Wilson Audio Haters


I've always wondered why there are so many people out there, that more than any other speaker manufacturer, really hate the Wilson line. I own Maxx 2's and also a pair of Watt Puppys. They are IMHO quite wonderful.

Why does Wilson get so much thrashing?

crazyeddy
@ricred1 Eff no!!

The last thing I would call them are accurate.

Definitely preferred by some.

High-end I would think are objectively close to very accurate include Crystal Cables, Monitor Audio, Gryphon, Magico. Whether they are preferred, that’s another thing entirely.

I think if anything, you should look at some of the articles about how Wilson chooses his tweeters. He’s definitely going by subjective preference above all, which puts him in the category of "trendy" and in many ways, helping to set the Stereophile "house curve" to which other speaker makers sometimes gravitate to.




E
I want to add:

No one buys "accuracy." We buy music pleasure, or we should.

Some car drivers like having a slippery rear end. It’s part of the fun. Many speakers in this day and age are like that. Life is short, and money limited. You should not go to your grave adhering to some intellectual principle that doesn’t serve your enjoyment of music and culture.

I also discourage anyone from focusing on technology being superior. Be tweeters are a good example. My gods, there is a VERY broad range of quality and construction and cost and performance between all Be tweeters, and there are some very good dome and ring radiators which challenge all of them. Having a Be tweeter nor not should not be what motivates you.

There is also the matter of ACTUAL listening styles. A lot of us buy speakers like we buy SUV’s. Preparing for the apocalypse, when we mostly drive to the store.

Pay attention to your actual listening style and pick gear according to that. Do you listen on a throne? Do you work and move around? Are you on the phone? Do you do half movies/ half music? Concert levels, really?

Best,


E
I love my Watt- Puppies, I love my Sophia's, I love my Cub's, My Klipsch Horns, My LaScala's, Pro-Ac's, My Altec A-5's and all of my big and little speakers, different music, different speakers........You never have too big or enough speakers.......That's my take...........AUTOSPEC
@erik_squires 

"your writing confuses beaming with lobing and compression"

No it does not. I am just talking about trade-offs between several related factors.

One way to solve compression problems from a driver with inadequate SPL or not enough linear dynamic range from the drive motor is to employ a larger diaphragm - this is why folded ribbons are larger than dome tweeters because they don't have as good linearity at higher SPL. The downside of a larger diaphragm is initially beaming (at lower frequencies) and eventually lobing at much higher frequencies. 

Beaming is related to lobing in that the initial beam is actually one lobe that is directly forward of the driver and this eventually becomes narrower and narrower as frequency increases. Also additional side lobes appear as frequency increases. This is all interrelated to the problem of using to large a transducer or diaphragm.