@OP - If that is how the Sabrina Xs sounded, they were not set up properly.
Auditioned Wilson Sabrina X vs B&W 803D4 and Shocked
I recently auditioned the Wilsons vs. B&Ws and am a little befuddled. I had money in hand and was ready to purchase the Wilsons, but after reading the stellar reviews of the Sabrina Xs, I didn't think anything could compare in that price range. The source equipment was the McIntosh MC611s and the MC12000, which closely replicated my equipment.
It was not even a close comparison; the B&Ws were clearly better in every aspect. The midrange was glorious, the highs were crisp, and the bass filled the room. The Wilsons were anemic with bass (roughly 14'x16'). The midrange was clinical, and the highs were nothing to write home about. I'm perplexed because Sabrina's bass output (per the reviews) belies its driver size. We even experimented with the 4 and 8-ohm outputs on the Macs.
Has anyone experienced something similar, or am I missing something (synergy, cabling, etc.)? I really wanted to love the Wilsons, but at $20K, I am not impressed. I know the B&Ws are $5K more, but I heard that Wilson is doing a price increase for 2025, which will level the price gap. I would love to hear about some experiences involving both brands or the discrepancies I heard in the presentations.
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I have not heard the B&W's, although I had 805's at one point. However, the Sabrina X's in my system definitely do not sound as you describe it. I have a Pass 250.8 and an ARC REF 6 pre to drive them, and to my ears, the combination is the perfect mix of width and depth of soundstage, black background and great placement of instruments. The Wilsons just do it right in my system and small music room. I think that that treble is smooth -- perhaps too smooth when coupled with the McIntosh gear. Just goes to show that everything makes a difference, and it is really difficult to compare the sound of one system with an entirely different system. |
As a few others have said, McIntosh and Wilson are not a great match. I have heard this combo for a couple of decades with different Wilsons and different McIntosh products. For my tastes, and I will state here, that I am not a Wilson fanboy, Wilson with a better matching amp, will sound better, than McIntosh with the B&W.
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@simonmoon In my experience and via my dealer etc, Wilson and D’Agostino are two very good matches for Wilson. I have the Sabrina X with a MA8950. I was split between the 803 D4 and the Sabrina X. I strongly went in planning to go 803 but the Sabrina X blew it out of the water. The McIntosh has a lot of power which is what the Wilson’s want. Wilson will often demo their speakers using McIntosh Amps. Cables matters as well. Wilson uses Transparent Cable internally and often for demo's.
Based on how highly the Sabrina X is reviewed, I would make sure the setup at your dealer was ideal. The Sabrina definitely goes lower than the 803 since it has an 8in woofer vs 7in in the 803. I also found the 803 tweeter to be very harsh to the point I wanted to turn it off. Maybe listen at another dealer or have them check the setup. I should add that I listened to the 803’s at multiple dealers and all the same had meh sound. I also own the 805’s (pre-diamond tweeter). It's likely all personal preference though to our own ears :) |
I agree th Wilson's demand power mine run on 1.2 kw mac for the wilson max.even though they avertise you can run a low wattage tube amp.also if you want base get a big woofer.even though smaller 7 inch 8 inch are faster due to less mass on the cone they have a hard time moving alot of air.amps cabels have to match impedance and inductance of speakers.thats why some get more synergistic than others.enjoy the search and expirements find the sound you like. |
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