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My apologies_Upgrade path from Wilson WattPuppy 7's?

Folks-

I am the naive person who posted about which speaker to buy next, my system is all McIntosh, except for the downloaded high-resolution music content. Since I have price limitations, I have been attempting to audition loudspeakers under $15K, preferably used or demos. In various stores, I have heard the following:
  • Vandersteen Quarto CT's: Great bass, but an active system that does not seem to resolve high mid-range strings like a Wilson;
  • Triton GoldenEar Reference;
  • Sonus Faber Venere S and Olympica's, great sound in the store.
Currently, I am auditioning (in-house) Wilson Yvette speakers (it cost $400 for an in-house demo), and they sound great to me, but they are too expensive, even at a reduced demo price.  I started comparing frequency and impedance curves where I could obtain them (mostly Hi-Fi news from the U.K.), but I am becoming too obsessive about this.

So, I guess I could buy the Wilson Sabrina or Wilson Sasha WP (discontinued Series 1), since I seem to like the Wilson sound. Any advice?

Thanks again - Gerry
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Showing 3 responses by shadorne

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shadorne
7,467 posts
 
+1 Wilson Sasha WP
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shadorne
7,467 posts
 
I concurr - clearly Wilson is not going to take the OP to the next level of enjoyment. I would try Focal - similar bass heavy sound but better driver integration, IMHO. Alternatively, ATC are good at low mid range - in fact most speakers with a critically damped bass will do better at low mids than Wilson, Focal or B&W or any of the ported bass extended designs which all tend to "hum" in the deep LF and mask the lower mid range details.
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shadorne
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@audiotroy

It is not just about competitive.

There is something to be said for designs that have stood the test of time and endured the critical listening of millions of ears. They have proven they are not simply this seasons latest passing fashion. The Paradigm Personas do indeed look technically very impressive and no doubt sound better, however, there is always a small risk with newer products - defects can develop over time and there is infant mortality on parts with a completely new ground up design. Also the appeal of the new product may not last and the manufacturer may rationalize and drop the line in favor of other products.

As you can appreciate, like a fine classic car, the Wilson WP has merits that come with having dominated or defined the high end for so long, The WP will always be a classic while the Persona may or may not become a legend.

My ATC are similar to Wilson, they come from the past - the golden age of studios and consequently they have been appreciated for many years by countless musicians, producers and engineers from Telarc to Sony to Yamaha to Mark Knopfler, Sting and Pink Floyd. They passed the test of tens of thousands of critical listeners over 30 years and like a good Les Paul - they are still bought today when building a new studio and 30 year old ATC can still be repaired with available replacement parts. There is value in that just like there is value in a classic by Dave Wilson. Wilson WP defined a sound that is a reference for many audiophiles.

That said, your comments are appreciated and your perspective is also correct - there is high performance to be had in modern designs and often for much less. Progress is wonderful.
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