why are wilson speakers so highly regaurded.

They do use the more expensive Focal Drivers "Audiom" series. This doesn't account for their price. I personally think they are overpriced for their performance, but there are a lot of people who disagree with me (some 400 X-1 owners most likely).

Well, for me they are fistly made of the absoultly best materials and finishing I have seen on any equipment period.

Secondly, the sound was what I was looking for in a set of speakers. they go down to about 23db so slam is not an issue and they send shivers down my spine when matched with the perfect amp

Take a look at sound stage mag online..Marc talks about Wilson and how they are put together and why there is a cost factor ...

It maybe viewed at http://www.soundstagelive.com/factorytours/wilson/

Its true, lots of folks either hate or love these, not sure why, for me, they rank right up there as the best speakers you can find !

BTW : my WP6 and WATCH Centre are painted with 9 coats of Mercedes Light Titanium ...simple beautiful

I've only heard the WATT/Puppies as the nearest dealer is about 450 miles away & only stocks the WATT/Puppies. My impression is that the speaker is very well made. The cabinets are NOT MDF. They are a cast resin with the WATT unit (mid-range/tweeter)is made from a different formulation than the Puppy (bass cabinet).

The cabinets are about as "dead" acoustically as any material I've experienced. Even at relatively high volumes the Puppy has barely the slightest amount of vibration that can be felt on the outside of the cabinet.

The speakers have very good imaging, extremely fast/powerful bass, and when setup correctly, are time-aligned better than most other speakers. The WATT unit can be moved front to back and tilted up/down to time-align the WATT with the Puppy. This requires a certified Wilson technician to perform in the room where they are to be setup.

All that said, I found the sound stage to be really small - like 6-feet wide by about 3-feet high. If you weren't in the "sweet spot" you'd wonder what all the fuss was about regarding these speakers. If you are sitting in the sweet spot, they are incredible to hear.

Finally, there is the mystique or "cachet" surrounding them as they are low production volume item, and are found in numerous sound studios and surround sound mixing studios as monitors. Are they worth $18K? If you have $18K and the right room to put them in - sure. Are there other speakers that sound "just as good"? That's a value judgement that only you can make after listening to a lot of speakers.

Wilson Audio afficiandos will spend $275K for WAAMs after working their way though the other Wilson models - so, a true Wilson devotee cannot be counted on to be impartial - but then, who is in regards to their favorite speaker?

"Highly Regarded?" - In America, perception becomes reality.

Wilson's are mentioned by many magazine reviewers, etc.. sometimes just because of their price and status of being at the top of the audiophile price chain.

Just like ultra priced Krell and Levinson gear, you can find respected reviewers DON'T think that these companies are the "Gestalt of audio". Wilson is in the same boat. It just SEEEEMS that everybody thinks they are great, because when something is written about them, it is usually done by a reviewer who PREFERS them (the same goes for companies like Krell).

(BTW: I'm NOT saying that Wilson, Krell, etc.. is bad, just that there are respected reviewers who do NOT think that they are the "BEST", or "REFERENCE", as compared to everything currently available.)

Something else to consider; If the largest source of income from ultra high end magazines comes from the overpriced ultra hyped high end companies, why would they want to print less than stellar reviews about this gear? NEVER BITE THE HAND THAT FEEDS YOU!

i doubt that the majority of the posters on this thread have ever listened critically to dave wilson's products. i don't own them, never have. but i do respect this line and have listened to many varieties of wilson speakers in many settings with numerous frontends and electronics. to my ears, the best sound of any system at ces2001 came from watt/puppy 6's driven by nagra tube monos and a pl-p; source was a nagra analogue reel-to-reel playing second generation master tapes. yes, wilson products are relatively pricey, as are any number of other lines, including avalons, of which i've owned 3 different pairs over the last 12 years or so. bashing a whole product line because you can't afford it and then blaming reviewers for your opinions manifests an absence of discretion or intelligence, or both. IMO, audiogon is dead wrong allowing obvious trolls like this one to get past their moderators. as with everything, YMMV. -cfb