Ref 75SE a good match with Wilson Yvette?
 

Hi all
I am upgrading speakers to Wilson Yvette. I auditioned them in the dealership with the Ref 75SE and the combination sounded incredible, and I am considering adding either the 75SE or 150SE to my upgrade plans. Should I be concerned about the somewhat low sensitivity rating at 86db if the Yvette when driven by the 75SE? I am mainly listening to classical and electronic music, in a relatively small room (ca 14x12). Does someone else have the Yvette /75SE combo? Any concerns about bass accuracy, dynamics etc? Something that should strongly push me to the Ref 150SE?

I have heard the Ref75 with Sasha’s and for me it can run out of power at high listening levels in larger rooms. The 150 would help for sure just depends on what volume you listen at and how big your room is. Within its power band though the 75 is one incredible amplifier for sure! Since you mentioned electronic music ... if you’re like me and listen to daft punk at louder volumes you’ll appreciate the larger amp for sure.

George

Indeed, that is a relatively 'small' listening space that should be easily filled with the Yvettes & 75SE. You should ask your dealer to let you audition with the 150SE if you think they may need that much power. Failing that, make a deal with him that you can return the 75SE with full credit towards a 150SE within 90-days, or whatever time you feel you need to decide.

I listened to this amp with Aerial 7Ts (similar load) with classical several years ago. Tone was absolutely gorgeous but bass was not as well controlled as I was used to and dynamics were lacking with classical orchestral music. I was listening at moderate levels in a medium sized room.

Slange00 - my opinion is you will have no problem with the gear and speakers you mentioned and the initial advice will cure your curiosity.

Gadawg brings up the importance of power, especially if you change rooms down the road. Formerly YB-2 lays out your insurance policy.

Only allow the dealer to drive the train in parallel with your thought and decision process.

Best-


Sent from my iPad using New Forum mobile app

I think that because of your room size, the ref75 is a fine choice. You won't be missing much, you can rest knowing that you have one of the sweetest amps ever made. However the ref150se is a really, really amazing amp which adds some punch to the sweetness and if your budget allows, go for it.

You can also pick up a used Gs150 for a great price, that's what I did and I love it.

The GS has a slightly more solid state sound than either of the refs we're talking about. It's a bit more punchy and neutral in my opinion after having all 3 of these in my house. They all pair best with a ref6 or ref5se in my opinion.

+1

I have a friend with the 75SE/Yvette combo and it sounds great in a large listening space. He loaned it to me for a little while and I tried it with my Salon2's which are known current hogs, expecting it to sound really wimpy and I was shocked at how much mojo it has.

Wilson designed Sophias to be easy to drive with relatively inexpensive electronics. At least some off this characteristic has likely been carried forward in the Yvette successor product. However, YMMV depending on your music. Well recorded classical orchestral music will typically stress electronics significantly more than, for example, jazz.

My experience is that the rated power output of an amplifier is not always a good predictor of ability to play loudly or to produce wide dynamics. I don't have much experience with the Ref 75SE but I do own a Ref 150. I upgraded to the Ref 150 from a VS115, which was a power increase from 120 W/ch to 150 W/ch. That's hardly a big change in power yet the Ref 150 has much enhanced dynamics and plays considerably more comfortably at higher sound levels than the VS115, not that the latter was a bad amp at all.

An audition with your speakers is the best way to determine if the amp satisfies your needs.