Wilson Audio Specialties WITT loudspeaker Martin Colloms on the Sound

Sidebar 1: Martin Colloms on the Sound

I enjoyed my test period with the WITTs. My pair were delivered with only a few hours on the clock, and I was intrigued to hear significant improvements in clarity, dynamics, and bass articulation with more extended use. Even after six weeks, they continued to sound more gracious, exhibiting a fluid ease which hadn't been so evident on first installation.

I liked the WITT. My first impressions that it sounded a touch distant were soon dispelled as it ran in, leading to my final opinion that it is outstandingly communicative, and in a consistently musical sense.

The Wilson has more to do with musical involvement, not some ethereal intellectual view of what makes good sound reproduction. The WITTs rock'n'roll. They have atmosphere and can re-create the feel of a small stage—add a few spotlights and a smoky haze, and with these speakers you're there. They play loud, with majesty, authority, and control, but never bust a gut. Percussion sounds fabulous, while bass lines are state-of-the-art. Drums sound open, with the correct balance of skin attack and resonance; they have a fast "woody" edge and not a metallic ring. There's a growling, grippy bass with open and quick extension to low bass, nicely room-matched.

Due to equipment scheduling, I had to stand down the WITT and then reinstall it several times. I was never disappointed—indeed, each time it was reinstated I welcomed the speaker back as an old friend.

While it is not as crisply dynamic or quite as transparent as the Wilson WATT/Puppy 5, in its favor I feel that the WITT has a sizable measure of the integrity and authority of the Grand SLAMM itself.

Tonally, the WITT is close to neutral: a tad full in the lower mid and a mite recessed in the upper mid, but very smooth overall, and consistently revealing of harmonic balance and natural timbre. Distortion is moderate, especially in the bass and the overall power handling, and its wide frequency response classes it as a full-range loudspeaker. The WITT's energy output in the forward direction is notably even and supported by a crisp, clean bass; these give it superior room-matching ability compared with much of the competition. The WITT's transient response and energy-decay characteristics were also very favorable.

The build quality is first-class, with very little unwanted acoustic output from the super-rigid enclosure. I hope TJN liked this speaker as much as I did; I rate it very highly, and believe it to be Wilson's most completely balanced design to date. For me, it's undoubtedly a full-range Class A component at a wholly realistic price.—Martin Colloms

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