Customer Reviews

amazing sound quality

After breaking in my ML Classic ESL 9's, I am extremely pleased with the clarity and extraordinary imaging. the soundstage is excellent. I am using them exclusively for audio using Emotiva electronics including their mono-blocks. I added an Aperion 12" sub just to fill in the lower bass. All and all, these are very dynamic speakers

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MartinLogan Masterpiece Classic ESL 9

I have only had these for about a month. I have played all styles of music on various media and they sound great. Took a little while to get used to the size, but now they seem just right.

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Highly Recommended!

This is my first time buying speakers anywhere near this price range, and I'm extremely satisfied with the purchase. My goal with these speakers was to try to reproduce the experience of live orchestral classical music at home. These ESL 9's do an amazingly realistic job of this and also sound incredible with pop, jazz, and other genres (especially vocals). I've set them up in a 20 by 30-foot room, positioned (based on formulas in the manual) 5.5 feet from the wall behind and 5.5 feet from the sides. What impresses me most is the breadth and three-dimensionality of the stereo image. The sound seems to spread out and float behind the speakers, and while listening to symphonic music, I can really pick out where each woodwind instrument is seated and where the different string sections and percussion instruments are. The details are incredibly crisp and the dynamics are excellent. A couple of caveats: it makes a big difference, especially in the bass clarity, to be able to position the speakers a good distance from the back wall. Two feet isn't enough in my room. Around five feet is perfect. Also, to get really full bass sound, I think you may need to add a subwoofer. The bass is clear and tight without it once you've broken the speakers in, but it's a bit thin. With a decent subwoofer, though, the sound is balanced and just amazing. These are highly recommended.

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Superior sound delivered

I have been building out an audiophile system over the last 6 months after using integrated equipment on 40 year old speakers. After securing an ARCAM AV41 and a NAD M28 in the fall of last year, it was time to match them with a big upgrade on the speakers. I landed on MartinLogan ESL speakers as what I wanted - matching my music preferences well. I chose the ESL 9 series as it matched the amplifier well, including bi-amping. The speakers were shipped via freight, scheduled well ahead of time, and the shipping company met my expectations on the delivery. As I set up the speakers and got to work on placement, I did have to try about 4 different spots for them. My spots are at the recommended 1.5' from the back wall and 2' from the side walls. There is a recommended break in time for the bass speakers, and I noted that out of the box, bass sounded like they were in a box in the garage, not my living room. After a number of days of constant playing of my favorite music with great bass and wonderful mids and highs, I now have very rich tonality from the bass. But it was the mids and highs that lead me to the ESL panels that I purchased. Like many others, I now have heard things I have NEVER heard before in my favorite high res recordings. I have also experienced a good bit of the wide soundstage advertised, and might tweak the positions some to bring out more. I am very satisfied! With Levi's help in verification, Crutchfield has done it again - superior sound is mine now!

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If on the fence then jump over that fence immediately regardless

Having purchased my electrostatic speakers in May of 2021, I was initially blown away by their phenomenal sound. However, like any piece of technology, I encountered a few bumps along the road, including a faulty electrostatic panel and two problematic power supplies in late 2022. Thankfully, Ron from Martin Logan's customer support team was an absolute gem, swiftly diagnosing the issues and ensuring they were resolved promptly. In the fall of 2023, I began noticing imaging problems, consistently needing to adjust the balance towards the right speaker when listening to music. After isolating the issue to the speakers themselves, I reached out to Martin Logan support once again in January 2024. Ron's response was nothing short of exemplary; he suggested replacing the speaker altogether, acknowledging the troubleshooting efforts I had already undertaken. I'm sharing my experience not to discourage potential buyers, but to highlight the exceptional level of customer service provided by Martin Logan. While it's inevitable that things may occasionally go wrong, it's the response and support from the manufacturer that truly matters. Martin Logan exemplifies this ethos, and I cannot thank Ron and the team enough for their dedication to customer satisfaction. A huge shoutout also goes to Crutchfield for their part in delivering these incredible speakers to me. Together, Martin Logan and Crutchfield form a winning combination!

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Very happy with my Classic ESL 9's.

I love the sound of these speakers and they are getting even better with every hour of playing. I've always liked electrostatic speakers going all the way back to Acoustat model 3. A added bonus is that Martin Logans look cool.

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Clear as a golden bell.

Pairs well with my Mackintosh 252 able the 4ohms function brings these speakers to life. I fill out the bottom with a subwoffer. The next model up of this speaker has self powered subs built in. I found this unnecessary in my small room, so until I get a bigger house these classic number nine's work wonderfully. Thx

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3.5 years Satisfied and Counting!

I have had the MartinLogan Classic ESL 9 speakers for 3.5 years and I am totally satisfied. I would buy them again today, worth the price. I got them from another vendor but am glad to see them at Crutchfield. The sound is superb from low volume night time listening to loud Sia from the Chandelier. They should be BiWired and a really good amp is needed, the best need the best to perform well. I use a Mcintosh 152 Amp. The frequency response spec of down to 34hz is conservative. The bass is always enjoyable, quite low and very accurate. These speakers are excellent for classical, Jazz, all acoustic music-if you have a really good system-or are building one-try these out and you will be very happy I predict. Also, the electrostatic aspect is great, spacious, instruments are focused, floating in front of you, you can sit in the best listening position or stand behind it and it sounds great siting or standing. I have had zero problems with quality control of my product........ ..............

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It's Alive!

I've had a number of "good" speakers, big and small: Dali Mentor 6, Ikon Mk2 1, 7, On-Wall, and Zensor 1; Acoustic Research AR17; Mirage Omni towers and sats; Revel M106 and F208; KEF LS50, R200, R3; MartinLogan XT30; and others. Then I listened to the Classic ESL 9 at an authorized local dealer (the store from which I had purchased all the Dali speakers). The setup wasn't elaborate--just a Parasound HINT 6 integrated amplifier powering the speakers--but I was incredulous. How could sounds detach from speakers like that, voices and instruments floating in precise locations with all the air/space fully intact? The impression stuck. But it would take me three years to accept that only MartinLogan electrostatics could do this. I tried to find substitutes at lower prices. No luck. The KEF LS50 and R3 were imaging champs, but they couldn't scale and couldn't quite generate the palpable ambience of living, breathing voices and of tangible, often chaotically resonant instruments. I bought a pair of ESL X electrostatics, and they gave me exactly those qualities, except for the scale. Not quite there. The Classic ESL 9 is for larger rooms, and I needed that. The MLs are powered by a McIntosh MC275 amplifier, fronted by a Schiit Freya+ preamplifier. Texture, dynamic range, delicateness, drive--it's all here. And it all adds up to the most immersive musical experience I've been able to assemble from "good" parts. I can play the actual piano or guitar in the other room...or right here. UPDATED 6/21/21: Unfortunately, after just 2+ months, the Classic ESL 9 speakers began to buzz, especially from one speaker. Thinking it to be the panel (because electrostats often buzz a little when dust accumulates), I vacuumed it, as directed by ML. No help. The problem turned out to be loose screws all over the cabinet. Few of them--front and back, up and down, left and right--were properly tightened. Some needed a little turn; others, a bit more. And one screw, anchoring the right leg of the panel's frame to the front cabinet, was stripped, turning uselessly inside the hole. Shockingly, the identical screw on the other speaker was stripped in exactly the same way. The result: no way to tighten up that small section of the coupling between panel and cabinet. That coupling, overall, was the source of the piercing vibration, so I was screwed because it wasn't. Luckily, tightening up all the other screws resolved the problem--mostly. Now we're just waiting for the screws to loosen a bit and resume the vibration (which made the music unlistenable). ML has responded to my complaint, but the only option is to replace the two units--and to be absolutely sure the coupling is properly secured everywhere. I can pay $650 for a speaker pair that have better quality control. Paying this price for loose/broken screws and vibration that makes a person wince is dumb. The kicker: with tightened screws, the sound is tighter/better. Duh?

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MartinLogan Masterpiece Classic ESL 9

These speakers are outstanding, it feels like you're in the studio as the band is recording. Clear and present bass without being overwhelming. And the design is wonderful - for their height, they are not at all imposing. I think they'd work as well in a home theater setup as they do for purely audio.

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MartinLogan Masterpiece Classic ESL 9

Was dead set to get a pair of ESL X, then these went on sale. Sound much better and are prettier to look at. Part of the Masterpiece Series what else can I say. Wow!

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