WILSON AUDIO/ cost vs. value

Miklorsmith,

Nice call. I like the Dali and Devore speakers too, based on what I've heard at shows.

Keep in mind, that the head units of the Maxx2 and X2's need to be precisely calibrated to listener distance and height, so it's possible-in any "dealer showroom" demo, that the performance might not gel based on set up.

That said, speaker preference is more of a personal choice than _any_ other product in this hobby, and everyone has a different opinion. Many think they have it "figured out" or think they can intelligently dump on products they don't own and have scant experience with. That's a lot of what I see in this thread, outside the last couple posts.

The people that have it "figured out" are those that follow their own path, while understanding that there is no "best" or "greatest value", and don't judge companies or hobbyists because "they know better". Largely, the "I'm smarter than you" crowd are the people with the least experience and the greatest need to pad their ego.

The rest of us are just hobbyists with an open mind--and too often--an open wallet. :)

When did this turn into whether wilsons are the best? Got nothing to do with WHAT DO YOU GET FOR YOUR MONEY? PERFORMANCE Vs. PRICE Ratio as the thread originally started..

I agree profit margin has nothing to with sound or PRICE Vs. Value, who cares if wilson makes 5000.00 a pair Or 50,000 a pair in the end, it has to do with ARE you getting a Performance Relevant to the price, Fine you love wilsons, Okay I'll play and say so do I! But are they truely worthy of the cost, Nothing is it just depends on how much more a certain company can Gouge out at this point, discussion if they are Good Scan speak multi driver designs or not is irrelevant to the question, they are good, but they are not 4 times better than a comparable designed speaker at 1/3 the cost everytime, people buy Wilson kinda like ferrari, they have the money, and it does what they feel it needs to do, but yes there is a 80,000 Mercedes that can be just as enjoyable and effective for the main 9 out of 10 points that the ferrari hits at 200,000.. You decide if status, Fancy finish with spacelike material suits you in the end. Sound is not even a factor at this point, cause of course you can do better than a 130,000 dollar speaker for far less money.

profit margin on a 50,000 dollar speaker should be less than the profit margin on a 1000 dollar speaker. its just the way business is, audio and otherwise. people think that wilson audio speakers are over-priced and over-hyped, so? the care and pride they put into building a speaker is top notch. if there are issues with build quality, they handle them. i havent read where someone has bought a wilson speaker and been left holding the bag if the item was damaged. If there is such an issue, perhaps it is due to the poor service of the audio store and not wilson themselves. Maybe that is why wilson is dropping dealers. these dealers are not selling enough to warrant their wilson dealership. it is easy to take shots at the guy sitting up top.

i have heard every wilson speaker from the cub to a apir of x-2's. the experience i have had was awesome, but i didnt buy them because I cant afford them. so when i read all this negative comments it makes me feel one of two things about the author.

1. they cant afford them, so they consider them overpriced
2. they dont know what they are talking about and just like to hear themselves ramble on.

either way, if you dont like wilson audio thats fine, but i guarentee you respect their products and respect the care and effort devoted to every single speaker. thats what the ads are about, letting you know that you are getting a product that is tweaked and produced under the strictest standards. Thats what you are paying for and thats what they deliver.

Just returned from HE2006 in LA. After hearing a 15-minute demonstration of the new Watt Puppy 8's by Dave Wilson himself, my wife said, "Twenty-eight thousand dollars, is that all they are?" This was, by far, the best I've ever heard Wilson speakers sound. The speakers disappeared, the music evenly pressurized the large room, and the tone, texture, and dynamic swell was closer to live reproduction than I've previously heard from the Sophia's, the 6's or the 7's. In my opinion, the 8's are worth every penny, and I'm betting that the market will agree.

"only $28k, is that all they are?" I love it...