MartinLogan Impression ESL 11A Speakers

-Photo courtesy, The Music Room

Yep, gotta admit being a fanboy of MartinLogan. Having owned and/or reviewed nearly every MartinLogan panel speaker made since the CLS in the 80s, these panels are not only easy to deal with but easy to incorporate into your room without a lot of placement issues.

The ESL11A’s are part of MartinLogan’s Masterpiece series, and incorporate an internal DSP that utilizes Anthem’s ARC room correction for the dual powered 8″ woofers. Just as with subwoofer placement, these powered woofers really benefit from ARC if you can’t put the speakers exactly where they need to go for perfect audiophile sound. Setup suggestion: try and place the speakers to achieve the best balance of bass output and upper bass/midrange clarity before engaging the ARC.

With a nominal impedance of 4 ohms, and a 91dB/1-watt sensitivity, these speakers are very easy to drive and are tube friendly. They do have a high maximum power handling capability, so these panels ROCK. You can play Tool and Metallica with these at any level you want. Yet, the electrostatic panel is a master of nuance, so your favorite vocals and acoustic tracks will come alive in your room.

Speaking of rooms, you will probably need a room that is at least 12 x 15 feet, with more space delivering better results if you’ve got it. Back when I reviewed these, they worked fine in my 13 x 18 foot living room, but provided a larger sound field in my main listening room, which was 16 x 24 feet. Like nearly all panels, they will deliver a wider soundfield if you can place them on your long wall, and a slightly deeper front to back soundfield on the short wall. Again, the DSP for the woofers is your best friend.

If you’ve always dreamed about a pair of MartinLogans, you can grab this pair for $5,995 (plus shipping). Please click on this direct purchase link.

If you’ve never heard ESLs before, be prepared for an open, engaging experience.