A brutal review of the Wilson Maxx

He has a "measuring stick" that obsesses about 6db octave crossovers. No speaker manufacturer need apply without 1st order crossovers & good step response. "Set in stone" beliefs will always color perception. Like in the stereophile review, little of the text describes the sound. This a very large speaker & most set-ups & reviews I've seen (soundstage/stereophile)have the speaker in very normal sized rooms that I would think were much too small for the speaker...

I agree with Honest1. Did he even listen? Doesn't seem so. But after reading the whole diatribe I can't help but wonder just what kind of speaker he would deem acceptable. He rags on ported enclosures, d'appolito designs, Focal drivers, dual 8" passive drivers.....he doesn't seem to like much. What the hell does he listen to music with?

Oz

The best thing to do on any review is trust your ears. Never buy a product without listening to it. Now I know everyone can't or won't do this. But everyone should. Remember there is no product made that everyone likes. If you like Wilson speakers and they are in your price range buy them. If you don't like Wilson speakers don't buy them. Remember the goal is to enjoy the music. Who cares what someone else thinks of your system. If you like it you will listen to it. If you don't you won't so buy what you like and forget about what everyone else thinks.

Just my 0.02 before taxes....

I'm gussing that Wilson didn't send him any speakers for him to set up in his studio, therefore he had to listen to them somewhere else. It is unlikely he will be offered an audition from WIlson in the future! It is vitriolic, to be sure, however, no intelligent person will deny that advertising sells products to the public, and advertisers are pandered to by magazines. It is comical to me to see this played out since the price of Wilsons is beyond me, and I really could not care less. There are wonderful speakers out there in the $2000-$4000 range that will satisfy almost everyone. They are too numerous to mention and I will wager that in a blinded test, few of us would choose the most expensive speaker as our preference. But, to each his own! It can be entertaining!

I heard some crazy Grand slams or something from them in like a 70,000 dollar system and did not get it at all,,, I have heard 8,000 speakers that would smoke them... but some guys love Super pinpoint accurate flat sound, not necessarily musical sound that we are looking for, so I think that is the market that wilson is in, but again I'm sure someone will argue You need to have 20,000 dollar amps or just the absolute correct system synergy to make them go, but even then I would go about 1/4 the cost with other stuff and be quite happy.

You mean a brutal review of the reviews of the Wilson Maxx. I'm not sure he even listened to the speakers much, since he only gives 2 sentences about his listening impressions, without any info regarding the circumstances under which these opinions were formed. I am not familiar with the speakers in question, so will not offer any judgement of my own regarding who's right, but it doesn't seem to me that he offers a serious subjective review of the speakers, only a critique of other reviews and the measurements mde by others.

I have the exact same feelings as Chuck. I don't know why but I never thought systems with Wilson speakers had much life to them - they are simply too sterile for me.

I see a bias in all reviews, whether Watch Dog or Stereophile. I trust my ears instead.

Finally, someone who doesn't have Wilson in their pocket telling the truth. Stereophile and TAS are obviously interested in keeping the advertising $ rolling in.

Overpriced!

I scaned the review rather quickly and have to agree with him as I have never been impressed with wilson speakers especially the watt puppy 6/7's and the maxx's. They are built very well and the finish is excellent as is the components used in their construction. It is just that their sound has never impressed me. Maybe if I heard them in my enviroment with my electronics I would feel differently. But for now they are not my cup of tea. I can appreciate that some people love them and that's great. This hobby is after all what pleases the listener not what the media necessarily thinks.

Chuck