i recently got to audition the wilson alexandrias, perhaps the 2nd best speaker i ever heard (the wilson WAMM was #1).
funny, i might be able to afford them if it was THAT important to me to own a pair. but right now i have eggleston andra-2's, and when i came home from the wilson dealer, i listened to the same cd's, and the andra's were actually just as good in conveying the musicality and the emotion of the music as the $135k wilsons. perhaps one of the reasons (beyond personal bias) that i feel this way is because i have invested heavily in transparent cable, and have connected every component with ref-MM; all i can say is the folks at transparent know what they're doing- these audio cables have added another octave of bass, and added an openess and fullness to my system i wouldn't have thought possible- but i also can't recommend that people spend this kind of money on wire unless you're as crazy as i am.
anyway, sure, the wilsons threw a huge stage, and were great at dynamic swings,
the music floated all over the room, etc. in fact i was shaking my head in disbelief that they could be so good.
but OTOH, the system i have at home is 95% as resolving and most important, just as involving. would von schweikerts or something else do an even better job? (the MBL's image great too, but can they communicate what the musicians are feeling any better?) i couldn't say, but perhaps you reach a point where, other than getting an ever bigger-sounding system with an "amazingly huge image", you've arrived at a level of musical involvement where those factors don't have that much importance anymore. and i've always felt that speaker designers can build a great sounding product, even a "reference" product, without boasting that they cost as much as a mercedes (or two). anyway, i'm just as suprised as anyone, and it's just my opinion anyway, but perhaps i'm done looking around for something that will "blow away" what i already have. and it's time to go put on some music...
funny, i might be able to afford them if it was THAT important to me to own a pair. but right now i have eggleston andra-2's, and when i came home from the wilson dealer, i listened to the same cd's, and the andra's were actually just as good in conveying the musicality and the emotion of the music as the $135k wilsons. perhaps one of the reasons (beyond personal bias) that i feel this way is because i have invested heavily in transparent cable, and have connected every component with ref-MM; all i can say is the folks at transparent know what they're doing- these audio cables have added another octave of bass, and added an openess and fullness to my system i wouldn't have thought possible- but i also can't recommend that people spend this kind of money on wire unless you're as crazy as i am.
anyway, sure, the wilsons threw a huge stage, and were great at dynamic swings,
the music floated all over the room, etc. in fact i was shaking my head in disbelief that they could be so good.
but OTOH, the system i have at home is 95% as resolving and most important, just as involving. would von schweikerts or something else do an even better job? (the MBL's image great too, but can they communicate what the musicians are feeling any better?) i couldn't say, but perhaps you reach a point where, other than getting an ever bigger-sounding system with an "amazingly huge image", you've arrived at a level of musical involvement where those factors don't have that much importance anymore. and i've always felt that speaker designers can build a great sounding product, even a "reference" product, without boasting that they cost as much as a mercedes (or two). anyway, i'm just as suprised as anyone, and it's just my opinion anyway, but perhaps i'm done looking around for something that will "blow away" what i already have. and it's time to go put on some music...