One of the nicest things about checking out the best speakers at a big trade show, (in this case, Audio Advice Live in Raleigh, North Carolina) is that sometimes you have family nearby. So, when I was doing my second round of some of the vendors that really stood out to me, I was able to bring my cousin along — and if you’re within driving distance next year, $30 will get you in the door.
On that short list was one of the three Martin Logan rooms equipped with a pair of the Martin Logan ElectroMotion ESL X. These speakers, the flagship model of the company’s entry-level electrostatic line called the ElectroMotion Series, greeted us from the far corners of the room backed just by a big, wide window and some drapes. Not much for sound dampening. Following my cousin’s request, Bon Iver’s Holocene would be the focus of this listening session.
The experience
I’m not quite sure what I was expecting, but what I heard surprised me. The level of detail was unparalleled. If you want to sit there and listen to the pristine decay of a cymbal hit, you do it on these speakers. When listening to Holocene, Bon Iver’s voice has this delicate nature that’s not all that noticeable on lesser speakers. And the guitar sparkles similarly.
Since electrostatic speakers reproduce audio in a different way, the low end had this tight but balanced presentation that made the whole song come across as clearer with better resolution than I had ever heard before.
Plus, it felt more open — I could hear the extra dynamic impact of the snare roll on the right side of the song (a more traditional kit plays on the left), pulling forward and back as it varied in volume. Put on a pair of (non-electrostatic) headphones and you’ll probably hear what I typically hear — a fairly even drum roll throughout the song.
I had already gotten a chance earlier to listen to some jazz, of course a song with female vocals, and an EDM track or two. And this second go-around just confirmed how I felt the first time around. Essentially, detail for days, an openness, and a balanced presentation with tight low-end.
Of course, I was less gobsmacked than my cousin who heard things he had never heard before, such as a particular bassline that comes in as the song builds. And this was the song he picked and that he knew well.
The design
Since the Martin Logan ElectroMotion ESL X speakers use a 40-inch tall, 8.6-inch wide electrostatic transducer, they do something interesting. Each enclosure disperses audio in a unique pattern, going out at panel height with a 30-degree curvature so that most of what you’re hearing is directly from the speaker. The audio is not reflecting off the ceiling or floor, limiting the amount of reflections coming to your ear.
The electrostatic transducer also has very little movement, as it’s basically a metal membrane with electricity moving through it, so there’s very little speaker cone distortion. It also has the same level of detail regardless of volume. We’ve all heard speakers where the high-end starts to roll off as you turn the volume low. Well, that’s not the case here.
But, it’s only semi-correct to call the Martin Logan ElectroMotion ESL X an electrostatic speaker. It’s actually a hybrid, with the electrostatic transducer covering a range of 400 to 22,000Hz. At 400 Hz, it crosses over to dual eight-inch passive drivers housed below the transducer in the speaker cabinet. There’s one in front and one in back. And the cabinet is ported. These drivers go from 400Hz down to 41Hz, a telling cutoff for why the bass sounds so controlled.
At the end of the day
When I went to Audio Advice Alive, I heard speaker after speaker that just blew me away. It wasn’t all of them, but it was quite a few. But as great as many of them were, most of them are ones that I would never consider buying. For the best of them, it’s mostly a matter of cost (and a little bit space too). I don’t expect to have $65,000 sitting around any time soon for a pair of Bowers & Wilkins 801 D5s, and that’s without including the rest of the signal chain.
The Martin Logan ElectroMotion ESL X is on a very short list of speakers that not only sounded special but I could potentially justify buying. Spending $4,499.98 / £5,500.00 / AU$8,499.00 on a pair of speakers before including an amp, streamer, and cables is still no small chunk of change. But it is within reach.
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➡️ Read our full guide to the best stereo speakers
1. Best overall:
Q Acoustics M40 HD
2. Best compact:
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4. Best budget buy:
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