I have W/P 7's. I found violins and sopranos on certain recordings just a bit too brittle. My speakers are in my rather hard living room. I've tried two different cables. One tamed the upper register but also the bass. The other is better across the spectrum but as I've said a little too rough in the upper register. My solution: place an extra layer of speaker cloth in front of the midrange driver only. Voilá! Smoother violins with no perceptible added veiling.
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My local Wilson dealer really knows how to set them up and get the best from them. I've heard them from the W/P 6s to the Sashas. Each iteration was an improvement; all had good imaging, but the Sasha was a bigger, more comprehensive leap.
Besides meticulous setup and placement, this dealer has really, really good upstream components--matched sets of D'Agostino, ARC, Ayre, VTL, etc. connected by top line Transparent cable. Wilsons are highly resolving; you gotta feed'em right.
The D'Agostino Momentum monoblocks feeding the Sasha W/Ps was sublime. |
Well I just bought the Puppy 8 and have also had the Puppy 5,6,7 and I think the 8 beats the 7 in every aspect. The tweeter is also a little bit less "hot" than the 7 so this is an advantage to me. It is close to the Sasha. |
after hearing sonus fabers and eggleston andra's, i personally lost interest in wilson audio's quest to make "the best speakers in the world". one of the absolutely best MADE, no question. but sound-wise, while they are incredibly resolving,
they are perhaps some of the most analytical speakers out there (recall the WP-5's, the X-1's, or the cubs). UNLESS OF COURSE you can fork out whatever a pair of Alexandrias is going for these days. 'cause once you hear THEM you'll "understand" just how crazy-smart d.wilson is. luckily for years now other manufacturer's/designers are on to this marketing scheme and have some of their own amazing SOUNDING speakers to offer (and many for alot less money- like perhaps the new Revel Salons). |
this is a very interesting discussion and one that supports my belief that the watt puppy is the benchmark. it seems to be what every speaker is compared to and many mirror in technical and physical design. wilson simply builds the best speaker in the world. i have 7's and think at the moment, (they are my fave) a steal at the current used prices. 6's too, not a huge difference. there is no more powerful, emotionally and physically, speaker that can match what they do. and once set up, the imaging is like magic. there surely are more accurate, thiel for example which i love, but none as emotional...
just thought i would jump in, i was inspired! |
I learned a lot about my aesthetic priorities by comparing the 7s and 8s. Heard side by side on the same equipment, which included separate, expensive tube and solid state rigs, there was not a single sonic attribute for which the 8s did not outperform the 7s. Bass extension, treble smoothness, dynamic contrasts, midrange linearity, etc. were all somewhat to very much superior in the 8s than the 7s. However, much to my astonishment, I always found music more compellingly presented through the 7s than the 8s. This was as true for recordings of symphonic recordings at full tilt as recordings of solo piano, guitar or voice. Music through the 7s easily elicited an emotional rush that I did not experience as easily with the 8s. The sound of the 8s was definitely more accomplished but, perhaps more sterile. However, I can definitely envision someone having precisely the opposite opinion. Regardless, the 7s and 8s remain among the very best speakers that I have ever heard. |
Sasha is better than the WP 7/8. It is more resolving, much better integrated from top to bottom, and lacks the coloration evident in the 7/8.
The Sasha is really a different speaker from the older series.
I have owned them all, and have loved the 7/8. But this is a totally different ball game. |
I was very intriqued and heard sasha last week on well known setup ,similar to where i heard wp8. i can agree that its better estetical- more beautifull,not cubic . but any other sonical comparission makes me laught.sasha is not better or worse sounding than watt puppy 7/8. not a single point. its just diferent sounding speakers. tonal balance is diferent- its more warm sounding and have more ebnergy in lower midrange higher bass. but less imediate in midrange.just diferent. WP7 is still my favourite from the bunch. |
The 6's had way too much upper treble glare, ear piercing.
The 8's were better.
Still I though the 8's sound was dis-jointed. That is, the bass seemed seperate from the rest of the music.
You either have to like the Wilson sound or find equipment that tames the upper frequencies. |
I have to agree with Jfrech in reguards to the W/P evolution..I would buy a pair of Sophias before venturing into the W/P 6..The W/P 8 is far from "worthless". IMO an outstanding speaker and stands head and shoulders over the 7 model..The new Sasha is super duper!!! |
The 8 images as well as the 7, and in my opinion is the better speaker. Less bright, more resolving in the mid range and highs The 6 is not as refined as the 7 or 8.
The Sasha is quite amazing. A small Maxx3. |
Hi, I am not sure I agree that their isn't improvement in the 7's and 8's vs the 6's. I owned 6's and 8's. I will say they are each super speakers on their own, but all a lil different. Which is best is really up to you. I liked the 8's better, more coherence, higher resolution, more balance.
The 6's used are steal right now. I have not heard the new Sasha's, but I have Maxx 3's currently and it's a major change for the better. I suspect the Sasha's are a similar. Wilson has really added the "beauty" back along with their stellar dynamics, sound staging and resolution.
You really can't go wrong with 6's, 7's, 8's or Sasha's. It's your wallet that's the limiting factor here. Also Maxx 2's used might be a thought. Although buying new from a dealer with great setup is invaluable...good luck |
The new Sasha is better and less expensive, so the 8 and 7 are worthless unless stolen for $15k or less. I owned the system 6 and believe that Wilson has not greatly improved upon that speaker until the new Sasha. Best bang for the buck would be to get a used pair of 6's and feed them properly. Most people in most systems could not tell them apart anyway. The 6's were warmer and had more bloom, which I liked....the savings would be huge and the thrill higher:O) |
