Wilson Audio TuneTot Review (high-end bookshelf speaker)

[pma]

Thanks for the review, @amirm . Interesting, isn’t it?

 

[testp]

Recommended cables for the TuneTotView attachment 174000

if i'd see this in real life the first time i would shout snake in the room...snake in the room!
also if anti-vibrations are so mucho importante, fill the room with water ~1 feet, and enjoy...

 

[Walter]

if i'd see this in real life the first time i would shout snake in the room...snake in the room!
also if anti-vibrations are so mucho importante, fill the room with water ~1 feet, and enjoy...

Yeah, it looks like a python that just swallow a tiny tot!

 

[Chrispy]

I'd simply expect more than a small bookshelf like this for the price....but for Wilson this probably fits their performance/pricing scheme, dunno, Wilson's never been a particularly worthy goal for speakers IMO. Seems to have effective marketing, tho.

 

[YSDR]

I didn’t read the topic all the way through, but WTF was on the mind of the speaker designer when that 100Hz vent tuning was invented?? Terrible.

 

[voodooless]

I didn’t read the topic all the way through, but WTF was on the mind of the speaker designer when that 100Hz vent tuning was invented?? Horrible.

Well, it gives a mighty kick. Makes the speaker sound larger than they really are, probably also helps power handling a bit.

Also note that they spec the thing to 65hz -3dB, but in room. Given placement close to the wall they’ll probably make that.

Still, it is a peculiar choice…

 

[xaviescacs]

Tiny Tot is slang for a small child... so they are saying its the baby of the Wilson family.

Thanks. I like audio but I signed up here to practice English really . It was one of those cases of not thinking of the obvious and searching for very clever interpretations, I guess just for fun or/and to pretend to be clever.

 

[aj625]

Well, it gives a mighty kick. Makes the speaker sound larger than they really are, probably also helps power handling a bit.

Also note that they spec the thing to 65hz -3dB, but in room. Given placement close to the wall they’ll probably make that.

Still, it is a peculiar choice…

100hz is too high for sounding it bigger. This range is about 60-80hz which makes speakers to sound bigger.

 

[amirm]

I wondered the same. Is it the unit measured in Stereophile “class I” version helped by Crown Engineers? ML has an ab version and class I (really class D) made in similar cases.

I have both amp architectures. The big Class I monoblocks sadly have developed some faults so I had to switch to using the class AB monster that I described in this review.

 

[Ein]

That is luxury product, cabinetwork, where cost doesn't matter. You buy this to office room, yours haver Sasha's on listening room sounds bigger but same matter, and garage for supercars and big yacht on yours private bay is here too. Thats it. Of course it is ridiculous, of course "ecosystem" is pricey as hell, and of course measures give you response like WTF. All match here. Thanks Amirm for this review - it gives us clearly image for this kinda products. Some of them sounds like meh, but much more sounds intriguingly, different (for good, not for bad) than typical HiFi pieces of equipment. Its - for sure - intention, producers philosophy, where measures are not top of list, characteristic is very messy, finally you have very or extreamly colourful sound.

Different reality.

 

[amirm]

I feel like i have seen reviews where cost was taken in to consideration before and regardless it is the right thing to do. A review that doesnt compare it to the available alternatives is pointless. I am considering removing my patreon payment at this point. (not a lot of money but its a matter of principle for me)

I am happy to refund anyone's donation at any time. Please start a conversation with me if you want to do that.

That aside, when someone is reviewing a Rolls Royce, comparisons to a Honda is meaningless. I have a wealthy friend that bought a very small run of BMW Alpina V12 (?) when they first came out. He said he paid $20K to upgrade the seats alone! While that sounds very strange and odd to average person, I fully appreciate that being something he would do. I myself have high-end class audio equipment and am not going to bother making comparisons to budget desktop products with them. They are what they are. You get to brag about how they look, how much they weigh, etc.

Also, bulk of the review are the measurements which are made regardless of whether I am testing a $100 speaker or $100,000. That is what people come here for. What I write subjectively based on my personal priority and judgements are out there for folks to look at, or not. Not here to sell you on them. I don't get the point of dictating to me what I should care about when evaluating a product any more than you would appreciate me advocating to you what you should do.

I just purchased a mixer to make Pizza dough. It is from Italy and costs $1,800. When it arrives, I will judge it on what kind of dough it makes, not how much more expensive it is than a mass market mixer.

 

[JJB70]

When you get into luxury goods price is increasingly divorced from performance. I do think that if a product offers something special then high prices are not such an issue. And if you want something then you want it. Really, what does it matter what anyone else thinks, and nobody needs to justify their choices to anyone (well, other than their partner if in a relationship). Conversely, people are quite at liberty to offer their opinions on why they think something is over priced, not worth the money etc. Freedom of choice and opinion works both ways.
Personally, although I would not say I would never spend$10k on speakers, if I did so it wouldn't be these. Then again I lust after an Accuphase system and can appreciate why others would consider spending a huge amount on an Accuphase system to be crazy. I honestly can't see the point of spending anything on a DAC unless you need the functionality of professional equipment, but to each their own.

 

[Mystical Boar]

With all due respect, but recommending these speakers under any circumstances is ridiculous. You can't focus on the performance alone completely ignoring the price - one of the most important factors for most people when making a decision whether to get something or not. It's like recommending just a good car with the price tag of a ferrari because "it's ok if you ignore the price". No it's not, because you can't ignore the price.

 

[Nootmuskaatje]

These measurements are what makes me love my KEF Q150s + Q650C even more. I found them a bit expensive at first, but they outperform $10.000 speakers. So in reality it was a bargain.

 

[JJB70]

With all due respect, but recommending these speakers under any circumstances is ridiculous. You can't focus on the performance alone completely ignoring the price - one of the most important factors for most people when making a decision whether to get something or not. It's like recommending just a good car with the price tag of a ferrari because "it's ok if you ignore the price". No it's not, because you can't ignore the price.

I wouldn't expect a Rolls Royce for the price of a Dacia, conversely if Rolls Royce offered a car with Dacia cabin trim at RR prices they'd be ripped apart. In either case expectations and demand are linked to price.

 

[Walter]

I really don't understand the complaints about Amir's recommendation process. He has stated repeatedly that he usually does not take price into consideration, and in the rare cases when he does, he says so. It is not the same basis I use, but so what? As long as he is clear about his standards, consistent, and honest, that is all anyone should ask. Read the review and then make a decision for yourself about whether it is a product you are interested in.

 

[gsp1971]

With all due respect, but recommending these speakers under any circumstances is ridiculous. You can't focus on the performance alone completely ignoring the price - one of the most important factors for most people when making a decision whether to get something or not. It's like recommending just a good car with the price tag of a ferrari because "it's ok if you ignore the price". No it's not, because you can't ignore the price.

With all due respect I disagree.
Amir's job is to provide a recommendation based on performance, through measurements and listening. Price has nothing to do with it.
Whether something is cheap / expensive / good value varies from person to person.
It's up to you to decide whether something is worth your money.

 

[Koeitje]

Seagull ST21 Chinese at 1/5 the price of it’s ETA equivalent. And not far off from a Rolex. You can get some really nice watches with ST21. It is also the thinest movement as far as I know so great for dress watches.

Not far off a Rolex is not the same as a Rolex. You are going to run into diminishing returns.

And the thinnest movement for dress watched, no way. Here are some that are thinner:

The world's thinnest watches – Loads going on in the smallest of spaces

We shed light on what micro-engineering these days is capable of, so buckle up for the three world's thinnest watches.

www.montredo.com

But if you want quartz performance from a mechanical watch you are going to end up at Seiko's Grand Seiko Spring drives.

 

[Mystical Boar]

With all due respect I disagree.
Amir's job is to provide a recommendation based on performance, through measurements and listening. Price has nothing to do with it.
Whether something is cheap / expensive / good value varies from person to person.
It's up to you to decide whether something is worth your money.

Expectations are inherently linked with the price, besides there are reviews on ASR that didn't get any recommendation because "there are much better products at this price range".

 

[amirm]

With all due respect, but recommending these speakers under any circumstances is ridiculous.

So go ahead and tell me what is cheap and expensive with respect to price of a speaker and prove that is representative of everyone here. Is a $1000 speaker cheap or expensive?