Let me reiterate that it's not the cost of the paint and the labor involved that seems excessive. The Large unwieldy Chronosonic would have to be completely dis-assembled in order to get the paint applied properly, so I'm very sure they could justify the costs involved if they wanted to. But for me, I would mention that it's rather the fact that their premier product- the Watt-Puppy- made them what they are today. Only now it's called the Sasha. After endless years of using an inverted metal tweeter they switched over to a smoother-sounding silk dome. But they won't convert the Ver.1 to the 2, or the Ver.2 to the newest Ver.3. This is mainly over a tweeter and a modification of the crossover. The dealer ought to be able to buy the upgrade in kit and install the new parts in a few hours. The cabinet material was superb and virtually inert back when it was called the W/P 3/2 and cost $12K. I respect their dedication to cost-no-object, but the real night-and-day improvement comes from a great recording VS a poor one. Imaging and sound staging is a further step forward, and a valid one. But engineering a pleasant "listenable" speaker was attained many years ago by ADS, Acoustic Research, Advent, Dynaco, and so on. Flat Panels were also making tremendous headway in making the music sound "real". David Wilson is originally known for making a speaker that took up very little space and had impeccable build quality. But his greatest legacy in the long run may end up being the excellent recordings he made. I have THOSE since I could afford them. They should all be re-issued, because I could never justify buying one of their speaker systems, even if I had the money. Since they're never satisfied, the consumer in turn must also never be satisfied.
$27,500 for whaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaat???
$27,500 is a nice chunk of change, even in the audiophile world. I think we can all agree on this. You can get a pretty kick ass system for that amount. I think we can all agree on this, too. I just read something at stereophile.com that almost...almost made me choke on my triscuit. Luckily for me, I had water ready to go, knowing how dry those things are. $27,500 is the price for a paint upgrade, a color called cranberry pearl finish on a pair of speakers made by Wilson, the Chronosonic XVX. Now, when we hear the name Wilson, we all know what that means. But come on man, $27,500 for a paint upgrade.
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- 154 posts total
- 154 posts total