Floor Loudspeaker Reviews

The technical evolution of the Sabrina V over its forebear, the SabrinaX, can be gleaned by comparing a few key performance indicators. For example, the newcomer still achieves a higher sensitivity than the 87dB specification at 88.9dB despite being slightly less sensitive than the 'X (89.6dB, all ref. 1kHz/2.83V/1m). Also, the V's response is slightly less uniform than its predecessor's (see fig.2) with errors of ±3.80dB/±3.90dB (L/R) versus ±2.85dB/±2.90dB for the 'X (both 200Hz– 20kHz), and it's also a little tougher to drive. However, all this is traded for lower distortion and significantly improved bass extension. I'll dive into the detail a little further into this report, but the background to this shift in subjective 'tone'—and the deeper bass in particular — all stems from Wilson's repurposing of its core range of drivers, pictured below.

Starting at the top of the cabinet, Wilson's Convergent Synergy Carbon (CSC) tweeter, developed for the Alexx V, is already deployed in the Alexia V, Sasha V, The WATT/Puppy, Mezzo CSC and Alida CSC. It is now added to the Sabrina V. The Sabrina V's 200mm woofer is used in the Sasha V, the WATT/Puppy, and Mezzo CSC, but it differs from the Alexx V's 200mm woofer, which was designed to complement a partnering 255mm woofer. Both Alexx V bass drivers were first deployed in the flagship WAMM Master Chronosonic.

The driver with the most extensive reach across the Wilson ecosystem is the 178mm QuadraMag midrange, developed for the Chronosonic XVX and now trickled down to the Alexx V, Alexia V, Sasha V, WATT/Puppy, Mezzo CSC as well as the Sabrina V.

The QuadraMag midrange driver and woofer are both best suited to specific cabinet volumes, so Wilson's understanding of their voicing comes into play whenever the cabinet volume falls below this notional ideal. The driver loading is optimized by adjusting the cabinet dimensions for a given air volume and adjusting the crossover, venting, and internal acoustic damping. "It is a blend and balance of science and art", brand CEO Daryl Wilson volunteered.

How has all this fine fettling impacted performance? The SabrinaX already boasted very low distortion, but the V is more linear still, particularly through the bass where THD settles out at 0.1–0.2% (ref. 50Hz–200Hz, 1m/90dB SPL). Port output has also increased, without exposing quarterwave or pipe modes, while the bass tuning reaches down some 10Hz lower than we saw in the SabrinaX. The diffraction-corrected bass extension still shows a fairly steep roll-off, but this is now at 42Hz instead of the X's 52Hz (–6dB ref. 200Hz; green shaded area, fig.2).

Otherwise, the V's forward response (fig.2) inherits the dips in upper bass, midrange, and presence regions seen with the X, though slightly shifted in frequency. The associated driver resonances are milder, as is the 15kHz dome mode (see the CSD waterfall, fig.1).

The press-to-fit grille has an influence—not entirely unwelcome—on the presence region and treble (gray trace, fig.2) but a smoother response, with reduced ±3.4dB errors, is revealed by toeing the speakers a little off axis (fig.2, blue trace). This is likely to be the preferred set-up for many listeners.

Finally, as I mentioned at the beginning of this report, the Sabrina V's amplifier loading has got a little tougher. While the nominal impedance is quoted as 4 ohms, with an accurately specified 2.2 ohms/121Hz minimum (fig.3, black trace), the accompanying swings in impedance phase from –65°/65Hz to +43°/1.4kHz (blue trace) result in a reasonably tough 0.95 ohm EPDR at 84Hz (red trace). Capable amplifiers only need apply!—Paul Miller