net Price: $4500, Tags: CROSSOVER LOUDSPEAKER SUBWOOFER WILSON AUDIO. CEO Daryl Wilson says that the primary difference – sonic, of course – is the gain in refinement achieved 'by incorporating what we've learned since the launch of the original Sabrina'. I’ve lived with many, many of the world’s greatest loudspeakers in my home, and heard countless others at shows, but I’ve never listened to a speaker quite like the Chronosonic XVX. Far more important is the rich musical expression contained within that sound. When I turned the woofers on and off with the flick of a switch on the ActivXO crossover, they were adding an extra measure of power and depth to instruments such as timpani and pipe organ. The Absolute Sound team is proud to highlight Martin Logan and Paradigm, known for loudspeaker innovation. But music’s meaning is physically encoded in electrical signals and resulting acoustic waveforms that are susceptible to infinitely variable degradation, alteration, and dilution. I’ve appreciated drummer Billy Higgins’ work on many records (he was the house drummer for Blue Note for many years, and appeared on more than 500 albums), but the XVX’s transient fidelity and low-level resolution revealed the full extent of his artistry. Listening Whenever I’ve experienced a new standard in loudspeaker performance throughout the years, it’s usually been a case of the new speaker achieving an incremental improvement in a few or several areas of sonic performance that outweigh that new speaker’s shortcomings in other areas. Dave also reveals his inspiration for designing loudspeakers—the passion that has been central to his designs during a career spanning more than thirty-five years. The XVX seemed to have a very fast settling time, swinging from loud peaks to deep silence instantaneously. Wilson’s paint quality has long been the standard of the industry, but the XVX seems to have taken the finish to another level. Price: $40,000, ActivXO Crossover Line-level electronic crossover Inputs: Balanced and single-ended Outputs: High-pass, balanced and single-ended, two stereo pairs; low-pass, balanced and single ended, two mono Low-pass filter: 30Hz–150Hz, 6dB or 12dB per octave High-pass filter: 30Hz–150Hz, 6dB or 12dB per octave Phase: 0–180°, continuously variable Dimensions: 18.8″ x 4.5″ x 11.5″ Weight: 16.75 lbs. This sense of tight control was revealed in the XVX’s superb definition of the pitch and articulation of each note. The XVX has a large physical presence, standing 6′ 4″ and weighing in at 685 pounds (per speaker side). On really big music, the XVX is stunning in its sense of expansive size. ery audiophile knows the futility of describing to the uninitiated the experience of hearing music through a high-end audio system. There’s a sense of massive power to transients, particularly those that have low-frequency energy, such as low-tuned toms, congas, and kettle drums. I could easily hear space between rows of instruments in the orchestra, like looking at a diorama rather than a photograph. The XVX managed to combine tremendous transient speed with a hard-hitting physical power and force that is nothing short of thrilling. Many big speakers sound big on everything, reducing the intimacy of smaller-scale works. For me, judging a loudspeaker that aspires to the state of the art involves weighing tradeoffs and then perhaps concluding that, on balance, the new speaker is the best I’ve heard. I’ve broken out the details of the XVX’s remarkable design and construction in the sidebar, and also included sidebars on the Subsonic subwoofers, ActivXO crossover, and the set-up process for such an elaborate system. In a nice touch, the aluminum surface is machined with a fine ribbed finish, further enhancing the elegant presentation. The way that each drum strike pops out of the music, the way a live kit sounds, is one of the defining aspects of the XVX’s sense of realism. Physicality is the best word to convey the impression of a tangible soundstage populated by individual instruments, each of its own vibrant tone color. It could be that the XVX’s transient fidelity extends into this micro-realm, correctly reproducing the temporal microstructure that provides the brain with cues that trigger the impression of timbral realism. My listening room is atypical, designed from scratch with good dimensional ratios for smooth distribution of room-resonant modes. The exuberantly played timbales during this break were reproduced with the startling force of the stick hitting the head, and accompanied by the unmistakable sound of the metal drum resonating. The XVX beautifully portrayed the way air expands around an instrument, just as you hear in life. An open-air “gantry” that is bolted to the woofer enclosure forms the infrastructure for the midrange and tweeter modules, as well as for the intricate mechanism for time-aligning the drivers. Image precision was pinpoint, with clear delineation of the instrument’s outline, with well-defined space around that outline. The top end was natural and relaxed; the treble never sounded like a separate component riding on top of the music. But then, with performance like this, expense is secondary. Low-level information was rendered with tremendous clarity, making instruments sound like distinct objects in space rather than undifferentiated sounds buried within the musical fabric. Stephen was a prodigious musical talent (he went on to get a degree in Composition) who generously shared his records and passion for music with his little brother. This is the classic “power range” of the orchestra, and heard through the XVX it is thrilling. Five minutes in the sweet spot, however, may forever etch on his consciousness just what his favorite music can sound like when reproduced with exquisite fidelity. Many big speakers sound big on everything, reducing the intimacy of smaller-scale works. It wasn’t just fast and powerful through the mids and treble, but also down to the very lowest frequencies, and without any bloat or bass artifacts that called attention to themselves. All rights reserved. The pedal points on the Rutter. This vividness isn’t the result of sounding forward or analytical, but rather from the sheer sense of realism, that impression of the instrument right there, in front of you. The result is an almost spooky sense of presence that makes it easy to forget that you’re listening to a reproduction. Press Esc to cancel. But the XVX wasn’t only about bombast. Wilson Audio Chronosonic XVX Floorstanding Speaker. The way that great musicians lock into the groove, get “in the pocket,” will be diminished. Cymbals seemed to float in air, their decays richly textured and resolved way down into deep silence. The XVX isn’t just a milestone for Wilson Audio; I believe that it is a landmark achievement in loudspeaker design. There was no sense of the low-frequency component lagging behind the rest of the spectrum, either on attacks or decays. It is whole-body thrilling, from orchestral climaxes to propulsive grooves. Located in Ann Arbor, Michigan, Paragon Sight & Sound has long been one of Wilson Audio’s premier North American dealers. Whenever I’ve experienced a new standard in loudspeaker performance throughout the years, it’s usually been a case of the new speaker achieving an incremental improvement in a few or several areas of sonic performance that outweigh that new speaker’s shortcomings in other areas. Chronosonic XVX Loudspeaker Four-way, seven-driver dynamic loudspeaker Driver complement: One 12.5″ woofer, one 10.5″ woofer, two 7″ lower midranges, one 4″ upper midrange, one 1″ main tweeter, one 1″ rear-firing tweeter. We can’t conjure in our minds the missing artistic intent because music’s meaning is encoded in the physical sound. Midwest Debut | Wilson Chronosonic XVX 2019 Thursday, November 7th 2019 6PM - 10PM Join us, along with special guest Daryl Wilson, for the Midwest Debut of the Wilson Audio Chronosonic XVX… This quality brought a new level of rhythmic expression to familiar music. But the XVX has so many outstanding performance qualities that choosing just one to begin with is difficult. The XVX delivered a physically startling sense of suddenness on transient attacks. The XVX’s preternatural ability to seemingly change its tonal balance based on the music’s energy distribution is unique in my experience. total shipping weight) Price: $329,000 per pair, standard finishes; $30,000 additional for WilsonPearl finish, Subsonic Subwoofer Three-driver passive subwoofer Driver complement: Three 12″ dual-spider woofers Loading: Front ported LF extension: 10Hz, –2dB Sensitivity: 87dB at 1W Dimensions: 18″ x 27.25″ x 65″ Weight: 612 lbs. Mono and Stereo . The XVX has the speed of a horn speaker or an electrostatic, but without the respective shortcomings of those two technologies. Despite decades of experience, the sophisticated audiophile simply can’t know what musical expression has been lost. This kind of connection with a musician’s expression is the raison d’être of high-end audio, and the XVX delivers like no other speaker I’ve heard. I should add a caveat here; my only experience with the XVX is in my listening room—I haven’t heard it at a show, the factory, or in a dealer’s showroom. For the past 15 years I’ve made a hobby of car detailing, and have some experience looking at and evaluating fine painted surfaces. The Subsonics added a new dimension of majestic sweep to this recording. Begin typing your search above and press return to search. This line of thought was prompted less than 24 hours after the Wilson Audio Chronosonic XVX loudspeaker and a pair of Wilson’s Subsonic subwoofers were installed in my listening room. […], It was time to take a stand. Daryl has led the design effort of the most recent—and best, in my view—Wilson speakers including the Sabrina, Yvette, Alexx, and Sasha DAW. There’s one other aspect of the XVX’s presentation that sets a new standard, in my experience; I could clearly hear every instrumental line no matter how complex or dense the music. The sound wasn’t composed of one big fabric of many colors, but rather of entirely separate objects in space, just the way we hear live music. Please celebrate with us this small homage of Dave’s remarkable life work, which, as it relates to loudspeakers, now culminates in his Magnum Opus, the WAMM Master Chronosonic. We’ve all had the experience of walking down a street and upon hearing music, knowing instantly that it’s live. Physicality also describes this speaker’s hard-hitting and lifelike reproduction of music’s transients, not just in speed but also in weight and power. There was no change in timbre, articulation, or dynamics as a function of frequency. Or that if you favor multi-way dynamic loudspeakers you’ll love the XVX. On one hand, it is extremely flat, smooth, and neutral in character, all the way down to the bottom octave. Her instrument was rich, full-bodied, and densely textured in the fundamentals and lower-order harmonics along with a sweetness in the upper harmonics that simply made the reproduction sound closer to the real thing. And then there’s the visceral physicality of the bottom few octaves that combine seemingly limitless extension and power with precise articulation. It wasn’t just Higgins’ drumming that I came to appreciate more; I had the same experience with many other drummers. Wilson Audio calls the Chronosonic XVX the flagship in the Wilson Audio line. Instead, this new speaker incorporates cabinet materials, drivers, crossover components, and technologies that are unique to the XVX. Your experience on this site will be improved by allowing cookies. But whatever you imagine the XVX sounds like, you will not be prepared for how the XVX actually performs. But the XVX presented music with a realistic scale, from a solo acoustic guitar, to a violin and piano duet, to a string quartet or jazz piano trio, to a chamber orchestra, to a big band, to a 120-piece orchestra with choir. Interestingly, although the new WAMM is going to raise the price of Wilson’s flagship model substantially, it will still be short of being the most expensive speaker in the world. Herbie Hancock’s funky Rhodes playing behind Milt Jackson’s and Freddie Hubbard’s solos on the title track from the LP, I could happily live with the XVX alone, but must admit that the pair of Subsonic subwoofers took the performance up a substantial notch, and not just in the bottom end. The printed word’s meaning isn’t dependent on the physical characteristics of the medium. The closer you look at the XVX the more there is to see and appreciate. Horn speakers and electrostatics can have lifelike leading-edge transient reproduction, but horns are to my ears often tonally colored, and electrostats lack weight and impact behind the transient. This music demands this level of dynamic agility and bass precision to fully convey the musicans’ intent. Change the physical sound and you change the music’s meaning. Physicality is the best word to convey the impression of a tangible soundstage populated by individual instruments, each of its own vibrant tone color. In fact, the XVX introduces more innovations than any other single product in Wilson’s long history. The XVX beautifully portrayed the way air expands around an instrument, just as you hear in life. This is a combination that I’ve not heard in any other speaker, and one that takes reproduced music to the next level of realism. Rather, I’m going to assert in this review that the XVX sets a new standard of realism in reproduced music—a realism that more fully conveys artistic intent regardless of your favored technologies or sonic priorities. The XVX is a speaker you can listen to for very long sessions at high levels and not feel tired. Yet the word “physicality” merely describes the, Wilson Audio Specialties Chronosonic XVX Loudspeaker, Subsonic Subwoofer, and ActivXO Crossover, Schiit Audio Modius DAC and Magnius Preamplifier/Headphone Amplifier, Rocky Mountain Audio Fest 2019 : Loudspeaker, Rocky Mountain Audio Fest 2019 : Digital Electronics, An Interview with John Bring of Cable Support Plate, The Absolute Sound’s High-End Audio Hall of Fame | 2020 Inductees, Lauren Daigle’s Grammy Award Winning Album “Look Up Child” to be released December 11 in 45RPM LP Format, The Absolute Sound’s Buyer’s Guide to Electronics 2017, The Absolute Sound’s Top Picks in High-End Audio and Music 2017, The Absolute Sound’s Buyer's Guide to Affordable High-End Audio 2017, Hank Williams: Pictures from Life’s Other Side. This speed, weight behind the transients, and lack of overhang were amplified by the XVX’s ability to extend this performance into the bottom octaves. That’s important when you consider the strong statement the XVX will make in a living room. The sound wasn’t composed of one big fabric of many colors, but rather of entirely separate objects in space, just the way we hear live music. You can resort to all the usual jargon of dynamics, timbre, soundstaging, etc., but until that person experiences music through a great system for himself, he just won’t understand. The pedal points on the Rutter Requiem (Reference Recordings) felt like they extended to the center of the earth, with subtle power and precise pitch as they pressurized the air in my room. It’s easy to project on the XVX your expectations based on Wilson’s 47-year track record. Number : 6663648000. Wilson Audio XVX Chronosonic Speakers I flew down to the Rocky Mountain Audio Fest this year for 2 main reasons. Despite the XVX’s size, this speaker rendered all types of music with the appropriate scale. Physicality also describes this speaker’s hard-hitting and lifelike reproduction of music’s transients, not just in speed but also in weight and power. The speakers completely disappear into a huge three-dimensional stage, with not just tremendous depth, but also with fine gradations of that depth. But what about the $850,000-per-pair WAMM Master Chronosonic? The XVX architecture consists of a lower woofer module that houses the reflex-loaded 12.5″ and 10.5″ woofers (the same drivers developed for the WAMM MC), and four separate enclosures for the five upper drivers (two lower midrange, one upper midrange, one forward-firing tweeter, one rear-firing tweeter) that can be independently articulated. (Incidentally, there’s a funny story in Sophisticated Giant, Maxine’s Gordon’s biography of her late husband, about how this piece was named.) The sense of limitless extension, limitless power, and limitless control, along with the precise sense of pitch with no port artifacts or bloat, was simply stunning. The common affliction in reproduced music of thinning tone color and upper harmonics overlaid with a whitish patina was completely absent in the XVX. I had the impression that all the energy in the transient is delivered instantaneously rather than smeared over time, and with equal speed and decay across a very wide frequency band. The sound was ravishingly beautiful in timbre and in the full measure of her expression. The sound of the violin (Hillary Hahn’s Retrospective on DG, direct-to-disc) was particularly revealing of the XVX’s unique combination of harmonic warmth with resolution of very fine detail. The resulting sense of physicality was unlike anything I’ve heard from any other loudspeaker. After the dust settled from two intensive days of installation and setup by three Wilson personnel, and I was alone with the system and my music library, I felt just like the neophyte hearing high-quality music reproduction for the first time. I could hear and feel the low-frequency resonance of the congas’ wooden body (with superb pitch definition, I should add) coupled with the sharp attack of hands on the skins. The Chronosonic moniker the XVX shares with the WAMM Master Chronosonic indicates that the XVX is built around the ability to time-align the drivers at any listening position with the same accuracy as that of the WAMM MC. The gantry grilles, machined from Wilson’s X-Material, are held in place magnetically. It wasn’t just fast and powerful through the mids and treble, but also down to the very lowest frequencies, and without any bloat or bass artifacts that called attention to themselves. It’s impossible to overstate the effect of this transient fidelity on the sense of realism, and of conveying the life, vitality, and energy in the music. I’ve never heard better bass from an audio system, or bass that extended this low and maintained its quality in the bottom two octaves. It was like hearing music without a compressor in the signal path. I had a hard time wrapping my head around the XVX’s tonal balance. This vividness isn’t the result of sounding forward or analytical, but rather from the sheer sense of realism, that impression of the instrument, Despite the XVX’s size, this speaker rendered all types of music with the appropriate scale. Hegel Music Systems is a Norwegian audio electronics manufacturer that has been slowly and steadily making a mark on the high-end audio world since it started out in the early 1990s. Vocal sibilance was noticeably smoother and more natural, blending perfectly into the sound of the voice rather than sounding like an artifact riding on top of it. Wilson’s MTM configurations, which feature time-domain adjustability, have always been far more sophisticated. The result is a large speaker that doesn’t have the boxy appearance of previous Wilson designs. I heard newfound expression through the XVX, such as the way Higgins maintains a shimmering rhythmic pulse on the riveted ride cymbal, snare accents that surprise and delight, subtle modulations of the volume of kickdrum beats, and rhythmic interplay with a soloist. I greatly enjoyed the way the XVX revealed a wealth of subtle nuances in the most delicate cymbal work. ... Wilson Audio. Pipe organ spectaculars were just that—spectacular. The Absolute Sound is the world’s preeminent source of expert reviews, features, and commentary on high-performance audio and music. This realism may be the result of the XVX’s resolution of the very fine microstructure in instrumental timbre. Consequently, I could easily shift my attention from one instrument to another—I found myself more deeply appreciating great comping during a solo, for example. Because this is a big speaker, it presents images higher than that of smaller speakers. The Chronosonic XVX carries a price tag of $329,000 per pair, positioning it in the upper echelon of the high end.