Free Shipping on US orders above $49
Best Value Audiophile Gear Award 2025 - futureaudiophile.com
Five Stars - What Hi-Fi? Magazine
A New Benchmark in Affordable Performance
As the flagship model of MartinLogan's ElectroMotion Series, the ElectroMotion ESL X floorstanding speaker establishes a new benchmark for price versus performance.
The ElectroMotion ESL X features a new larger XStat™ electrostatic transducer with a radiating area over 50-square-inches larger than the EM-ESL model. Twin 8" high-excursion woofers are housed in a non-resonant asymmetrical bass reflex (ported) chamber, in a surprisingly compact enclosure. Woofers have custom engineered high-rigidity paper cones, with extended-throw driver assemblies.
Component elements within the EM-ESL X replicate the design and performance of components used on many of MartinLogan’s more expensive loudspeakers, such as custom-wound transformers, air-core coils, large steel laminate inductors, polyester and low DF electrolytic capacitors. Custom five-way bi-wire binding posts allow for secure wire connections. System Frequency Response is 41–22,000 Hz ±3db. Recommended amplifier power is 20–400 watts per channel. Impedance is rated at 6 ohms (1.6 ohms at 20 kHz); the EM-ESL X is compatible with 4, 6, or 8 ohm rated amplifiers.
A unique XStat™ transducer was developed for the ElectroMotion Series to reduce the gauge thickness of the electrostatic panel's steel stators. The reduced gauge does not alter the performance characteristics of the panel. However, as a natural byproduct of tighter build tolerances, it does increase the visual transparency of the panel. The EM-ESL X's XStat panel is so visually transparent, it nearly vanishes when you're sitting and listening.
Award-Winning Performance
The ElectroMotion ESL won a Best Value Audiophile Gear Award 2025 from futureaudiophile.com, August 6, 2025.
"The MartinLogan ElectroMotion ESL speakers are some of the best in the hybrid electrostatic category. By hybrid, we mean that these speakers come with a powered woofer (amp inside of the speaker and an AC power cable to be plugged into the wall)."
"MartinLogan ESLs, as curved electrostatic speakers, allow for vastly better off-axis listening than a traditional electrostatic or planar speaker. Every audiophile should own a pair of MartinLogan ESLs at one point in their life, I think, as they are beyond iconic but still aspirationally priced."
"They Deserve a High Place on the Shortlist"
These ElectroMotion speakers earned a top rating of Five Stars from England's What Hi-Fi? magazine.
"Electrostatics do some things brilliantly, namely their low distortion, precision and clarity, but struggle to deliver the dynamic punch and general muscularity of conventional cone speakers. Going the hybrid route certainly helps to broaden the strengths, and has resulted in an excellent alternative to the established class leaders at the price. If you are lucky enough to buy at this level we think these speakers deserve a high place on the shortlist."
"Speakers That Invite Us on Exciting Musical Travels"
"If there's a more exciting loudspeaker out there at this price, I certainly haven't heard it. While the year isn't yet half over, the EM-ESLs are on our short list for a Product of the Year award," reports Jeff Dorgay, ToneAudio magazine, Issue 37.
"Martin Logan's ElectroMotion ESL are speakers that invite us on exciting musical travels," observes Joachen Reinecke, 6moons.com. "They generate an unusually live atmosphere and, within a decent sweet spot, very precise imaging and exacting depth layering embedded within an above-average dimensional scale. Tonally well balanced and subjectively seamless, the stats combine silky highs, a detailed dynamic midband and articulate if not ultimately voluminous bass. It's a terrific choice for music lovers hoping to feast on an arrestingly involving presentation."
CLS™ XStat™ Transducer
One of MartinLogan's original breakthroughs is CLS™ (Curvilinear Line Source) technology. This has been an essential ingredient of every electrostatic loudspeaker MartinLogan has produced, and the ElectroMotion ESL X is no exception. Proprietary manufacturing methods enable construction of electrostatic panels as cylindrical sections. Their gentle horizontal curvature solves the problem of obtaining good high-frequency dispersion from a large radiating surface without compromising overall sound quality or reliability.
Another key attribute of the ElectroMotion ESL X is its naturally dipolar radiation pattern. A true dipole, The EM-ESL X radiates sound with equal intensity from the front and back of its diaphragm, but the outputs are in opposite phase. As a result, sound waves rippling out toward the sides meet at the speaker's edge and cancel. That and the relatively large size of the ElectroMotion ESL X's electrostatic panel cause output at the sides to be very low relative to that of a conventional loudspeaker, which in turn minimizes side-wall reflections that tend to muddle sonic detail and stereo imaging. While the reduction in output to the sides contributes to the astonishing clarity for which electrostats are revered, the energy reflected off the wall behind the speaker opens up and deepens the sound.
Superb Bass Integration
To seamlessly blend audio output from the high- and mid-frequency electrostatic panel to the low-frequency dual woofer system, the ElectroMotion ESL X features a proprietary Vojtko™ topology filter utilizing custom air core coil and low DCR steel laminate inductors, polyester film capacitors in series, and low DF electrolytic capacitors in parallel.
The EM-ESL X features dual 8" audiophile-grade, doped-fiber cone woofers that were custom designed by MartinLogan's in-house design and engineering team. This efficient woofer design optimizes cone suspension and the magnetic flux field to produce big bass output with vanishingly low distortion. Rigid and lightweight, the custom woofer's diaphragm eliminates cone flexure, and maximizes response time, to achieve levels of performance approaching that of MartinLogan's larger, more expensive electrostatic loudspeaker models.
Premium Connections, Solid Adjustable Footing
Custom five-way bi-wire binding posts allow for secure wire connections. The EM-ESL X is supplied with sturdy, 3/8-16 ETC™ spikes, which can be used to fine tune vertical wave launch, enhance stability on thick carpets, and create tighter coupling between speaker and floor to provide a tighter and detailed bass performance. Each spike is conveniently covered by removable rubber end caps if you prefer not to use spikes.
