THere is a teaser on their website. Looks beautiful if you can make out the images. I think it is a step up from the WP generation. Maybe a replacement.
For the last week or so I have been driving my W/P Sasha with a lil Krell S300i integrated. The amp sounds GREAT with those speakers, absoulutely no problem with driving them to high SPL.
I just though I would share this piece of info in this thread, since so many ppl (me included) have worried that W/P Sasha would be very difficoult to drive. I guess they are not the easiest load, but they are not THAT hard to drive as specs may suggest. If $2500 integrated can drive them without problems, then almost any HQ poweramp should be up to the task.
BTW - S300i is a great lil amp. MUCH better than the 400xi it replaced, very un-Krell like. If you need an integrated for your office/second system, this one is worth checking out !
Robertd- I agree with Elberoth2. Were the Sophia II's driven by Ayre V5xe? I auditioned the W/P 7 & 8 with the Ayre V5xe and had the same experience. However, auditioned the W/P8's with the Ayre MX-R and it was a whole new ball game IMO.
Elberoth2--I have Sasha's as well. How is the Nagra VPA with the Sasha's?
Just out of curiosity, did you audition the speakers in Cincy? Your description of the equipment sounds exactly like what I heard at Audible Elegance. They had the Sashas driven by Mac 2301 tube amps, the 3.6's driven by Mac 402 solid state, and the Sophia II's.
My impressions were very similar to yours, although I thought the Sashas were a little loose on the bottom end with the Mac tube amps. I actually ended up buying the Sashas and am using a Mac 402 solid state amp which has better control of the bass.
You may be right. I did not mix and match. i could see tube monos and pre being more forgiving. The sasha's did sound fantastic. But the big revelation was the magnepan 3.6 on a string quartet. My god! The notes attack, the body, the decay, just floated out there. So palpable. It was like time was slowed down. I wish I could have a pair just for chamber music! Believe the system was Mac solid state amp and pre, rega cd player.
I listened to them on the same day I heard the sophia IIs. The Sashas were fantastic, smoother on top, and the bass rounded out the bottom. The sophias, driven by ayre equipment, were bright to the point of being too harsh for me. I felt the Sashas communiciated plenty of treble information without crossing the line. They were driven by some heavy duty Mac tube monos, great sound.
One of the surprises in this session was hearing magnepan 3.6, driven by Mac solid state. On a ravel string quartet, I think I liked them more than the sashas - the air was amazing. On Rolling Stones and Patti Smith, they couldn't compare to the Sashas - too diffuse.
I auditioned them this past weekend with near top VTL gear (S400, 6.5), DCS digital and mostly transparent cables.
Honestly, they sound like a Maxx III in a smaller package. They are noticably bigger in size and sound than the WP8s and my Sophia 2s, and I'd say they sound closer to the Maxx III and Alexandria II's than the WP8 or Sophia 2s.
Simply, they have a sense of "weight" in the midrange that the smaller WP8/Sophias can't touch. They also sound effortless and uncongested and natural. They are very, very coherent and balanced.
This will sound cheesy, but my first comment to the sales rep after the demo was "Every Wilson speaker sounds impressive, but these new Sashas are the first Wilson speaker to sound gorgeous."
The new Sashas are a bargain, I'm thinking about upgrading my Sophia 2s...
Hence my switch to Tara cables. Smooth and extended highs without glare. What I have found is that opinions on treble/high frequencies vary between listeners and you need to understand the other persons bias before accepting their recommendations.
Thanks Bflowers for a reasonable answer. I owned WP6's, 7's and Sophias plus an I had the opportunity to hear the Maxx 2's extensively at a friends house. I also recently heard the Maxx 3's at my local dealer with Krell/Transparent gear. For me, whether matched with ARC/BAT or Krell reference gear, as I had used, the WP 6's were my favorite. Recently, the Wilson sound has gone too far toward the relaxed, forgiving or if you will "Dark Side". One of the main reasons I went with Magnepans is because of the enhanced tonal complexity they offer in the upper registers. Another problem exists when mating Wilson speakers with Transparent cabling which uses a Bessel filter approach to noise reduction...their in line filters chop off the frequencies above 20Khz, as do many components. When you combine speakers and equipment that shelve frequencies above 20Khz you get a slightly claustrophobic sound. At first it may sound relaxed and polite vs other systems, but over time you want to reach for the oxygen tank and get a fresh breath of air:O)
Hi, I have to agree also with the darker on top, however I'd like to add with no loss in resolution and maybe really improved resolution and extension.
This is a critical point to add because most assume dark as less high end info or closed down top end. Not so in this case.
I have owned WP 6's, 8's, Maxx 2's and now Maxx 3's.
Dave b: I own the MX R's. I don't agree with your comment that this is what is causing flyski's results. The speakers are different and better.
Having Auditioned extensively most of the Wilsons and owned Maxx 2 and now Alexandria X2.2s, the darker on top comment makes perfect sense to me. Previous Wilson's I have heard (especially the WP7) were bright on top with the wrong accompanying equipment. They have progressively worked that characteristic out of the line. The Sofias were the first I noticed this on. Then the WP8's. My Alexandrias are quite a bit "darker on top" than the Maxx2's. There are probably better words one could use to describe this. They are similar to Tara Zero's in this respect. They somehow manage to deliver all the detail but in a more relaxed presentation.
Is this opposite day or are you guys smoking something extra special? I re-read my question and subsequent posts and for the life of me, cannot figure out how I was twisting anyones words. I have owned Wilsons and have enjoyed them immensely, but when someone mentions a characteristic of a speaker in couched language I just may want to understand what the details of the comment are...is that clear class? What a freakin bunch of mindless twits...ugh!!
Wilson brings out the best& worst in posting..love em/ hate em debate..On the positive side the W/P 7 & 8 are now being dumped big time(anything below the WP7 is at Walmart prices with very little takers) assuming your interested..
That's a better answer Fyski. I didn't twist anything..jus wanted clarity. FYI, I've had the $20K cable rigs from Transparent and trust me, they are not Transparent sounding..especially when used as a complete solution. They still have that signature closed in/claustrophobic sound compared to MIT or Cardas etc... The MXR amps also have a slightly dark character up top. so no wonder you experienced a sense of opacity or darkness in the demo system:O_
Dave_b, you are twisting my words out of context. I said "slightly darker up top". Again, I am not familiar enough with the MXR amps as this was the first time I heard them to really know if that is the sonic character of the MXR or the Sasha. Trust me, the Sasha will not disappoint in any performance parameter in a room of appropriate size for them with appropriate amplification.
I've heard many Wilson speakers before and this combination was just as dynamically impressive as Wilson W/Ps usually are but it was also very enjoyable, engaging and musical with a variety of music thrown at it.
I've heard the Alexandria X2's in that same room and the Sasha/Ayre combo while not being able to reproduce quite the same scale and overall visceral impact as the Alexandria X2/Krell Evo 900 combo, had a more engaging personality that drew me into music much deeper.
Samuel, I have owned several Wilson speakers amongst many other types by various manufacturers. The "Dark on top" comment was not explained fully and would be of great concern to most audiophiles...unless your an Ostrich!
I can bet that sasha will not play as loud as WP or that prominant clear or imediatly. there is nothing for free. when we will see measurements of Sasha it will be lower sensitivity speakers because with warmer tuned tone- much more energy in 150-400hz comparing to all spectrum.
Flyski referred to several points of comparison and explained why he made the purchase based on the audition and comparison--including listing components for context. His reference to "darker on top" seemed reasonable given comments others have made regarding older Wilson designs sounding prominent or bright through the treble. You seem to go out of your way to misrepresent what he actually wrote. This forum should have more first hand reports of that quality and less flippant condescension.
No I bought the Sasha because I found them very musical and engaging and a bit smoother/forgiving overall. The Sophia 2's are great speakers but the Sasha elevates the bar especially in the bass. I like the slightly warmer tonal balance as well. Like I said, unless the MXR imparted such a deep sonic signature on the Sasha, that the new sound is really not the speaker but the amps.
I did find the Sasha to be extremely enjoyable with a variety of music I threw at it. In the end that's what matters, if the speaker/system connects with you and evokes a positive emotional response, then that is a great system/speaker for you. I found the Sasha did just that.
I've auditioned the Sasha yesterday. Driven by all Ayre gear, the C-5xeMP, KX-R, MXRs and Transparent cabling, the speaker sounded surprisingly warmer and slightly darker up top than most other Wilsons. The Sasha sounded engaging and musical and was well balanced top to bottom. I currently own the Sophia 2 and having heard the Sasha, I bought a pair on the spot.
The only unkown to me were the MXRs but I own the Lamm M1.2s and the KX-R so I expect them to be very musical in my own system as well. The synergy between the Sasha and Ayre was great, dynamic, deep, well controlled and nicely articulated bass, excellent imaging and focus, warmer mids and slightly darker top than W/P 8's for example. Great speaker to my ears, job well done. If you didn't like Wilson speakers before, give the Sasha a listen.
It seems clear to me from Wilson's promotional material---the history movie on the website---that the Sasha is competing directly with the Magico V3. The discussion of the Sasha's cabinet materials makes direct reference to Baltic birch plywood with metal baffles, and the price point is almost identical.
Magico strikes back with a version of the V3 with a high gloss black piano finish shown at the Munich show.
There's no doubt any company in a niche field knows its competition and responds accordingly, at least if they wish to stay in business. We benefit from their competition.
Sdrenslow - I think the presentation is very well done. Wilson has put a lot of thought into the redesign. IMO progressive WATT/Puppy's have gotten more transparent and the bass has improved (flatter). With trickle-down technology improvements (midrange and tweeter from Maxx, improved crossovers) the Sasha model is going to be very interesting to hear. I would venture to guess there's a 25% improvement over the WP8. I don't own Wilson speakers but have heard them many times.
I would suggest Wilson dropped the retail price due to the current economic situation in combination with other factors. Many retail brands including watches, jewelry, clotihng manufacturers have cut Suggested Retail Prices by about 20-30% this past year. Unfortunately the retailer is hurt with less margin as this happens, and needing to discount to make a sale which has no profit built in.
Wilson is responding to the Magico V3's price point and success.
Comments stated like this are absurd. You have no clue to their pricing rational. Secondly, I personally doubt Dave Wilson is concerned about Magico or could even quote their MSRP.
I don't think my dealer will give me the numbers, but he recently dropped Wilson and picked up Magico. Wilson went across the street to the mid fi store...makes you wonder.
Wilson is responding to the Magico V3's price point and success. Leveraging? What a joke that is...and the Alexandria will be selling for $110K instead of $145K next month.
"Interestingly, though the Sasha W/P is significantly more sophisticated than the Watt/Puppy System 8 that it replaces, it will sell for $26,900/pair—slightly less than the price of the outgoing Watt/Puppy System 8. Wilson explains that the price reduction is made possible by leveraging the increased efficiencies of its new manufacturing facility."
Having lived with the MG20.1 (3yrs) prior to my latest two boxes, I must say that they are great speakers, but like all others, have their inherent limitations. A change is sometime a good thing but does not necessarily means an improvement. It 'evolves' with one's ideal, taste and priorities of sound reproductions.
Thus, more meaningful here would be if mentioned or competing speakers have actually been compared to the Sasha.
I must perhaps apologize for my enthusiasm, but to the contrary of what some may have experienced with a speaker such as my MG3.6R's, I have found them to be thee easiest speaker to enjoy! It may be with more than just a modicum of luck that I am having a unique experience with my Maggies, but they have been thee easiest speaker for me to position, power and enjoy. Dynamics bloom so freely and quickly that one can completely be immersed in the music at relatively low levels. On the other hand, I played Mahlers Symphony No. 1 and Shostakovich's No. 4 at concert level with absolutely no strain or protest of any kind from the Maggies. In some setups the Magneplanars may exhibit certain percieved limitations to some degree or another...it has definately not been my experience however. That said, I can fully understand the desire for some listeners to fill larger spaces with higher SPL's for that "ear covering effect" one can usually only get in the club setting. In fact, I considered myself one of them type listeners, if only on occasion. Since the MG3.6R's have blessed my home, I have sat transfixed so easliy with full satisfaction at relatively more modest levels of playback. I have always cursed the fact that it seemed necessary to play music excessively loud to become satisfied with the sound. In other words, the excessive capabilities of say a Wilson design is over compensation for the fact that they do not have the effortless dynamic expression at low volume levels as do the Maggies. Simply put, listening through the Maggies connects me with the naked soul of each and every recording I play through them...they truly re-create music on such an exhalted level and in such a refined and natural manner that anything else seems artificial IMHO:O )
Maggies are great. Love the realism and sound staging. The basic issue I have with with most speakers (I haven't heard everyone) is that what loudness level they do have to reach before sounding very natural. I have found that Maggies have to be play at fairly loud level. WAF becomes an issue. Once there, they are amongst the very best available. On the other hand, Quads sound very natural at low levels and IMHO don't sound so good at really high loudness levels or on big complex recordings. Generalizing, I find most other speakers falling between those two points. I love electrostatics first, but can't live with them as my only speakers. So I selected owning Wilson's 8's, high WAF, and sound very good at reasonable sound levels. Maybe the Sasha solves my sound level vs. natural problem, but then I can't afford them. Are they overpriced? I'm they guy who bought W/P 8's? What's over priced?
There are compromises w. both designs. Magies have their limits as well. Need tons of current, and can't play loud. Need perfect symmetry for setup etc etc. Wilsons are a little more flexible. No question the Maggies give you something special. If we could only get it all in one package. Sweet spot size also has some issues in many planar/electrostatic designs.
They say that once you go panels, you never go back. I guess I am evidence to the contrary. Magnepan creates some great sounding transducers to be sure, but are they the end all/be all? Hell no. So far, I've yet to find anything that is, and telling people anything different is misleading at best. I'm glad you found your huckleberry with the Maggies Dave. I've thoroughly enjoyed my time with the planars, full range ribbons, and stats' that I've owned.
I've owned many of the pretty boxes mentioned here and quite a few others. At the end of the day, trying to get the impossible out of a box design is lunacy. The medium is inherently flawed in contrast to how music is dispersed in real space/time. The Wilsons, Magico's etc...sound like variations on a theme with a genetic error encoded in their AudioDNA. Compared to a Magneplanar for example, they project sound through little cones directly at you, trying to squeeze enormous amounts of acoustical information through a relatively small opening. Music travels as waves in space in all directions directly from a(n) instrument(s). The Maggies resemble this event closest with a larger radiating area and in a more seemless manner. I was just in the market again for speakers to replace my latest ones (Wilson Sophias), and was considering Sophia 2's, Magico V3's and Audio Physic...I've owned WP System 6's and 7's, Dynaudio C4's, B&W 801N's, Dunlavy SC-V's, ML Odyssey's, Totem Winds and Forest's. The Maggie Demo told me something special was going on versus the typical box design, like being able to hear the entire Hall or a Grand Piano with all of it's acoustic energy and acoustic presence intact. All of the music flowed effortlessly with a wholeness and organic nature that sounded just about identical to the real thing! It's hard to describe the Maggie sound except to say that it sounds like your sitting in the presence of musicians with only air between you and them...nothing is masked or lost in the box. In my home, the MG3.6R's are even more enthralling...music lives and breathes and expands and contracts and ebbs and flows just as in the Hall. Many people will change box after box after box in search of the impossible...save yourself alot of money and frustration and at least seriously consider a Magnepan. They may just turn out to be your last speaker:O) Head bangers and technophiles need not apply...sorry:O(
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