Wilson Watt 3/Puppy 2 Loudspeaker


I was tempted by a highly discounted used pair of these, and I know JA gave it a very positive review. However, I’m curious about what Audiogoners who actually own them think. I’d appreciate it if you could share your insights.  Thx.

https://www.stereophile.com/content/wilson-watt-series-3-puppy-2-loudspeaker

 

lanx0003

Older woofers can be retaped. A friend of mine bought a set of puppies that had just been retaped… they sound great. Not expensive to have done at all.

dishman442

Wilson sadly does not stock all legacy drivers. My Cubs had Focal tweeters (inverted dome) which suffered surround rot. I could not get replacements from Wilson or Focal.

I’m going to give a different spin of an answer.

I will harmonize with @deep_333 that this is not a good loudspeaker by today’s standards.  There are many modern speakers at this price point that will sound better.  It is a product of the time when time alignment using a sloped cabinet was a fad.  Designers had to make serious design compromises to make these designs work.  The measurements suggest this speaker is room and placement sensitive.

Reasons to consider it?  (Provided the drivers are in good shape)

1.  You want to own a piece of audio history.  It’s a definite conversation piece.

2.  You primarily listen to rock or metal, or otherwise like an exaggerated bass punch.  (The bump in bass output centered around 100 Hz is a known to be perceived as bass punch.)

I was referring to the 'bass punch' as the mid-bass boost for low-end extension, which is quite common in modern speaker designs. If done well, it doesn’t bother me. However, I’ve made up my mind not to pursue the W/P 3/2. With an additional $2-3k, I believe I can acquire my ideal, near end-game speakers that I want for retirement in five years.

Thank you all for offering such thoughtful opinions.