Wilson's Chronosonic XVX loudspeaker over 3/4 of a million US dollars

Sick Puppies

When solid state-generated watts became cheap, speaker designers started to care less and less about the impedance of the models they were creating.  Kind of a corollary of the law of supply and demand.

@gdnrbob

Sometimes this is legitimate, and in the past, I could see that it was due to poor design tools.

Like in the early Genesis era. Damn, some of those crossovers are horrible in terms of impedance, but I can see how they got there due to manual trial and error.  Attempts to get a certain sound out of the speaker, and not having very easy tools to help you optimize frequency AND impedance at the same time.

I can also see it with something like the giant Apogee true-ribbon speakers. The very technology caused 1 Ohm impedance, but with dynamic systems, I scratch my head.

@erik_squires ,
+1.
I, too, wonder why a speaker designer would design a speaker with such low impedance? -Well, I understand, that such a design contributes to the sound of the speaker, but, when it comes at the price of limiting the amps capable of playing them then why not just sell the speaker and the amp the speaker was voiced with as a combo?
Bob

min 1.6ohm ain’t for most.

I am always suspicious of seeing such low numbers in a dynamic speaker in the bass. I took apart one speaker and saw circuits there deliberately designed to reduce the impedance. It made the speaker "discerning" of amplifiers.

Wilson encases all his crossovers in resin so it is impossible to do the same analysis, but I am so very very curious if this dip is necessary, or a high end secret sauce.

I heard many Wilson beasts at audio shows, nowhere near my price range, damn ugly, and not overwhelmed by them

however, I never saw or heard them in a large space which makes more sense for them

min 1.6ohm ain't for most.

George, I've only heard the XVX speakers. Different experience from anything else.

Yes, both speakers are tough loads, but anyone buying either of these probably isn't worried too much about amplifier needs (or anything else).
 
These are the published specs:

Measurements for XVX

Sensitivity 92db @ 1W @ 1 meter @ 1kHz
Nominal Impedence 4 ohms / minimum 1.6 ohms @ 326Hz
Minimum Amplified Power 100 watts per channel
Frequency Response20Hz - 30kHz +/- 2dB Room Average Response

Measurements WAMM Masters

Sensitivity 93.5 dB @ 1W @ 1 meter @1 kHz
Nominal Impedance 3 ohms / minimum 1.77 ohms @ 310 Hz
Minimum Amplifier Power 100 watts per channel

Mistake, these are only $330,000 usd the WAMM Master Chronosonic are 3/4 of a million.
https://thumbs.dreamstime.com/z/wilson-audio-wamm-master-chronosonic-desert-silver-finish-cg-picture...
Also need D’Agostino’s amps to drive them, those green things look like 8ohm loading big power wire-wound test resistors.
https://ibb.co/GVHFM57

Cheers George