A brutal review of the Wilson Maxx

1.i think audiophiles and magazines have trouble accepting criticism. we don't think twice when a car magazaine critize a 70-80k car from mercede or bmw or whatever because it didn't handle right or the engine was noisy or whatever. yet when someone criticze a hi end component, people get too defensive. most of the mags i read like TAS and stereophile give rave review on most products. i can't remember how many time the magazine proclaim that this product can compete with some thing that sell for 2x .3x or whatever product. since most of us don't have access or time to listen to these product. let me kwno what the 2x 3x products you are comparing to, so i know what your compairng to.
2. what consititue a hi end/fidelity product. using the car ananlogy, even when magazine critize the mercede/bmw model, the reader can read the spec ie 0 to 60 mph accel. cornerning, interior space... etc.and still come away with a farily good ideal how the car perform. ( like bmw accelerate better that honda cvic )yet in audio community, there isn't standard sets of measurement that everyone agree to taht constitue high performance. just by saying it sound good to me doesn't cut it in my book. the product should be compare to a reference( reviewer's reference ). in what category is it better than your reference. clarity? bass, extension? so the novice reader like me have an ideal what he/she mean.
just my 2$

i drive a 50k car , do i think the car can be improve? in just about every category. do i like my car? yeah. Either we have reach sonic Nirvana or the bar are being set too low.

forget about measurements ,parts quality and whatever other nonsense.if the ultimate test is your ear and if it sound good to you then it must be good.then why the heck are we reading these magazines/reviews? however if hardesty feel that wilson is not a good design , maybe he should offer a specific make/model that he thinks is better or just as good as the wilson for less moeny. and maybe the magazine or somebody and do a shootout and tell us what they think. or dare i say, do a double blind test, see which speaker people prefered.i heard the x-1 before not but cup of tea , but i thought it sounds pretty good, is it the best spearke in the world, i don't know , ihaven't heard all the top speakers in the world.

i remember reading something like that in TAS where they interview the speaker designers from revel, mbl, magnepan and some other speakere i can't remember. each person talk about their philosophy , i thought thougth it was a great article.

"The writer of the article critical of the Wilson's really did come across as quite hostile to me as a true non-partisan in this one; but he did raise good points as well"
i second that, no one seem to want to address the issue he raise? maybe if he had say it nicely someone ( manufacture or reviewer ) would address the questions he raise? i think that would be a much more interested thread. david wilson is well respected speaker designer in the industry, i am sure there is a reason he choose to design it that way. it will be much more interesting and educational for the audiophile non-engineer to know. instead of attacking each other.