Wilson Audio Sabrina . . . I'm smitten. Should I consider others?


Went on a small audition trek last week and heard the following:

Tekton Double Impact SE (I was curious based on the posts/comments)
Magico S1 MKII
Magico S3 MKII
Devore Fidelity Orangutan 0/96
Wilson Audio Sabrina

The Wilson Sabrinas were not initially on my list, but when I stumbled across them while searching for Focal Sopra 2s, I couldn't resist.  The Sabrinas were very impressive.  In fact, after hearing the Magico S1 and S3, I went back to hear the Sabrinas a second time to confirm what I had heard.  They were initially driven by the ARC Ref6 preamp and the new ARC $30K monoblocks, but the second trip I asked if they could be driven by more economical equipment, so they used the LS28 and VT80.  The source was the dCS Rossini both times.  Because there was no A/B comparison of equipment, I really didn't notice any drop off in performance.  

The Sabrina's price point is my upper end, but I'd like to achieve a no stone unturned level of search/comfort before I pull the trigger.  Most brands are not easily accessible in Kansas City, but I'm willing to make the effort if justified.  Are there any other loudspeakers I should consider in this range?  I listen mostly to older rock, blues, jazz, and female vocals  Streaming with something like an  Aurender A10 will be my primary source.  My goal is to decide on the loudspeakers for this system, and work backwards into the components.  That'll be a future question.  Appreciate your time and help.
kcpellethead

Showing 4 responses by soix

That you preferred the B&Ws to the Perspectives or Quattros has me a little stunned.  I was able to listen to several B&W and JA speakers in the same system, and there wasn't anything the B&Ws did better than the JAs, especially imaging and soundstage.  Obviously we all hear differently and there are likely lots of variables here, but wow.  Be very interested in your impressions of the Pearl 3s.  Only heard them at shows, but they're one of my very few end-game speakers.  You've got a really great list of speakers here, and I look forward to any other observations you have. 
"Measuring "perfectly flat" means absolutely nothing. Measuring evenly, relatively linear and smooth ON, and smooth fall-off OFF axis is critical for good performance (some prefer a slight gentle, smooth slop down, 2-3 dB on-axis from 20Hz to 20KHz). Some of the speakers in question here have severe deviation from that."

@sciencecop -- so, according to your calculations, speakers that deviate from soft 2-3 dB deviation don't sound good?   Can you back this up with any real-world assessments or measurements?


If a speaker measures perfectly flat, as my engineer (non-audiophile) uncle argues with me to this day, it is technically perfect and the best design, period.  I'd bet dollars to doughnuts if most of us heard a ruler flat measuring speaker in our rooms it would sound, um, not good.  There are just too many variables other than measured "neutrality" that affect the sound we ultimately hear in our rooms and with our equipment -- and with our own ears.  In the end, it comes down to personal preferences and interactions with our own rooms and equipment (and music).  So to say it's black and white and one approach is right or wrong is just counterproductive given all the other variables involved.  The OP gives every indication with his words that the Sabrinas sound very "right" to him.  At that point, who really gives a damn how it measures?  They sound "right" to him, and that's ALL that matters.  IMHO. 

BTW, to the OP, two of my three personal favorite speakers are Vandersteen and Joseph Audio (the third being ProAc), but I've never been able to hear them back to back at a dealer, so personally I'd LOVE to hear your impressions of the Quatros versus the Perspectives.  And I think taking a trip to hear the Sabrinas again after hearing those two, presumably with the same music, is a genius move.  I have no doubt that hearing these three speakers will be extremely insightful and result in you making a very confident and "right" decision for YOU.  Really looking forward to what you hear. 
I'm also a big believer that when you hear the right speaker for you, you just know.  Given your words about the Sabrina it sounds like you may indeed have found your boy.  That said, there's nothing wrong with hearing some other candidates just to be sure, and now that you have the Sabrina as your benchmark you'll know very quickly whether a speaker "does it" for you or not.  I second the Quatro suggestion, and I'll add the Joseph Audio Perspective as another well worth hearing if you can.  ProAc would also be very worth a listen if you have a dealer within reach as would Verity Audio, although I think the latter has relatively few dealers.  Anyway, best of luck.