In this guide: The short answer · How each brand builds a system · Range map · Small venues · Churches and reverberant rooms · Clubs · Install and background · Reading the specs across brands · How to choose · Popular picks · FAQ

NEXO and Martin Audio are both long-established professional loudspeaker makers, and both sell everything from small install boxes to large touring systems. If you are specifying a venue, a church or a club, the useful question is not which brand is better but which models from each range fit your room, and what electronics each one expects.

This guide maps the ranges we sell from each maker by application, using only the figures NEXO and Martin Audio publish. Model-by-model detail on single ranges is covered elsewhere: the NEXO P+ series guide, Blackline XP vs BlacklineX and our install speaker comparison, which covers Martin Audio CDD in depth.

The short answer

• Most of what is compared here is passive boxes plus electronics. NEXO publishes its speaker figures “with NEXO processing” and lists its NXAMPmk2 powered controllers, or a DTD controller with an amplifier, as the way to drive them. Martin Audio pairs its passive boxes with VIA amplifiers and DX processors, or iKON amplifiers that have the DSP built in. Budget for the electronics either way.
• Small venue or live room: NEXO P12 or P15 with L15 or L18 subs; Martin Audio FlexPoint, BlacklineX or CDD with SX or BlacklineX subs. If you would rather have no amplifier rack, Martin’s self-powered CDD-LIVE 12 is an option.
• Church or reverberant hall: NEXO ePS (asymmetric “PS” horn) and ID; Martin Audio Blackline Q columns and CDD. All of these are about putting sound on the congregation and off the walls and roof.
• Club: NEXO P15 over L18 or P12 over L15; Martin Audio FlexPoint or BlacklineX over SX118, the cardioid SXC118 or X218.
• Background and foreground music: NEXO ePS6/ePS8 with eLS400 on a nanoNXAMP4; Martin Audio ADORN or small CDD with SX110/SX112 subs on a VIA amplifier.
• Stay in one ecosystem per system. Mixing brands is possible, but each maker’s presets, crossovers and limiter settings are written for its own boxes.

How each brand builds a system

The biggest practical difference between the two brands is not the boxes but how they expect you to drive them. Plan the amplifier rack at the same time as the speakers.

NEXO: TD controllers

NEXO’s datasheets give performance “with NEXO processing” and list a recommended powering solution for each cabinet, with how many boxes each amplifier channel can take. For example, NEXO lists the P12 at up to two per channel on an NXAMP4x2mk2, and the ePS8 at up to three per channel on an NXAMP4x1mk2. Its P+ brochure says there is a dedicated preset for every horn and flange option on each P+ cabinet, and that NEXO setups are phase-compatible with its other speakers and subs (monitor setups excepted).

• NXAMPmk2 is the main powered controller: four channels of amplification with NEXO processing. NEXO rates the NXAMP4x1mk2, NXAMP4x2mk2 and NXAMP4x4mk2 at 4 x 1300W, 4 x 2500W and 4 x 4500W into 2 ohms. Dante and AES network cards are optional.
• nanoNXAMP4 (standard and nanoNXAMP4-D with Dante) is the small install unit: 4 x 250W into 4 ohms, with processing for ePS6, ePS8, ePS10 and eLS400, plus on-board mixer and matrix functions and optional wall controllers.
• DTD is NEXO’s processor-only option, in install versions such as the DTD-I and Dante-equipped DTD-I. NEXO says it can be used with amplifiers from other manufacturers, and pairs it with its own DTDAMP. Its P+ and ePS datasheets list a DTD with a DTDAMP amplifier among the powering options.

Martin Audio: VIA plus DX, or iKON

Martin Audio’s datasheets list recommended amplifiers per cabinet and describe two routes: a VIA amplifier with a DX processor, or an iKON amplifier with processing built in. How firmly each range asks for processing varies, so read the wording:

• BlacklineX: Martin says the X10 “may be used without a controller”, but that a DX0.4 or DX0.6 maximises its capabilities and provides the crossover when a sub is added.
• CDD: the CDD12 “should be used with a compatible controller with appropriate limiter settings”; a DX controller or iKON amplifier gives its FIR-based presets.
• Blackline Q columns: listed as requiring a processor and amplifier, or a combined amplifier-processor such as iKON.
• FlexPoint: powered by iKON, or by VIA when used with a DX4.0, DX0.4 or DX0.6.

NEXO’s datasheets state how many of each cabinet one amplifier channel can take; Martin’s state each box’s nominal impedance and recommended amplifiers. Follow those, and see matching amplifiers and speakers for the general rules on impedance.

The range map

Ranges we sell, grouped by the job they are designed for. These are like-for-like by application, not by sound or price.

Small venues and live music rooms

For a small live room, both makers offer a coaxial or two-way box on a sub. The NEXO P+ range is all coaxial with variable HF directivity; the Martin options split into the coaxial FlexPoint, the conventional two-way BlacklineX and the CDD.

The touring versions of the NEXO P12, P15 and P18 can be switched between passive and active (bi-amped) modes, and NEXO quotes higher peak output in active mode; the P12 and P15 installation versions are passive only. Active/passive switching is on the P12, P15 and P18 only. The P8 and P10 come with a wider 100° x 100° horn as standard, with an optional rotatable 110° x 60° horn. NEXO’s own example systems include a small club with two P12s on the asymmetric “PS” flange, and a small theatre with two P10s as the main pair.

On the Martin side, CDD’s coverage is wide close to the box and narrower further out, which Martin says projects relatively more output to the back of the audience. The CDD-LIVE 12 puts Class D amplification, DSP and Dante inside the cabinet, with balance presets for pole mount, pole mount with sub and stage monitor, so there is no amplifier rack to design. The Blackline XP12 is the other self-powered route, covered in the XP vs BlacklineX guide.

For subs, NEXO pairs the P12 with the L15 (down to 40Hz, 139 dB peak) and the P15 with the horn-loaded L18 (32Hz to 120Hz, 140 dB peak). Martin’s BlacklineX X118 is a direct-radiating 18″ rated at 42Hz to 150Hz (±3 dB), 136 dB peak (half space). Placement is covered in choosing and placing subwoofers. For general small-venue system sizing, start with PA systems for small venues, churches and function bands.

Churches and reverberant rooms

In a stone church or a hard-walled hall, the speaker’s job is to put sound on the congregation and keep it off the walls and roof. Directivity matters more than outright level. Both makers have ranges designed around that.

NEXO ePS: the asymmetric “PS” horn

The ePS range uses NEXO’s asymmetrical constant-directivity horn. NEXO publishes +25°/-30° vertical and 50° to 100° asymmetric horizontal coverage across the range: narrow and long-throw for the back rows, wide and short-throw for the front. The horn is user-rotatable. All four tops and the three eLS subs are IP55 rated, and white or other RAL colours can be ordered.

NEXO pairs the eLS400 (12″) with ePS6 and ePS8, the eLS600 (15″) with ePS8 and ePS10, and the eLS18 with ePS10 and ePS12. The ID24 is the compact alternative, with twin 4″ drivers in a V and a horn you can rotate between 120° x 40° and 40° x 120°; NEXO also offers other horn options, including 120° x 60° as on the ID24-T 120° x 60°. NEXO’s column is the ID84, which has a rear switch for broad (0° to -25°) or narrow (0° to -10°) vertical HF coverage.

Martin Audio Blackline Q columns and CDD

The Blackline Q26 and Q44 are passive two-way columns with a “Differential Dispersion” horn. Martin publishes 100° to 120° horizontal and 40° vertical coverage for both. The narrow vertical pattern is the reason to use a column in a reverberant room; column PA vs box speakers explains the principle.

Martin lists the Q columns as needing a processor and amplifier: a DX processor with a VIA amplifier, or an iKON. For the wider church picture (radio mics, streaming, volunteers), see our church AV upgrade guide.

Clubs

In clubs, sub output and control of where the bass goes count as much as the tops. Peak figures below are each maker’s own and are not measured the same way, so do not read much into a few dB between brands.

The SXC118 drives its front 18″ and rear 14″ from separate amplifier channels. Martin says the recommended iK42 setting gives rear rejection of 21 dB at 43Hz rising to 28 dB at 75Hz, keeping bass off the stage, the DJ booth and the walls. On the NEXO side, the P+ cluster hardware can hold two L15s with one reversed for cardioid use.

For tops, NEXO suggests P15 on L18 for a small club with live bands, and corner-placed P18s for a larger club. On the Martin side, FlexPoint FP15 or BlacklineX with SX subs is the passive route.

Install and background music

For bars, restaurants, shops and hotel spaces, the electronics often decide the choice as much as the speakers.

• NEXO: the nanoNXAMP4 drives ePS6, ePS8, ePS10 and eLS400 with NEXO presets and adds mixer, matrix and wall-controller functions, so it can serve as the zone controller too. NEXO’s ultra-compact ID14 (single 4″ coaxial, 1.7 kg, 120Hz to 20kHz, 116 dB peak, 100° x 100° or 90° x 140° horns) which NEXO describes as possibly the smallest speaker it has built, has presets on NXAMPmk2.
• Martin Audio: the ADORN A55 is a 5.25″ two-way at 16 ohms, 110° x 80°, 113 dB peak, IP54 with its optional connector cover. Martin recommends the VIA2004 and a 60Hz high-pass. The ADORN A80T adds 100V taps (60, 30 and 15W) and an 8 ohm setting; Martin names the VIA5002 for 100V line use. Small CDD models such as the CDD5 and CDD6 step up for foreground music, with the SX110 or SX112 sub.

Neither range is 100V across the board: NEXO specifies the ePS tops as 8 ohm passive boxes, and on the Martin side only the transformer versions, such as the ADORN T and CDD TX-WR models, are built for 70/100V line. If your building is wired for 100V line, check before you choose. Our commercial and background audio guide explains the difference.

Reading the specs across brands

Do not line up NEXO and Martin datasheets and pick the bigger number. The two makers do not state their figures on the same basis:

• Sensitivity. NEXO quotes 1W at 1m “with NEXO processing” and does not state the measurement space on these datasheets. Martin footnotes its method and it varies by range: FlexPoint, BlacklineX and CDD tops use 2.83V in open (4pi) space at 2m, referred to 1m; BlacklineX and SX subs use 2.83V in half (2pi) space; Blackline Q columns use 1W at 1m in open space. 2.83V is 1W only into 8 ohms, and some NEXO subs are 4 or 6 ohm.
• Maximum SPL. NEXO publishes a peak figure at 1m. Martin publishes continuous and peak; the BlacklineX, CDD and SX datasheets say the figure is calculated at 1m, and the sub figures are often half space.
• Coverage. NEXO’s P+ and ePS figures depend on which horn or flange is fitted. Martin’s CDD and Blackline Q use differential dispersion, so horizontal coverage is quoted as a range such as “110° to 60°”.
• Processing. NEXO publishes figures “with NEXO processing”, and Martin quotes several low-frequency figures “with preset”.

Our guide to reading a speaker spec sheet explains each figure. Within one brand the numbers compare well; between brands, use them to put models in the same class, then let coverage and the room decide.

How to choose

• Start from the room: size, how reverberant it is, ceiling height and where speakers can physically go.
• Pick the coverage shape you need (wide and short, long and narrow, or asymmetric) before you pick the brand.
• Decide on the electronics: an NXAMP, nanoNXAMP or DTD rack for NEXO, VIA plus DX or iKON for Martin Audio, or self-powered CDD-LIVE if you want no rack.
• If you already own one maker’s amplifiers or processors, staying with that maker keeps presets and protection straightforward.
• Check any existing 100V wiring, mounting positions and colour requirements (both makers offer white and custom RAL finishes on many models).
• Mounting and flying must follow the manufacturer’s instructions and be done by a competent person. Design, installation and testing of the electrical installation is likewise for a competent person.

Popular picks from the shop

Frequently asked questions

Is NEXO or Martin Audio better?

Neither is better across the board. Both make full ranges from small install speakers to large touring systems. Choose by the coverage your room needs, the electronics you want to run and what you already own, not by the badge.

Do NEXO speakers need an NXAMP?

NEXO specifies its cabinets “with NEXO processing” and lists NXAMPmk2 powered controllers as the recommended way to drive them. The DTD controller is an alternative and, according to NEXO, can be used with other makers’ amplifiers. The nanoNXAMP4 covers the smaller ePS models and eLS400.

Can I run Martin Audio speakers without a DX processor?

Some, yes. Martin says BlacklineX tops may be used without a controller, though a DX0.4 or DX0.6 gets the most from them and provides the crossover when you add a sub. CDD should be used with a compatible controller, and Blackline Q columns need a processor and amplifier or an iKON.

What is the NEXO equivalent of Martin Audio CDD?

By application, the ePS range: both are passive install point sources with weather-resistant options (CDD runs from 5″ to 15″, ePS from 6″ to 12″). They shape coverage differently. ePS uses an asymmetric horn; CDD uses a coaxial driver whose coverage narrows with distance.

Which is better for a church, a column or a point source?

In a reverberant church, a column with a narrow vertical pattern, such as the Martin Audio Blackline Q26 or Q44, helps keep sound on the congregation and off the walls and roof. An asymmetric point source such as NEXO ePS tackles the same problem with a horn whose coverage is narrower above its axis than below, giving long throw to the back and wide coverage at the front, and pairs with the eLS subs. Placement matters as much as the choice.

Can I mix NEXO and Martin Audio in one system?

It can be done with a capable processor, but each maker’s presets, crossovers and limiter settings are written for its own boxes. Keep mains, subs and fills from one maker where you can.