Wilson’s Alexx V vs Alexandria XLF

When buying Wilson speakers, either new or certified preowned from an authorized dealer, they will come to your home and set them up. During that setup, the dealer would/should recommend any room or system improvements which would enhance the speaker's integration. I went that route when I acquired my Alexia's and could not be happier.

The room and set up is 50% of the sound - at all price levels.

Classic example here.

As stated, optimize the set up first and foremost.  If this is not possible, forget it.

Happy listening!

Also…if you are missing fullness and bass at lower volumes with the Alexx V to me that includes your current amplifiers may not be the right match. Wilsons go down to 2ohm and that can cause phase shifts with amps that aren’t stable or don’t have enough juice at 2ohms. You will most likely face the exact same issue at lower volumes with bigger speakers. 

@carey1110 

my experience with Wilson Sabrina that can most likely be applied in your case

1. the farther away they are from the front wall the better the bass quality - these rear ported speakers need room to breathe

2. placement and toe in - I’d start with setting speakers 8’ apart measured from center to center of tweeter. Toe in to shoulders or even direct to ears. 
 

The Sabrinas sound much bigger than their physical size. I would expect the Alexx V to be similar in this regard. Will the bigger speakers fill the space better? Yes. But are you sure you have reached the full potential with your current setup? 

Hi carey1110~

I thought I might chime in here...

I agree with most of the comments posted, especially with your own 'gut' responses that the XLF's will likely get you exactly what you're looking for.

Their physical presence and the ability to 'pressurize' that large, open space will be remarkable, although I believe every speaker system in your size room will benefit from a world class Subwoofer. If there were any way you could experience both models in the space at the same time (unlikely, of course) I don't believe there would be any doubt between the two. The larger XLF's~

I'm not one to get caught up in the latest technology when it comes to speakers and frankly, as capable as Daryl is, David was the catalyst and anything developed in his presence was as good as it could be at the price point. Don't worry about when they were built.

For my money, hands down, I think the space deserves a speaker the size and capability of the XLF.

For that matter, why not a Mint pair of the Alexandria's? (Shameless plug)

Best of luck in your search and when it's all said and sung... you will love whatever you end up with...

Best regards,

Jim

Jim Gray Designs

jimgraydesigns.com  

Yes I get that,  I believe the room or space has so much volume with the ceiling height and the large open floor plan that the Alexx V just can’t fill it. This is why I thought the XLF which has much better low end extension may perform better.  Kinda like adding a sub which is adding  equipment to compensate for the speaker unless you think having a sub in a different location would help. 

@carey1110  my suspicion is that it’s probably a room issue more than equipment. I have been down a similar road but it was never the equipment letting me down. Subwoofers maybe?

@bubba12 fullness and Bass at lower volumes. 

I would think either speaker would fill that room. Do you feel like something is missing?

@OP The Alexx V and the current generation of Wilsons have higher resolution than the older ones but also have a more even tonal balance. The XLF is a very revealing speaker but it is less forgiving in the upper midrange / treble than the newer speakers. The XLF is more extended in the bass than the Alexx V, so if the room has bass problems you will hear them more readily on the XLF. But properly set up in a good room and with sympathetic matching components, it’s still a fabulous speaker and, actually, something of a bargain at today’s used prices.

@yoyoyaya  Thankyou for you insight and comparison between these,  very helpful.  So if you think the Alexx V is more resolving,  What did you mean when  You said front end gear and room treatment was more important with the XLF? 

So all that said your still at Zero…you’ve to listen for yourself good luck.

Cheers 

@OP I am familiar with both speakers in large spaces. The Alexx V is more resolving and is more consistent in it's frequency balance than the XLF. However, the XLF does have a greater sense of scale overall and depth in the bass than the Alexx V. The Alexx's tonal balance is more forgiving, so the upstream equipment choices will have more of a bearing with the XLFs. If your listening space is not acoustically treated, you will lose the benefits of the XLFs and the Alexx Vs will sound better . If the room is well behaved, depending on your listening preferences and the rest of the system, you might like the XLFs. But you would need to hear them at least in a comparable space to make any kind of an informed decision.

I've never heard either speaker but the Alexx V is a much newer design and every report says the newer Wilson speakers done since Daryl came in charge are superior speakers to David's designs(I once emailed Ken Kessler and he agreed) and they have had the benefit of 10 more years of development. The one advantage of the XLF would be better ability to fill large spaces and a few bass Hertz. Otherwise the Alexx v is a significant sonic improvement.

One caveat. Choosing between good speakers also involves taste since none of them are perfect and their pluses and minuses usually differ. So as usual if you can listen to both as much as possible before choosing.

@kofibaffour The space is not dedicated and is an open floor plan so behind the listening seat is a large kitchen and beyond that a dinning room and another living space. Ceiling is sloped from 16’ to 20’. Where the speakers are the room is 18’ wide    Speakers are about 40” from the front wall and 36” from the side wall,  9’ apart. Seat is 9-10 feet as well. I’ve moved them closer to the front wall but the fullness. Krell amp also ARC pair of 160 monos. 

Dimensions of space. Height x Width x Depth?

Also listening distance from front wall.

Also distance between back of speakers and the front wall.

Distance between speaker acoustic axis and your listening position? @carey1110 

Is this a lived in space or dedicated