OMG, Life Will Never Be The Same Again, I’ve Just Been Wammed!

[HiFi Lounge]

Hi All,

WOW, what can I say, firstly I just want to send out a massive thank you to everyone at Wilson Audio for making us so welcome and also to Absolute Sounds for helping organise this trip, today was a very special day indeed, also a very long one, started at 7am and it is now midnight and we have just got back so I will keep this short as I need some sleep, the first thing we did today was a Wilson Audio factory tour which was absolutely gob smacking, the attention to detail at Wilson Audio and work involved in creating a Wilson speaker has to be second to none, more on that in another post though as there is a lot to talk about there.

So the main event for today and possibly my entire life was being invited into the Wilson Family home to hear the WAMM - Master Chronosonic speakers, they are around £650k for the speakers on their own and nearer to £1 Million with the bass towers, to be fair I am not going to even try to describe how they sound as that really is a pointless exercise, needless to say I have never heard anything create music like this, on a few occasions the speakers really did disappear and the artists where in the room, their scale, dynamics, imaging and sound staging are like nothing I have ever heard before, on at least one occasion the slam of the bass made me jump, never had that experience before I have to say :-)

I couldn’t help thinking to myself that around 6 years ago Wendy and myself decided to sell our house to try and start a HiFi Shop and here I am sitting in the Wilson Family home listening to what has to be the most impressive speaker ever built that only a few people are ever going to be lucky enough to hear as only 70 pairs are only ever going to be built, what a good decision that turned out to be :-)

How I go back to reality now I will never know, tomorrow we are off to a recording studio that is kitted out with Wilson Audio speakers so another fun day by the sounds of it, in the meantime here are a few pictures from this amazing experience this evening -*

http://hifilounge.co.uk/wilson-audio-wamm

http://i474.photobucket.com/albums/rr109/Mikawen/Wilson%20Audio/IMG_9143_zps8ovnwaei.jpg (http://s474.photobucket.com/user/Mikawen/media/Wilson%20Audio/IMG_9143_zps8ovnwaei.jpg.html)

http://i474.photobucket.com/albums/rr109/Mikawen/Wilson%20Audio/IMG_9145_zpsmyqbr9j2.jpg (http://s474.photobucket.com/user/Mikawen/media/Wilson%20Audio/IMG_9145_zpsmyqbr9j2.jpg.html)

http://i474.photobucket.com/albums/rr109/Mikawen/Wilson%20Audio/IMG_9147_zpsmsfbyst1.jpg (http://s474.photobucket.com/user/Mikawen/media/Wilson%20Audio/IMG_9147_zpsmsfbyst1.jpg.html)

Dave Wilson, describing his creation, such a nice guy :-)

http://i474.photobucket.com/albums/rr109/Mikawen/Wilson%20Audio/IMG_9149_zpsh8aaavrz.jpg (http://s474.photobucket.com/user/Mikawen/media/Wilson%20Audio/IMG_9149_zpsh8aaavrz.jpg.html)

The inner workings, these really are like fine Swiss Time Pieces.

http://i474.photobucket.com/albums/rr109/Mikawen/Wilson%20Audio/IMG_9151_zpscwtz9fc8.jpg (http://s474.photobucket.com/user/Mikawen/media/Wilson%20Audio/IMG_9151_zpscwtz9fc8.jpg.html)

http://i474.photobucket.com/albums/rr109/Mikawen/Wilson%20Audio/IMG_9153_zpsrpmre3w1.jpg (http://s474.photobucket.com/user/Mikawen/media/Wilson%20Audio/IMG_9153_zpsrpmre3w1.jpg.html)

http://i474.photobucket.com/albums/rr109/Mikawen/Wilson%20Audio/IMG_9161_zpsmedjqfcn.jpg (http://s474.photobucket.com/user/Mikawen/media/Wilson%20Audio/IMG_9161_zpsmedjqfcn.jpg.html)

http://i474.photobucket.com/albums/rr109/Mikawen/Wilson%20Audio/IMG_9158_zps0psemtaj.jpg (http://s474.photobucket.com/user/Mikawen/media/Wilson%20Audio/IMG_9158_zps0psemtaj.jpg.html)

http://i474.photobucket.com/albums/rr109/Mikawen/Wilson%20Audio/IMG_9175_zps5iz7ikcx.jpg (http://s474.photobucket.com/user/Mikawen/media/Wilson%20Audio/IMG_9175_zps5iz7ikcx.jpg.html)

http://i474.photobucket.com/albums/rr109/Mikawen/Wilson%20Audio/IMG_9176_zpse2qftshg.jpg (http://s474.photobucket.com/user/Mikawen/media/Wilson%20Audio/IMG_9176_zpse2qftshg.jpg.html)

http://i474.photobucket.com/albums/rr109/Mikawen/Wilson%20Audio/IMG_9171_zpsrfzocrfe.jpg (http://s474.photobucket.com/user/Mikawen/media/Wilson%20Audio/IMG_9171_zpsrfzocrfe.jpg.html)

Amazing, and thanks again to everyone who made this possible.

Cheers,

Paul.

[hifinutt]

wow .....fantastic . saw some high end wilsons with chap from wilsons at windsor and never forgotten them . what a privelige to be able to go . hope it was worth selling the house !!!

[HiFi Lounge]

hope it was worth selling the house !!!

Oh Yes :-) Struggling to come back down to reality though I must admit after hearing that system.

[RichB]

Beauty really is all in the eye of the beholder isn't it.

[Macca]

Function over form. That's how proper hi-fi should be. I'd have them in my room no problem. Wouldn't have those curtains though. They are nasty.

[YNWaN]

Yes, it's very 80's 'Dallas'.

[Audio Al]

Not keen on the styling but would be on the sound , its all about the sound isn't it :)

[Macca]

I don't think they have styled them at all. That's just what they need to look like to work optimally. I suppose they might look better in black instead of silver.

[Jimbo]

Only problem is you would also need to spend another fortune buying amplification to fire them up!

[Macca]

Sensitivity is 99dB. So maybe not need as much power as you might think.

[walpurgis]

Sensitivity is 99dB. So maybe not need as much power as you might think.

What impedance though?

[Arkless Electronics]

No matter how good, this is ultimately speaker drive units, probably bought in from the likes of Seas etc in a collection of boxes and £1000,000 for the full system is obscene IMHO....

[DSJR]

Yeah, after the appearance and heavy non-essential engineering is taken away, they're still moderately priced drive units 'in a complex box.'

I get more interested in the big pro ATC's, PMC's, Questeds and so on, which cost well under £50k if fully amplified I believe...

[southall-1998]

I'm afraid this is just another prime example of Hi-Fi rip-off!

Those hideous looking speakers, probably cost just a couple grand to make!

S.

[rubber duck]

Well that didn't take long. I wonder how many keyboard warriors have actually heard a pair of Wilsons, even the cheaper ones. As for drivers, speculation is merely opinion unless you all have evidence? Of course, if it were only a few grand worth, actions speak louder...

[Macca]

What impedance though?

Don't know couldn't find any proper specs or measurements.

As regard the price there is no way you could build these for just 'a couple of thousand.' Absurd. As for drive units if the drive unit can do what you need it to do it doesn't matter how inexpensive it is. One advantage of a multi driver array over the single driver or 2 way is that you are not asking as much from each individual driver. So they don't need to be super-special and expensive. You only need that if you want a driver that can cover a wide bandwidth without breaking up too much. In any case I think at least some of the drive units were developed specially for this application. Hard to find out exactly since the reviews are all full of the usual flim-flam instead of useful facts and data.

[walpurgis]

The specs matter little really. I doubt many of us are likely to be in the market for these. :D

[Macca]

You can be interested in something even if you will never have the means to buy it. Or even think about buying it.

[Arkless Electronics]

I'm sure £100K could just about be justified but 10 X that?

[karma67]

for me something that big has to look nice as well and for that money they should,i like the line,'the speakers just disappeared' lol

[Macca]

Limited edition run, so not so many pairs to be sold to recoup all that R&D time. Although I grant you at a million bucks they are into Veblen goods territory.

[Macca]

Found the spec

Technical Specs:

Measurements:

Nominal Impedance: 3 ohms / minimum 1.77 ohms @ 310 Hz

Sensitivity: 90 dB @ 1W @ 1m @ 315Hz

Frequency Response: 20 Hz—33 kHz +/- 2 dB

Minimum Amplification Power Recommended: 100 watts/channel

Drivers:

Main Tweeter: 1 inch (2.54 cm) Convergent Synergy (Mk5), Dome Material: Doped Silk Fabric

Upper Mid-R anges: (2) 5 inch (12.70 cm) Cone Material: Paper Pulp Composite

Lower Mid-Ranges (2) 7 inch (17.78 cm) Cone Material: Doped Paper Pulp

Woofer: 10.5 inches (26.67 cm) Cone Material: Hard Paper Pulp

Woofer: 12.5 inches (31.75 cm) Cone Material: Hard Paper Pulp

Rear Firing Tweeter: 1 inch (2.54 cm) Dome Material: Doped Silk Fabric (Mk5)

Rear Firing Mid-R ange: 5 inches (12.70 cm) Cone Material: Paper Pulp Composite

Dimensions:

Height: 84 ⅜ inches (214.29 cm) w/o spikes Width: 21 inches (53.34 cm)

Depth: 37 ⅜ inches (94.87 cm)

Enclosure Type MainTweeter (Sealed): Material: X-Material

4” Main Mid Module (Bottom Vent): Material: X-Material with S-Material Baffle

7” Main Mid Module (Bottom Vent): Material: X-Material with S-Material Baffle

Woofer (Cross Load Firing Port ( XLF)): Material: X-Material

Rear Firing Enclosure (Sealed): Material: X-Material with S-Material Baffle

Gantry: Aerospace Aluminium with W-Material Module Interface

Price and availability:

Limited to 70 pairs US MSRP $685,000

Nasty load but nothing a Krell or similar couldn't cope with. Quite a bit cheaper than a million dollar too. Although they ain't exactly giving them away.

Only 90dB though, not the 99 I saw quoted elsewhere.

[YNWaN]

Refreshing to see that elaborate mains conditioning doesn't seem to be used, or cable lifters (even if they are using Transparent speaker cable with their special filter networks).

I must admit I don't like the styling either. Sure there is an element of form being defined by function but still is some styling. The smaller WA designs are much better (visually) balanced for me.

This pair appears to be called Dave.

[struth]

my little full range telefunkens are 3 ohm, but only need a trickle current .... come in a fair bit cheaper too :ner: 700k dollaridos is redic for 2 speakers tho... you could buy 2 lovely houses for that

[Macca]

If you've got that much for speakers you probably already own several lovely houses. And a yacht.

[struth]

If you've got that much for speakers you probably already own several lovely houses. And a yacht.

not really my point.... more if youve got that money for speakers then buy 2 lovely houses for deserving folk

[fatmarley]

What impedance though?

EDIT: - Looks like I'm too slow...

[fatmarley]

No matter how good, this is ultimately speaker drive units, probably bought in from the likes of Seas etc in a collection of boxes and £1000,000 for the full system is obscene IMHO....

The upper mids are Scanspeak Illuminators - LINK (http://www.scan-speak.dk/?page_id=52)

[The Black Adder]

Why do they need to be so ugly?

[walpurgis]

Why do they need to be so ugly?

They're Wilson's Jo. Have you ever seen a pretty one? :)

Now, if they were top of the range Avalons, things might be different.

[The Black Adder]

No... you would have thought they had some taste... lol I guess the old saying is right, wealth doesn't buy taste. LOL

[Arkless Electronics]

No... you would have thought they had some taste... lol I guess the old saying is right, wealth doesn't buy taste. LOL

I recall seeing an old picture of Wilson with his wife in which the whole thing looked like it had been styled and directed by Liberace! Much worse than this!

[montesquieu]

Four pages of comments and not a word yet about what music was played, and how it was played.

Truly memorable I guess?

Or like Munich, a fabulous mixture of plinky plonk, Pink Floyd, and GWG? (As is often the wont of those with more kit that taste?).

[petrat]

I'll say one thing for David Wilson, that he's pursued his vision all the way.
He couldn't be accused of undervaluing his products, either :lol:

[User211]

Four pages of comments and not a word yet about what music was played, and how it was played.

Truly memorable I guess?

Or like Munich, a fabulous mixture of plinky plonk, Pink Floyd, and GWG? (As is often the wont of those with more kit that taste?).

I already know pretty much what it will sound like. It will sound like a Wilson system. They don't vary that much in terms of house sound.

Scale should be very impressive, and the corner subs are doubtless pretty capable.

It'll sound as though it is quite accurate, but be pretty sterile with it. It'll play very loud with little in the way of cabinet colouration. Imaging will be spacious and quite precise. Transient response will be very good. High levels of bass at high volume will not phase it.

In truth whether you like that kind of sound or not, it is high performance.

[jandl100]

I'm not keen on the aesthetics, but if I had the £moolah it would be daft to not have them on my Possibles List.
They might look very imposing in a good way in piano black. Very Darth Vaderish.
I'd definitely ditch the curtains, though!

Good luck to you with the Wilson range commercially, Paul.

[Jimbo]

Wish I had a room that big. Looks like he could do with some more room acoustic treatment, I bet the bass can get a bit out of control?

[Barry]

All that and at best it sounds as if "the artists were in the room". Wrong - I don't want that! I want it to sound as if I am in the artists' room and can hear the acoustic of the venue. Even if it is a studio recording, I want to hear what the recording engineer heard.

But then I'm just jealous. I'm sure they sound wonderful, though I doubt they are really worth that money. Veblen goods indeed, but they will sell quickly; there are more than enough Russian and Chinese plutocrats who would be willing to buy them all, if only as a status symbol.

[Audio Al]

They would look great in the latest Alien movie :D

[rubber duck]

Wish I had a room that big. Looks like he could do with some more room acoustic treatment, I bet the bass can get a bit out of control?

DW was (is?) a recording engineer. The room will be sorted.

[Jimbo]

DW was (is?) a recording engineer. The room will be sorted.

I don't see any room treatment unless it's already built into the walls. No bass traps or first reflection panels?

[YNWaN]

You can see a wall panel in picture 5 - Audio Research pre-amp in pic 7. In the last pic you can see the side panel and two triangular corner panels - so there is some room treatment.