2. speakers
  3. 185659-114000

Am I broken? Am I stuck? Do I have to return my audiophile card now?

Hi Everyone,

 

I hope you're all doing well!  I am looking for a little advice or input and see if others have experienced this, or am I broken?

 

First, I want to say I am a Wilson fan boy.  Love 'em, hate 'em, whatever, but I love their speakers.  I will also fully admit that I've been in love the with the idea of owning Wilson's since I was a teenager.  Well, about a year ago things worked out - I had the money and we moved into a house (from a condo) - so I auditioned a few different speakers but the Wilson's were what ended up being my choice, specifically SabrinaX's.  I LOOOOVE them.  I drive them with an RME ADI-2 DAC into a Luxman L-509X.  To me, it sounds fantastic.  What one reviewer said about the Sabrina's is what I feel most accurately expresses how I feel about them.  It was something along the lines of, "I enjoy every moment I spend listening to the Sabrina's and think about listening to them every moment I am not listening to them."  

 

But the Sabrina's have one flaw.  They aren't Sasha's, or really, WATT/Puppies as those were the speakers my young self always wanted.  But I wrote off the Sasha's at the time because they were more money, and are MUCH bigger.  Life was good.

 

But then my dealer had a Wilson event and I met the one and only Peter McGrath.  What cool dude.  Anyway, I mentioned to him my love for Sasha's and he fired back that the DAW's were going to be soon replaced that my dealer could probably work out a pretty sweet deal on a pair. 

 

My dealer auditioned the DAW's for me with a pretty modest (relatively speaking) amp, at my request.  A Hegel H120 using the internal DAC/Streamer.  Well, the DAW's easily blew my Sabrina's out of the water here.  The imaging was far, far sharper, bigger deeper, taller stage, far more detailed, actual SLAMM and the dynamics...  Oh brother, the dynamics....

 

So here's the thing, my dealer is amazing just doesn't know how to say "no" so he's offered me a smookin' good deal on a trade in for my Sabrina's for the Sasha's.  I can very comfortably afford to do the swap.  My wife is fine with the size/looks of the DAW's.  Everything is a go!  But...  But I come home and listen to my Sabrina's and think, "This is friggin amazing!" and so I am left not pulling the trigger.  I'm actually happy with the sound, despite knowing that there is better.

 

The other side of this is that I used to want to pursue a better amp/DAC for my Sabrina's but now I don't really.  After having heard the DAW's I know the Sabrina's will never reach that level, regardless of gear.  So spending on a amp/DAC seems silly when, if I am going to spend the money, I know I should just get the DAW's as that will offer a greater improvement.

It's like I've stale mated myself!  

I don't want to change my Sabrina's because they sound so good.  But the DAW's do sound better.  But I am happy with the Sabrina's!  And so the circle goes...

So am I broken?  Am I to be stripped of my audiophile card?  Has anyone else experienced this where they can fully acknowledge that there is better than what they have, but still not have the motivation to make the leap?  Or maybe I'm just being cheap (I do also want to support my dealer because he's amazing)?

Maybe I'm alone here in how I feel.  But I suspect there are a few audio-friends who may understand.

Happy listening,

-Paul

 

bigfatpaulie
mm1tt77
127 posts
 

OP - great thread that you have started with lots of opinions.  If you are going to stay active in the hobby, which sounds like you are, go for the upgrade.  Far more likely you’ll regret an opportunity lost than one taken. 
 

If you can turn off the audiophile in you and just freeze time, enjoy your current system, stick with what you have but the fact you are having the existential crisis you are leads me to believe you’ll be thinking about how to tweak, upgrade your system which no matter how hard you try to stave off those thoughts of what if I had also upgraded my speakers, you’ll really regret not seizing the opportunity. The stars have aligned for you, wife approval, dealer willing to bend over backwards.

A lot going for you on this opportunity, you already know you love the brand because of the experience with your existing speakers, you’ve gotten the opportunity to talk with Wilson Royalty and a dealer who is extremely supportive.  You’ve also always longed for the speakers you can upgrade to.  In my book, you have to take the plunge.  Almost no risk, I’m sure the dealer will work with you if you are not happy and if you are going to stay on the crazy roller coaster ride that is this hobby, one upgrade will enable another that will take your system to new heights, even if some of the upgrades aren’t what you hoped for initially.  I doubt this will be the case with this upgrade.

Magic Eight Ball says absolutely, yes, without question seize the day.  If this was a sport, your coach would be telling you, “Don’t over think it, Take The Shot!”

alfa100's avatar
alfa100
216 posts
 

If you can afford the Sasha ask for home demo. I think you will not be able to return the Sasha.   Thank me later. 

coppy777
119 posts
 

Hey BFP... you must be in Europe, PSAudio has dealers over there. They are direct marketers here in the states.

So here’s the deal. Tell your dealer you want that home demo. He won’t take your Sabrina’s when he brings your Sasha’s. So, you can opt to keep them if the sound is not what you want... no sweat. ALSO tell your dealer to throw a pair of PS Audio M1200 mono block amps in the trunk. My Wilson guy here was impressed with those amps when installing some new Alex 5s in someone’s home. And he sells D’Ags, Constellation, etc. Actually should be pretty reasonable with his double down deal and you get your amp upgrade at the same time. You can always get your Gryphon’s in the future.

Happy Music... Bob

doodle6
71 posts
 

Maybe I just happen to be uniquely blessed with my mate, but she’s been good for decades with having an ever-expanding number of systems all over the house, even multiple systems in the same room.  High powered, flea watt, vintage, new, bookshelf, massive floorstander, separate components, receiver…. Adding systems is the perfect strategy to make indecision work FOR you instead of allowing it to create frustration.  We’re at fourteen pairs of speakers in thirteen systems at the moment (one system runs two pairs - JBL Control 30s on front eaves and on back eaves.  Closest neighbor is almost a mile away so we have music in front and back yards.).  There’s still some swapping in and out of various speakers and other components from time to time.  It never loses its appeal.

bigfatpaulie OP
11 posts
 

Hi Everyone!!

 

Sorry it has been a while - I've had a few big things come up which really slowed things down.  Anyway, I really appreciate all the advice, insight, experience and thoughtful replies so thank you to everything that replied.  

 

In the end, with much personal hesitation and a lot of encouragement from my wife, I did make the leap.  When I told her I finally bought them her reaction was, "Finally!"

 

Delivery day was a mixed emotion day for me.  I loved and have spent so much time with SabrinaX, I just wasn't keen to see them go.  It was like saying good bye to an old friend for the last time.  I know that may sound silly to some, but it is how it felt to me.

 

Getting the Sabrina's meant a lot to me - I had dreamt of owning Wilsons since being a teenager and finally getting my very own pair really meant a good deal to me.  With that said, the pair of Wilsons that I always dreamt of were WATT/Puppies - These were always the end game goal.

 

They arrived this week.  First, they are HUGE.  My wife's comment when she came home and saw them, on the other hand, was "I thought they would be bigger"  You see what I have to put up with! ;) 

 

Listening...  Oh boy.  I describe them as heavy artillery.  These are really the big guns.  The Sabrina's are a wonderful speaker.  Fantastic.  But these...  I see it like this; The Sabrina's are top of the line Cessna -  A great versatile plane.  The DAW's are a F-22.  Darryl Wilson described the Sabrina's as "congenial" and they are.  The DAW's, on the other hard, are "demanding".  There is no "background music" with them - the constantly force your attention, even when not playing.

 

Thank you again, everyone, for your heart felt advice and guidance.  I think I have a lot of very late nights in my future.

 

 

 

More to discover