A brutal review of the Wilson Maxx

Sounds pretty accurate to me. The review that is. NOT the speakers.

With no mention of context, comparison, system or anything remotely related to a frame of reference? What possible value to anyone can that review be?

9/10's of the "review" was his opinion of measurements someone else performed, and counter-comments taking issue with professional opinion. Taking well-aimed pot-shots at review opinion is a hobby unto itself for some, and Mr. Hardesty is simply trying to make a business out of it. He will definitely develop a fan-base with many forum participants that revel in promoting the idea of media corruption at every turn. Claiming advertising bias (without any knowledge of this) seems to discount the fact that Fremer _bought_ the speakers, although I'm sure Richard H., with all his "inside knowledge" will claim they were a "gift"....

I purchased the MAXX 2's after personal audition--in my home. I have formerly owned Audio Physic Calderas, Virgos and Avantis, and other "phase correct" "first-order" "small-driver" speakers.

I don't begrudge anyone who doesn't care for Wilson speakers, though the Wilson line has changed dramatically for the better(IMO) in recent years, starting with the Sophia. I did not care for the 5's, 3.2's etc.

Any speaker can sound bad or good at shows/dealers, it's really a crap shoot and almost totally dependent on system/room context and personal tastes/bias.

I wonder, how many Wilson-haters in this thread have actually listened carefully to them in their homes (maybe there are some, but I'm betting not many), or have they simply formed an anecdotal opinion from listening at a show or dealer?

I've heard Wilson's sound bad at shows and dealers, and can say the same for all the speakers I've heard at shows and dealers. Any speaker can sound hideous in a given context and glorious in others. Had I not taken Audio Physic speakers home, I would NEVER have purchased them based on how they sounded at my dealer.

Why did Hardesty so casually mention his listing impressions correlating to his overly dramatic technical spouting without ANY mention of where and with what system-- as if that had no relevance? Context is everything with speakers. He went into his rant (that was no review) with an ultra clear agenda, and played a connect-the-dot game with his unqualified impressions--all two sentences of them.

I don't understand why so many people see things in this hobby as black and white, bad or good, a great value, or hideously overpriced? Why are so many ready to condemn others for making a calculated personal choice at a given price? When it comes to the selection of a loudspeaker there are almost as many opinions, variables and biases as there are customers!

Offering _judgment_ about any speaker's _value_ or someone else's personal choice, or how much they should or shouldn't spend, or whether that disqualifies them as a music-lover, or makes them a moron--all suggested in this thread, seems rather pointless and shortsighted. But hey, that's just my personal opinion, and because I bought the speakers, that makes me almost as biased as Mr. Hardesty. :)

Wow just read it. Very interesting. Never heard the Maxx2 but did audition the Sophias and WP7s before settling on my Kharmas. The Wilsons were driven by Spectral amps at the time. At the time my impressions were largely in tune of what the reviewer is saying: I came away thinking incredibly good at transient attack but less so on decay, and mid range was somehow "bare" sounding. I was unsure whether it was really an issue of a poor match with the amps but the dealer obviously thought it was good match and they have been matched as at various trade shows in the past. I did think that one RH's conclusions when reviewed the Sophias rung true: they would be better served with tube amplification to get that mid range better.

I'm pleased to see a review that isn't just gushing.

Personally I've only ever heard WP6 / Sophia and now own Sophia. I disagree not with his arguement, but with his conclusions. Like many here have argued, I have listened, I did like, so I bought.

If an opposing view is stated by someone who doesn't have a stake in the outcome, then that's good for the debate. I can't remember last time I read a bad thing about any audio product unless it was written by an amateur, so hat's off to him for his boldness.

Often the best reviews are in the 'gon, except when they start to read like the pro's - probably deliberately.

It would seem that most reviewers would need very big homes since most things they hear are "unmatched in the all important (insert area of choice here) area". So they must own an awful lot of kit!

I would like to read more back to back reviewing - two products in the same system no other things changed.

Just my 2p

Hmm from my experience with the Wilsons, which is very limited, once again it all comes back to room and system. The reviewer likes the Sophias but the system i heard them in was unmemorable to say the least. They sounded like bodyless boxes. I didn't spend much time with them because there was zero happening with that set up i could like. The maxes on the other hand blew me away but they were in a very nice home theater type display room (which had no seat located in the sweet spot...tooo odd). They were driven by enough electronic bucks to buy a lot of peoples houses (halco amps at about 30 large, transparent opus at about 15-10 k for an 8 ft pair, VTL 7.5 pre and some high dollar CDP at over 10k). It sounded awsome. the sence of room generated from the recording was better than anything i have heard to date.

Second in line for soundstage presentation was the Audio Video Logic room in Des Moines where i auditioned the Dunlavy Athenas with and ARC vt 100 and a Wadia 850 CDP direct into the amp. There is a huge cost gap between those two systems. In the Max set up was it the speakers, the electronics, the room, the well chosen demo disc than made everything so cool? Given the differences between my experiences with the Dunlavys in the AVL room and in my room i have to put in a huge vote for the room.