Wolf Von Langa SON (TAS 2022 PofY) and Gestalt Audio - my experience & review
In light of the recent accolades for the Wolf Von Langa SON speakers as The Absolute Sound product of the year, I am sharing some feedback. The WVL brand, along with the technologies used are not well publicized in the US as of yet so I thought it would be helpful to those that read the most recent article. I also can't do so without sharing feedback on the outstanding experience I have had working with Colin King, owner of Gestalt Audio in Nashville.
This isn't intended to be an extensive review so check out the Jan 2023 TAS for that. I have been an audio nerd for many years and have owned a decent variety of equipment but I'm generally not a frequent equipment flipper. That said I have listened to a lot of gear from budget to very high end. I over-research before making any changes.
My previous setup has been in place for about 10 years and was a Red Wine Audio (now Vinnie Rossi Audio) hybrid DAC/Pre , a VTL tube amp, and Reference 3a Grand Veena speakers in a dedicated small to mid sized room.
The WVL SONs were truly a rare speaker experience compared to anything else I had listened to. They provide a combination of outstanding detail, tone, realistic sound stage or image, and ultimately musicality. It achieves this all in addition to being one of the most enveloping speakers I've heard. I assume this is attributed to the di-pole design. However, its not imprecise like di-poles I've heard in the past.
Two more thoughts stand out. First, is that bass information sounds more like instruments than just frequency sounds than most other setups I've heard. The field coil driver technology likely is the reason for that. It's WVL's hallmark technology and worth the read for those interested. Second, the most unique thought I've had listening to the SONs is that voices sound like they are coming from a human head. Many speakers do a great job of placing a voice in 3D on the soundstage. But this is the first time I've noticed the source of the voice in addition to the voice itself.
The SONs are very good at very delicate as well as very complex or dynamic music. I listen to anything from vocals, jazz, and guitar only all the way through orchestra, metal, and rap...truly everything. Good recordings are spectacular but it also makes the worst recordings sound much improved.
These are not the right speakers if your preference is a much more direct, out front, image. That said WVL makes a horn version that was outstanding but not my style. Also, the SON's detail is excellent but its delivered in a slightly less edgy manner than many speakers.
In short, they were the best speakers that I can remember every listening to for my taste in audio. My preference is on the more linear and accurate side of the tube/analog spectrum if that helps.
If you are looking for the WVL line or other audiophile level needs, Colin is the owner of Gestalt and is truly exceptional to work with. His style is to understand your interest and simply let you hear some things. He has a great ear but most importantly is extremely non-salesy so you never feel like you're pushed to make a purchase. His "store" is his house so its more like going to hang out and listen to great gear and great music with a friend. I've been to far too many audio shops or talked on the phone with many others and he is a rarity in the industry. For those interested, I live in Louisiana so if someone wants to listen to the WVL's in the area let me know. He works very well with people that don't live nearby and will ship gear to you if you'd like.
To complete the picture, I also bought the Gold Note DC-10 DAC and power supply. Also fantastic for my musical tastes after listening to many DACs. I can share info on that if you'd like to message me.
I'm glad to answer any questions.
Steve
Could not agree more with your assessment of WVL Son speakers and Colin the importer/dealer. Heard them numerous times and they are special. I like how utterly smooth the highs are while being wonderfully resolving at the same time. Please let me know the amp you will be using on the Sons? The VTL? Also, what are your room dimensions. Just curious.
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I am currently using the VTL ST-150. It allows for switching between tetrode and triode mode which I almost exclusively run in triode with the SONs. That being said, I have heard the SONs with true SET amps and will probably go that direction at some point. The SON's are very efficient so they are built to work well with SET amps. As you probably know, Colin has a few very nice options on that front as well that I have heard (Lamm, New Audio Frontier). My room is 13 wide x 15 deep x 110 tall. My understanding is they are very appropriate for larger rooms also but I haven't heard them to comment. |
Thank you. I like the Sons with the Circle Labs A200 which I own. The Sons sound so beautiful on the New Audio Frontiers 845 and 300b integrated amplifiers. The NAF amps bring a voluptuous beauty to the sound. I find the Sons need more than 8 set watts, but 20 or more watts work great! Your room is about the same size as my coming new dedicated room. Perfect for those Sons. Enjoy! |
Thanks for the feedback! Yes I've heard the 211's as well and they sounded outstanding and provide 20 watts if I remember correctly. I've read nothing but great things about the Circle Labs but haven't heard it. The new room sounds like fun so congrats on getting that project passed through in-house legislation! |
I've heard the SONs, I enjoyed their presentation. What did you make of that Hifi Advice review, that noted a slight papery coloration? Not necessarily a bad thing (all speakers have their quirks) -- more broadly interested in what you think their quirks are, and how you place the speakers and your listening chair in your room, given the dipole presentation and the AMT tweeter. Thx and have fun. |
@geauxaudio great to see you comments about the WVL SON I have a deposit on a pair which I plan to get in the next month or so I’ll be using the Circle Labs M200/P300 separates I also have a KR Audio Kronzilla amp that would be fun to try but I need to get it repaired. I had a chance to listen to the SONs in Colin’s room at CAF and the sounded wonderful. Thank you for sharing your experience with the speakers and Colin. He really is a great guy to work with
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Hi Metaldetektor, I had to think about your question a little. I'm not sure that I would describe the SONs as papery. I do think that they are very good at representing the detail and harmonics associated with lower lower frequency instruments. For example, bass drums have a lot of detailed sounds generated from the materials the drum is made from. I don't hear that from more "clean frequencies" such as electronic instruments (eg. synthesizer). Again, i'm guessing the precision afforded by the field coil driver technology has much to do with that outcome.
In terms of quirks, I don't any real true deficiencies to speak of. I would say the characteristics of the SONs that you would need to decide if they are to your liking are that the presentation is centered or possibly even a little set back. So if you're wanting a very forward or outfront soundstage you won't get that. Don't read "set back" into that though. Second, the detail is not overemphasized. Grannyring said it better than I above in that they are wonderfully resolving but utterly smooth. It is easy to listen to for a long time vs many speakers that tire out my ears after a while. The AMT tweeter is outstanding in that I think it is primarily responsible for this resolving yet smooth result which is pretty rare in my experience. The setup is interesting. I find they are fairy generous in providing a good image if you have a people listening off center. Much more so than my previous Reference 3a's. But they are also very particular when find that last 5% of perfection in setup. I notice very small tweaks to toe in and position. I've got my chair about 8 ft away and front baffles about 2.5 - 3 ft from the front wall. I ended up putting the AMTs on the outer most position as it allowed me to move the cabinets a little closer together. This was done to move them a little further from the side walls which sounded more linear in my room. The flippable tweeter is a unique setup feature that can you don't have with most speakers. One more interesting note. The speakers are not tall so you'd think it creates primarily a shorter soundstage. I think it is possibly a littler shorter than my previous speakers that were probably a foot taller. However, it produces much more variation in soundstage height than other speakers i've spent time with. I can only assume its more accurately representing the recording given the height variance. Some recordings sound quite tall vs others. Hope this helps but let me know if you've got other questions. |
HChilcoat, I haven't heard the Circle Labs but I know it reviews very well and Colin is a big fan. I trust his ears. I'll be interested on your thoughts once you get the gear home. My VTL delivers 70 watts in triode mode but its not the pure SET signal design that I may end up moving to at some point. FYI, I probably have around 200 hours on my speakers and they definitely opened up, became more extended, and created a more accurate image in the first 100. That said you won't be disappointed in the first hour. |
I concur with OP’s experience with SON’s and Colin @gestalt. The SON’s throws an incredible deep and detailed soundstage. It was great hanging out with Colin in his den and the opportunity to listen, wide range of WVL, Cessaro and Horning speakers. We listened to electronics from Tron, New Audio Frontiers and Konus, all very musical and compatible with wide range of speakers. PS: If I had a large room with high ceiling, WVL Berlin would be my first choice! |
They're like "1.5 poles" in that the tweeter is a full dipole but the main chassis has a passive radiator on the rear. They're pretty easy regarding positioning. Yep, the rest of the AUDIO FRAME line (LONDON, CHICAGO, BERLIN) are all true open baffle designs.
Yep. I find they're ideal with about 15 watts or so, but as an example I just brought a set of SON and a lovely single ended 300B amplifier to Capital Audio Fest and it was great. |
Thank you @gestalt, very helpful! Among the high efficiency brands you carry, which one is the most placement friendly in terms of closer to wall boundary/corner? I might just go to Nashville and drop by one of these days! |
They're all pretty easy to get good sound. Feel free to give me a call/text and we can talk through your specific room and goals. 615_838_7178
Please consider yourself invited! |
Geauxaudio - Every picture of the WVL Son I have seen, whether from audio shows or in a reviewer's system, shows them pulled way into the room and well away from the front wall. Do you experience any bass issues positioning the front baffles only 2.5 - 3 feet from the front wall? Are you using any room treatments to mitigate bass overload? |
weebeesdad & hchilcoat, Before I responded I measured my speaker positions and I apologize but they are just short of 3.5 ft. so I should have checked that before commenting originally. I have played with speaker position a lot and 6 inches to a foot will make a big difference. If you want a more detailed discussion on that then you can direct message me and I can discuss further on a call. As mentioned above, they are very good speakers for creating a nice image from multiple seating positions. But if you're perfecting your main listening positions then little adjustments matter. I've personally never heard speakers that don't though when listening to good equipment. I also posed similar questions to Colin. His comment was that the di-pole/open design doesn't always abide by speaker position norms. So the short answer is my speakers are optimized at about 3.5 ft out, similar distance from the side walls. Moving them closer to the front wall does create some low freqency bloom and soundstage isn't as deep. My room doesn't have any true room treatments but is carpeted, one wall is 2/3 covered in a heavy curtain, and i have a big cloth couch behind my seat. |
I had Line Magnetic 755i field coil speakers once . Loved ’em, loved ’em...would have kept them in a 6th stereo room system just to listen to Patsy Cline at 2am. So, field coils are hard to leave behind. I’ve looked at the Gestalt website a few times. Low key dealers who have good sense at picking gear is always nice. The only problem I have with this Colin character....I mean, if he woke up one night in sweaty delirium just convinced that he must sell me Hijiri Takumi PCs at a demo price, then I think we could get along a whole lot better.... |
Wow these speakers really come alive with a New Audio Frontiers 845 SE Tube Integrated amp ! I would love to hear them with the New Audio Frontiers Ultimate 211 SE Tube Integrated amp though I bet they would sound Heavenly together ! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5jgWEom8s3k https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8yasIopXtrg
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Glad to find this thread. My setup: Digital: gold note ds10 plus with external gn power supply Analog: pioneer pl600 (silver dd, ortofon 2m bronze), gold note ph10 with external gn power supply Preamp: new audio frontiers Stradivari Amp: new audio frontiers Stradivari 211S My NAF is the chrome and black Speakers: WvL Son (white cabinets) Rack: Beaudioful All the good things said about Colin are 100% true. I worked with him for a while until deciding on this setup. I have been dreaming about a setup like this for years and finally able to do it. Love the speakers. Still tweaking the setup a touch. Gotta go for now |
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Cabling is an area in need of upgrading. I am running all blue jean at the moment. Not bad for the $, but the system deserves better. Good room for audio. 19.3 x 13.5 x 8 ft. No odd angles . Going to let Colin help me with cable upgrades eventually. I only live 3 hrs south so visiting was and is reasonable. Additional plus, his family is just as friendly as he is. My wife even enjoys the trips and is 100% supportive. |
You have managed to put together a beautiful system. I did hear the Pre/Amp/Speaker you own at Colin’s place in December 2022. When you’re ready for cable upgrade, my recommendation would be to mate HIJIRI - Nagomi Power Cords with Sternklang Interconnects. And try both HIJRI HCS and Sternklang Speaker Cables to see what you prefer. Consider this a friendly warning, HIJIRI cables are very addictive, allow them to settle in your system for about a week. |
Yes the Hijiri HCS speaker cables are great on the WVL speakers. I have heard them as well the Sternklang. The Sternklang speaker cables can sound a tad lean compared to Hijiri, but it really comes down to personal preference in your unique system. The Sternklang Speaker cables offer world class resolution and speed. The Hijiri Nagomi power cords are also wonderful! I use the Hijiri HCS speaker cables and Tchernov ICs. I really like that combo. Perfect balance of weight, buttery smoothness and resolution. |
Definitely look forward to your impressions. I'd be interested to know where your Sons are placed in your listening room. The Circle Labs gear is fantastic equipment. It was on my short list when listening to @gestalt 's offerings. |
I will certainly share my impressions of the SONs with my Circle Labs gear. One challenge in my 11x17 room is that there a bathroom with a door that opens out along the side wall near where the right speaker is placed. While having a bathroom is convenient during long listening sessions, it constrains speaker positioning somewhat. I’ve had success with the front of my Audiokinesis Jazz Modules placed about 3.5 feet from the front wall and the speakers a bit over 7 feet apart center to center. If I move the speakers out further they have to be closer together based on the arc of the door. If I reverse the way the door opens so the handle is away from the front wall that would allow me to move the speakers a couple of feet out into the room. So when Colin comes I think we’ll start with where my speakers are now and tweak around the current door set up, then set up the speakers ignoring the door and see how that optimizes sound and how we can work around that. I am curious about what types of footers others are using for their SONs. I currently have my Jazz Modules on Starsound Sistrum stands, which do a nice job of removing the speakers from the floor and allow for a very tight, clean bass. We’ll see how they work with the SONs relative to their footers The Jazz Modules are amazing speakers for the money, but Duke had to stop making this version because the wonderful Pioneer TAD driver he was using.was no longer available. So I will be curious what level of improvement I get with the SONs. I could certainly be happy living with these speakers but expect an even higher level of performance with the WVL field coil drivers and AMT tweeters. Colin is also bringing some cables to play with. I have been using Grannyring’s Acoustic BBQ ICs and speaker cables and have Hijiri Nagomi power cords on my amp and preamp. Colin will bring some Hijiri cables and perhaps others so we’ll see what further improvements they bring to my system. So an exciting week ahead! |
Fun times for you @hchilcoat ! You will love the Hijiri speaker cables. I would use your Sistrum platforms under the Sons if they fit. I think raising them off the floor a bit is a plus for stage height. Those are very good platforms. I also use the Live Vibe Audio Points under all my gear including the A200. A set of three 1.5 inch cones and matching coupling discs. Like them better than the more expensive Townshend Pods. I like the Acoustics BBQ cables I made a lot for the money. After hearing the Hijiri HCS speaker cables combined with Tchernov ICs I just had to upgrade 🙂. Lot more money for sure. |
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@grannyring thanks for the advice on footers and cables. I’ll follow up with an update after speakers are set up. |
It’s been a few weeks now since Colin came out and set up my WVL SONs. I’ve been too busy listening to write about my experience. It was a busy, long day while Colin was here. Not only did he set up the speakers, but he brought a few different speaker cables and ICs to try out. Also we had to play with positioning the SONs on floor, carpet, and the Sistrum stands. In my 11w x 17L room we ended up with the front of the speakers about 4 feet from the front wall and the outside edges just under 2 feet from the side walls. That position gave us nice solid bass with boom and clear highs without honk. To make a long story short regarding cables, I settled on the Hijiri speaker cables. I really enjoyed the energy and transparency of the Sternklangs but in the end the more laid back musicality of the Hijiri speaker cables was what suited me best. I have been torn between Hijiri HCS interconnects that I already owned and the Tchernov Ultimates that Colin bought. I think I’m going with Tchernov IC. Both wonderful cables yet markedly different. It was pretty clear that the Sistrum stands were the way to go. I’ve used them for years on my Audiokinesis Jazz Modules and they really worked their magic with the SONs. We set them up directly on the wooden floor and they sounded great. For aesthetic reasons, we pulled the area rug in the room and placed it under the front spikes of the Sistrum. The rug has a thick pad so we couldn’t get the spike through it to make direct contact with the floor and this ended taking away the magic we heard previously so pulled the rug back again. Others here and in reviews have described the sound of the SONs better than I could, and I heard much of the same qualities that they have. While setting up the speakers and testing positions, we listened to a recording of the Roches singing Hallelujah that Paul Weitzel of TRL (who made the incredible Dude that I used to own) had given me. Colin commented that the lead singer sounded pretty much like she was in the room and the harmonies as the other singers came in were glorious. The word that came to my mind with these speakers was “palpable”. You could just feel the music through deep rich bass, solid dynamics, and emotional highs. When Colin was here we didn’t move the speakers out further because we needed to be able to fully open a bathroom door on the side near the speaker. A few days after he left, I decided to hell with the door, I’ll try moving the SONs further into the room and deal with door later. So I moved the SONs about a foot further into the room and this really increased the 3d quality of the soundstage in terms of depth and width. There was mare air around voices and instruments and more sparkle to highs. I think the Circle Labs separates work very well with the SONs. Colin, as well as many of you on this thread have suggested the New Audio Frontiers 211 integrated as an amazing match with the SONs. So I will have to go to Colin’s shop or have a home demo to see whether I would want to trade the Circle Labs M200/P300 in. Need the audio coffers to be replenished first! Finally, I plan to trade in my Starsound SP-101 Sistrums and an extra Sistrum 3 level rack and purchase the newer Rhythm-JR stands that would fit more cleanly under the SONs and the Rhythm rack under my amp. So more on that front later. It’s late, but more later. |
@hchilcoat - Regarding footers under your components, if you haven't already you might consider discussing with Colin demoing the Neodio B2s. I have them under the 2 integrated amps in my main system, and have the original B1s under the integrated amp and DAC in my 2nd system. YMMV, but I experienced an noticeable SQ improvement using them. I couldn't try them with my tube preamp and SS power amp because the size of both units is the same as the shelves they sit on and the B2/B1 need to have a small portion of it sit just beyond the component cabinet. Anyway just a thought. Enjoy your system. |
Glad you are enjoying your system so much. I listened to the WVL Sons again with the NAF 211 SE and NAF preamp. Colin played some records on his killer turntable with this system and I was transfixed. Great combo indeed. Some of the very best sound I have heard in a system. I also listened to the A200 on the Sons with the Tron Dac and this system was also very enjoyable. First class really. Very different sounding systems proving the Sons reveal every nuance of the gear ahead of them. NAF gear makes the Sons sound larger, more voluptuous and full bodied. A very meaty presentation. The A200 and Tron sounded more lite up from within and resolving. Perhaps faster with sharper leading edges. |
@wvl Great to hear you were inspired to move your speakers further out into the room. I had the same reaction you did, I was amazed at the improvement in soundstage and how voices more open and lifelike. I played around with toe in too and found just a slight amount worked best more me. And just wait until you try some Hijiri or Tchernov cables! @grannyring It is certainly true that the SONs reveal everything upstream. One example was when I played music through my Mojo Audio Deja Vu streamer without the Network Acoustics ENO system and then heard how much improvement there was when I added it back in. I heard some improvement previously but the impact of the ENO was much more evident. I will have to make a trip to Colin’s sometime to hear the SONs with the NAF and Circle Labs. The system is very clear and dynamic with the Circle Labs separates and I love it but would love hear it with a top notch SET. Now wish I hadn’t sold my TRL Dude! Also have to check out the Tron DAC. No excuses now that there is a cheap direct flight between Richmond and Nashville. @facten Thanks for the suggestions on the Neodio B2. I don’t think Colin brought them up before. I’ll have to.check them out. @willgolf I didn’t know much about the Cessaros until Colin mentioned them during his visit. THey seem fascinating and I will listen to them when I get to Colin’s shop. But the price is out of my range at this point. I know Colin loves them. |
A funny thing happened today related to my comments about how the SONs reveal everything upstream. Everything was soiunding wonderful last night. I went to play some music again this afternoon and the magic was gone. I let the system play a while, thinking that the drivers needed to warm up a bit but the system sounded frustratingly lackluster. Bass was boomy and there was considerable congestion with a flat soundstage. I began to panic a bit what could be wrong. Then I suddenly realized that I had rebooted my Mojo Audio server when I went to bed. I rebooted it I had the Ethernet cable from the wall plugged directly into the server and I had taken the Network Acoustics ENO system out of the chain (the JCAT XE USB doesn’t seem to like the 100MB speed of the ENO and doesn’t.set up an Ethernet connection when I reboot). As soon as I realized that I moved the cable from the wall and plugged into their Ethernet switch and replaced the ENO system. Now the magic was back! Thanks, @grannyring for letting many of us know about the Network Acoustics products! At.some point I’ll get the Muon Pro so I can boot up without switching Ethernet cables. |
@jafant The. SONs will show clear differences between cables. Colin brought some cables to try out when he came to set up my speakers.I listened to the Hijiri HCS and Sternklang speaker cables. The Sternklangs were impressive with clarity of sound and dynamics but I decided on the relatively laid back sound of the Hijiris that I found more engaging in my system with the Circle Labs separates. I have been comparing the.Hijiri HCI ICs,which I have owned for several months now, with the Tchernov Ultimates. The Hijiris definitely have their own imprint on the sound, seemingly more subdued than the Tchernovs but seductively musical. The Tchernovs are very transparent and had less of their own imprint on the sound. I was leaning toward the Tchernovs because I felt they had a more palpable dynamic sound. Then I mentioned to Colin that I was curious about the Hijiri Million Kimami IC although I really didn’t spend more after purchasing the new speakers and other cables. He said I’ll.just send you a pair to listen to. I consented, knowing that it would be dangerous to accept the offer. Sure enough, once I connected them between the Mojo Audio DAC and Cirle Labs preamp I knew.there was no turning back. THe Million IC combines the strengths of what I heard in the Hijiri HCI and Tchernovs. Again, the WVL SONS really reflect an improvements made upstream of the speakers. Look forward to hearing about your impressions and what you end up with. |
