MartinLogan Classic ESL 9 Floorstanding Speaker (Each)

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.