Wilson Alexandria X2s in small room

I can't help but think that Wilson told you they would work so they could sell another pair of X-2's. I'd be tempted to trust the dealers in this case. It seems like the WP8 might be a better choice in a room that size.

The width and height are largely your limiting factors here. 7' seems really short even in a finished basement.

I have not heard the X-2s, so I cannot specifically comment on them. But, as a general observation, one cannot determine if a speaker will work in a particular room just based on the size of the speaker. I've heard lots of big speakers work well in very tiny rooms.

I do know that the X-2 is highly adjustable so that the speakers can be made to align and focus at a range of distances. That means that one is not forced to sit in a narrow range of distance from the speaker. It is therefore not physically limited to playing in a big space with the listener well back of the speaker.

Oviously, a speaker with limited output cannot be made to play loudly in a huge room, but the reverse situation -- a big speaker can play in a tiny room -- is a different matter. In that circumstance, whether or not a speaker can play "small" has to do with whether it resolves properly and has proper dynamics when it is asked to play at lower volumes. A lot of speakers, big and small cannot properly do this. They sound lifeless and anemic at low volume. I have no idea if the X-2 is one of these, but one cannot tell by looking at its size.

The dealers who said the speakers will overpower your room are right. Acoustic treatment is no substitute for room volume when it comes to big cones moving air, although it is better than electronic EQ such as the one you mentioned.

Don't do it, it won't work..

Considering the price of the Alexandria (well over 100 grand new) and the possible limitations of your existing listening room, have you given consideration to purchasing something like the Wilson Maxx 2 and taking the cost savings between the Alex and the Maxx at roughly $65,000 and BUILDING a new dedicated listening room to your house? Obviously I have no idea if this is possible in your situation but if so you could have a dedicated listening room built to Wilson's specifications for the Maxx 2. Might be worth asking Wilson if an acoustically designed listening room to the Maxx's specifications would outperform the Alexandria in your currently "compromised" space. Just a thought but when your talking about that kind of money, room construction can become a component as well.