Wilson Unveils the Chronosonic XVX at Definitive Audio

Bellevue, Washington: On Wednesday and Thursday, Nov 13 and 14, Definitive Audio in Bellevue hosted multiple by-invitation showings of Wilson Audio’s just-unveiled Chronosonic XVX loudspeaker ($329,000/pair). Designed by Daryl Wilson, the XVX was envisioned as a smaller version of the late Dave Wilson’s magnum opus, the huge WAMM Master Chronosonic ($850,000/pair with Master Subsonic subwoofers). The XVX is intended for music lovers who lack a space big enough to allow the WAMM to shine. It will remain in production indefinitely, while the top-of-the-line WAMM is limited to 70 pairs.

“The challenge for a large loudspeaker is to not sound like a large loudspeaker,” Daryl Wilson said on Thursday evening of the 73 5/8" H ✖' 16.5" D ✖ 33" D, 685lb. loudspeaker. It's even taller on spiked feet. “One of my goals was to achieve proper scaling to size.” During the 90 minutes I spent with the XVXX, every instrument and voice I heard, ranging from the trio of cellist Yo-Yo Ma, mandolinist Chris Thile, and bassist Edgar Meyer through Mick Jagger & the Rolling Stones to the Los Angeles Philharmonic doing John Williams, seemed realistically proportioned.

The XVX's 10.5" and 12.5" woofers are identical to those in Wilson's Alexx and WAMM. The woofer enclosure is more like the WAMM's than the Alexx’s. The smaller (4") upper-midrange driver also derives from the WAMM. The two 7" Alnico midrange driver has its origin in Dave Wilson’s last project, with Vern Credille, and was brought to its final form by Daryl and Vern. There are two 1" silk dome tweeters, one of which is rear-firing.

Without subwoofer augmentation, the Chronosonic XVX claims a room-averaged frequency response of 20Hz–30kHZ ±2dB. Sensitivity is 92dB, but the speaker’s 4 ohm nominal impedance includes a challenging dip down to 1.6 ohms at 326Hz: The XVX needs an amplifier with good grip.

The Chronosonic XVXs used in the demo were Definitive Audio’s own pair. Their Cranberry Pearl finish ($27,500/pair extra) would make many an Afghan carpet jealous. I found the color, and the graceful curves of the speaker’s side panels, attractive.

Joining the speakers were Dan D’Agostino’s Momentum M400 mono amps ($65,000/pair) and Momentum HD preamp ($40,000; review forthcoming). The source electronics were dCS’s Vivaldi DAC ($35,999), Upsampler ($21,999), and Master Clock ($14,999), and the dCS Rossini CD/SACD Upsampling Transport ($23,500). Everything was connected by a combination of Transparent Magnum Opus speaker cables and interconnects, Opus interconnects, Opus power cords, XL digital cables, Premium ethernet cables, and XL and Reference Power Isolators (approx. $200,000 total). Equipment support was courtesy of an HRS VXR rack ($63,025). (Definitive Audio is one of the largest Transparent Cable dealers in the world, and is in the running to become dCS’s Dealer of the Year.)

The speakers had only had 25 hours on them when I arrived. They were just beginning to open up, their various drivers starting to cohere. The lack of break-in, combined with the challenges of a heavily damped 16’ x 21’ listening room, makes a responsible report of their performance impossible. I could hear perfect articulation of guitar strings on Rickie Lee Jones’ “Coming Back to Me” and appreciate the strong bass on a track from Mickey Hart’s Mondo Head. But I’ve learned from covering shows and demos for close to two decades that the sound of insufficiently broken-in equipment can differ greatly from the sound after 200 or more hours.

I look forward to Definitive Audio Seattle’s annual crowd-drawing Music Matters event, scheduled for March 5, 2020, where the Chronosonic XVX will strut its stuff in a far better acoustic environment, in the company of D’Agostino Relentless monoblocks and, I believe, the same preamp, digital front end, cabling, and rack(s). Please stay tuned.

COMMENTS
Bogolu Haranath's picture

So, can we assume that, JVS has decided on the color of the Wilson XVX speakers when he purchases them? :-) ........

Anton's picture

Kind of a general Handmaid’s Tale color scheme and posture!

I’ve heard the Alexx and can see why they would keep the same woofers. Amazing.

Bogolu Haranath's picture

That color also kinda resembles darTZeel, Alabama Crimson Tide, Crimson Tide movie, Iron Man etc. :-) ........

Bogolu Haranath's picture

It is also kinda the color of POM Wonderful ........ So, everything probably sounds wonderful :-) .........

tonykaz's picture

Did you mean you could "hear" why ?

Are they rolling out a $1,000,000 Music system ? , seems like they are. Hmm

I hope that someone tells us how wonderful the whole system ends up being and what they purchased.

Although the building looks a bit shabby, I'd anticipate Complimentary Valet service ( at a minimum ).

What dress code? Probably Rolex or Patek

Tony in Venice

Ortofan's picture

... black St. Croix turtleneck shirt, Levi 501 denim jeans, gray New Balance 990 athletic shoes and a Seiko watch with a black case, white analog dial and leather strap.

tonykaz's picture

Camouflaged as "everyman" ?

Well, Analog Seiko is rather upscale, beyond everyman, with Grand Seiko going north of $25,000.

Maybe Clothes is how they stay within their "budgets" which seemed to be a quoted constraint of these Washington types.

or

Maybe they simply prefer the "shabby" appearance of unearned confidence.

Tony in Venice ( out in freezing farm Country )

ps. do they wear beards & tats? , driving old cars ?

ps. 2) I should admit to being an Apple guy, and not at all a Microsoft user ( if I have a choice ) which probably colors my sarcasms. ( and I'm not sorry )

Bogolu Haranath's picture

Steve Jobs used to wear turtlenecks, denim jeans and New Balance shoes ........ Steve Jobs used to own big Wilson speakers ......... Steve Jobs also owned turntables, LPs, Threshold and Spectral gear :-) .......

BTW ........ It gets even colder in January in the farm country ........ It gets real cold in the granite state in February :-) ...........

tonykaz's picture

How did you happen upon details of secretive Jobs?

Tony in Venice

Bogolu Haranath's picture

You can find all those details I mentioned about Steve Jobs on Google search :-) ........

Bogolu Haranath's picture

BTW ....... If you visit Definitive Audio to listen to the Wilson XVX speakers and, if you meet a person wearing turtle necks, denim jeans, New Balance shoes and an 'analog' Seiko watch, that person is Ortofan :-) .........

JRT's picture

If the customer drives himself into the parking lot in a Mercedes-Maybach S 650 Sedan, wears a jacket tailored on Saville Row and shoes hand made in Budapest, then he might be qualified to buy a $1M system, or he may just be very near the end of his credit line putting on the big show.

Ever notice that Trump seems to wear poorly tailored cheap suits? If not before, then from now on you will notice.

Bogolu Haranath's picture

May be Trump is not an audiophile and doesn't read Stereophile :-) ..........

Bogolu Haranath's picture

MF always dresses well :-) .......

tonykaz's picture

Who's MF ?

Tony in Venice

Bogolu Haranath's picture

Millennium Falcon :-) ..........

Bogolu Haranath's picture

Or ..... Maltese Falcon :-) .........

tonykaz's picture

What is your Falcon ?

I think of Falcon as a small airplane or Bird that eats little animals .

Tony in Venice

Bogolu Haranath's picture

Han Solo flies Millennium Falcon ....... Maltese Falcon is a novel and was made into many films ...... Dassault Falcon is a jet plane :-) ........

Bogolu Haranath's picture

Google search says Falcons signify victory, vision, success and raising above challenging situations (Falconism) :-) .........

Anton's picture

The Falcon is an LS3/5a derived speaker.

You guys embarrass me.

Bogolu Haranath's picture

Falcons are a football team, who come from a state where our oldest living President lives ....... That city has one of the busiest airports in the country ........ That city has a Capitol dome layered in real gold ....... That city is known as the birth place of the civil rights movement ....... That state is famous for peaches :-) ........

tonykaz's picture

Bird.

It's just a bird, not unlike any other Carnivorous Bird.

Names are kind of crazy.

Schiit has Norse Names that are mostly Science fiction nonsense, as is Krell.

Tony in Venice

Anton's picture

"Schiit has Norse Names that are mostly Science fiction nonsense..."

I like that, who needs to know Norse mythology when you can just call stuff 'science fiction!'

That there is some fine Florida style logic, Tony!

Florida man is real!

tonykaz's picture

Tony in
Venice

ps. I'm too tired

mmole's picture

"About a million years from now the human race would have crawled up to where the Krell stood in their great moment of triumph and tragedy."

tonykaz's picture

...

Anton's picture

https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/see

I tried to RSVP for the event but failed the credit check.

;-D

Bogolu Haranath's picture

If you fly with Tony, you will be admitted to the event :-) .......

tonykaz's picture

I'd be blocked Entry because of my "Feel the Bern" hat.

Besides, I have no time for Audio "Dog & Pony" Shows by these super high priced guys. I'm stuck riding in a Bus, somewhere deep in Farm Country. Geez, it's cold.

Tony in Vence... agriculture & John Deere country

tonykaz's picture

Do you need a few thou. ?

I might be able to arrange a little something with Frankie Nuckles. vic varies depending.

Tony in Venice

Bogolu Haranath's picture

Mr.Tony, I don't see your name in the Bernie 2020 campaign staff :-) ........

tonykaz's picture

I'm not the Campaign,

I'm transportation fiduciary.

Tony in Venice

JRT's picture

The big MBLs are more expensive than these Wilsons, so I removed commentary comparing them.

It is the bigger more expensive Wilsons that might not stand comparison to the big MBL omnis.

JBLMVBC's picture

Yeah and the air humidity factor too conspired against the Big day. So after listening to a million $ system, the verdict is: impossible to make a responsible report of their performance...
Imagine testing the latest million $ Ferrari and come out this way hoping that after 10,000 km the car will be sublime to drive.
That report may sound politically correct but it does not sound good, kind of Prince Andrew style. If you do not get blown away enough right on the spot listening, full impact, regardless of ifs, it sounds like one would better spend elsewhere. Unless of course, one can wait 200 h to fully realize... He should have abstain! LOL

DougM's picture

Just what the world needs is another speaker that only Bezos and Gates can afford. How about lets talk about all the great speakers from B&W, Monitor Audio, Wharfedale, Tannoy, Polk, Def-Tech, Elac, PSB, Paradigm, JBL, Klipsch, Dali, KEF, and many others that actual working people can afford. I guess I should have been an audio reviewer. Apparently they are so overpaid that if I were one of them then I could afford $100k turntables and digital sources, $300k speakers, $200k monoblock amps with $100k preamps, and $50k worth of wires connecting them.
I guess these companies know that young people listen to Spotify on their hand held gods with earbuds, so they'd better sell this insanely priced stuff now to all the Boomers in their 60s and 70s, 'cause when these old farts (of which I am one) die, then they'll go out of business with no one to buy their overpriced 700lb speakers and $2k power cords.
Bring back Jana and Stephen Mejias Please!

John Atkinson's picture
DougM wrote:
Just what the world needs is another speaker that only Bezos and Gates can afford. How about lets talk about all the great speakers from B&W, Monitor Audio, Wharfedale, Tannoy, Polk, Def-Tech, Elac, PSB, Paradigm, JBL, Klipsch, Dali, KEF, and many others that actual working people can afford.

Stereophile does review affordable products: www.stereophile.com/category/budget-component-reviews. Herb Reichert, in particular, has been focusing on this product category, including some of the brands you mention.

John Atkinson
Technical Editor, Stereophile

Bogolu Haranath's picture

Not exactly a budget component ....... but, looking forward to the review of affordable Pro-Ject CD box RS2T transport in Stereophile :-) .........

Bogolu Haranath's picture

Here is exactly a budget component ....... iFi Audio ZEN DAC/headphone amp, $130 ....... Looking forward to Stereophile review :-) ........

DougM's picture

Sorry for my over the top rhetoric. I enjoy reading about the sky high priced stuff, but what you consider affordable and what I consider affordable are sometimes miles apart. You must be tired of me always harping about covering more entry level gear, but it's the stuff that gets more attention from the general public, and brings new enthusiasts into the fold.

foxhall's picture

A great example of a product that does not require tremendous volume in sales to make up the R&D expenditures.

Anton's picture

These babies are only 3330,000 dollars per pair, without subwoofer.

The WAMMA are 850,000 per pair!

The technology is already trickling down.

In another 5 years, or so, you might be able to get into sound like this for as little as 200,000 dollars per pair!

When that happens, get ready for the "$$$" value rating to be next to their name in the Recommended Components list.

Bogolu Haranath's picture

So, at that pace it will be year 2100 recommended components list to be included in the budget components list for $100,000/pair :-) ..........

Catcher10's picture

Please it's Seattle, grunge is the approved dress code and everyone drives up in a Subaru Outback. LOL
I plan to attend the Music Matters event and hear these things, I suspect it will be another packed event.

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