MartinLogan XT F100 Floorstanding Speaker Review!

[Trebdp83]

When shopping for a pair of speakers in that price range, nobody should be concerned about anything but the aesthetics of a given pair. They certainly shouldn’t have to be concerned with them damaging their receiver. Issues such as those concerning the XT F100 are unacceptable at that price point and in no way a “good value.”

Giving it the best “mid-priced” tower speaker prize is, well, at the very, very least irresponsible. I’m mean, how is one not also participating in bulls#%t marketing tactics when calling it a “good value” but at the same time warning they may destroy, excuse me, may prove to be a “difficult load” for lower end receivers?

If a high cost, yes $4,500 is high cost for many, pair of speakers places anybody’s receiver in danger, it has no f#%kin’ value. It certainly isn’t the “best.” “Deck the forums with threads of folly, fa la la la la, la la la la… Tis’ the season to be dodgy, fa la la la la, la la la la!”

 

[Danzilla31]

MartinLogan's XT F100 Floorstanding Speakers are a 5-driver, 3-way design that recently underwent a significant upgrade featuring a new waveguide and revamped drivers from its predecessor Motion series. The New XT F100 from MartinLogan is an aesthetically pleasing design with top-notch build quality, making it a $4,500 pair of speakers worth recommending.

Pros

• Great build quality and looks
• A good value for what you get
• Good bass and dynamics
• They sound neutral

Cons

• They don’t measure as pristinely as the best speakers on the market
• They may be a difficult load for lower end receivers

Quick Summary
So, throw on your favorite tunes, give these a spin, and let them serenade their way into your shortlist—because, honestly, there isn't much competition for these audio maestros! This is why the MartinLogan XT F100s won our 2023 Mid-Price Tower Speaker of the Year!

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Read: MartinLogan XT F100 Floorstanding Speaker Review

Great writeup @Matthew J Poes! I loved the video Youthman did on your room and I really enjoyed your article on these speakers. All the knowledge you've gained over the years not only has benefited you with that amazing room but also us with your articles and speaker reviews

 

[TLS Guy]

When shopping for a pair of speakers in that price range, nobody should be concerned about anything but the aesthetics of a given pair. They certainly shouldn’t have to be concerned with them damaging their receiver. Issues such as those concerning the XT F100 are unacceptable at that price point and in no way a “good value.”

Giving it the best “mid-priced” tower speaker prize is, well, at the very, very least irresponsible. I’m mean, how is one not also participating in bulls#%t marketing tactics when calling it a “good value” but at the same time warning they may destroy, excuse me, may prove to be a “difficult load” for lower end receivers?

If a high cost, yes $4,500 is high cost for many, pair of speakers places anybody’s receiver in danger, it has no f#%kin’ value. It certainly isn’t the “best.” “Deck the forums with threads of folly, fa la la la la, la la la la… Tis’ the season to be dodgy, fa la la la la, la la la la!”

That is a little more politically incorrect than my response, but your points are valid.

I do think part of this is brand bias. The runner up BMR speaker is head and shoulders better than that. If a receiver does blow up, the receiver manufacturer would almost certainly get the blame from the aggrieved customer.

 

[Mikado463]

When shopping for a pair of speakers in that price range, nobody should be concerned about anything but the aesthetics of a given pair. They certainly shouldn’t have to be concerned with them damaging their receiver. Issues such as those concerning the XT F100 are unacceptable at that price point and in no way a “good value.”

Giving it the best “mid-priced” tower speaker prize is, well, at the very, very least irresponsible. I’m mean, how is one not also participating in bulls#%t marketing tactics when calling it a “good value” but at the same time warning they may destroy, excuse me, may prove to be a “difficult load” for lower end receivers?

If a high cost, yes $4,500 is high cost for many, pair of speakers places anybody’s receiver in danger, it has no f#%kin’ value. It certainly isn’t the “best.” “Deck the forums with threads of folly, fa la la la la, la la la la… Tis’ the season to be dodgy, fa la la la la, la la la la!”

Irresponsible my foot !!!! The only thing irresponsible is someone making a speaker choice and NOT taking into consideration a commensurate amplifier to drive them !

IMO and in all reality someone spending 5k and above for speakers are probably not trying to drive them with some cheap AVR

 

[AcuDefTechGuy]

Don't bank on it. When you factor in the phase angles it drops to 2 ohms. This is the sort of load that causes receivers to blow, and people can't figure out why.

Honestly though you don't need a speaker that complex with that many drivers to get -5 db at 40 Hz. A simpler better design could easily do the job. This unit has marketers leading engineers by the nose written all over it. Peter Walker told me he was often asked if Quad could have a marketing department. He just barked NO, and left it at that. As usual he was absolutely on target.

So when Matthew said that he successfully powered/played the speakers with a Marantz 80WPC integrated amp, you don’t believe it?

You don’t think the reviewer tested the speakers correctly or sufficiently?

You think ML will risk getting sued by millions of people by making a speaker that will blow most AVR?

It’s actually really simple. You play a lot of variety of music for a few hours at high volume and if the speakers sound great, then it’s great.

You sure as hell don’t need Peter Walker to tell you if it’s gonna work. It’s not rocket science.

 

[TLS Guy]

So when Matthew said that he successfully powered/played the speakers with a Marantz 80WPC integrated amp, you don’t believe it?

You don’t think the reviewer tested the speakers correctly or sufficiently?

You think ML will risk getting sued by millions of people by making a speaker that will blow most AVR?

It’s actually really simple. You play a lot of variety of music for a few hours at high volume and if the speakers sound great, then it’s great.

You sure as hell don’t need Peter Walker to tell you if it’s gonna work. It’s not rocket science.

I look at systems builds with an eye to reliability. Failures are a real PITA. So I leave plenty of margin right across the board. Would I include a speaker with those parameters in any system I designed. Absolutely not. None of my speakers have impedance and the phase angles of those speakers. I would not give it a pass.
Resilience of design is important. It stops you day being ruined and prevents hassles. That is the way I approach my systems and don't plan to change.
I do not care what happens in a few hours, but I do over 20 and 40 years.

 

[shadyJ]

So when Matthew said that he successfully powered/played the speakers with a Marantz 80WPC integrated amp, you don’t believe it?

You don’t think the reviewer tested the speakers correctly or sufficiently?

You think ML will risk getting sued by millions of people by making a speaker that will blow most AVR?

It’s actually really simple. You play a lot of variety of music for a few hours at high volume and if the speakers sound great, then it’s great.

The failures caused by a heavy impedance load would be ones of long-term reliability. ML isn't at risk here even though their electrical load could pose a strain on the amp. These speakers could be powered by a cheapo amp and do fine for awhile, unless the amp goes into thermal shutdown, but in the long run, the excess heat will take a toll on the electronics. These speakers need an amp that can handle this kind of electrical load if you want the system to last a long time.

 

[TLS Guy]

The failures caused by a heavy impedance load would be ones of long-term reliability. ML isn't at risk here even though their electrical load could pose a strain on the amp. These speakers could be powered by a cheapo amp and do fine for awhile, unless the amp goes into thermal shutdown, but in the long run, the excess heat will take a toll on the electronics. These speakers need an amp that can handle this kind of electrical load if you want the system to last a long time.

That is exactly the point. And all I can say is that ML engineering standards are at variance with mine. Issues like this absolutely do have an impact on long term reliability even of robust amps. There really is no reason to design and market a speaker with a load like that. Again, I think it goes back to marketing people and how they dictate they want the product to 'look'.

Take the three way speakers in my family room. They present a very benign load, and can take a lot of power. I am quite certain they also sound better than those MLs.
There is no justification for this sort of design. I will continue to call it out.

 

[gene]

Calling someone A$$ indirectly - Wow, So Much "professional" and "polite"!

I jokingly say that to everyone, including myself when I make assumptions without knowing all the facts. TLS Guy doesn't strike me as someone that can't take a joke.

 

[gene]

When shopping for a pair of speakers in that price range, nobody should be concerned about anything but the aesthetics of a given pair. They certainly shouldn’t have to be concerned with them damaging their receiver. Issues such as those concerning the XT F100 are unacceptable at that price point and in no way a “good value.”

Giving it the best “mid-priced” tower speaker prize is, well, at the very, very least irresponsible. I’m mean, how is one not also participating in bulls#%t marketing tactics when calling it a “good value” but at the same time warning they may destroy, excuse me, may prove to be a “difficult load” for lower end receivers?

If a high cost, yes $4,500 is high cost for many, pair of speakers places anybody’s receiver in danger, it has no f#%kin’ value. It certainly isn’t the “best.” “Deck the forums with threads of folly, fa la la la la, la la la la… Tis’ the season to be dodgy, fa la la la la, la la la la!”

This is an example an armchair post with little to no actual field experience. Most people buying these speakers aren't using cheap AVRs with poor thermal management. I know two very large MartinLogan dealers that pair this series with Anthem electronics which are stable enough to drive a fork.

The cheap AVRs today have so many nannies built in that they will shut down before being in serious risk. I haven't seen a single MartinLogan owner on any forums experiencing this problem, nor have I heard about it from dealers.

The F100 is rated at 4 ohms and by IEC almost satisfies that spec not dropping below 3.2 ohms across the audio band. This is the first time we've shown an EPDR impedance plot overlayed and some folks are missing that point. If James went back and added this measurement to the impedance plot of many 4 ohm speakers he reviewed, I'm sure people would be equally upset with those products too.

 

[Danzilla31]

They have the current lineup of Martin Logan at retailers here in San Antonio

I've listened to all the towers in these current lineups and even in not ideal setups in showrooms subjectively I enjoyed the way they sound

I might have to snag a pair later next year and try them out both in my bedroom not an ideal listening environment and in my theater room which is well treated and a better acoustical environment tell you guys what I think

 

[Trebdp83]

I do love it when I strike a nerve. The XT F100 is flawed. Somebody should be forced to shell out even more money because the f#%kin’ things might smoke their modest AVR? That’s just bulls#%t. I prefer the posts I make from my “armchair” to those made from up Gene’s a$$. He’s great for sure and knows his s#%t. I just don’t care to look out at the world through his belly button. But, you guys do you. If that speaker had a f#%kin’ Bose badge on it, you guys would have torn it apart.

Perhaps more reviews of “cheap” AVRs and the speakers that may smoke them are in order. The half-assed excuse for a review of the Onkyo TX-NR3100 hardly counts. Why should it? It’s a cheap piece of s#%t, right? Ok, it is half baked. But, no more so than that f#%kin’ review. Write it as if you actually used the f#%kin’ thing or hand it off to somebody who will actually do so.

I don’t want to read anymore excuses about wives, kids and life getting in the way of somebody doing their job to the best of their ability. Some folks base their gear purchasing decisions on reviews read from this and other forums. They do matter. There is a responsibility.

All of that being said, nobody and nothing is perfect. I certainly am not so. I keep coming around here because it’s worthwhile. I wouldn’t do so otherwise and I certainly wouldn’t post about any of my disappointments concerning the site if I didn’t like it. But, if something smells of bulls#%t, I’ll probably mention it. Ho Ho Ho!

 

[gene]

nobody and nothing is perfect. I certainly am not so.

That's the only statement I can agree with in your soap box rant. Merry Christmas. Don't fry any receivers watching the holiday classics.

 

[Trebdp83]

Thanks. I don’t plan on buying the Martin Logans. So, I should be ok.

 

[Steve81]

The XT F100 is flawed. Somebody should be forced to shell out even more money because the f#%kin’ things might smoke their modest AVR?

It shouldn't really be news to anyone. If you buy a 4-ohm rated speaker, you should have amplification designed for a 4-ohm rated speaker. You're designing / building a system, not just playing mix and match.

 

[AcuDefTechGuy]

The failures caused by a heavy impedance load would be ones of long-term reliability. ML isn't at risk here even though their electrical load could pose a strain on the amp. These speakers could be powered by a cheapo amp and do fine for awhile, unless the amp goes into thermal shutdown, but in the long run, the excess heat will take a toll on the electronics. These speakers need an amp that can handle this kind of electrical load if you want the system to last a long time.

One thing I think we can all agree on - if you buy a 4-ohm speaker, it never hurts to buy an amp stable for 2 ohms.

I have powered big towers that have impedance below 3 ohms at high volume with a $500 AVR rated at 50WPC. I didn’t play it for 10 years, though. So I don’t know the chronic/long-term adverse effects of doing that to an AVR.

 

[TLS Guy]

They have the current lineup of Martin Logan at retailers here in San Antonio

I've listened to all the towers in these current lineups and even in not ideal setups in showrooms subjectively I enjoyed the way they sound

I might have to snag a pair later next year and try them out both in my bedroom not an ideal listening environment and in my theater room which is well treated and a better acoustical environment tell you guys what I think

I do think they are in the price range where they are likely to be powered from receivers. If they have them at best buy, I will try and give them a listen. That is not and ideal listening environment though.

I think they should have done more work on the load presented to the amplifiers though. Less stress is a good thing and an improvement.

This is the impedance curve of the three way speakers in the family room. It took quite a bit of work to get it that good. I agree three ways do present a challenge in this regard, but I think you do the customer a disservice if you don't make an effort to present the easiest load to drive you can. I think this is part of the design team's responsibility.

 

[TLS Guy]

They have the current lineup of Martin Logan at retailers here in San Antonio

I've listened to all the towers in these current lineups and even in not ideal setups in showrooms subjectively I enjoyed the way they sound

I might have to snag a pair later next year and try them out both in my bedroom not an ideal listening environment and in my theater room which is well treated and a better acoustical environment tell you guys what I think

I do think they are in the price range where they are likely to be powered from receivers. If they have them at best buy, I will try and give them a listen. That is not and ideal listening environment though.

I think they should have done more work on the load presented to the amplifiers though. Less stress is a good thing and an improvement.

This is the impedance curve of the three way speakers in the family room. It took quite a bit of work to get it that good. I agree three ways do present a challenge in this regard, but I think you do the customer a disservice if you don't make an effort to present the easiest load to drive you can. I think this is part of the design team's responsibility.

One thing I think we can all agree on - if you buy a 4-ohm speaker, it never hurts to buy an amp stable for 2 ohms.

I have powered big towers that have impedance below 3 ohms at high volume with a $500 AVR rated at 50WPC. I didn’t play it for 10 years, though. So I don’t know the chronic/long-term adverse effects of doing that to an AVR.

Let me explain this to you. Everytime you halve the impedance of the load you double the current. With speakers it is actually usually more than that, as when the impedance curve drops negative, which often is when associated with impedance drops, current demands are significantly increased. Now the heating effect of current through the output devices in not linear, but goes up by the square of the increase in current.

So if you drop to two ohms you have squared the heating in the output devices by the square of the square.

So this is why once you start to drop certainly below four ohms, the output devices really get stressed.

It does not take much. My amp that gets the hottest is the one driving the surrounds. These speakers have the lowest impedance dropping to just below four ohms below 200 Hz but never as low as three. The other amps cranking out more power run cooler.

So low impedance loads are a much bigger problem than you think. They do have a definite effect on the longevity of amplifiers, both in regards their output devices and power supplies.

In receivers you have small output devices and close spaced amp boards, so they are very vulnerable to the I squared X R heating losses from the increased current driving low impedance loads.

Since the db increase is log, you can see that turning down the volume drastically decreases the heating of the output devices.

 

[Mikado463]

Historically speaking Martin Logan, an electrostatic leader, has been know for some rather challenging speakers to drive. Truth be told it wasn't till their move to Canada that they began delving deeper into dynamic speaker development.

If one wants perhaps a little more insight to the Logan clan and their choice of amplification venture over to their owners site ...........

MartinLogan Audio Owners Forum

Martin Logan forum for MLO audio & speaker owners. Martin Logan MLO forums for electrostatic loudspeakers. Martin Logan for sale classifieds forum.

www.martinloganowners.com

FWIW, I gave Mathews write up / review a nod over there

 

[Steve81]

One thing I think we can all agree on - if you buy a 4-ohm speaker, it never hurts to buy an amp stable for 2 ohms.

I have powered big towers that have impedance below 3 ohms at high volume with a $500 AVR rated at 50WPC. I didn’t play it for 10 years, though. So I don’t know the chronic/long-term adverse effects of doing that to an AVR.

For entertainment value, I ran a little test with my "home alone" rig this morning. Speakers are KEF R3 Metas, which are 4-ohm nominal and have an EDPR that hits 2 ohms in a few spots; their sensitivity is nothing to brag about either, at ~86dB w/ 2.83V. Amplification is courtesy of the NAD M10 V2, which uses Hypex NC252MP modules in a very compact chassis. The NAD lets me monitor the NCore modules' temps, which is a handy feature. Test started with a warmup of a couple hours worth of rock and metal at spirited volumes. This was then followed by a movie double-feature. I checked the temps from time to time, and they topped out at 65C. Thermal shutdown happens at 91C, so it seems like there is a fair amount of margin in that regard, at least in my case. After all was said and done, the chassis was certainly warm to the touch, but nowhere near as hot as the receivers and Class A/B amps I've used in the past.