A passive three-way centre speaker for home cinema, for a shelf or the wall: an XStat CLS electrostatic panel 45.7 cm wide for the midrange, a Folded Motion tweeter for the treble and two 16.5 cm aluminium woofers for the bass.
Focus ESL C18: drivers and installation
The Focus ESL C18 is the Masterpiece centre channel for anyone who wants an electrostatic above or below the screen as well. Here the curved panel, 19 x 45.7 cm with 868 cm² of radiating area, acts as the midrange between 470 Hz and 3,000 Hz. Above it works a Folded Motion tweeter with a pleated 13.3 x 4.4 cm diaphragm, housed directly behind the panel; below it, two 16.5 cm woofers that reach down to 50 Hz. Sensitivity is 90 dB and impedance 4 ohms.
Its distinguishing feature is wall mounting, unusual for an electrostatic: fixed flat against the wall the speaker projects 24.5 cm. The bracket, included, allows several tilt angles, so the centre can be aimed at the listening seat when it is placed very high or very low. Alternatively it can rest on a shelf or a stand. A switch at the back, marked On-Wall and Off-Wall, adapts the bass output to how near the wall is, since a boundary tends to reinforce it.
The cabinet is braced internally and the grille echoes the pattern of the MicroPerf stators and the AirFrame Blade frame found elsewhere in the Masterpiece range, so the front stage looks consistent too. The Vojtko crossover is hand built and connection is made through WBT terminals with a pure-copper conductor, insulated and damped against vibration. Suggested amplification runs from 50 to 400 W. The speaker is offered in several finishes.
Specifications
- Frequency range: 50-23,000 Hz (±3 dB)
- Sensitivity: 90 dB (2.83 V at 1 m)
- Impedance: 4 ohms
- Suggested amplifier: 50 to 400 W a channel
- Crossover points: 470 and 3,000 Hz
- Horizontal spread: 30°
- Tweeter: Folded Motion, 2.6 x 3.6 cm, with a 13.3 x 4.4 cm diaphragm
- Midrange: XStat CLS electrostatic panel, 19 x 45.7 cm, radiating area 868 cm²
- Woofers: two 16.5 cm aluminium units on cast baskets
- Crossover: Vojtko with a dedicated audio transformer, air-core and laminate coils, polyester capacitors
- Adjustments: On-Wall / Off-Wall placement switch
- Terminals: WBT-0703Cu nextgen in gold-plated pure copper
- Installation: on a shelf or on the wall, tilting bracket included
- Size on a shelf (H x W x D): 24.4 x 109.7 x 23.4 cm
- Size on the wall, flat (H x W x D): 23.9 x 109.7 x 24.5 cm
- Size on the wall, tilted (H x W x D): 28.8 x 109.7 x 29.1 cm
- Weight: 22.7 kg
- Supplied: sold singly
- Finishes: gloss black, gloss white, dark cherry, walnut, silver, burgundy, dark blue, Desert Silver, grey, red
