Watt Puppy 6

Pbb makes a good point -- these suckers are heavy, well over 100 pounds, and each one of them comes in two wooden crates. Shipping is nontrivial.

So far as regular obsolescence, I guess that a new model comes out probably every two or three years, just like some car models. What's more notable is that each new model seems to be better than the preceding one. At the W/P price point, Wilson needs to keep the product as good and fresh as they can, and new drivers or cabinet materials or crossover designs should be incorporated regularly in updated versions. One might infer that the pace of technology might somehow be reflected in the amount of time between new versions, as well as an opportunity to raise prices and sell more speakers. As a buyer, I understood that this would happen -- it's part of the package -- Wilson wasn't going to stop making W/Ps at the 6s just because I bought a pair. Business as usual.

At a quarter of the price,they are about right price-wise. I will let you figure out how much brand new ones should cost. Amazing that too many manufacturers don't provide upgrades but would rather churn out new models. When was the model 6 replaced by the model 7 and how long was the model 7 on the market when a need for a model 8 was felt? While I agree with being able to resell them if they don't fit the bill, remember that large speakers are hard to ship and that, unless you go for local sales, you would have to ship them twice doubling t risk of damage or loss in transit.

If you are getting an exceptional price, just buy them. They will never be hard to resell and you will have the advantage later of an additonal point of comparison when shopping in the future.

Thanks for the replys so far.
I have also heard the Watt/Puppy 6 in a untreated room with much more inferior equipment than what I own.

I thought there was a upper midrange/lower treble hardness but attributed it to the room and the electronics.
But now I dont know...

My room is treated with ASC Tube trabs , room lens, and reflective side absorbers.
The rest of my system is listed

I hate the deal to slip away, but I want to be satisified.

I haven't heard the Legacy speakers you mentioned. Since you said you liked the W/P 8, I thought it might be desirable to identify the differences with the W/P 6.

I guess Wilson would say that the W/P 8 is the latest and greatest. Since the W/P 6, Wilson has changed the enclosure material, tweeter driver, and the crossover. (At least, these appear to be the major changes.) The result seems to be a softer high end, smoother midrange, and a woofer that goes a little deeper but no longer has the slight mid-bass prominence that contributed an illusion of better bass.

Conversely, the W/P 6s (and earlier versions) have been criticized for being a little hot on the high end (analytical? strident?) and having the mid-bass bump and not going deep enough on the low end. Sound wise, the W/P 6 sounds a little "hifi-ish" (West Coast sound?) with a slight emphasis on the frequency extremes. I have the W/P 6s, and they sound fine in my room, which is furnished and configured in a way that tends to mute the highs. I also have two subwoofers strategically placed and crossed over so as to fill in the bottom octave. This last is a real plus when I use the system for home theater.

Bottom line, I would recommend you listen to the W/P 6 yourself, if possible. It is a different speaker from the W/P 8 that you liked. Depending on your tastes, you might still like it better than the Legacy.

They don't sound like the 8s at all in my opinion.