Tmsorosk
One persons medicine is anothers poison. Wilsons aren't for everyone, but saying that you will avoid them at all cost implies that something is drastically wrong with them. I don't know why people degrade companies on Audiogon that they don't seem to have any experience with? After all, I've had a home audition of some of the components that you currently own and thought they offered horrible value, but I would never tell anyone to avoid them at all cost. I believe everyone should listen with their own ears and make their own conclusions. I submit that Wilson Audio owners are happy with the sound, quality, and first rate customer service of Wilson. |
Ricred 1 .. I did not recommend to others to avoid Wilsons . Only that I would avoid them . Dave Wilson has impeccable taste and I will not try and destain his reputation . But when i hear consistent issues it makes this old man weary. I did not mean to offend . If you love your speakers don,t worry about what others think . |
But when i hear consistent issues... I believe that is a stretch. |
Obviously from this thread it seems like that a few people has had issues with the Wilson paint. I own a pair of Maxx 2 which were purchased as a demo unit from this website from a deal in the US and shipped to Bangkok Thailand. It has been in my custom build room for about 1.5 years now. A few week ago the paint along the joint near the tweeter cracked. I wanted to see if people who have had this paint problem with the Wilsons had the same problem at the joint area? Moreover does anyone have the problem in Asia, as it is pretty humid in Bangkok. I'm pretty heartbroken at the moment, as you invest this kind of money in a pair of speakers you don't expect this kind of problems. |
While Wilson speakers may sound stellar, I just couldn't live with something that looks like a trash receptacle in a high school gym. Just my opinion, nothing more. |
In spite of all those pro Wilson people, I've heard of these problems many times...too many for a product that professes to be perfection. |
Mw_chen
It's actually a problem with the glue supplier. I had the same issue with Sophia 2s and yes it was at the joint. Are your Maxx 2s still under warranty? Wilson Audio was more than good to me and promptly resolved my issue. My advise is to take pictures and send them to Wilson Audio. |
Unfortunately it is no longer under warranty 5 years and 3 weeks. Moreover I bought it from the US, not locally in Thailand so Wilson is not legally required to warranty anything. I have already sent pictures to them and they have said they would be able to repair them. However I have to pay for the shipping both ways and also for the repair work. As you can imaging shipping the upper module of the maxx 2 to and from the US is not cheap. I wanted to see if there were many people with the same problem or i'm the sucker who had the bad luck. |
Wow! Sorry to hear they won't make some kind of deal with you. Wilson Audio has provided top notch customer service to me. That being said, if I spent that much money on a pair of speakers I would expect more.I would be very upset. |
Ya, I know! I'm pretty upset about it all. My wife said to me that after letting me purchase the speakers which cost more then most high-end cars, I don't expect this kind of problem. Its like buying a Porsche and the door doesn't close properly. I told her that I'm thinking about upgrading to the Maxx 3 as I can't sand the crack in the speakers. She just said NO WAY. Anyway, such as life, unfortunately i'm still trying to decide on what to do about it. I just wanted to see if there were more people out there with the same problem. |
Mw_chen ,,, I think I will side with your wife on this one . Why would you even consider a speaker from the same manufacturer ? Even the warranty is questionable , the problem was there before the speakers even left the factory , they should take care of the problem regardless of age , in fact they could have recalled all the speakers built with the problem glue , rather then do nothing and hope most were off warranty before problems occurred .
I saw your system link , very , very nice , thanks for showing us your music chamber . |
Finish issues are well docummented on this site as well as others,nothing new. |
Mw_chen
No speaker, car, or any manufacture will warranty their product forever. You should discount most of what people say on Audiogon. I agree they should at least meet you half-way, but what Tmsorosk suggests isn't realistic. |
I have to say the comments are all valid. I too feel angry and upset about the whole thing but not really sure who to blame. But certainly I also feel the manufacture should have some responsibility regardless. In this case 5 years 3weeks. Anyway I'll have to try to live with it or get it fixed. Thanks for your comments. Anyone else actually have this problem I only hear of one? |
Sorry to hear there is a problem - is it on both speakers? If you are in Thailand and you purchased the speakers from the US, are they considered 'grey market'? Do you have a local Wilson dealer? |
Yes I have already been in contact with them. I have to send the units back to the US to the factory to get it repaired. I'm just deciding on what is the next best course of action. Right now it is only on one speaker but the i can see the line at the joint on the other speaker but its not cracked yet. |
I've read this thread (and others over the years on the very same topic) from top to bottom, so far, and my conclusion is that if you buy this brand of speaker you are at risk of having finish problems down the road. To date, no other speaker manufacture seems to stand out with such finish issues. Whether this risk is important to you (think resale value) or underweighs whatever sonic advantages they may provide, finish quality must be taken into consideration when choosing to purchase, or not. It has to do mainly with retention of value of the item. |
Thanks for your input and I would absolutely agree with that. I can't really see it from more then a foot away. Have absolutely no sonic effect. Only issue would be if I wanted to sell it to upgrade at a later date. Thanks for your input. |
No dog in this fight but would suggest to OP that if you want to upgrade in future, Wilson should do right by you and give you full trade in value w/o consideration of cosmetic "defect". |
Mw_chen,
With all due respect, how do you know there is "absolutely no sonic effect"? If the cabinet is cracked, the joint must have moved, and pressure inside the unit may be compromised. I don't believe your cabinets are sealed, but if this were a sealed design, I would expect some sonic change. I don't know about a ported design.
If it was not cracked when you bought it, and it is now cracked, then I gather you didn't notice a change. That doesn't mean there is no sonic effect, just that you can't hear it. The perception of an effect, real or not, is enough to effect the resale value. I certainly don't know, but I would consider the possibility that the issue is not just cosmetic. The forces in these enclosures can be huge. I suppose that is why it cracked in the first place. |
Peter
You are right, there is no way I would know if there is any minor effect to the sound. The reason why i'm putting the post on this site is to get input from different people who has had this problem or know of someone who has had this problem. Obviously I'm worried about the the resell value as well. But as I mentioned at the beginning I have to pay for shipping to and from Thailand and pay for the repair which is expensive so i'm thinking about what I should do. |
>>That doesn't mean there is no sonic effect, just that you can't hear it. <<
Peter: How would you detect a sonic effect you cannot hear? How did you get to a crack in the cabinet from what is described as a crack in the paint?
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This thread is a bit of a slippery slope.
The issue is probably no different for any molded speakers such as those from Vivid or Rockport - the facilities for repair may be limited to the factory. What would you do if you found a crack in the paint of your B&W Nautilus and you lived in Tiera del Fuego?
If after 37 months you found a crack in the aluminum of your now expired warranty Magico Q5 that you bought as a demo from an overseas seller via an on-line ad, what should happen? Its easy to create scenarios when one has no stake in the issue.
Shipping cost is a fact of life for purchases one chooses to make from a distance - I don't see how this enters into the equation.
Based on what I know about their customer service, if the speaker head is returned to Wilson there is a very high probability they will send back a unit indistinguishable from new. I suggest calling Wilson and talking to them (not e-mail) - you may be surprised. |
I spoke with Trent workman already very nice guy I offered to take to dinner the next time he is in Bangkok. But still he wasn't willing to contribute more to my situation. I was hoping that they might pay for the repair at least or if going the extra mile pay for the return shipping. I think it's pretty fair that I would pickup the tab for the shipping back to the factory. |
jtimothya makes good sense. It is an unfortunate situation but if you buy used or gray-market it's one you have to anticipate is likely to happen, if you need a repair. If the paint crack indicates a problem w the underlying cabinet, then I think that this would result in a big hit on re-sale value. |
Jtimothya,
I got to a crack in the cabinet at the joint because earlier in the thread someone mentioned that this is an issue with the glue manufacturer. The flat panels that make up the cabinet I believe are glued together. That implies to me that it is the cabinet and not the paint that first moved. That is understandable considering the pressures that are inside these cabinets. That movement caused the crack along the joint in the paint. At least I see this as one possible scenario.
Regarding the sonic effect: If one can't hear it, then HE can't detect it. However, others MAY be able to. People have heard things in my system and I in theirs that the other does not detect. Lots of possible reasons for that outcome. One being the quality of a person's hearing. Another is knowing what to listen for. Clearly, in this case, it is not an obvious sonic effect. But it may be subtle. I'm just saying that just because the OP can't hear it, doesn't mean it doesn't exist. Someone else might hear it and there is the possibility that it might get worse with time.
I agree with you that a buyer can only expect so much service depending on many factors. And one's expectations should be no different for Magico, B&W, or other well -established brands. There are many variables and factors involved.
This is a long thread and seems not to be a unique issue. I don't know what is meant my a "slippery slope". The OP is just asking for opinions and advice. He is getting some. I hope he can resolve this to his satisfaction. |
Thanks for all feedback. I'm just try to make up my mind if I get it fixed is it worth the 2000usd that it will cost to fix it end to end. If the cost was only 500 I wouldnt even think twice. But at 2000 to 3000 it's another story. As I mentioned I was hope wilson would split the cost with me or something. As I purchase this set of speakers because they matched the room color and style. If you look at my virtual system pictures you will see that. As I'm sure this will not be the last Wilson speakers that I will purchase. I thought it would be good for the manufacture to keep the customer happy and wow them with their service. I know that is very important in the service business. I run two very big 5 star golf course for my family business. I known bad feedback get spread to 10 people. We do absolutely everything we can to keep the golfers happy. Anyway i think I will get the local distributor to make a visit to see how much it will cost for shipping. |
