Wilson WP7 vs JM Lab Alto BE vs Avalon Eidolon

You indicate you get an extra set of ports for using with tube eqyuipment. Could you expand on what that actually means?.
Not sure if the WP7 has extra phyisical ports or additional material to stuff into the ports.

thanks for your help

Shane

Well I have had a listen to each of the speakers trying to justify the huge cost increase over the mahlers.

Can't really comment on the Avalon Diamond as I only heard it quickly in the store and it sounded a little reserved and laid back to me.

The Alto's are luvly speakers. Believe the hype, the tweeter is so clean and extended that it does make all others seem dirty and etched (after breakin that is).
The bottom end was quite extended, but seemed to be slightly smaller in scale than the mahlers. I am sure the Nova's would be perfect, but they are very expensive.
The mid range is nice and slightly laid back. This does not make my alternative and pop music sound quite as forward as they should be - but the speaker may only be exposing the character of my cj amps. I could play the JM's loud to 97db plus with no stress of treble distortion.
I wish the same level of instructions that came with the WP7's came with the Alto's as I am sure I did not set them up to their best before I had to send them back.

Setting up the WP7's was a joy. the setup manual and the way the Wilson's are put together down to the spikes are very very good and easy to understand.
Pity I have not had the same level of enjoyment listening to them. the sound was very transparent and quite good but in my room they just seem to be a bit too bright when I turn up the volume too much. Left to right soundstaging was breathtaking - almost unreal.

I bought a Rives test CD and it does show my room ( with the WP7's) has spikes of 7 to 10 db higher at 639hz, 1600,3150kz, 6300kz which with the Wilson makes for overall fatiguing sound. I think if I ever want to use Wilson I will have to fix my room first in the mid range and upper frequencies.

Bottom line. I want a speaker that has the coherence and smoothness as the treble in the JM Be Alto's. So I will try to listen to the JM Alto's again, but after I try to fix my room up in the midrange.

Any idea's guys

cheers shane

Dkarmeli. I am not really that interested in going back to a tubed phono stage. I owned and enjoyed a cj prem 15 for 4 years and auditioned an Aesthetix Rhea and Xono. In my system the Xono was a lot quieter than both the tubed units and musically it was on par or better. bass was a lot better on the Xono.
BTW I listen to all types of music owning 4000 LP's, but pop/rock/alternative does make up 70% of my listening.
Not even sure you can by EAR in Australia and definately can't listen to any JBL speakers.

Thom. Guess I will have to have a listen to the Karma's again, but last time I thought tha bass was very loose and ill defined and that was with tenors running the mid/treble and burmeisters running the bass. BTW the new Modest Mouse is very good. The new Roots LP is excellent and I am enjoying the current Von Bondies, Cure and Strokes LP's a lot. The Strokes LP will sound bright on any system!.
I used to own a pair of VS 4.5's. Honestly the Mahlers are a lot better. The importer does not bring VS into Australia any more so I cannot listen to the current models. I suggest you listen to the VS's at home to see if you like them, for Rock/pop they didn't really do it for me.

I am going to have a listen to rowland 501's and the VTL SW-400's in November. These may bring my Mahler to life. Given the price of the the VTL's they should!. By that time any new models for 2005 will be around to listen to.

Trouble is we are talking a shit load of money for any changes at this level, so if I am not in luv with unit I an not going to buy it.

cheers Shane