In this review, we will be comparing Motion 60XTi and ESL X, two Passive Floor-standing speakers by MartinLogan.
Let's have a brief look at the main features
of MartinLogan 60XTi and MartinLogan ESL X first before getting into our more
detailed comparison.
| Key Specs | MartinLogan 60XTi | MartinLogan ESL X |
|---|
| Brand | MartinLogan
United States · founded 1982 | MartinLogan
United States · founded 1982 |
|---|
| Design | 3-way | 2-way |
|---|
| Tweeter | 1.25 x 2.4" Folded Motion XT | 8.6 x 40" curved electrostatic transducer |
|---|
| Midrange | 6.5" | — |
|---|
| Woofer | 2 x 8" Aluminum | 2 x 8" high-excursion paper cone |
|---|
| Frequency response | 35-25k Hz | 41-22k Hz |
|---|
| Sensitivity | 94 dB | 91 dB |
|---|
| Impedance | 4 ohms | 6 ohms |
|---|
| Power range | 20-400 watts | 20-400 watts |
|---|
| Weight | 30.00kg / 66lbs | 23.64kg / 52lbs |
|---|
| Dimensions (H x W x D) | 46-3/16" x 9-1/16" x 15-9/16"
1174.0 x 231.0 x 396.0mm | 59-1/4" x 9-7/16" x 20-3/4"
1505.0 x 240.0 x 528.0mm |
|---|
What size room are the MartinLogan 60XTi and MartinLogan ESL X 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 60XTi |
MartinLogan ESL X |
| 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
One of the fundamental differences between these two speakers is that Motion 60XTi is a 3-way design whereas the ESL X is a 2-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.
MartinLogan 60XTiMartinLogan ESL X
MidrangeWoofer
Front view, drawn to scale - cabinets and drivers share one scale, so sizes are directly comparable. Hover a driver for its size.
| Driver |
MartinLogan 60XTi |
MartinLogan ESL X |
|
Driver Setup
|
3-way
|
2-way
|
|
Tweeter
|
1.25 x 2.4-inch
|
8.6 x 40-inch
|
|
Midrange
|
1 x 6.5-inch |
- |
|
Woofer
|
2 x 8-inch
|
2 x 8-inch
|
Motion 60XTi features a 1.25 x 2.4" Folded Motion XT Tweeter, a 6.5" Midrange and 2 x 8" Aluminum Woofer with a Crossover frequency at 400Hz and 2200Hz. On the other hand, the ESL X features a 8.6 x 40" curved electrostatic transducer Tweeter and 2 x 8" high-excursion paper cone Woofer.
Frequency Response
Motion 60XTi has a frequency range of 35-25k Hz whereas ESL X has a frequency range of 41-22k Hz. With a minimum frequency of 35Hz, the Motion 60XTi can go significantly deeper on the low side and provide stronger bass compared to the ESL X's min frequency of 41Hz.
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
Motion 60XTi is a 4 ohms speaker compared to the ESL X which has a nominal impedance of 6 ohms. Lower impedance speakers, especially the ones that are rated at 4 ohms may put more pressure on the amplifier unit especially when played at high volume levels, so make sure the amp you pair with the Motion 60XTi can provide this impedance level.
These two speakers also have different sensitivity levels. Motion 60XTi sensitivity is rated at 94 dB and the ESL X's is rated at 91 dB. This 3 dB difference makes the MartinLogan 60XTi a more sensitive speaker compared to MartinLogan ESL X, hence will play louder with the same amount of watts.
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.
Motion 60XTi and ESL X have the same power range of 20-400 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.
Input Type and Bi-Amping / Bi-Wiring
Both Motion 60XTi and ESL X features dual binding post speaker terminals for bi-amping or bi-wiring.
MartinLogan 60XTi's Custom 5-way bi-wire tool-less binding posts 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 60XTi's and MartinLogan ESL X's external dimensions. MartinLogan 60XTi has external dimensions of 1174.0 x 231.0 x 396.0mm (46-3/16 x 9-1/16 x 15-9/16inch) whereas MartinLogan ESL X has external dimensions of 1505.0 x 240.0 x 528.0mm (59-1/4 x 9-7/16 x 20-3/4inch).
MartinLogan ESL X is clearly the larger of the two speakers. Its body is 9mm wider, 331mm taller and 132mm deeper than MartinLogan 60XTi.
Below you can see the front view size comparison of MartinLogan 60XTi and MartinLogan ESL X in scale.
Comparison image of MartinLogan 60XTi and MartinLogan ESL X Size and External Dimensions
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 60XTi is approximately 914.8cm2 / 141.8inch2 and base area of the MartinLogan ESL X is approximately 1267.2cm2 / 196.4inch2. The Motion 60XTi requires 28% less surface area than the ESL X 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 60XTi weighs 30.00kg / 66lbs and the MartinLogan ESL X weighs 23.64kg / 52lbs. This makes the Motion 60XTi 27% heavier than the ESL X.
Here is a comparison of how Motion 60XTi and ESL X'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 60XTi?
Here are the items that are included inside the box of Motion 60XTi:
- Floorstanding loudspeaker
- 2 Grilles
- 4 Rubber feet (pre-installed)
- 4 Spike feet (w/ nuts attached)
- 2 Feet stabizers
- 4 Bolts
- Hex-key
- Users Manual
- Warranty/Registration Information
What's in the Box of MartinLogan ESL X?
Here are the items that come with the ESL X:
- Floor-standing hybrid electrostatic loudspeaker
- AC power adapter (w/ attached 10-feet DC cord)
- Cloth grille (installed)
- 4 Pre-installed feet
- Users Manual (En/Fr)
- Product Registration Card
 Driver Setup |
3-way
vs
2-way
|
Have a dedicated mid-range driver |
 Sensitivity |
94 dB
vs
91 dB
|
Play louder with same amount of amplification power |
 Low Frequency Response |
35 Hz
vs
41 Hz
|
Generates deeper bass |
 High Frequency Response |
25k Hz
vs
22k Hz
|
Generates higher frequency |
 Height |
1174mm
vs
1505mm
|
Easier to fit in smaller spaces |
 Base Surface Area |
914cm2
vs
1267cm2
|
Takes less floor space |
 Nominal Impedance |
6 ohms
vs
4 ohms
|
Less selective with amplifiers |
| General |
MartinLogan Motion 60XTi |
MartinLogan ElectroMotion ESL X |
| Brand |
MartinLogan |
MartinLogan |
| Speaker Type |
Floor-standing speaker |
Floor-standing speaker |
| Power Range |
20-400 watts |
20-400 watts |
| Sensitivity |
94 dB |
91 dB |
| Impedance |
4 ohms |
6 ohms |
| Frequency Response |
35-25k Hz |
41-22k Hz |
Drivers |
|
|
| Woofer Quantity |
2 |
2 |
| Woofer Size |
8" |
8" |
| Woofer Composition |
Aluminum |
high-excursion paper cone |
| Woofer Surround Material |
Rubber |
Rubber |
| Tweeter Size |
1.25 x 2.4" |
8.6 x 40" |
| Tweeter Type |
Folded Motion XT |
curved electrostatic transducer |
| Aimable Tweeter |
No |
No |
| Midrange Driver |
6.5" |
No |
| Crossover Frequency |
400Hz and 2200Hz |
n/a |
| Firing Direction |
rear |
n/a |
| Suggested Break-in Period |
Allow 72 hours of break-in at 90 dB |
n/a |
Physical Specs |
|
|
| Height |
1174.0mm (46.2") |
1505.0mm (59.3") |
| Width |
231.0mm (9.1") |
240.0mm (9.4") |
| Depth |
396.0mm (15.6") |
528.0mm (20.8") |
| Weight |
30.00kg (66lbs) |
23.64kg (52lbs) |
| Enclosure |
Bass Reflex |
Bass Reflex |
| Finish |
MDF/Lacquer |
Composite |
| Available Colors |
Gloss Black, Matt White, Red Walnut |
Black |
| Grille |
Yes |
Yes |
| Moisture Resistancy |
No |
No |
Connections |
|
|
| Biamp Inputs |
Yes |
Yes |
Other |
|
|
| Parts Warranty |
5 Years |
5 Yrs w/ Registration |
| Labor Warranty |
5 Years |
5 Yrs w/ Registration |
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 60XTi digs deeper - 35Hz against 41Hz. A subwoofer would even that out. |
| Amplifier needs | A | MartinLogan 60XTi is more sensitive (94dB vs 91dB), so it goes louder on the same amplifier. |
| Amplifier match | B | MartinLogan ESL X is the easier load at 6 ohms; the other is 4 ohms and wants an amplifier rated for it. |
| Headroom | evenly matched | Similar power handling (400W vs 400W). |
| Size | depends | MartinLogan 60XTi is easier to place; MartinLogan ESL X is bigger, which usually goes with fuller bass. Your room decides. |
| Expandability | depends | MartinLogan 60XTi: bi-amping; MartinLogan ESL X: bi-amping. MartinLogan 60XTi sits in a wider range (18 models), so a matched surround system is easier later. |
A MartinLogan 60XTi B MartinLogan ESL X
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?
MartinLogan 60XTi has the edge on paper, though the margin is not large. The rows marked "depends" may matter more to you than the score does. If a subwoofer is in your plans, the bass gap largely stops mattering - you would be crossing over above 41Hz anyway, so judge these on the other rows instead. In a large or open-plan room, MartinLogan ESL X has the cabinet volume to fill it more easily; in a small room, near a wall or at desk distance, MartinLogan 60XTi 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.