi sits in a wider range (18 models), so a matched surround system is easier later.
Price	A	MartinLogan 50XTi is cheaper - $1,200 against $1,700, about 29% less.

A MartinLogan 50XTi B MartinLogan ESL C
depends neither is better in the abstract - it turns on your room, placement 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?

MartinLogan 50XTi is the easier recommendation: it leads on most of the measured areas and costs less. Take MartinLogan ESL C if its size, looks or fit in your room suit you better. If a subwoofer is in your plans, the bass gap largely stops mattering - you would be crossing over above 66Hz anyway, so judge these on the other rows instead. If your amplifier is modest, vintage or valve-based, MartinLogan 50XTi is the safer partner - the other will want more current or more watts to sound its best.

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.