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AXPONA 2016: Wilson Audio

amirm

amirm

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Paragon, the dealer for Wilson Audio had pulled out all stops to show off the new Wilson ALEXX speakers.
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The setting was a very large (conference) room -- larger than any other suite at the show:

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The speaker are quite imposing in size and experience:

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The room is rather dead as you can tell from wall to wall carpet and dropped ceiling. Given the large space, I was hoping for clean bass performance. Didn't quite get that. More on that later. Here is the impressive wall of gear driving them:

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My favorite analog format, Reel to Reel was very well represent with frequent plays:

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Full dCS stack for digital playback:

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Tube power amps:

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They played LP, tape and digital. Here are the music that I heard while there:

http://www.shazam.com/track/6432236...streamthe-soldiers-tale-suite#referrer=shz.am


Nice music and track. Overall impression on the playback system was just "OK."

I was surprised how much Dire Straights LPs got played at the show. Here it was Brother in Arms: http://www.shazam.com/track/5165362/brothers-in-arms#referrer=shz.am

This is the digital version but again, the actual playback was LP (and may be a different revision):


Ticks and pops were very frequent and distracting to me. There was serious lisping in the vocals and highs were distorted -- all of which I attribute to the source: turntable/LP. Same artifacts I heard in other rooms. The large room helped in keeping the bass from being too bloated (although some general boominess was present). The sound presentation as I said earlier, was grand and large. If you like that in large panel speakers, you have some of it here with the Wilson ALEXX.

This track was from tape,Helplessly Hoping, Crosby & Stills & Nash
: http://www.shazam.com/track/644530/helplessly-hoping#referrer=shz.am


Very nice and enjoyable.

Speakers retail I think for $104,000. I won't even try to add up the prices for the rest of the system. Personal impression was that if you are a Wilson man, this is the larger meaner version of their smaller systems. But otherwise, the experience was, "OK" for me :).
 
Ok, they read my thread about not having the shrine between the speakers, but damn, how far is that preamp from those power amps?
 
Nick Doshi was the DJ.
I made a comment that it took over $100k of digital to keep up with $20k of analog tape?
I spent a fair amount of time in this room, but to me, I found the Alexx lacking. I heard a much better demo of them at the Definitive Audio event, so I blamed the room.
 
Bruce B said:
Nick Doshi was the DJ.
I made a comment that it took over $100k of digital to keep up with $20k of analog tape?
I spent a fair amount of time in this room, but to me, I found the Alexx lacking. I heard a much better demo of them at the Definitive Audio event, so I blamed the room.
Click to expand...

I'll be the godless heathen: You want the digital to sound like the tape, rip the tape with a good ADC, then play it back through a good DAC. Close your eyes and you'll need a trained listener to tell you which is which. Shouldn't cost more than a couple of grand.

Tim
 
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Guys, in a room of that size and shape are we really surprised that the system didn't sound that great? Even though the Alexx's are a large speaker, they are not nearly large enough for a room that is akin to a mini hall. Most times whenever I have heard demos done in giant rooms or halls, the system comes off severely lacking. I just read that Peter McGraph likes to set up Wilsons as far apart as possible....while this may work on some occasions, it most certainly will not work on all. Plus, in a huge room such as the one pictured, it is probably/certainly a mistake to set up speakers in that manner.
The only systems that I have heard that sounded ok in a room of that size, or larger, were set up way into the room...about 1/3rd in- and were set up with the speakers not being positioned too far apart. This lead to acceptable sound, but sound that was still obviously strained given the size of the room ( that the system had to contend with).
 
I heard Wilsons once at a dealer here, briefly.

Sounded like speakers.
 
RayDunzl said:
I heard Wilsons once at a dealer here, briefly.

Sounded like speakers.
Click to expand...
Look like one too :). I was talking about this with Troy. And that I don't know how to relax and listen to music when these towering transformers are staring back at me :). While the look is unique, it is one of the worst in high-end in my opinion.
 
I never look at mine.

Got a sock over the panel. They're wide, tall, and black, and are just there.
 
daveyf said:
Guys, in a room of that size and shape are we really surprised that the system didn't sound that great? Even though the Alexx's are a large speaker, they are not nearly large enough for a room that is akin to a mini hall. Most times whenever I have heard demos done in giant rooms or halls, the system comes off severely lacking. I just read that Peter McGraph likes to set up Wilsons as far apart as possible....while this may work on some occasions, it most certainly will not work on all. Plus, in a huge room such as the one pictured, it is probably/certainly a mistake to set up speakers in that manner.
The only systems that I have heard that sounded ok in a room of that size, or larger, were set up way into the room...about 1/3rd in- and were set up with the speakers not being positioned too far apart. This lead to acceptable sound, but sound that was still obviously strained given the size of the room ( that the system had to contend with).
Click to expand...

Then why would they choose to demo their speakers in that room with that set-up?

Tim
 
Yep, why didnt they EQ the room, at least would have reduced the boomyness, are they just unaware do you suppose?
Keith
 
Purité Audio said:
Yep, why didnt they EQ the room, at least would have reduced the boomyness, are they just unaware do you suppose?
Keith
Click to expand...
Because their audience remains anti-eq. They want you to buy a more expensive speaker if the bass is wrong!
 
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