MartinLogan Impression ESL 11A

Price: $15,499.98 (pair)

Demo Special: $9,995 (pair) (in Meteor Gray)

In-store audition available in Winnipeg at Creative Audio.
Special order item for purchase.

Summary

The first model in MartinLogan’s Masterpiece series with self-powered bass drivers, the Impression ESL 11A is an incredible performer. If you’re shopping for resolution, scale, and impact in your hi-fi system, this speaker needs to be on your shortlist.

In detail

Perfecting the integration between the traditional bass drivers and electrostatic panels in their hybrid speaker designs has been MartinLogan’s decades-long goal. One innovation has been to power the bass drivers with their own Class-D amplifiers and it has proven very successful. The Impression ESL 11A is the first model in the range that includes this amplification.

Combined with the larger panel area of the ESL 11A, the end result is a speaker that sounds much more open and expansive when compared to the Classic ESL 9. The larger panel definitely extracts more fine nuance from the high and mid-frequencies, giving a more lifelike presentation. The bass is definitely a star here too, however. Compared to the passive models, the Impression ESL 11A delivers bass with speed and precision, as well as the ability to dig deep. It’s an incredibly engaging and fun combination and its why this is one of our favourite speakers in the store.

The ability to dial-in the bass performance with tremendous precision thanks to the built-in Anthem Room Correction (ARC) gives this speaker just one more ace up its sleeve. We love it and we know you will too!

Key Features

• 11” CLS XStat electrostatic panel.

• Dual 8” PoweredForce Forward woofers with 275 watt Class-D amplification.

• 24-bit Vojtko DSP Engine and Anthem Room Correction (ARC) for the bass drivers.

Technology

The Curvilinear Line Source (CLS) XStat electrostatic panel is at the heart of every MartinLogan electrostatic design. The gentle curve of the panel allows for a wider dispersion of sound. MartinLogan’s Advanced MicroPerf stator technology exposes almost twice the diaphragm area of the electrostatic panel when compared to a traditional panel of the same size. The panels are joined to the speaker cabinet with MartinLogan’s ultra-rigid AirFrame Blade construction using aerospace-grade extruded aluminum alloy. Without obstructing the radiating area of the electrostatic speaker, it ensures rigid mounting the bass cabinet of the speaker.

It took a lot of clever engineering to develop a bass driver system that could keep up with the speed of the electrostatic panel on the Impression ESL 11A and also offer the same high-resolution detail. Here, MartinLogan uses two 8-inch laser-engineered, low-distortion aluminum cone woofers. Each is placed in its own independent, enclosed chamber. MartinLogan’s unique PoweredForce Forward bass alignment technology controls the interaction between the forward-facing and rear-facing woofers, and the latter’s interaction with the wall behind the speaker. The end result is bass performance with stunning speed, accuracy, and detail.

By incorporating Anthem Room Correction (ARC) into the design of the Impression ESL 11A, it is possible to optimize the bass performance of the speaker to the unique characteristics of your room. ARC measures the low-frequency performance of the speaker in your room and compares it to the optimal response curves MartinLogan developed in their labs. By applying advanced alogorithms to the DSP circuitry in the speaker, any anomalies that come as a result of the speaker’s interaction with your room are effectively eliminated. The end result is realistically blended, natural-sounding bass in any room.

Frequency Response:
29 - 23,000 Hz (+/- 3 dB)

Sensitivity:
91 dB

Impedance:
4 ohms, 0.6 ohms at 20 kHz
Compatible with 4, 6, or 8 ohm rated amplifiers

Recommended Amplifier Power:
20 - 550 watts per channel

Crossover Frequency:
300 Hz

High Frequency Transducer:
XStat CLS electrostatic panel
44” x 11” (484 square inch radiating area)

Low Freqency Transducer:
2x 8” PoweredForce Forward woofers with cast basket, high excursion, rigid aluminum cone, extended throw drive assembly

Amplifier:
2x 275 watts Class-D (continuous), 550 watts (peak)

Room Correction (bass section):
Anthem Room Correction (ARC)

Audio Controls:
Bass: +/- 10 dB under 75 Hz
Mid-bass: -2 dB / 0 / +2 dB

Dimensions (HxWxD):
60.75” x 11.9” x 27.4”

Weight (each):
90 lbs.

Finish Options:
Walnut, Dark Cherry, Gloss Black, Gloss White, Arctic Silver, Basalt Black, Cordoba Red, Deep Sea Blue, Desert Silver, Meteor Grey, Rosso Fuoco Red, Custom (premium)

• The MartinLogan Impression ESL 11A will sound great right out of the box, but will sound its best after 200 hours of use when the drivers and electronics have had the opportunity to break in.

• It is recommended that the back of the bass cabinet be no closer than 8” to the wall behind it. For best results, we recommend 15-24”.