In this review, we will be comparing Motion XT F200 and ESL 9, two Passive Floor-standing speakers by MartinLogan.
Let's have a brief look at the main features
of MartinLogan Motion XT F200 and MartinLogan ESL 9 first before getting into our more
detailed comparison.
| Key Specs | MartinLogan Motion XT F200 | MartinLogan ESL 9 |
|---|
| Design | 3-way | 2-way |
|---|
| Tweeter | 1.25 x 2.4" Folded Motion XT | 9.2 x 44" curved electrostatic transducer |
|---|
| Midrange | 6.5" | — |
|---|
| Woofer | 3 x 8" Aluminum | 2 x 8" high-excursion paper cone |
|---|
| Frequency response | 27-25k Hz | 34-23k Hz |
|---|
| Sensitivity | 92 dB | 90 dB |
|---|
| Impedance | 4 ohms | 4 ohms |
|---|
| Power range | 20-600 watts | 20-400 watts |
|---|
| Weight | 39.00kg / 85.8lbs | 35.45kg / 78lbs |
|---|
| Dimensions (H x W x D) | 50-3/4" x 13-3/4" x 16-1/2"
1289 x 349 x 419mm | 59-13/16" x 10-7/16" x 25-7/16"
1520.0 x 266.0 x 647.0mm |
|---|
What size room are the MartinLogan Motion XT F200 and MartinLogan ESL 9 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 Motion XT F200 |
MartinLogan ESL 9 |
| 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.
**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
One of the fundamental differences between these two speakers is that Motion XT F200 is a 3-way design whereas the ESL 9 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 Motion XT F200MartinLogan ESL 9
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 Motion XT F200 |
MartinLogan ESL 9 |
|
Driver Setup
|
3-way
|
2-way
|
|
Tweeter
|
1.25 x 2.4-inch
|
9.2 x 44-inch
|
|
Midrange
|
1 x 6.5-inch |
- |
|
Woofer
|
3 x 8-inch
|
2 x 8-inch
|
Motion XT F200 features a 1.25 x 2.4" Folded Motion XT Tweeter, a 6.5" Midrange and 3 x 8" Aluminum Woofer with a Crossover frequency at 300Hz and 2600Hz. On the other hand, the ESL 9 features a 9.2 x 44" curved electrostatic transducer Tweeter and 2 x 8" high-excursion paper cone Woofer.
Frequency Response
Motion XT F200 has a frequency range of 27-25k Hz whereas ESL 9 has a frequency range of 34-23k Hz. With a minimum frequency of 27Hz, the Motion XT F200 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
Motion XT F200 and ESL 9 have the same Impedance of 4 ohms but where they differ is the sensitivity levels. Motion XT F200 sensitivity is rated at 92 dB and the ESL 9's is at 90 dB. This 2 dB difference makes the MartinLogan Motion XT F200 a more sensitive speaker compared to MartinLogan ESL 9, 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 XT F200 and the Motion XT F200 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.
Motion XT F200 can handle a max power of 600 watts RMS, whereas ESL 9 has a max power handling value of 400 watts RMS, 200 watts less than the Motion XT F200.
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.
MartinLogan Motion XT F200
Input Type and Bi-Amping / Bi-Wiring
Both Motion XT F200 and ESL 9 features dual binding post speaker terminals for bi-amping or bi-wiring.
MartinLogan Motion XT F200's Custom 5-way bi-wire tool-less binding posts terminals allows 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 Motion XT F200's and MartinLogan ESL 9's external dimensions. MartinLogan Motion XT F200 has external dimensions of 1289 x 349 x 419mm (50-3/4inch x 13-3/4inch x 16-1/2inch) whereas 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).
MartinLogan Motion XT F200 is 231mm shorter and 228mm less deeper than MartinLogan ESL 9 but it is also 83mm wider.
Below you can see the front view size comparison of MartinLogan Motion XT F200 and MartinLogan ESL 9 in scale.
Comparison image of MartinLogan Motion XT F200 and MartinLogan ESL 9 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 Motion XT F200 is approximately 1462.3cm2 / 226.7inch2 and base area of the MartinLogan ESL 9 is approximately 1721.0cm2 / 266.8inch2. The Motion XT F200 requires 15% less surface area than the ESL 9 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 Motion XT F200 weighs 39.00kg / 85.8lbs and the MartinLogan ESL 9 weighs 35.45kg / 78lbs. This makes the Motion XT F200 10% heavier than the ESL 9.
Here is a comparison of how Motion XT F200 and ESL 9's weights compare with the average, max and min weights in Passive Floor-standing class.
Weight
All Floor-standing Speakers
MartinLogan Motion XT F200
What's in the Box of MartinLogan ESL 9?
Here are the items that come with the ESL 9:
- Floorstanding hybrid electrostatic loudspeaker
- AC power adapter (w/ attached 10-feet DC cord)
- Grille
- 4 Spike Feet
- Users Manual
- Product Registration Card
 Max Input Power |
600 watts
vs
400 watts
|
Handle more power from your amplifier |
 Driver Setup |
3-way
vs
2-way
|
Have a dedicated mid-range driver |
 Sensitivity |
92 dB
vs
90 dB
|
Play louder with same amount of amplification power |
 Number of Woofers |
3
vs
2
|
More woofers |
|
Low Frequency Response |
27 Hz
vs
34 Hz
|
Generates deeper bass |
 High Frequency Response |
25k Hz
vs
23k Hz
|
Generates higher frequency |
 Height |
1289mm
vs
1520mm
|
Easier to fit in smaller spaces |
 Base Surface Area |
1462cm2
vs
1721cm2
|
Takes less floor space |
 Price per pair* |
5498USD
vs
7000USD
|
costs less (*prices may change depending on the seller, location and time) |
| General |
MartinLogan Motion® XT F200 |
MartinLogan Masterpiece Classic ESL 9 |
| Brand |
MartinLogan |
MartinLogan |
| Speaker Type |
Floor-standing speaker |
Floor-standing speaker |
| Power Range |
20-600 watts |
20-400 watts |
| Sensitivity |
92 dB |
90 dB |
| Impedance |
4 ohms |
4 ohms |
| Frequency Response |
27-25k Hz |
34-23k Hz |
Drivers |
|
|
| Woofer Quantity |
3 |
2 |
| Woofer Size |
8" |
8" |
| Woofer Composition |
Aluminum |
high-excursion paper cone |
| Woofer Surround Material |
Rubber |
Rubber |
| Tweeter Size |
1.25 x 2.4" |
9.2 x 44" |
| Tweeter Type |
Folded Motion XT |
curved electrostatic transducer |
| Aimable Tweeter |
No |
No |
| Midrange Driver |
6.5" |
No |
| Crossover Frequency |
300Hz and 2600Hz |
n/a |
| Firing Direction |
bottom |
n/a |
| Suggested Break-in Period |
Allow 72 hours of break-in |
n/a |
Physical Specs |
|
|
| Height |
1289.0mm (50.7") |
1520.0mm (59.8") |
| Width |
349.0mm (13.7") |
266.0mm (10.5") |
| Depth |
419.0mm (16.5") |
647.0mm (25.5") |
| Weight |
39.00kg (85.8lbs) |
35.45kg (78lbs) |
| Enclosure |
Bass Reflex |
Bass Reflex |
| Finish |
MDF/Wood veneer |
Composite |
| Available Colors |
Gloss Black, Walnut, and Satin White |
Gloss Black |
| Grille |
Yes |
Yes |
| Moisture Resistancy |
No |
No |
Connections |
|
|
| Biamp Inputs |
Yes |
Yes |
Other |
|
|
| Parts Warranty |
5 Years |
5 Years w/ Registration |
| Labor Warranty |
5 Years |
5 Years w/ Registration |
A generation apart: MartinLogan Motion XT F200 is the newer design, against a 2017 model. Newer is not automatically better, but the older one is more likely to be discounted or near run-out.
| Area | Better | Why |
|---|
| Bass |
A |
MartinLogan Motion XT F200 digs deeper - 27Hz against 34Hz. A subwoofer would even that out. |
| Amplifier needs |
A |
MartinLogan Motion XT F200 is more sensitive (92dB vs 90dB), so it goes louder on the same amplifier. |
| Headroom |
A |
MartinLogan Motion XT F200 takes more power (600W vs 400W) - more in hand in a big room. |
| Size |
depends |
MartinLogan Motion XT F200 is easier to place; MartinLogan ESL 9 is bigger, which usually goes with fuller bass. Your room decides. |
| Expandability |
depends |
MartinLogan Motion XT F200: bi-amping; MartinLogan ESL 9: bi-amping. |
| Price |
A |
MartinLogan Motion XT F200 is cheaper - $5,498 against $7,000, about 21% less. |
A MartinLogan Motion XT F200
B MartinLogan ESL 9
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 Motion XT F200 is the easier recommendation: it leads on most of the measured areas and costs less. Take MartinLogan ESL 9 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 34Hz anyway, so judge these on the other rows instead. If your amplifier is modest, vintage or valve-based, MartinLogan Motion XT F200 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.