The speakers that cost £200,000 a pair

[plastic penguin]

200k for a *passive*?!?!

Don't you start :wall:

Can anyone recommend suitable cables? :twisted:

 

[bigboss]

200k for a *passive*?!?!

Why are you so shocked? Is there something wrong with passives? You're posts in this thread seem unduly negative.

Oh you didn't get the joke, did you? It relates to another thread oke:

 

[lindsayt]

200k for a *passive*?!?!

Why are you so shocked? Is there something wrong with passives? You're posts in this thread seem unduly negative. To fully appreciate these monstrous speakers would you require an equally sizeable (and expensive) amplifier?

My £170 Urei 6290's would drive them fine - either in stereo mode or bridged mono mode. I'd also want to try them actively bi-amped with a Urei for the bass and my £1650 8 watt Coincident SET valve amp for the midrange and treble - which I think would be a good pragmatic solution to amplifying them. It looks like they're wired up ready to be used either passively or in various active configurations. There is a tradition in American high end speakers that goes back to the 1960's to make them very easily convertible from passive to active amplification.

 

[alchemist 1]

200k for a *passive*?!?!

Why are you so shocked? Is there something wrong with passives? You're posts in this thread seem unduly negative.

Oh you didn't get the joke, did you? It relates to another thread oke:

I suppose passive is negative and active is positive.

 

[John Duncan]

 

[johncleur]

I wish I was worth £200000.

Oh well.....

 

[alchemist 1]

Fruit or Veg ?

 

[Singslinger]

UNPUBLISHED - DUPLICATE POST

I'm sure they sound absolutely fabulous and I don't think they'll need an ultra-powerful amp to get them going. I once read a review of a Wilson Audio speaker that was driven very acceptably by the modest Naim Nait XS integrated. Their looks of course, are a matter of taste...

 

[Singslinger]

I'm sure they sound absolutely fabulous and I don't think they'll need an ultra-powerful amp to get them going. I once read a review of a Wilson Audio speaker that was driven very acceptably by the modest Naim Nait XS integrated. Their looks of course, are a matter of taste...

 

[plastic penguin]

The main issue has pretty much side issue by the jokes. The price!

Put that into context, you can easily spend that amount on a one bedroomed flat in my area.

 

[plastic penguin]

Fruit or Veg ?

Technically a fruit.

 

[Anonymous]

The main issue has pretty much side issue by the jokes. The price!

Put that into context, you can easily spend that amount on a one bedroomed flat in my area.

Or you could use it to buy one Vox Olympian; http://www.livingvoice.co.uk/products-vox-olympian.html

 

[6th.replicant]

Curious. Are there any high-end speakers that don't look hideously vulgar, or does market research indicate that all mega wealthy hi-fi lovers are chavs?

 

[proffski]

I'd suggest that you 1st find out as to what the articulated structures do befoire making clever comments.

 

[chebby]

I'd suggest that you 1st find out as to what the articulated structures do befoire making clever comments.

They could sound like the voice of angels and I wouldn't give them house room. (Nor, obviously, could I afford to.)

So the point is moot.

You do physics for a living, so maybe you are interested in what the 'articulated structures' do (from an academic point of view), but for the rest of us it's about as relevant as how many diamonds some footballer's girlfriend has on her iPhone case.

 

[Crossie]

as the song goes...you say tomato, I say tomato...lets call the whole thing off.

 

[AlmaataKZ]

I'd suggest that you 1st find out as to what the articulated structures do befoire making clever comments.

I have watched a couple of youtube videos and unfortunately most of the speak is very unspecific. Ok, the drivers can be aligned in distance and angle to listening position. Not much of a feature for 200k. I do not understand why these speakers are so expensive and what an owner is paying for (performance wise, not jewellery wise).

 

[6th.replicant]

I'd suggest that you 1st find out as to what the articulated structures do befoire making clever comments.

And I'd suggest that first you learn some manners and second, form does not always have to follow function - or is your naivety a match for your illiteracy ("befoire")?

 

[John Duncan]

Now boys...

 

[AlmaataKZ]

JD, why not just delete any posts with any hint of personal attacks? They are soooo unnecessary.

 

[AlmaataKZ]

Just read wilson audio web site. Equally little info on the performance of the speakers. Nothing about thier accuracy/fidelity. The amplitude frequency responce is specified but there is no graph and it is not stated at what spl it is or what distortion levels so meaningless.

How would they compare performance wise say to a reputable 20k stidio monitor? I would expect for the money a bit more confident quantified statements from the designer. They seem to invest a lot in things like youtube videos and workmanship but why so shy on performance info?

I think price/performance for speakers maxes out at 10 or 20k per channel and anything beyond that is finish etc, the jewellery side of things. Nothing wrong with that, Provided the jewellery aspect is in addition to, not instead of prformance. If it is instead of, I will definately pass. If it is in addition to, I am interested, within my taste and budget constraints. But when it is all smoke and it is not clear how much of which aspect is being sold, I am usually not interested or negative.

 

[AlmaataKZ]

Agreed.

 

[Frank Harvey]

I suppose it depends on what angle you're coming from. If when you're spending £200k on some speakers you want ultimate accuracy, then yes, you're going to want to see graphs etc, but if you're just interested in how they sound, you'll just want to hear them.

I heard their model (not sure of the name) which is about £100k at the Munich show last year. Maybe if I'd have heard them first, I'd have been a bit impressed, but hearing them after a particular pair of speakers costing a fraction of the price, I was left a little underwhelmed. I'm sure the electronics were of a suitable budget as well. But at £200k, maybe they've got it right? I'd like to hear them before judging their performance in any way whatsoever.

 

[lindsayt]

Just read wilson audio web site. Equally little info on the performance of the speakers. Nothing about thier accuracy/fidelity. The amplitude frequency responce is specified but there is no graph and it is not stated at what spl it is or what distortion levels so meaningless...

Now that is a very good point. It does make you wonder if the XLF's have a frequency response that's as disappointing as the Maxx 3's, which I think have a disapointingly coloured response for high end speakers.

 

[oldric_naubhoff]

Just read wilson audio web site. Equally little info on the performance of the speakers. Nothing about thier accuracy/fidelity. The amplitude frequency responce is specified but there is no graph and it is not stated at what spl it is or what distortion levels so meaningless...

Now that is a very good point. It does make you wonder if the XLF's have a frequency response that's as disappointing as the Maxx 3's, which I think have a disapointingly coloured response for high end speakers.

good point Lindsayt. but (and I'm only guessing now) those freq response measurements were most likely taken at 1m away from the speakers. standard practice. but you're listening to speakers from 3m or more, so that's where summed response counts. and Wilsons being both; multidriver speakers and quite imposing might have totally different response at listening position than summed responses of their drivers in nearfield ( I presume they'd be voiced that way).

BTW this by no means a vote for Wilson speakers on my side. I'm just pointing out that typical nearfield speaker measurements are in many cases plain pointless. I still quite hard to convince that those speakers offer 200K sound. even at half that price they'd be overpriced IMO. now, I know there is one or two people saying; how could you judge them like that since you've never listened to them. quite true. but the fact is those are still just dynamic speakers and dynamic drivers are hugely incapacitated in following musical signals. and even 200K speakers can't change that fact.