We’re back from an on-site optimization of a Wilson Alexandria X2 / Audio Note Ongaku system. Didn’t really have time to post anything here on the blog while we were there. Sorry about that – really need to get a iPad-like thing so I can post while Neli drives.
It was fun listening to the X2’s for a few days. Not quite as even top-to-bottom as the Marten and not quite as much resolution as the Kharma [and somewhat harder to drive than either], but we enjoyed them very much.
I have always thought it strange how in our industry there are competitors to the dominant player in a particular component, in this case speakers and the player is Wilson, that cost more but are inferior. This is especially true of something like the Wilson Sophia. You are supposed to cost more and be significantly better, or you are supposed to cost less. [all you who judge Wilson after hearing Krell, VTL and ARC etc. on them, well, you haven’t heard the speakers].
The Ongaku sounded very good on the X2, and drove them to reasonably loud [for most people in most rooms] SPLs [i.e. you have to shout pretty loud to be heard – but you CAN be heard. We measured 104dB on one passage].
There was a, I would say, good amount of resolution, good amount of micro-dynamics [and midi-dynamics and macro-dynamics too, but these will be better, no doubt, as soon as the speakers are spiked, I think, but we did not get to do this in the time allotted], good harmonics. In other words, it was good in a balanced way across all the categories of sound quality measurements we have been talking about here.What the X2’s also do, though, is they do this at a large scale. Very few speakers can do both large-scale and this balance at the same time.
If you are going to spend the, now $165K I think, on the X2, you just might want to hear them sound their best. Or, put another way, stop making them sound like poop. Put a really great amp on them, like the Ongaku [or the Audio Note Gaku-On. I’m on a mission to try and get us the Gaku-On here on a permanent basis – might take awhile though *sigh*… or should that be… *pant* :-)]. Lamm will be also be putting their ML3 on the X2 at CES [see next post].
The X2, like any decent speaker, needs an amp that A) provides music to the speakers [micro-dynamics etc.] and B) controls the speaker well enough so that this music gets to our ears [yes, we are planning on adding a list that lists just how well each major tube amp does this in a future post. BTW, the Ongaku is 2nd or 3rd on the list, which is why we tote the thing around like it was… like it was *insert suitable metaphor here* (all I can come up with now are either extremely stupid or X-rated :-))].
