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I am about to pull the trigger on the Wilson Alexia. My concern is this. I have a Van Alstine Fet Valve 600R power amp and Aesthetix pre with good sources in digital and vinyl. My speaker cables are not exotic and my listening room is large (16’X30’X16’) but placement options are less than ideal due to furniture and interior design requirements. My current speakers are B&W Nautilus 802’s which sound great in the space. My question is this. Will this system mismatch be a significant problem where the Alexia’s my not “outperform" the B&W’s? Any thoughts on this will be greatly appreciated.
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For about the same price it made a much bigger and deeper impression on my than the 3 times I have now heard the Alexia. The Vandy 7 is one helluva great sounding speaker.
I think the Vandy 7 is congested, slow, and undynamic. It sounded like a hood is on top of it as well the past few times I've heard it with ARC monoblocks. Not open at all.
The Alexias have better tonality, although still lack coherency imo. Funny how Dave's miraculous upgrade is a silk dome tweeter that isn't hot like for the past 20 years :)
keep in mind that the dealer will set these up for you.
Tom Collins
I agree 100%. The Vandy 7 smokes the Wilsons!
I am probably not the right person to ask ... but you did ask in general.
I never understood how/why Wilson Audio did so well in reviews, I have found them emphasized in the treble and boomy in the bass regardless of the amplification. Perhaps it is just me?
I think the B7W 802's to be a touch polite, and the Wilsons to be almost their opposite - if it were me, I would likely look for a happy medium between them?
IN any even, if you are about to pull the trigger, you heard something you really liked, so if you like that, then go for it. You can always upgrade your electronics if you find them having some difficulty. THough I suspect, you might do better to get a amp and other electronics more suited to the B&W's?
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I had a well known dealer tell me years ago that real audiophiles don't buy Wilson speakers. If you go to a website like Audio Aficionardo they have a special section just for Wilson speakers. If you sit and read the threads it's just a bunch of rich guys talking about Wilson speakers. I believe for a lot of well healed guys It's mostly a status symbol. They could buy much better speakers for less money. The problem is the other speakers don't have the status name. To rich guys owning Wilson speakers is like owning a rolex or a Mercedes. I personally would rather have the Vandy 7's over the Alexia. If you really want to hear a great speaker line that blows Wilson off the map check out Nola speakers. Of course there are other great speaker lines out there as well. I know when I heard the Nola's they really sounded Involving. Wilson speakers to me sound like Hi-Fi. Go listen and then tell me what you think.
I can't believe what I am reading! Who drops 50k on speakers if they don't have the electronics to match? You remind of a guy that buys tires at pep-boys for a Ferrari and then get's an oil change at Jiffy lube.
Agreed Sudz,
50K on speakers should yield 50K (at the very least) on gear to support them.
> > placement options are less than ideal due to furniture and interior design requirements. < <
Poor placement will make those or any other speakers perform far below their potential--as well the the room generally. If you're not prepared to deal with the room, save yourself some money.
Jim
This is the room with my current 802’s which sound great leading me to believe that the Alexia will do the same. Main concern is furniture in front of woofers but Alexia’s are much taller and low frequencies are not directional? Rear wall is well dispersed and open into other rooms. No slap echo.
I had those speakers and moved on. Your room is beautiful to look at, but I suspect not a good room for stereo....all that glass should shatter back at you....the lows go up the chimney. But I am just surmising from my own experiences. If it works great.
Thanks for the comments Jim. They are useful. I sent the photo to Wilson and they say no problem as long as mid and tweeter are not blocked by furniture. The real plus of the Alexia is the time domain adjustment to almost any listening position. Started my audio hobby by building dynaco amps and having AR 3a’s. Mowed lawns to pay for the gear back in the day. Heard the Maxx a few years ago and was blown away so have always dreamed of a nice pair of Wilsons. Will be in this room in 6 weeks. Placed the order today.
I owned a lot of speakers in less than optimum rooms prior to building my custom room. Those environments, though not optimized, never once nullified my enjoyment of a speaker upgrade.
Though Wilson obviously has a vested interest in the sale, I believe they are correct, and the higher Mid/Treble set will transform your experience in the room. :)
You won't believe how much different a system can be without changing anything in the room.
Note: This is not to be construed as advice against room tuning and placement. My perspective is that they are important, but not more influential than the quality of the system itself. I rate them both highly important, but the lack of one should not inhibit the other. :)
I understand Jim's advice based on value, and I don't disagree with the advice to work with the room as much as one can. However, you don't seem to be an individual who is letting limitations drive the decision. You are wanting a big upgrade to performance in your environment - and I believe you will have it! :)
BTW, I also was quite impressed by the Maxx 3 at a couple shows, a really good design. If you loved that sound, I think you'll be thrilled with the Alexia.
The greatest impediment to advancing an audiophile system is the audiophile.
Doug I believe and hope you are correct. Time will tell. The fun part of this hobby is the search as we never really get “there”.
Do you engage in component swapping among the ones you own? If so, then I predict with some confidence you will find a combo that will enthrall you with the Alexia. :)
If you wish to converse about the glories of system building and upscaled sound leading to euphoric listening experiences, feel free to email me.
The greatest impediment to advancing an audiophile system is the audiophile.
Doug-
I see that you are a reviewer. Did you write the piece about those Silent Source cables/cords recently?
nt
The greatest impediment to advancing an audiophile system is the audiophile.
An outstanding article Doug! I recently had the listening pleasure of auditioning these cables/cords during a business trip to Dallas TX.
Your impressions (as reviewed) mimic my own. I am a 'cable' guy for certain and truly believe that they really do make a difference!
I look forward to reading more of your writings, my Audiophile friend.
I have found that it's not hard to discern the sonic properties of various cables in a good room, with a good system. The Silent Source products are very refined in every respect, both aesthetically and functionally.
If you were in Dallas perhaps you were hearing Frank Dickens' (of Silent Source) reference rig, which I understand is quite impressive.
If you would like an interesting read on a speaker I wrote up recently, take a look at the Vapor Audio Nimbus White article.
The greatest impediment to advancing an audiophile system is the audiophile.
Thank You! Douglas.
Frank has a beta-tester for his products, John Fort Audio, and I was visiting his operation. Very pleasant gentleman, excellent B&M store w/ plenty of gear- Highly Suggested!
I would like to see and hear Frank's personal rig (someday).
One last question- did / will you be buying the Silent Source review samples?
but based on my personal finances I shouldn't. I have a very defined budget and feel the need to have more than one system available at all times for reviewing and personal enjoyment. My allocation of money for system building is somewhat different, at least at this point, than the typical audiophile. For instance, if I didn't have more than one speaker, or more than one amp, etc. then I might be able to work out the Silent Source cabling. But as it is, doing so would spread thin my ability to procure other components. In my view I need several system options available to me at all times, and I love different technologies of speakers, so I own more than one. For these reasons I prioritize accordingly.
Another variable is the necessity of using triple runs for some rigs. If I run the Legacy Audio Whisper DSW in active X-over mode, or even in passive tri-wired mode, I require a lot of cables, more than I can allocate to the highest grade/cost of cables. I can't afford to have triple sets which sit for periods of time as I use other speakers or have other cables in for review. I have to manage the costs of each component/element of systems for gear I elect to own.
After the review was published I did get permission to use a couple sets of ICs and two power cords ongoing for reviewing, and based on their performance I suspect they will be found in nearly every rig I build. I do a fair bit of cable reviewing, so if I request continued use of a cable, it means I'm quite fond of it.
The greatest impediment to advancing an audiophile system is the audiophile.
Very well stated Douglas. I understand your financial position factor.
Nailing down sonic matches in both cables/cords is paramount for any system builder. You (better than most of us) have a unique opportunity to review the products that do make a difference. As much as I cheerlead for aftermarket cables/cords, (and I do it alot here in the various forums), I would strongly suggest to audition Stage III Concepts power cords (PC) offered by Brian @ Aaudio Imports!
Beautiful pic!
Mine hogged all the bass so that there was none left for the rest of the room--but if your room sounds good, not to worry about that.
The left speaker seems to be quite badly blocked, although it's hard to tell from this photo. Is that some sort or room divider? The back of a sectional? The angle of the photo could be making a false impression.
It's true that blocking woofers matters less than blocking other drivers. But it still matters. And this photo makes it seem that you'd be blocking more than just the 10" woofer.
Also consider that optimal placement for the new speakers might be different from the old. If you're determined to buy the Alexia's--I'd love to hear them myself, in my own space--I'd advise that you at least be willing to experiment. Even consider asymmetric placement a la Wilson ads (although I DO advise using speaker cables, which often are missing from Wilson adds; I find the sound without cables to be far less impactful, although they do still look good. ;-)
Meaning no offense--and I really do mean that--if your goal is to impress (and it is an impressive room! I love that Arts-and-Crafts style) buy the Alexias and don't worry about it. But if your goal is really great sound, be willing to at least move things around a bit.
Jim
Ha!
I was trying to sound like sudz.
I tried it. Serious slap-echo problem. Good for close-mic'ed Medieval chant but not much else. ;-)
room and placement is one of the most important part of the puzzle. Can't or won't move the pieces gives no chance for solution....
"Less than ideal" suggests a multitude of potential sonic sins :-)
You are apologizing for amplification that is probably better than the average inmate's. Take your amp to the dealer. Differences in amps are real but less than differences in speakers.
Your amplifier is rated for 2 ohms, so it should be OK. The impedance of the Alexia gets down to about 2 ohms according to the measurements at Stereophile.
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"A fool and his money are soon parted." --- Thomas Tusser
I don't know if you have the diamond tweeter in your 802s but I have heard the Alexia and I had to leave the room..They reminded me a lot of the Focals with that in your face sound..I'm not crazy about dynamic cone speakers but in this case I would say your 802s will be more pleasing.You have a nice size listening room and I wonder how Magnepan 20.7s would sound in there or a big pair of Martin Logans or Soundlabs.That's an ideal size but the obstructions can be an issue.
Honest amplification is better than excessive 2nd order distortion anytime.
I'm with you Mike
Skinzy-
is your van alstine power amp tube or ss?
Off hand here are some gear that plays well (no pun) w/ Wilson speakers;
Audio Research
Ayre
Bryston
VAC
VTL
I was just listening to a friend's Wilson Maxx 2 driven by Krell monoblocks and Karan reference pre amplifier with excellent results.
If a thing's worth doing, it's worth doing well
(Proverb)
the 802 by a large margin. I don't think you have too much to worry about there. The question will be whether you prefer the sound.
My guess is that initially you might be quite taken aback by the difference. However, as time passes, i.e. days, not months, you will most likely settle in with the sound.
Take the time to find good cabling, from power cords on through to speaker cables, or else you will be wasting quite a bit of what you spent on the speakers.
The greatest impediment to advancing an audiophile system is the audiophile.
....how do you think that would sound?
Don't worry about avoiding temptation. As you grow older, it will avoid you.
- Winston Churchill
d
...in a live untreated good-sized room with a CJ preamp and VTL amps.
Hardwood floor with a medium-sized rug, large bare picture window behind them.
They sound too detailed and bright here for my taste.
Curtains, carpet and room treatment would help.
You can always update your equipment if necessary.
But at some point the room becomes the limiting factor in sound quality.
Are you able to audition the Alexias' in your listening room with your equipment before pulling the trigger? You might be in for too big a surprise with such expensive and huge speakers both in size and output.
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