CLX ....dreamin'

[twich54]

While I await my first listen to a pair of CLX's I've already thought of a "shootout" with them I'd love to hear......

CLX vs.

Wilson Sasha

Magico V-3

Avalon Eidolon

All within the same price point (give or take), myself having heard both the Avalon and the Magico and look forward to hearing both the new Wilson and the CLX's.

I suppose if anyone could pull this off it would be Jeff (tonepub)

 

[aliveatfive]

Dave -
If you can get anyone at Overture to set this up, count me in. It would help me decide when (and if) to consider my next major upgrade.

Seth

 

[RUR]

Dave, just for giggles, I'd throw that new uber-Salk into that mix.

 

[amey01]

Sounds like a good mix and a fun comparison. I've compared CLX to MBL 101E and ADAM Tensor Alpha, but not what you'd call in the same price point! It's amazing to hear just how good our speakers are - particularly as midrange transducers (well, maybe around 200Hz - 10,000Hz or so).

 

[Brian Walsh]

More relevant comparisons could be made against speakers of somewhat similar designs, such as Quad, Sound Lab, and perhaps Magnepan.

 

[tonepub]

While I await my first listen to a pair of CLX's I've already thought of a "shootout" with them I'd love to hear......

CLX vs.

Wilson Sasha

Magico V-3

Avalon Eidolon

All within the same price point (give or take), myself having heard both the Avalon and the Magico and look forward to hearing both the new Wilson and the CLX's.

I suppose if anyone could pull this off it would be Jeff (tonepub)

Just so you know, manufacturers HATE this kind of thing... That's the last thing any of them want to do is send you product so that you can do a shootout..

 

[asindc]

Just so you know, manufacturers HATE this kind of thing... That's the last thing any of them want to do is send you product so that you can do a shootout..

While I can understand why they would, I'm sure they understand why consumers want a shootout. If I sold $20,000 speakers, I might be reticent to have consumers directly compare them to other similarly-priced speakers in an environment I had no control over. Since I don't sell such items, I say let the shootout commence!

 

[twich54]

More relevant comparisons could be made against speakers of somewhat similar designs, such as Quad, Sound Lab, and perhaps Magnepan.

While I agree Brian, I was thinking along similar price points, escecially since I'm familiar with the Avalon and the Magico.

Jeff, I understand the feeling with regards to the mfgrs.......... I was thinking more about US the consumers !!!

 

[tonepub]

Hey, I'll make it easy for you, just buy the CLX if those are the other four you are looking at!

 

[Kenscollick]

There is no place like home

Cap and I just returned from a road trip to Ann Arbor [Paragon sight and Sound] We both really liked the Wilson Sophia campared to the B&W 802's the B&W's sounded a little muddy compared to the Wilsons. The source was a Wadia 581 through krell pre and a pair of Mono 600's

The owner Larry was very personable especially knowing we were not buying.

I have heard Various Avalons and in spite of hoping to like them the warmth just never came.

Larry spoke about the Magico's and after auditioning decided not to carry the line.

The Sasha was yet to be delivered. but he had high expectations.

Still the best sound [and the coldest beer] was in front of my CLX.

 

[tonepub]

But seriously, I don't know if the Sasha is even in the dealers yet.

As Wilson never does anything revolutionary, (despite what their ad copy might lead you to believe), I'm sure it will build on the strength of the already successful Watt/puppy 8. You either like the Wilson sound or you don't. If you do, I doubt you will like ML that much.

The Magico has very precise imaging and good dynamics. Much like the Wilson though, very forward and "audiophile" sounding. Again, this will be a presentation that grabs you or not.

The Avalon Eidelon (like all of Avalon's products) have fantastic tonality and throw a three dimensional image, reproducing spatial cues and room boundary effects like few others. I've never heard an Avalon that I didn't like.

All four of these speakers are capable of big dynamics and high resolution, so they can sound outstanding in the right room with the right gear and dreadful if not correctly set up etc, etc.

A lot depends on how well these would integrate into your decor, work with your present system etc. The Avalon speakers take a very long time to break in with that diamond tweeter, and are definitely one of my favorites for classical music. Some of the best tonal accuracy I've ever heard. Not a huge rock & roll speaker though.

 

[jfm]

Jeff,

That is an outstanding 200-word comparison review!

It tells me why I don't like the Wilson sound (despite my best efforts at trying to like it), and why I probably won't like Magicos. The bit about Avalons is very instructive too.

I recognize that it's not logistically easy to do comparison reviews in your pub, like the group car tests that EVO magazine runs, for example, but it seems to me you'll do them quite well.

 

[twich54]

Dave, just for giggles, I'd throw that new uber-Salk into that mix.

You know Ken, while @ RMAF last year I really didn't give Salk their "just due". Given all I've been reading lately this year, assuming I make it out I will spend more time with them.

 

[danman]

Some of you may remeber that back at the Montreal Audio show in April there was a set up with Bryston and the CLX. Well james Tanner of Bryston loved them so much that he bought a pair!

I would love to hear them with those 28B 1000 watt monoblocks!!!:music:

 

[Statman]

My 2 cents again

But seriously, I don't know if the Sasha is even in the dealers yet.

As Wilson never does anything revolutionary, (despite what their ad copy might lead you to believe), I'm sure it will build on the strength of the already successful Watt/puppy 8. You either like the Wilson sound or you don't. If you do, I doubt you will like ML that much.

The Magico has very precise imaging and good dynamics. Much like the Wilson though, very forward and "audiophile" sounding. Again, this will be a presentation that grabs you or not.

The Avalon Eidelon (like all of Avalon's products) have fantastic tonality and throw a three dimensional image, reproducing spatial cues and room boundary effects like few others. I've never heard an Avalon that I didn't like.

All four of these speakers are capable of big dynamics and high resolution, so they can sound outstanding in the right room with the right gear and dreadful if not correctly set up etc, etc.

A lot depends on how well these would integrate into your decor, work with your present system etc. The Avalon speakers take a very long time to break in with that diamond tweeter, and are definitely one of my favorites for classical music. Some of the best tonal accuracy I've ever heard. Not a huge rock & roll speaker though.

I have to sort of disagree with that statement Jeff regarding not liking ML if you own Wilson or vise versa. They both do well with the majority of recordings they just do them differently. I have owned in the past Magnepan MG IIB's, Acoustat 2+2's (my favourite due to the whole panel handling the full range) Sequel II's then Odyssey's and now Wilson Sophias and Watt Puppy 7's. I hated Wilsons for a long time,especially when I was a ML owner. Could never understand why they were so popular and pricey. ML will always surpass most all dynamic speakers in the midrange region where the majority of the music is at. Can't beat an Electrostatic speaker in that region. Speed and clarity.

That all changed for me one afternoon listening to WP7's on an all VTL system. It wasn't forward, which you and I both know can be altered just by changing to a different speaker cable/interconnect. I think what did it was the image wasn't as "large/tall" as it always had been when listening to my ML Odyssey system. Still had the imaging capability but more pinpoint. Also had the speed and clarity that Stat owners love. Not every recording is meant to be portrayed with a large soundstage. Okay maybe classical recordings. The thing that sold me was it was "dynamic" throughout it's range. The same recordings I had listened to before,usually Rock and Roll or Jazz now had the impact that I had never been able to get before. As you have stated already.

I agree about the setup and the room that's the major component everyone tends to ignore in the begining. What I really enjoyed in my comparison is both the Odysseys and the Watt/Puppys were used in my dedicated room with the same electronics. I guess it's the same analogy as "Ford vs Chevy"? Yes I've owned both of those also! Both manufacturers push the point of what their product has but in the larger scheme of thing they both do the same thing. Getting from point A to point B just depends on the owners personal choice. If I could I'd have a Electrostat system and a dynamic system in two seperate rooms,oh wait that will never happen ever.LOL

 

[tonepub]

Actually I think you proved my point by buying Wilson!



I like Audi and Mercedes, but I own a BMW and that's my favorite of the three.

I guess what I meant was that there is always one type of speaker or gear that you will typically respond to stronger than anything else and in your case it was the WP.