MartinLogan Classic ESL 9 Floorstanding Speakers in Walnut (pair)

Quick specs:

• 44″

x 9.2″ XStat™ CLS™ Transducer

• 34–23,000

Hz ±3dB Frequency Response

• Dual

8-inch Aluminum-Cone Woofers

• Custom

5-way bi-wire tool-less binding posts

 

Classic ESL 9

A masterpiece doesn’t just inspire emotions. It changes the

way you feel, and it sticks with you long after you’ve left the art gallery or

the concert hall. It’s considered a masterpiece precisely because of its

ability to alter something inside you. Once you experience it, you’ll never be

the same. Enjoying a masterpiece in your own home is something to aspire to.

Consider the Classic ESL 9 your ticket to a

life-changing experience with a masterpiece of audio performance. You will

never be the same.

A Classic Masterpiece of Sound Reproduction

MartinLogan unveils the Classic ESL 9, its newest modern

Masterpiece. All the familiar elements of MartinLogan’s flagship ESL series are

here, with some revolutionary refinements. The heart of this exceptional

loudspeaker is its 9.2-inch-wide Curvilinear Line Source (CLS) XStat

vacuum-bonded electrostatic transducer. Advanced MicroPerf stator technology

reveals more of the diaphragm surface area than any other electrostatic panel

in this size class, efficiently increasing the narrow panel’s output.

Ultra-rigid AirFrame Bladeconstruction reduces performance-robbing

vibrations, its shape creating an expressive alignment with the woofer cabinet.

Deep bass is rendered with unflinching accuracy and authority by dual 8-inch

low-distortion, high-excursion aluminum cone woofers in a beautifully sculpted

enclosure.

Classic Elements, Experienced In a New Way:Advanced

MicroPerf stator technology, which allows for almost twice the exposed

electrostatic diaphragm surface as a traditional electrostatic panel of the

same size. A reinforced electrostatic panel with rigid ClearSpar™ spacers,

keeping an exact level of tension on the vacuum-bonded diaphragm without

obscuring the beautiful see-through design. Add to these the slender,

pointed-arrow design of the new AirFrame™Blade construction and the

result is a powerfully evocative composition creating a harmonious connection

between the panel and its woofer cabinet.

Now notice some refinements: We have reinvented

the Classic ESL 9 woofer section. We use two 8-inch laser-engineered

low-distortion aluminum cone woofers, balanced in an opposing array, one

forward- and one rear-firing. This design greatly reduces cabinet vibrations inherent

in same-direction woofer positioning, specifically in the 34Hz to 100Hz range

for uniform frequency response resulting in realistic bass effects you can

feel.

New Ultra-Rigid AirFrame Blade Design

Classic ESL 9 XStat panels are joined to their speaker

cabinets using MartinLogan’s redesigned AirFrame Blade construction,

precision manufactured from an aerospace-grade extruded aluminum alloy. This

material, and this exclusive manufacturing process, makes the panels extremely

rigid.

The bold, forward-moving styling of this AirFrame Blade rail

system, narrow and strong in front, broad and forceful from the side, is a

modern design statement. It never obstructs playable surface area or interferes

with the panel’s dipole sound radiation pattern. It also provides electrical

and acoustical isolation, minimizing intermodulation distortion caused by

vibration and resonance. The flowing lines emphasize the groundbreaking

integration of the panel itself with the compact woofer and amplifier section.

The breathtaking AirFrameBlade design enhances imaging, low-level

sonic detail, accuracy, and speaker efficiency.

Curvilinear Line Source (CLS) Electrostatic Panel

CLS technology is an essential ingredient of every electrostatic

loudspeaker we produce. Through our proprietary manufacturing method, we have

built-in the panel’s gentle horizontal curvature. This unique design enhances

the high frequency detail produced by the large radiating surface, without

compromising overall sound quality. Notice how the gentle modern curve and

perforation pattern gives way to the flat grille of the woofer section.

Controlled Dispersion Sound Radiation

The sound we hear from a loudspeaker is a combination of

direct radiation from it to our ears, and reflections off of room

surfaces—walls, floor, and ceiling. How our brains integrate this information

is far from simple. Depending on the angle of incidence to the ears and the

arrival-time difference between direct and reflected sound, reflections can

either blur detail and stereo imaging, or enhance the natural impression of

depth and openness.

Electrostatic panels, which are true dipole speakers,

produce a nearly-ideal controlled dispersion radiation pattern. They send very

little sound to the sides, thereby minimizing side-wall reflections, whose

short arrival times tend to interfere with the perception of the direct sound.

Their strong rear radiation, however, produces a generous amount of natural,

ambience-enriching later-arriving mid- and upper register information.

Big, Well-Blended Bass Performance

Rounding out the dynamic performance of this Masterpiece is

a passive pair of high-excursion 8-inch laser-engineered aluminum cone woofers

custom designed by MartinLogan’s in-house engineering team. This efficient,

cast basket woofer design improves cone suspension and the magnetic flux field,

maximizing response time, to produce truly profound bass output (down to 34Hz)

with vanishingly low distortion.

The woofers are balanced in an opposing array, one forward-

and one rear-firing. This design greatly reduces cabinet vibrations inherent in

same-direction woofer positioning, specifically in the 34Hz to 100Hz range.

Roll-off characteristics for this opposing woofer array are further optimized

for a realistically coherent bass wave form. In addition, we’ve tuned the

rear-firing woofer to minimize near-wall interactions, perfectly complementing

the dipole nature of the electrostatic panel. Bass performance from this

configuration is accurate, musical and utterly lifelike.

A flared, ultra-low turbulence rear-firing slotted bass port

is integral to the design of the enclosure, providing an extra layer of rigid

internal bracing and increasing deep bass output with no added port noise.

Bi-wirable Tool-less Binding Posts and Low-Voltage Power

Supply

MartinLogan’s proprietary tool-less binding posts simplify cable

connection and management. Two sets are supplied—one connected to the

electrostatic panel and the other feeding the woofer. Listeners can choose to

vertically/horizontally bi-amp the Classic ESL 9, or use jumper clips between

the binding post sets for a single wire-connection. Classic ESL 9 features

bi-wirable binding posts and provide the ultimate level of flexibility for

connection and setup. To further simplify setup and cable management, Classic

ESL 9 features a low-voltage DC power supply eliminates the need for a

traditional, heavy IEC power cord.

Precision-Built Advanced-Topology Vojtko Crossover

Control is key in the production of a Masterpiece. (Just

ask Michelangelo.) Control in the Classic ESL 9 is provided by the

advanced Vojtko-voiced crossover. Carefully hand-built using only the finest

metallized film capacitors, air-core coils, and low DCR steel laminate coils,

the crossover employs MartinLogan’s proprietary Vojtko topology for vanishingly

low distortion and seamless driver/ESL integration. This precision-tuned

network excels at preserving and reproducing even the most microscopic sonic

nuances, while ably handling the full dynamics of any source.

The Classic ESL 9 is engineered to work well with

practically any type of electronics. MartinLogan’s state-of-the-art electrical

interface engineering ensures an absolutely transparent link from your

amplifier to the electrostatic panel and woofer array. This produces sound of

unparalleled purity, precision, clarity, and openness.

Like all of the loudspeakers in the Masterpiece Series,

and like any true masterpiece, when you experience the realistically

transparent performance of the Classic ESL 9, you will be changed by it.