Will a Wilson Maxx be possible in a small room

Hi Peter,

I am using a pair of Watts/Puppies 5 in a room half the size of yours with excellent results. I get plenty of bass with the smaller Watts/Puppies 5 most of the time. I miss the deep bass only in a few specific recordings.

A few things you may want to consider before taking the plunge with the larger, better, and more expensive Maxx.

1. Try moving your speakers around a little (or a lot). You may be surprised how a small change can alter the bass response, in quality and volume.

2. Try changing the speaker cables. When I switched from the recommended MIT CVT to a triple run of inexpensive OCOS, the bass improved noticeably in quantity and tightness. If you have a spare amp, it might be worth a try as well. The bass output of my Watts/Puppies 5 increases when I switched from Rowland Model 7s to the BAT VK-60s, and finally to a digital switching amp, which seemed to have doubled the bass output, subjectibvely. Of course this is also an expensive option, though far less than the cost of a pair of the Maxx.

3. Have you considered a subwoofer? Wait, don't cringe. I had great results with a Muse 16 with special crossover card to match the Watts/Puppies 5. The sound was nearly seamless. Now, my Velodyne DD-15 (15-inch woofer with servo-control and 1000+ watt digital amp) doubles as my video AND audio subwoofer. This subwoofer is pretty amazing: it is small, powerful, and ultra-fast. With the on-screen digital adjustment and a supplied microphone, I am able to customize a nearly seamless blend with the Watts/Puppies 5 at a fraction of the cost of "audiophile" subs. The bass increase in depth and volume is nothing short of staggering. You can also go to the larger DD-18 to move even more air. I prefer the smaller, faster, and definitely cheaper DD-15.

Speakers' bass response in a room is position dependent, amplifier/cable dependent and difficult to predict. Try the above options if you can. But if you must have the Maxx, it would be ideal if you could try them in your room first.

I would invest in some floor to ceiling ASC tubes traps if you have not already done so.

Good Luck!

Justin, I am amazed that you can get "excellent" results in a room "half the size?" From my experience, speakers of this size need oodles of room, to breathe, for "excellent" results. IMHO

Hi,

I have owned in succession the Sophias, 7's+ WatchDog and now the Maxx 2's sans WatchDog. When I initially purchased the Maxx 2's I too was concerned as I had a room with dimensions on the small side 19 X 16 X 8 --plus bad dimensions (the 16 w X 8 h) which resulted in a noticeable 40-50hz bump. I'll just state that the Maxx 2's solved all bass articulation and weight problems to the degree that I thought the WatchDog expendable, and in my room they literally eliminated the bass issues I had with the 7's--which most owners will acknowledge have a slight forwardness in the upper-mid bass. I think in part the Maxx 2's cabinet size acts to diffuse unwanted standing waves near corners, though I suggest bringing them out as far as is reasonable in your room for maximum stage depth and clarity.

I now have a new home with a specially designed room by Rives Audio with roughly double the size and the results were that much more astounding--although I could have lived happily with the Maxx 2's in my older room and home. Amps with some good power are recommended IMO although they could be driven easily by the Lamm ML2's (18w)--I use the OTL 200watt Atmasphere MA2 mk2.3's. I do not think you would EVER regret the upgrade. From the 6's to the Maxx or Maxx 2 is not subtle in any way and in some ways, they are entirely different speakers, with the Maxx 2's holding the line between the richness of the best Sonus Faber speaker (Stradivarius) and the detail and laser-like articulation of the 6's/7's.

Hope this helps!

Grant