Wilson Audio has been extremely busy in 2023 with a number of key new releases including the Sasha V Floorstanding and WASAE Center Channel loudspeakers. But where things get more interesting is with their new Alida CSC (Convergent Synergy Carbon) wall/ceiling mount speakers.
Full-range loudspeakers for your wall and ceiling? The high-end CI space has really started to grow over the past 3 years with KEF, Revel, Focal and Sonus faber introducing some rather full-range products that will set one back a rather pretty penny.
Building on Wilson Audio’s previous legacy WATCH One and WATCH Two wall-mounted surround speakers, the Alida CSC is also a wall-mounted speaker designed to be used as a main or surround speaker in a home theater setup. You can also use the Alida CSC in a wall-mounted two-channel stereo setup.
Tip: WATCH stands for (Wilson Audio Theater Comes Home).
Alida CSC Overview
The Alida CSC is designed to deliver a full-range music or home theater listening experience despite its more compact size than other Wilson Audio speaker options. The Alida CSC has a flexible power-handling capacity and low-end frequency response reaching below 40 Hz.
The Alida CSC cabinet incorporates advanced X-material (used for cabinet bracing), S-material (a blend of materials that form a stable and low-resonance coupling surface for the midrange driver), and V-material for precise vibration control.
Convergent Synergy Carbon (CSC) Tweeter was designed initially for the Alexx V and subsequently incorporated into the design of Alexia V and Sasha V. This tweeter represents high-frequency extension and ambient detail. The CSC tweeter components are 3D printed by Wilson Audio.
Capacitors: With Wilson’s newly designed AudioCapX-WA-Cu (copper) capacitors, the Alida CSC is designed to deliver accurate sonic resolution. The special copper version of the AudioCapX-WA capacitor, integrated into the tweeter crossover, supports high-frequency micro-detail and an open sense of air to your system’s sound.
Mounting
In addition to wall mounting, Wilson Audio also offers an Alida CSC Ceiling Mount option. This is designed to accommodate the Dolby Atmos configurations, such as 5.1.2 and 7.2.4.
The Alida CSC Mounting Bracket can be optimized for both the time-domain and driver dispersion, providing up to 30 degrees of rotation. This adjustability allows for extreme adaptability, especially in the most challenging installations.
Finish Options
The Alida CSC is being offered with an abundance of cabinet and grill colors in standard (5 colors), upgrade (14 colors), and pearl (10 colors) options (upgrade and pearl color options require an extra fee).
Tip: The standard color offerings are Galaxy Gray, GT Silver, Quartz, Carbon, and Medio Grigio.
Specifications
- Enclosure Type: Front Ported / X-Material, S-Material, V-Material
- Mid-Woofer: 1 x 5 3/4 inches (14.61 cm), Doped Paper Pulp
- Tweeter: 1 x 1 inch (2.54 cm), Doped Silk Fabric
- Sensitivity: 87 dB @ 1 Watt @ 1 meter @ 1 kHz
- Nominal Impedance: 4 ohms / minimum 5.56 ohms @ 263 Hz
- Minimum Amplifier Power: 25 Watts per channel
- Frequency Response: 31 Hz – 32 kHz +/- 3 dB Room Average Response [RAR]
- Finishes: Standard (5), Upgrade (14), Pearl (12)
- Dimensions (mounted on Bracket)
- Height: 25 13/16 inches (65.58 cm)
- Width: 11 3/8 inches (28.84 cm)
- Depth: 12 13/16 inches (32.48 cm)
- Weight Per Speaker (with Bracket): 62 lbs (28.12 kg)
- Total Approximate Shipping Weight: 230 lbs (104.33 kg
Tip: Wall mount template, wall mounts, mounting screws and accessories, and necessary tools are included. User does need to provide their own tape measure, masking tape, pen, and hand drill.
Price and Availability
Wilson Audio’s Alida CSC on-wall/ceiling speakers will be available December 22, 2023 with painted mounts in four finish options through authorized dealers and distributors.
- Standard: $17,650/pair
- Upgrade: $18,150/pair
- Custom: $19,750/pair
- Premium: $20,350/pair
For more information: wilsonaudio.com
Tip: According to Wilson Audio, there are still more speakers coming before the end of 2023.
Related Reading
Recent coverage of other Wilson Audio Loudspeakers includes:
MrSatyre
November 22, 2023 at 10:20 pm
Even if I had the budget, I can’t conceive of wasting a Wilson speaker in a surround or height channel application. To me, that’s akin to buying a Bugati only to drive it once a year.
Ian White
November 28, 2023 at 3:04 am
Sat,
Looking at the price…shudder.
IW
Edward Brumbaugh
January 19, 2024 at 3:26 pm
Agree with both of those previous comments. Nice speaker, but as I read the article, I kept thinking the speaker is overkill for effects in an HT application . But for the customers that buy these, money is just another number in their day-to-day lives … good on them. Me, I’ll keep what I have in my X.X.4 HT and keep the other $30K in the bank. Enjoy your gear.