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Wilson's doesn't stand a chance at Vandersteen's. Vandersteen's got more in for better equipment, whereas Wilson gets flat too soon. I wish either companies were listening to next generation users.
With Michael Fremer on vinyl playback, Art Dudley on a rebuilt Naim amp, Kal Rubinson on surround sound, and Steve Guttenberg polling speaker designers on how close they are to achieving "accuracy," our 140-page May issue has something for everyone.
Wilson's doesn't stand a chance at Vandersteen's. Vandersteen's got more in for better equipment, whereas Wilson gets flat too soon. I wish either companies were listening to next generation users.
Well that's the whole point of buying a Wilson. :) Wilson has never been shy about claiming he loves bass, and his buyers seem to agree with him, so saying this is the Wilson sound in a smaller form-factor is pretty apt based on the measurements. What's disappointing to me is that for $16k they're being stingy on the floor mounting. Speakers this big demand something much better than that to adjust properly. Fortunately there are good aftermarket solutions.
I didn't really mean that there were too much bass, quite the opposite actually as I feel Wilson's are giving all they have. Their bass has a lot of impact and a nice presentation, but it is completely dry, without any energy left unused. To me, they were engineered to help the salesman as they're quite impressive for untrained ears. They convey a very strong presence, but lack all the tension and nuances a trained audiophile would seek.
I am looking forward to a good shoot-out. Excellent points guys.
I expect you've already noticed that the wrong cover is shown for the Steve Reich CD review on page 125. Considering that the WTC 9/11 cover was one of the most controversial classical covers in recent years, this is pretty embarrassing.
Thanks. Glad there will be a correction. Stereophile is such a professionally assembled publication, that a rare mistake was a shock. Overall, congrats on the fine work you do.