Carl, As you can tell from the time I make my posts, my time is somewhat limited but I am going back through all your posts from the time you acquired your Fenice. It is quite a journey. I think the key is experience. Although most of us have money, no one has endless money and part of the fun of it is to make wise definitive decisive decisions regarding equipment.
In that vein before going on, I hope you will be looking at estate sales, etc. for a Krell Master Reference mono amp. You have the space. It is the finest amp in the world. While the mono FPB's that you have can't be beat, I would pass out, if I saw a Master Reference driving your Fenice. You already have one of the finest well thought out beautiful systems in the world. I especially appreciate the work you have done on your room to trim your overall frequency response. But the addition of Master Reference mono amps might just make your system in the top 5. It would be incredible.
Now back to my topic of experience. As I said I do not have a limitless budget and even if I did what's the fun in throwing money at something you don't understand or appreciate.
So I retired at a very early age. I made good investments and they all paid off, leaving me with a lot of excess money. I bought a Maxx3 to get started with Wilson. It was an excellent speaker but clearly not what I wanted to end up with. I was severely tempted by the XLF but after calming down over the course of several months, I noted that not withstanding the 1st generation CST tweeter, its woofers were 15 years old. In essence, Wilson did not introduce enough new technology for me to bite but I still wanted more. So I jumped the XLF (saved a lot of money) and bought the Alexx. I have no criticism of it, sonically. But it is not a true reference as is your Fenice. I wanted a true reference but would I ever get the opportunity to experience one? I hope you may understand how fortunate you are to have experienced a true reference loudspeaker from very possibly the premier loudspeaker manufacturer in the world, i.e SF. I read about your acquisition of the Fenice. Your are one fortunate man. Would I ever have an opportunity like this? I'm not getting any younger. When you get too old to hear, what's the point?
Then a few months ago I came across the Chronosonic XVX thread in the Wilson Forum. I thought WOW! The XVX leapfrogs both the XLF and WAMM and will fit into my room, at half the price of the WAMM. Every driver is new and the alnico mids I expect to be spectacular. I somehow knew this was my
one chance in my lifetime. My one opportunity. I couldn't afford to wait a year. I had to call my financial adviser but he said I could easily afford it. I closed the deal in principle at a grocery checkout scanner at Walmart on my cell phone with my dealer. It happened so quick it made my head swim.
My criticisms of my Alexx are not in the sonic realm. The Alexx uses a 5.75" mid from the Sabrina. It uses a Mk.3 CST tweeter, not the most current version which is Mk.5. It is clear that the 4" upper mid is the preferred size to mate with the CST tweeter and this driver is specially enhanced for the XVX. The lower mid while superb and used throughout the Wilson line is becoming dated. The alnico mids sealed the deal for me. In short there is absolutely nothing about this speaker that I do not consider perfect
for me, using my vast experience in the high end. The materials/details used in the XVX are superior even to the WAMM. The time alignment mechanism is equal to the WAMM in accuracy and much more refined. It is what makes the XVX a true reference. I understand that its cost is 225,000.00 of the speaker. Speakers below it in the Wilson line that do not possess this mechanism cannot achieve the same accuracy. I believe it will separate the XVX from the rest of the Wilson line for years to come. So this to me is an example of how patience and very significant experience (albeit good some luck, everyone needs a little bit of it) has allowed me to go from a Mac XRT30 to a Maxx3 to Alexx to XVX and obtain a true reference loudspeaker with no intervening transducers.
Even more than your sound, I admire the thought and effort you have expended on your system. Your story is one for the ages.
Charles