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Auditioned Wilson Sabrina X vs B&W 803D4 and Shocked

I recently auditioned the Wilsons vs. B&Ws and am a little befuddled. I had money in hand and was ready to purchase the Wilsons, but after reading the stellar reviews of the Sabrina Xs, I didn't think anything could compare in that price range. The source equipment was the McIntosh MC611s and the MC12000, which closely replicated my equipment. 

It was not even a close comparison; the B&Ws were clearly better in every aspect. The midrange was glorious, the highs were crisp, and the bass filled the room. The Wilsons were anemic with bass (roughly 14'x16'). The midrange was clinical, and the highs were nothing to write home about. I'm perplexed because Sabrina's bass output (per the reviews) belies its driver size. We even experimented with the 4 and 8-ohm outputs on the Macs.

Has anyone experienced something similar, or am I missing something (synergy, cabling, etc.)? I really wanted to love the Wilsons, but at $20K, I am not impressed. I know the B&Ws are $5K more, but I heard that Wilson is doing a price increase for 2025, which will level the price gap. I would love to hear about some experiences involving both brands or the discrepancies I heard in the presentations.  

jeffreyw

Showing 1 response by erik_squires

erik_squires
16,667 posts
 

Hi OP,

First, really happy that you found what you were looking for. If you put Mc + B&W together and you like that sound I doubt anything else would make you happy.

However, to me, this is a very colorful combination which I would not be happy with at all.

My experience with late model Wilsons is they have plenty of bass with the right amp in the right room when the resistors and jumpers are configured correctly. I doubt the Mc’s would be the right amp for them.

Not saying you should have bought Wilsons and Luxmans instead, but that your personal preferences kind of made your purchase inevitable.

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