In this review, we will be comparing EFX and Alida CSC, two Passive Surround speakers from MartinLogan and Wilson Audio.
Let's have a brief look at the main features
of MartinLogan EFX and Wilson Audio Alida CSC first before getting into our more
detailed comparison.
| Key Specs | MartinLogan EFX | Wilson Audio Alida CSC |
|---|
| Brand | MartinLogan
United States · founded 1982 | Wilson Audio
United States · founded 1974 |
|---|
| Design | 2-way | 2-way |
|---|
| Tweeter | Electrostatic | 1" Dome |
|---|
| Woofer | 6.5" Aluminium | 5.75" Paper pulp |
|---|
| Frequency response | 68-22k Hz | 31-32k Hz |
|---|
| Sensitivity | 90 dB | 87 dB |
|---|
| Impedance | 6 ohms | 4 ohms |
|---|
| Power range | 20-300 watts | from 25 watts |
|---|
| Weight | 11.10kg / 24.4lbs | 28.12kg / 61.9lbs |
|---|
| Dimensions (H x W x D) | 48-3/4" x 9-3/8" x 6-1/2"
1239.0 x 238.0 x 165.0mm | 25-13/16" x 11-5/16" x 12-13/16"
656.0 x 288.0 x 325.0mm |
|---|
What size room are the MartinLogan EFX and Wilson Audio Alida CSC speakers good for?
The size of the room in which you are planning to use these loudspeakers is an important decision
factor. Here we have compared their suitability to various sizes of environments considering their size
and max power parameters:
| Listening Environment* |
MartinLogan EFX |
Wilson Audio Alida CSC |
| Near-field |
Good |
Average |
| Small Room |
Good |
Good |
| Mid-size Room |
Average |
Average |
| Large Room |
Poor |
Poor |
| Very Large Room |
No way |
Bad |
(* Approximate Room sizes: Small < 100sq. ft / 9 m2,
Mid-size: 100-220 sq. ft / 9-20 m2, Large 220-400 sq. ft / 20-36 m2, Very Large: >
400 sq. ft / 36 m2.
Average Floor Height: 9" / 2.7m. Typical room sizes differ from country to country, and the actual
listening experience changes depending on floor height, room shape, surface materials, listening
position, speaker locations, etc.)
The sections below take each area in turn: drivers, frequency response, physical size and what you get in the box.
Drivers
Both EFX and Alida CSC are 2-way speakers.
MartinLogan EFXWilson Audio Alida CSC
TweeterWoofer
Front view, drawn to scale - cabinets and drivers share one scale, so sizes are directly comparable. Hover a driver for its size.
| Driver |
MartinLogan EFX |
Wilson Audio Alida CSC |
|
Driver Setup
|
2-way
|
2-way
|
|
Tweeter
|
-inch
|
1-inch
|
|
Midrange
|
- |
- |
|
Woofer
|
1 x 6.5-inch
|
1 x 5.75-inch
|
EFX features a " Electrostatic panel Electrostatic Tweeter and 1 x 6.5" Aluminium Woofer with a Crossover frequency at 530Hz. On the other hand, the Alida CSC features a 1" Doped silk fabric Dome Tweeter and 1 x 5.75" Paper pulp Woofer.
Frequency Response
EFX has a frequency range of 68-22k Hz whereas Alida CSC has a frequency range of 31-32k Hz. With a minimum frequency of 31Hz, the Alida CSC can go significantly deeper on the low side and provide stronger bass compared to the EFX's min frequency of 68Hz.
The graph below depicts how these two speakers compare with the max, min and average Low Frequency values of other speakers in the Surround class in our database.
Low Frequency
Surround Speakers
Neither pair reaches down to 20Hz, the usual definition of full-range, which is normal for speakers of this size. If you want the bottom octave for movies or bass-heavy music, add a subwoofer to whichever you choose. Visit our Powered Subwoofers section to find out more about the available options.
Impedance and Sensitivity
EFX is a 6 ohms speaker compared to the Alida CSC which has a nominal impedance of 4 ohms. Lower impedance speakers, especially the ones that are rated at 4 ohms may put more pressure on the amplifier unit especially when played at high volume levels, so make sure the amp you pair with the Alida CSC can provide this impedance level.
These two speakers also have different sensitivity levels. EFX sensitivity is rated at 90 dB and the Alida CSC's is rated at 87 dB. This 3 dB difference makes the MartinLogan EFX a more sensitive speaker compared to Wilson Audio Alida CSC, hence will play louder with the same amount of watts.
Sensitivity
Surround Speakers
Power Range
Power
range is the range of input power in watts RMS that a loudspeaker is designed to handle. Staying
within that range gives nominal performance; driving the speaker beyond its maximum wattage can damage it.
EFX can handle a max power of 300 watts RMS, whereas Alida CSC has a max power handling value of watts RMS, 300 watts less than the EFX.
Note that higher power handling does not make a speaker louder: that depends mainly on
sensitivity and impedance. The calculator below shows how loud each of these actually plays
on a real amplifier.
Which plays louder on your amplifier?
Starting with a popular amplifier - change it to the one you own, or any you are
considering, and watch both numbers move.
Input Type and Bi-Amping / Bi-Wiring
EFX features Binding post type posts and Alida CSC has a Binding post type posts. None of these speakers feature bi-amping/bi-wiring.
Physical Specs
The size of a speaker can sometimes be an important decision factor due to space constraints or in some cases purely for esthetic reasons. In this section, we are going to compare MartinLogan EFX's and Wilson Audio Alida CSC's external dimensions. MartinLogan EFX has external dimensions of 1239.0 x 238.0 x 165.0mm (48-3/4 x 9-3/8 x 6-1/2inch) whereas Wilson Audio Alida CSC has external dimensions of 656.0 x 288.0 x 325.0mm (25-13/16 x 11-5/16 x 12-13/16inch).
MartinLogan EFX is 50mm narrower and 160mm less deeper than Wilson Audio Alida CSC but it is also 583mm taller.
Size, drawn to scale
Both speakers and both views share one scale, so everything here is directly comparable. Hover a box for its dimensions.
One scale for both, standing on the same surface and pushed back to the same wall, so the deeper one visibly sticks out further.
Wilson Audio Alida CSC needs about 138% more floor or shelf area. Wilson Audio Alida CSC is 160mm deeper, so it stands that much further out from the wall. MartinLogan EFX is 583mm taller.
Base Surface Area Comparison
Base surface area of a loudspeaker may become a determining factor when the space in your room or desk is limited.
The base surface area of the MartinLogan EFX is approximately 392.7cm2 / 60.9inch2 and base area of the Wilson Audio Alida CSC is approximately 936.0cm2 / 145.1inch2. The EFX requires 58% less surface area than the Alida CSC which gives it a small advantage on placement in tight spaces.
Weight Comparison The weight of a loudspeaker can become an important factor if you need to move and reposition the unit often. Weight of a speaker can also "sometimes" be an indicator of the rigidity of the enclosure and the quality of the internal components used. The MartinLogan EFX weighs 11.10kg / 24.4lbs and the Wilson Audio Alida CSC weighs 28.12kg / 61.9lbs. This makes the Alida CSC 153% heavier than the EFX.
Here is a comparison of how EFX and Alida CSC's weights compare with the average, max and min weights in Passive Surround class.
Weight
All Surround Speakers
 Sensitivity |
90 dB
vs
87 dB
|
Play louder with same amount of amplification power |
 Nominal Impedance |
6 ohms
vs
4 ohms
|
Less selective with amplifiers |
 Woofer Size |
6.5 inches
vs
5.75 inches
|
Larger woofer |
 Base Surface Area |
392cm2
vs
936cm2
|
Takes less floor space |
 Price per pair* |
4400USD
vs
18638USD
|
costs less (*prices may change depending on the seller, location and time) |
|
Low Frequency Response |
31 Hz
vs
68 Hz
|
Generates deeper bass |
 High Frequency Response |
32k Hz
vs
22k Hz
|
Generates higher frequency |
 Height |
656mm
vs
1239mm
|
Easier to fit in smaller spaces |
| General |
MartinLogan EFX |
Wilson Audio Alida CSC |
| Brand |
MartinLogan |
Wilson Audio |
| Speaker Type |
Surround speaker |
Surround speaker |
| Power Range |
20-300 watts |
from 25 watts |
| Sensitivity |
90 dB |
87 dB |
| Impedance |
6 ohms |
4 ohms |
| Impedance |
n/a |
5.56 ohms |
| Frequency Response |
68-22k Hz |
31-32k Hz |
Drivers |
|
|
| Woofer Quantity |
1 |
1 |
| Woofer Size |
6.5" |
5.75" |
| Woofer Composition |
Aluminium |
Paper pulp |
| Tweeter Size |
- |
1" |
| Tweeter Type |
Electrostatic |
Dome |
| Aimable Tweeter |
No |
No |
| Midrange Driver |
No |
No |
| Crossover Frequency |
530Hz |
n/a |
| Firing Direction |
n/a |
rear |
Physical Specs |
|
|
| Height |
1239.0mm (48.8") |
656.0mm (25.8") |
| Width |
238.0mm (9.4") |
288.0mm (11.3") |
| Depth |
165.0mm (6.5") |
325.0mm (12.8") |
| Weight |
11.10kg (24.4lbs) |
28.12kg (61.9lbs) |
| Enclosure |
Dipole |
Bass Reflex |
| Grille |
Yes |
Yes |
| Moisture Resistancy |
No |
No |
Connections |
|
|
| Biamp Inputs |
No |
No |
Other |
|
|
| Parts Warranty |
|
5 Years |
| Labor Warranty |
|
5 Years |
These sit in different price classes - Wilson Audio Alida CSC costs roughly 4.2x what MartinLogan EFX does. Expect it to lead on paper; the question is whether the gap is audible enough in your room to be worth it.
| Area | Better | Why |
|---|
| Bass | B | Wilson Audio Alida CSC digs deeper - 31Hz against 68Hz. |
| Amplifier needs | A | MartinLogan EFX is more sensitive (90dB vs 87dB), so it goes louder on the same amplifier. |
| Amplifier match | A | MartinLogan EFX is the easier load at 6 ohms; the other is 4 ohms and wants an amplifier rated for it. |
| Size | depends | MartinLogan EFX is easier to place; Wilson Audio Alida CSC is bigger, which usually goes with fuller bass. Your room decides. |
| Cabinet | depends | Dipole vs Ported. |
| Expandability | depends | Neither adds bi-amping, a sub output or height drivers. MartinLogan EFX sits in a wider range (5 models), so a matched surround system is easier later. |
| Price | A | MartinLogan EFX is cheaper - $4,400 against $18,638, about 76% less; arguably a different class. |
A MartinLogan EFX B Wilson Audio Alida CSC
depends neither is better in the abstract - it turns on your room, your system or how you will use them. Only specs published for both speakers are judged; anything missing on either side is left out rather than guessed.
Which should you choose?
MartinLogan EFX has the edge on paper, though the margin is not large. The rows marked "depends" may matter more to you than the score does. If a subwoofer is in your plans, the bass gap largely stops mattering - you would be crossing over above 68Hz anyway, which makes the cheaper MartinLogan EFX much easier to justify. Match it to your room: we rate MartinLogan EFX the better fit for near-field listening; elsewhere the two are rated the same.
And remember what a spec sheet cannot show: how each looks in your room and whether the finish suits it, what dealer support and warranty are like where you live, and how they actually sound to you. If you can hear them first - ideally with your own music - that will tell you more than any number above.