Hifisoundguy,
As ridiculous as this may seem, i "heard" the Evolution Acoustics with DArtzeel reference monoblocks which were recorded by Albert Porter at the recent Electronics show...i think he recorded 30 rooms using the same equipment. As crazy as this sounds, the Evolution Acoustics room was the only one where the soundbyte actually sounded like Albert recorded a live event and streamed it over the internet. aside from 2 other presentations, everything else sounded like a stereo in a room.
i would never say i have heard the Evolution Acoustics, but i will say i am intrigued enough based on this one soundbyte to say that it would not surprised me if these speakers ranked up there for me at "top 3-5" based on my readings, speaking to a few folks who own them and also this one soundbyte in comparison to all the other soundbytes of the show. it really sounded like someone streaming music from a concerthall.
how familiar are you with these speakers? would love to get your thoughts in more detail on them! |
Hi all,
Just one person's experience, i finally traded up my SF Strads for a pair of Wilson X1 Grand Slamms. Stunning beyond all belief. Musical and organic (and this coming from someone who's favorite components include my Zanden DAC and, up until last nite, my SF Stradivaris.)
The set up is soooo incredibly important. 8 hours but after Pedro from Absolute Sounds changed the tweeter resistors and worked with Arif from KJ West One...smokes!...this is the best sound i have had the pleasure to really listen to. i am fortunate thanks to KJ West One to have found a pair in mint condition.
i would not tell anyone else it's the best, or anything silly like that. what i will say is that relative to the SF Strads:
1. effortless, effortless, effortless. one rarely understands this until you "see it" in action.
2. effortless [helps] translate into musicality because the speaker can get out of the way without strain and deliver whatever signal you feed it.
3. once properly dialed in...so critical on a Wilson!...the music flows thru the speakers like they are not there (at least way more than the Strads). Whatever size, volume, soundstage, quartet, a cappella, choral, deep house, rap...small, big, intimate, cavernous.
4. The Strads excel on mellifluous sound...natural and organic. soulful as michael fremer once said. in my system, the Slamms matched and exceeded the Strads even on this. that, i was truly not expecting.
just one man's set of ears. Enjoy everyone! |
Hi Paimei,
i am never fussed by other opinions. i keep my own counsel. ;) regarding Wilson, i just posted a review with my full system on it. i would say that source is less important than Speaker set up. and i am not talking about "art is science" positioning/placement. The main man of the national distributor came with the GM of the Dealer and they spent 8 hours. They resoldered new resistors into the tweeter (twice) to adjust for the treble dispersion in my room. The speaker is literally that adjustable, and it comes with the installation of the speakers.
Good became impressive became wow...became Smokes!!!!!!!!!!!! over the course of 8 hours. And they actually said there is a touch more tweaking they are happy to come back and do after the New Year's.
My source: Oppo 83 Transport to Zanden DAC Signature, through CJ ACT 2 pre and Gryphon Antileon. IC/SC is Transparent REference, and the PCs are all PAD Dominus B or Anniversary Contego.
Again, the sources are all good to my ear, but the set up was waaaaaay more important.
For example, the first soldered resistor was better than the original...but it still felt like middle C in the piano was being damped...kinda like the "trapped" you mentioned...like being in a sound proofed practice room when i used to practice the piano in music school. once they changed resitors again...it all opened up completely.
hope that helps... |
Hi Weseixas,
Thanks. And yes, panels are tough to set up...but can be incredible. I still remember listening to the Apogee Stages with Mark Levinson electronics around 15 years ago. They were already kinda old by then...but it was remarkable how "lifelike" they sounded.
Do u use panels? |
Hi Shadhorne,
Interesting point. i think you must be right. in fact, the transparency/imaging of the Slamms i have was suppoedly improved by Wilson(though i've not done direct comparison) by making adjustment to those very edges. They basially shaped each cone cabinet by carving back to the corners around the cone to keep their dispersion fully open. it started with the last generation of the Slamms on the midrange and was improved in the Alexandria by being applied to every cone. |
Hello Lloydelee21,
Yes, a Hybrid, Ribbon mid/high with dynamic bass drivers.
Weseixas.
Sounds like a good combination...very difficult to execute well. i have heard the STages...and more recently the CLXs which were very impressive...though without a sub not one for me. i have heard a local store i know well has the CLX now with the Descent Sub...now THAT is one to hear. will likely go over and listen when i get a chance next week. i think the combination of panel and cone when done right is an exceptional one.
no chance i swap for my Wilson X1/Grand Slamms...too heavy to move...plus i like them enough not to care if there is something better out there...i am just enjoying my music these days and for me, that is the point. |
I'm with you on this, no fun if you are not enjoying the music, many ways to good sound..
regards,
Weseixas
For sure! :)!! |
Wow...just read that article on Top 25 speakers...Wilson came out on top big time. Maxx 3, Alexandria and Sasha's all in the top 5.
I will say, all are excellent, and i think the Alexandria 2s are stunning. |
Hi Bifwynne,
Thanks for that...i helped my brother buy Paradigms floorstanders (Silver Signature) and they are very, very good.
As for Wilsons, they too need to be set up properly and with good electronics. Sashas will sound good with many things but not special. Watts can sound downright sterile with some equipment, and Maxx1 or 2's as well. Maxx 3s are exceptional speakers, and Alexandrias are world-class...but again, set up "so so" and you will be impressed but not for the money. Set up right, and most people will never forget the experience.
enjoy and pls post when you hear. |
Enjoy, GoofyF,
thats a nice set of speakers...out of curiosity...what amp are using to drive them? |
I have never heard AVant gardes, but i have heard Apogoee Stages and was mighty impressed! And that was over 20- years ago and it still is one of the references in sound for me. |
Hi Lacee,
Thanks for posting that...have never had the opportunity to hear the Westminster Royals but read many good things about them. I used to own the SF Strads and know the CLX quite well also. How would compare the Westminster Royals to either? Thanks for any guidance.
BTW, nice system!!! |
Hi Ertugrul,
Interesting! The Arrakis is the one speaker i would truly love to hear! Can you provide any comments about its sound in comparison to other big speakers? I have heard Wilson X1, X2, ML CLX & Descent Sub, SF Stradivari, YG Acoustic Anat Professional, Tidal Sunray with 2 Tower subs...thanks for any comments! |
Bjesien,
Presume that was Goodwins High End? Did you hear the Rockport Altairs while you were there by any chance? i was hoping to go there to listen to those. |
I hope to hear them early in July...will let you know! |
Mcondon,
interesting...can you describe what you heard in the Lessloss room a bit more? I just looked up this speaker...very interesting. Thanks for any insights, ackowledging you were hearing at a show. Any 'flavor' of what the Kaiser Kawero Classic sounds like is helpful. |
Mcondon - thanks for taking the time! Sounds intriguing. Intrigued by the ribbon? tweeter. I have seen many a discerning audiophile speak of these speakers...i have heard they are coming out with an all-out assault speaker to compete with the likes of XLF and Q7. Should be out later this year...presumably much bigger and much more capable of serious bass.
Would love to hear a Kaiser. |
I heard the Genesis 1.1s...but completely and i mean completely reworked...external Dueland Silver crossovers, ribbons, etc. It is to date the finest sound i have heard and by a wide, wide margin. I have been to Sound by Singer, Extreme? in Turkey, Audio Exotics in HK, KJ & Metropolis in London, A10 in Amsterdam, a few spots in Cambridge, MA, Madrid Spain, and elsewhere. I have heard at least 4 installations of Wilson X1s, X2s, XLF...plus Tidals with full Sunrays dual tower subs, big Thiels, ML CLX/Descents, Maggie 3s, Apogee Stages, SF Strads with subs...nothing prepared me for this. Or my wife who kindly joined me (and also has heard the XLFs, Strads, X1s as well). She, having minimal interest, has patiently taken the time when asked to listen to a few systems and provided comments. In her mind, as my own, there is no contest to what we have heard to date.
The system was in high-ceilinged room (maybe 15') and 17' by 30'. A panetheon of Kondo electronics...Gakuons, M1000, DCS Scarlatti, poured concrete flooring that had been physically separated from the floor that sustained the speakers...you name it. But in the end, i strongly suspect the noise floor, detail and human-ness of all sounds was from the extraordinary dedication to electronics...but the sweeping stage was the speakers:
- It made the X1s and XLF installations i heard sound artificial and small by comparison. Dire Straights on Walker Proscenium III...was the last track of the evening, and the scale of the stage (not soundstage...i mean the stage where they were playing)...eclipsed that of the XLFs. OK...different room/different system...but this was not a close contest, and while i would NEVER say NEVER on the XLF sounding bigger in a different room...it would have to reach so far to achieve what i heard last nite, i personally am extremely skeptical it would do so...again having heard big Wilsons in 3-4 set ups in different rooms, some also very large and professionally treated (unlike the set up last nite which had no treatments other than isolation).
- the clarity of detail was so effortless, that listening to deep house, you could hear mumbles and little voices that i honestly think the artist never thought anyone would ever hear, and the words just lifted out of space into the room like they were always there and you knew what words he was saying as easily as if my wife read them to me sitting next to me.
- Audio Exotics in Hong Kong had done a tremendous effort in bringing forth detail from my music...and i had until last nite heard its equal...but unlike trying to compare Tidals to XLFs...where i honestly felt both were contenders...you could choose one over the other, prefer one over the other...extrapolate whether it was the room, or the digital front end...but you could at least make the case that the speakers were contenders to each other...i do not find either to be a contender compared to what i heard.
they're utterly and positively insanely good. I have my own opinions. I make mistakes. I could be making one here. But i have heard good electronics before, quite a bit of it actually. I can extrapolate what the Kondos may be doing, and i have auditioned the Scarlatti before...electronics dont do to a pair of speakers what happened last nite. Its the speakers. If I could ever get my head around how to get a pair, and find a house/room big enough to fit them...I obviously would do a far more extensive test, audition, but if i had to [off hand] provide a measurement of scale/effortless/sheer beauty and resolution that is utterly 'there' without any sense of force whatsoever...its XLF to Sasha (NOT Alexia...which is far closer to XLF than XLF is to last nite's highly modd'd Genesis 1.1s with dual tower subs]. For me, they were that good. |
Congrats Jmaffia,
My favourite of this long line of Wilson speakers. What are you using to drive them? They are one of the tougher Wilsons to drive, and specifically (i recall) have a very low impedance around 80hz which can cause some amps to have a bit trouble full controlling the speaker. They are a great sounding speaker...enjoy! |
I have heard the all TAD system at Pioneer Plaza in Japan, at their TAD showroom. Was shown around by one of their senior execs who happened to be there...a true gentleman. I was very very impressed...on Glenn Gould, I appreciated the clarity of the fingerwork by Glenn Gould...but found the tonal weight of the piano keyboard particularly in the middle a bit hard/light. Simply my opinion...and who knows...maybe it was recorded that way. But I have heard this recording for years and years and on multiple systems. And with the ones I preferred, the tonal balance and weight of the keyboard sounds much more like when I used to study piano. Nevertheless, I fully appreciate the appeal...and think it might be that the whole system could be setup more to my personal taste with a few different components rather than a necessarily deficient design or system. I don't think it would take much. in the end, I admit it did not compel me to investigate further. YMMV. |
Agree Ctsooner...and it also needs to be set up for the listener's personal preferences. I realize in extreme examples particularly, it makes perfect sense as we all hear differently. some of us measure the frequency response in-room...few measure our hearing with an audiogram. If you have a slight high-frequency hearing loss...you certainly will perceive 'even' sound differently than someone with 'perfect' hearing. And both of these tests probably don't test for 'everything' that human brains use when hearing music, so the tests don't show everything either. |
LadyC - fascinating!! You are one of the few who has heard the big Infinity IRS and the Genesis...I have only heard the Genesis. But 2 people (who bought the IRS V) have said they preferred the older IRS V...particularly in the treble. Something about the 12 EMIT tweeters per panel just effortless because they are being driven so far below their limits as part of the design.
Your comments on how they compare in your opinion are most appreciated!!!!! |
Thanks, Ctsooner. I have only heard an older pair of Genesis 1.1s custom-modd'd by a former colleague of Arnie Nudell. Driven by Scarlatti digital/Walker Proscenium analog...Kondo M1000 preamp and Kondo Gakuon amps...so seriously great stuff. And it was mindblowing.
I am just curious what the difference is between this Genesis 1.1 and the prior Infinity IRS V which, as you pointed out, has the EMIT tweeters instead of the circular drivers which are used in the later Genesis. |
Thanks CTsooner...I get that...my Wilson X1s are 20 years old! I have upgraded the tweeter last year and added Stillpoints Ultra 5s...but with the right equipment and careful setup, still love 'em.
I have begun investigating the Nola Grand References...very similar to Genesis in many respects...also 4 tower. Know anything about Nolas? |
Agree!!! I have a good friend with 3 awesome systems...Genesis 1.1s (basically the next generation of Infinity IRS Vs) are one of his flagship speakers (Tidal Sunrays and Marten Coltrane Supremes are his other 2!!).
Those Genesis 1.1s are a-w-e-s-o-m-e. He drives them with the best of the best that he has found...and it is a truly remarkable system. |
Interesting comment Ctsooner...I have heard a few people whose opinions I respect make a similar comment: bass integration and image size. I suspect the former is setup but the latter I cannot say. I was amazed by the Genesis 1.1s when I heard them. I don't focus on image size too much...I rarely even listen in the 'sweet spot' since its an open-plan place. Nevertheless, I can understand it is an important element...and if it 'super sizes' everything, that raises a few questions.
if I ever get to hear them again, I will pay attention to both more carefully. |
ZYAC39
Fascinating comments on the WAMM7. Would love to hear the WAMM7 someday. How does it compare more specifically with the Alexandria? Why does the Alexandria pale in comparison? I am told the XLF is voiced a bit more similarly. Any thoughts on this? THANKS! |
I have heard: ML CLX (without subs which i've heard make a big improvement), Magnepan 3s (which exact model?) Thiel 7s, SF Stradivaris (own them), Quad 2905, Rockport Merakii/sheritan ii (extremely impressive...would luv to hear bigger rockports), YG Acoustics Anat Prof II, Hansen Prince, B&W 800/801/802. I have also heard (and could not luv) the Wilson Watts 6-8, sophia, sasha, MaxxII.
In all, I have never been "captivated" so much as when i heard the Wilson Alexandria's (Series 1) run by Krell Evo One/Evo2, ARC CD7...except when i heard older Grand Slamm IIIs run by ARC Ref 110/Ref 3 and CD7. Though Alexandrias seemed more accomplished in nearly every way, i prefered the sound generated with greater tube influence in the system with the IIIs. Still remember that day and it is a reference point over the last 25 years of listening.
I have spoken with 5-6 of you in the last week, 2 dealers (who are on the other side of the world and sell both SF and Wilson) and also Wilson themselves about a possible trade for a pair of Grand slamms and (subj to in-home audition) fingers crossed!...i intend to trade in my Strads for the Slamms. it was (as posted 18 mos ago here) the only speaker which i have heard which i would "trade up" for with my current Strads. (Alexandrias well out of reach at the moment, and cannot find any opportunity to hear the bigger rockports which would likely be my only other consideration given my experience with merak/sheritans.) Enjoy everyone!!! |
Hi Bifwynne,
Agree...and there are loads of speakers out there we could all name that are "better" than the "25" that made the list. I actually only commenting on how well Wilson did. I do like the 3 speakers named, particularly the Alexandria. I have not heard anything i prefer, though i am curious about the Rockport Arrakis and the Genesis Statement which i have heard are stunning. |
