WILSON AUDIO/ cost vs. value

Bartokfan,
My comments were not directed specifically at anyone, nor am I buying Wilson speakers. Please read more carefully.

Bartokfan, I share your taste in music.

That you heard a Wilson speaker in a N.O showroom and disliked the sound is no surprise. Some dealer set ups of Wilson speakers are sub-optimal. Was it Wilson Audio (no relation) or Audio Resource where you heard the speakers? Can't recall which carries the line.

>>>btw you do not see post much in the amp forum, beacuse everyone will have his particular taste and amps have a much greater range of characteristics. Ecah can pick and chose as he pleases.<<<

Please tell me your kidding. I don't think I'm out on a limb in stating that speaker/room type/setup are _by far_ the greatest arbiters of the end result in sound quality in _any_ 2 ch. system.

Amp/speaker interface is a distant second--but that's a shortsighted analogy as all factors, source. pre, power, signal etc are important-- but speaker room/set-up are #1 with a bullet. Screw that up and nothing else matters.

I'm not saying Wilson should be for everyone, but it does strike me-- the number of people with negative things to say that have _no_ direct experience with the Wilson speakers other than stating "I heard it at a "dealer" or a "show" as if that constitutes valid opinion compared to in home audition.

I'm not a Wilson defender. I have enjoyed a great many speaker designs in my day and would never critisize others choices or imply anyone is a dupe or has more money than sense in their speaker choice, ---yet that is exactly what is occurring here, with posts inferring the choice of a Wilson speaker is status related--what absolute nonsense.

With so much business in speakers, electronics and cables going to China, Taiwan etc from the US, I'm surprised there's so little latitude given, by so many, for a US company that keeps everything in house. If anything, we should keep that in perspective. Do you have _any_ idea how much it costs for a US company to keep production stateside versus overseas? I do.

You want Chinese made product translated to speakers, keep it up and you'll have your wish.

Compromised Chinese made products at inflated US prices. Think I'm ill informed? I've got a set of faux US set of Chinese golf clubs to sell ya.

JMHO

Grant
Shunyata Research

We did not start this. It was Dave who wants to kiss and make up. No doubt due to sagging sales. No matter how successfull there are only so many units to be sold in high end audio. Dave figures there maybe some people who want Wilson's but will not buy because of misconceptions about price gouging.
In WIlson's defense he has the line covered from top to bottom. Around $6k for the Cubs all the way to the top.

To be honest I did hear the 'slamms with cj art 2 and premier 8's sound good. It just seemd I could do better for less.

Maybe Dave should make a turntable. They seem to be the new"chic".

I was watching this old house and yes there was a high end turntble setting on the counter. " A good turntable can sound better than CD". Yikes!!

Oneobgyn-your system remains the envy of audiogoners and no one thinks you were ripped off.

BOa I understand that you did speak in a general sense. No harm done. Grant, as much as I admire a particular amp designed in germany/built in china, I'd never buy a chinese speaker, unless of course it was designed by the Danes with Danish parts. The chinese will never make a speaker on their own, worth my interest. The chinese may copy some things in the future, but never to match equally the best Danish drivers. If a amp made in china can deliver what Im looking for(sound quality/build quality) at a very fair (low/cheap) price, I'm gonna go for it. Sure I feel for the US/brit labs. They are about to "take the hit", maybe a big one. I just took the "katrina hit'. Life is not fair, such it is.
I heard the Wilson's in a fair setting, no disadvantage at all. What amp it was/cdp I cannot recall.
I look at it this way, Wilson sets himself up for criricism. Why? Because at those prices you should expect a sound that matches. When i go to hear a expensive speaker I kick my critical era up a few notches. Nothing gets by me, I nail down every fiber of the sound. I zone in to each range of fq to see whats really going on. i disect the sound, and also do a macro imaging test, soundstage = does it sound lifelike, vividness as someone called it.