Quote:
Originally Posted by Joe P
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Joe P, thank you for the post. I believe that Dave Wilson's genius lives on through his WAMM because all of Daryl's designs (Alexx, Alexia-2, and Sasha DAW) are based on it. All are truly great speakers. I can't say enough good things about my Alexx. The best decision I ever made in Audio was to wait on the Alexx (not pull the trigger on an XLF) because in my room the Alexx is clearly the better speaker at half the price. There has been a lot of discussion about the old tweeter vs the new tweeter. After listening to my Alexx for about a year (I had a Maxx3 for about 5 years) and now with a system that is stable and whose upgraded components are able to better appreciate the qualities of the Alexx, IMO the old Ti tweeter would be incompatible with the current Wilson sound. It would never work in the current Wilson platform. This fact ends the discussion for me regarding the old vs new tweeter. It is natural for people to cling to the past. I see this in the Mac Forum frequently where the 1.2KW vs the 1.25KW is a good example. The 1.2KW is an updated/refreshed design that is based on a design that is well over 20 years old (the 1201 and even the 1000 series). Having listened to both through the Alexx, the 1.25KW is a far superior amp, IMO. In addition, so would the old Focal woofers which are slower and less articulate than WAMM based woofers, be incompatible with the new Wilson designs. So IMO Daryl has really done it. He has delivered Wilson Audio from a storied past into a truly bright future with the advent of a new platform of truly great speakers, with the enormous help of the legacy left to him by his father through the WAMM.
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Charles Updated System
Amps: McIntosh 1.25KW’s (3) set on floor on custom made cultured marble slabs
Preamp and DAC: McIntosh D1100
Sources: McIntosh MCD1100 SACD player, MVP881 BR player, MVP851 DVD player, MR87 tuner, Marantz 510LV Laser Disc player, ASUS laptop USB (JRiver Media Center 23)
Speakers: Wilson Audio Specialties Alexx
Sub-woofer: Wilson Audio Specialties Thor’s Hammer (1) horizontal lie and Wilson Watch Controller (abbr: WC)
Cables main system: Audioquest Wel Signature speaker cables and balanced IC (preamp to amps); Wel Signature AES/EBU balanced digital IC for CD playback; Audioquest Diamond optical (1) for tuner, (1) for BR player, and (1) for LD player for total of (3); Coffee USB cable; McIntosh MCT cable for SACD playback; Dragon power cords (5 HC cords and 3 source cords for total of 8); Thunder HC power cord for tuner; cables for DVD player not listed
Cables subwoofer system: Audioquest Redwood speaker cable (1); Wolf balanced subwoofer IC from WC to amp; Wind balanced IC from preamp to WC; Hurricane HC (2) and Dragon HC (1) power cords
Power conditioners: Audioquest Niagara 7000 (1) and Niagara 5000 (3); (4) dedicated 20-amp lines with no. 10 wire straight out of fuse box
Cabinet: Double Custom Woodwork & Design (CWD) solid walnut cabinet on large casters; holds all sources and preamp; also, Niagara 7000; 15 feet minimum distance from speakers
Acoustic Treatments: Room and Echo Tunes enough to turn the room into a virtual anechoic chamber if desired; however, at present my room is significantly reflective giving me a bright, vibrant, dynamic, highly resolving, smooth sound free of harshness and grain and perfect for my taste; zero slap echo; gorgeous midrange
AC: Dedicated to this room only, an ultra-high efficiency and quiet Trane split system 2.5-ton heat pump with 4 returns; active electrostatic filter and top-grade digital thermostat
Room (mancave): 40’L x 15.5’W A-frame; max ceiling height 8’ min 5’; wall within wall construction built of 2 x 6’s; built over garage with custom hardwood floor with gym seal with over 40 Lowes stiffened wooden I-beams supporting floor; complete isolation from rest of house