Watt/Puppies with SET or push-pull???

Have heard this combo with the VAC Ren series,they make a good match.Push-pull is required for the amp to drive the puppys.I like the cosmetics of the MKIII VAC,as opposed to the earlier WWF badge look IMO.

Most set amps would not give you the drive or sheer amounts of power that will show off the WP capabilities.

The WP will work great with push pull amplifiers, and I used to sell the package that Tpsonic mentioned and it was really good. However the newer VAC's are a lot less magical than the original Ren products.

I was pretty impressed at CES about 4 years ago, hearing the WP7's with the Lamm SET amps, which put out (I think) 18 wpc. I don't think the system was pushed super hard, but what I did hear had tremendous finesse and spatial realism.

Just for fun in my "B" system I've been using W3P2 with 3W 2A3 SETs & Speltz Autoformers. It works remarkably well. However without a 4x impedance multiplier the dip below 2 ohms with WP presents a difficult load to any SET.

I tried some Cary Audio 300SE SET amps (15 wpc) on my WP7's. While they had a very good presence on voices and solo instruments like strings or piano, they were dynamically compressed and much weaker in the bass than push-pull tube and solid-state amps I tried. This especially played out when listening to music that has a bass foundation such as jazz and rock. I remember listening to a very dynamic UK pressing of ELP's first album and the output tubes flashing along to the beat of Lucky Man, as I was obviously driving them close to their limit. The whomp factor was definitely subdued using these SET amps. IMO the things that Wilson speakers do best is bass and dynamics, so why drive them with electronics that do not allow them to do what they do best? As another poster describes above, some have gotten good results driving WP's with Lamm SET amps, which are very expensive and great amps, or perhaps one of the more powerful 211 or 845 SET amps might be a good match. Personally, I prefer one of the more powerful push-pull tube amps like Audio Research or Conrad-Johnson, or a powerful solid-state amp. I am driving my WP7's with Essence SS amps at present.

WPs draw lots of current in the low bass. I'm driving my WP7s w/ a ML 335.

Thanks all for your feedback. Dgarretson-have you used an impedance multiplier with good results? Does it impact the sound? Any model that you would recommend?

I have Zeroimpedance.com naked Autoformers with 8' of crimped-on Anticables-- both manufactured by Paul Speltz and available on 60-day trial. This Autoformer has 2x, 3x, and 4x taps.

I had best results with WPs & Autoformers & mid-powered tube amps like BAT VK75SE and ARC VT130. With these amps there is a big improvement in dynamics & bass control with very little affect in the mid & treble regions. Even 120wpc is really not enough power for WPs without Autoformers. With Autoformers, amps in this range sound like big monoblocks.

With Autoformers & low-powered SETs, the improvements come with the cost of a slight loss of SET "magic" that may or may not be acceptable to you. Still, Autoformers are nice tools to have around when testing & matching amps to difficult loads.

You don't specify which version of the WP you are looking at, but I'm pretty sure from the 5 on they all present a similar load. I have 5.1's and, like Lenny, use the ML 335. I tried a number of tube amps before I settled on the 335. Unless you go with a monster tube amp my experience is you'll do better with solid state. I agree with what was mentioned earlier, a strong suit of the WP is slam, dynamics and speed. The more current your amp will deliver, the better bass control you'll get.

Tubes can sound good with the WP, but in general solid state compliments the strengths of the WP a bit more.

I own the WP8's and drive them with the Conrad Johnson LPS70 tube amp that has 70 wpc. My room is 19 x 25 x 9 and I have no problem driving the WP's. I upgraded the CJ from a 400 wpc McIntosh SS amp. The CJ had more detail. I have never heard the WP's with a SET amp, however.

At 93 Db your WP's will work just fine with SET amps

FWIW, I drive my Wilson X-2's with Lamm ML 2.1's (18 wpc) and I can raise the SPL to near ear bleeding levels without the amp clipping. Previously I used ARC Ref 600 Mk lll's (push pull at 600 wpc) for my X-2's and as good as it was it didn't even come close to that which is delivered by the Lamm ML 2.1 which IMO is the best amp I have ever owned