Alexandria XLF

[timm]

Hi All --

Just thought I would post my thoughts here... I had a chance to listen to the Wilson Alexandria XLF (195K) the other day. The shop was running them off of the Mac 1.2Kw monoblocks with Mac front end. They also had an SME turntable that I 'forced' them to hook up which had a koetsu cart (he said it was one of their 'stone' cartridges )... The turntable/cartridge combo was in the 16-17k range.... This all in a very nice listening room.

First of all - lets get real... I'm not getting these - but, figured what the heck.... They had the Wilson monster sub with it as well...

First thing - I had them play it without the sub. I would call the sound articulate - large soundstage... and those big cabinets seem to really add a lot of soundstage depth (which I really love)... My son was with me - and we agreed that the speakers seemed a bit shall I say 'clinical'?? Or some would say uber-detailed. The soundstage was huge - but I would not say the speakers absolutely disappeared.... Not saying they couldn't - but in this setting there did seem to be a sense of right and left speaker with a very vast soundstage in-between. Voices had a nice roundness to them - as did all the instruments.

Where I thought they lacked was mid-range warmth. These seemed so defined...so precise...I made the comment....It has high end... it has low end.... it has mids... but somewhere between the mids and the deep low end - it felt like we were missing something there... And this is on the Mac gear which leans warm. I know these things have adjustments up the ying-yang... but you didn't think I was going to be able to touch them did you?--nor would I want to!!

The sub was just ridiculous.... Don't know if you have ever seen it - but it is about 6 feet tall and I think it would do damage to your foundation of your house... I am serious about that.

He asked me 'what color would you like'.... I said 'pink'... and he said 'that would be extra'...hahah....

Anyway, ran home and listened to my odysseys .. and low and behold - Yes - the 200K speakers sounded better!! Particularly in soundstage depth and image size. However, the mid warmth - I give to my Odyssey/descent combo. (at least I've got that going for me!). The Odysseys did sound a little flat in comparison (depth wise).

anyway - I had never had an opportunity to listen to something on that scale - and given the price tag I walked away somewhat un-impressed.

 

[twich54]

IMO, look no further than that monster Mac amp, while big on power like most SS amps that they produce not much 'magic in the mids'......again, IMO.

 

[timm]

wow Dave -- I am surprised at that... I have heard mac solid state sound warm in the mids - but I have not heard the 1.2KW before - so I couldn't say if this flavor was different. I also 'think??' as I had said that these speakers have many tweakable features using inline fuses. And to say I was 'un-impressed' - well how do you live up to that price tag? So, that statement I made was in respect to the price . Were they the most memorable demo I had ever heard....'No'.... Now, when I heard the Magnepan 20.1 - a long time ago... I was impressed (my most memorable demo of a speaker). When I heard my Odysseys.... I was impressed.... When I heard the Summits - I liked them - but not enough to buy them....and wondered if the 'punch' took something out of the stat magic. I have to go hear some new Maggies and or Logans and see if I am impressed again... I can then tell my wife that I am saving her 185K!!!! Might as well use their 'sale' tactic against them!!

 

[twich54]

wow Dave -- I am surprised at that... I have heard mac solid state sound warm in the mids - but I have not heard the 1.2KW before !!

While I've never heard the 'XLF' series I have it's predecessor and the best I heard them was with ARC tube amplification, FWIW the big Wilson's are pretty easy to drive. I understand there is alot 'fidiling around the backside' of those speakers with respect to tunning but regardless when it comes to SS amplification........again for my sonic impressions, one can do alot better than Mac...........Pass, Plinius to name but two that when in Class 'A' Mac does not compare.

 

[timm]

While I've never heard the 'XLF' series I have it's predecessor and the best I heard them was with ARC tube amplification, FWIW the big Wilson's are pretty easy to drive. I understand there is alot 'fidiling around the backside' of those speakers with respect to tunning but regardless when it comes to SS amplification........again for my sonic impressions, one can do alot better than Mac...........Pass, Plinius to name but two that when in Class 'A' Mac does not compare.

Jeez - this forum moderator gig must pay pretty well!!

 

[twich54]

Jeez - this forum moderator gig must pay pretty well!!

so much tim that I'm thinking about quiting my day job !!! .........I guess you can tell I'm not a Mac 'fanboy' !

 

[JordanD]

to share a similar story. About two years ago I went down to the California Audio show with a friend. We really wanted to hear a set of CLXs because neither of us had before and we live in an audio wasteland so this is the only time we get to hear the good stuff. We took a trip over to future sound and listened to the CLX running on a full set of Krell Evolution gear. Hands down the most impressive setup I have ever listened to.

Fast forward to the next day we listened critically to everything. There were some of the Wilson big-tall-dudes (I don't remember which model) and I walked out underwhelmed. They sounded good but they were that. Just good. The room was crowded though but I did take that into account.

Then the MBLs ($70k model) running on their amps and other stuff, same thing. Sounded good, but just good.

From everything I heard at that show there was only one speaker that stood out and still does in my mind, and those were the Magico Q7's. They were the most impressive speaker at the show for sure. To my ears at least.

But then I look at all these setups, and start adding up the dollar signs and realized that at fractions of the cost the CLX sounded just as good if not better then most of what I heard. I don't think I am being biased either. I really wanted to listen and experience a world I and still very new to. I wanted to be "shown the error of my ways," and for the most part most of what I saw and listened to was all very positive, just not really what I expected. Maybe my expectations were too high, but given those price tags I think I am justified in feeling that way.

Oh and also just because they made such an impression on by the B&W 800D really still resonate with me, and have forced their way into may heart and I cant get them out. Very strange but I just love those speakers haha.

I don't mean to sound all gloom and doom haha, because it wasn't that, I was just sharing. I still had so much fun at the show, and I want to go to more shows.

 

[Gordon Gray]

Jordan,

FWIW, its highly unlikely that you will hear speakers sounding anywhere near optimum in "show" settings.

The MBL 101's speaker system ($70K) is a highly regarded speaker. It is my "dream" transducer. And this is based on hearing them at numerous shows over the years. And the fact that I currently own the 116's. Purchase decision based, in part, on my 101 "show" impressions.

Same with the Wilsons' and again, FWIW, I've never heard a Wilson "show" demo that was impressive to my ears. But many folks, including Steve / Slowgeezer, own them and are very happy with the product.

CLX properly set up at a competent dealer, an entirely different proposition.

Some "show" perspective based on personal experience.

GG

 

[RUR]

Gordon, the 101E's have trumped everything I've heard to date, and that's a pretty long list. Nothing has sounded so utterly transparent to the music.

A couple of years ago I visited a friend with an Alexandria/Gotham/Lamm system in a very large, well-treated room. Although it sounded very good, he had the bass dialed considerably higher than I'd like, and it masked a ton of the midrange. Maybe with some tweaking it would have sounded "great" to my ears.

 

[Gordon Gray]

Ken,

That's my take also.

Actually, I find them a bargain at $70K after having heard numerous speakers exceeding that cost.

And you can get the MK 1 version for about $25K on audiogon.

The only issue is power. They need a ton to perform at their best.

Gordon

 

[RUR]

Sure, but a couple of Sanders kilowatt monoblocks could fix that, don't you think?

 

[JordanD]

Gordon,

Oh believe me I understand that it was at a show and the rooms are not designed perfectly. But there were some companies who were able to do wonderful things in the same environments. Bob Hodas had a room with a couple of Focal Utopias (I cant remember which one but I know they weren't the large model) but that room was simply awe inspiring. Same with the Magico room. That room had a couple of tube traps the Q5's and the electronics and still blew my mind. A very minimalist system. While the MBL and Wilson displays were in rooms 4 times the size and from what it seemed to me to be set up to the T, just didn't wow me like the ladder two.

Again I am not saying that those systems were bad or sounded bad. Everything thing I heard was far beyond what I personally own, but all I am saying is that too my ears and the cost they didn't seem worth it compared to some of the more modest systems I have heard.

It is also highly subjective, so there is that aspect as well.

 

[Gordon Gray]

Hi Jordan,

Understood.

At RMAF 2011, YG Acoustics had their Kipod (if I recall correctly) in four different rooms.

Three of the four rooms sounded marginal to good. The fourth, on the main floor, sounded fabulous.

I haven't heard the 101's in a "large" room. Perhaps, that was the problem.

In any event, it's always fun to listen to the high dollar stuff and even better when you come back home, listen to your system, and say this sounds just fine.

Gordon

 

[Rich]

At RMAF 2011, YG Acoustics had their Kipod (if I recall correctly) in four different rooms.

Three of the four rooms sounded marginal to good. The fourth, on the main floor, sounded fabulous.

Marginal to good? I heard at least two of those setups and they were awful! Shrill on the high end to say the least. And one of those systems had a vinyl front end driven by tube gear. How do you make that kind of setup sound hard and edgy? It was. Believe me. I was unimpressed. Remember that system, Steve (Slowgeezr)?

 

[Gordon Gray]

Amigo,

I was being polite. Unimpressed? Absolutely.

When I was in the one room on the main floor that sounded great, a TAS writer was present. Don't recall his name.

I did note that in his subsequent RMAF review, he mentioned how good the system sounded. One of his "best in show" choices.

Gordon

 

[timm]

so, today I went back to the place that had the alexandria xlf to pick up a descent for my brother.... I figured I had a little street cred since I bought something from them and brought in a fair amount of my own music in... and they gave me the controls to the ARC Ref 10 and their top loading cd player - left the room and let me and my son play.... so we did!

Put in some jazz - and again found the lower mids wanting. Put on tim reynolds/dave mathews - live at luther college cd - and things started to get better. Anyone that has heard this - I would describe the sound as small venue - very closely miked with a 'thick' sound.... They started to sound better with this cd... Then with the final test - I wanted to check some classical/symphony... so we brought along our nutcracker sacd (not the season but ...hey...).... and as I was suspecting... these things came alive with the symphony... The hall depth was incredible. Strings/brass/percussion all sounded fantastic. The sound wasn't like pin-pointing instruments in a space - but it was all very cohesive...like you would hear at a live venue... This disc put a nice smile on my face....and my 20 year old son who is a music major said in the middle of it....'this is fun!' hahaha... welcome to the disease son!!!

Next on our list is to try to find some of the 20.x maggies for a comparable presentation. I mean lets face it .. I like planars/electrostats. However, I don't feel the Wilson's necessarily sound like a box speaker to me... very open..detailed...transparent... but in this system lacking lower mids for certain types of music. It could have been some of the upstream electronics... But, I don't think so. Maybe an adjustment as I had said earlier.

The really cool thing about finding these and listening to them is that you start to really understand the differences in the sound qualities of different types of systems. I have heard some nice things - but never something at this price range. You start to understand what you like and don't like.... You can start to find similar qualities in speakers that come in at 1/20th the price... But the important thing is that you can recognize and discern the differences.

I absolutely love it.....Has anyone here been motivated to move to another job in order to afford a piece of audio equipment?

 

[Gordon Gray]

Well said timm.

From my perspective, classical music is the ultimate test of a systems' performance and, dare I say, musicality.

GG

 

[Rich]

I was being polite.

I know you were, Gordon. Too polite. Having heard those same systems, I couldn't be so kind. I would love to get Steve's input, as he was with me at the time.

When I was in the one room on the main floor that sounded great, a TAS writer was present. Don't recall his name.

I did note that in his subsequent RMAF review, he mentioned how good the system sounded. One of his "best in show" choices.

Why am I not surprised?

 

[Gordon Gray]

Independent impressions.

 

[peacefulcargo]

Having owned the Wilson Sophia, I have always felt they needed a soft dome tweeter and I have found their speed and dynamics beguiling but I sold them after 6 months (they appealed to my heart and mind ...but left me spiritually wanting). Actually I think their Duette is a better speaker and cheaper. I have come to the conclusion that for me panels are the way and the only other system I have heard which was worth consideration was MBLs.