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Synecdoche is not a city in upstate New York but a rhetorical device in which a specific example stands in for a whole class of similar things: fifty sail for fifty ships, cutthroat for assassin, etc. When it comes to high-end audio, Wilson's WATT/Puppy speaker has symbolized the entire high-end ethos throughout at least the product's last four generations—perhaps (to labor a classical metaphor) since the original WATT sprang fully formed from David Wilson's brow.

To those who view the High End as an attempt to fleece gullible…

The room acoustic of Toby…

Description: Three-way, floorstanding, dynamic loudspeaker in two sections. Drive-units: 1" (25.4mm) titanium-foil inverted-dome tweeter, 7" (177.8mm) midrange cone, two 8" (203.2mm) woofers. Crossover frequencies: ca 125Hz, 2kHz. Frequency response: 21Hz–22.5kHz, +0/–3dB. Nominal impedance: 4 ohms. Sensitivity: 92dB/W/m.
Dimensions: 41" (1050mm) H by 13" (333mm) W by 18.75" (475mm) D. Weights: WATT, 65 lbs (29.5kg); Puppy, 105 lbs (47.7kg. Total net weight: 170 lbs (77kg). Total shipping weight, complete system: 566 lbs (257kg).
Finishes: Various…

Digital Sources: Ayre Acoustics C-5xe universal player, Krell Evolution 505 SACD/CD player, Slim Devices Transporter network player.
Preamplifiers: Ayre Acoustics K-1xe, Krell Evolution 202.
Power Amplifiers: Ayre Acoustics MX-R monoblocks, Krell Evolution 600.
Integrated Amplifier: Cayin HA-1A.
Loudspeakers: Dynaudio Confidence C4.
Cables: Interconnect: Kimber KCAG, Krell CAST, Shunyata Research Aries & Antares. Speaker: Shunyata Research Lyra.
Accessories: Ayre Acoustics L-5xe line filter; Furutech eTP-609 distribution box, FP-20A(R…

I couldn't lift the 170-lb WATT/Puppy 8 onto a tall stand for the acoustic measurements, so the farfield response measurements have less frequency resolution in the midrange than is usual. I don't believe this negatively impacted the speaker's measured performance to any significant extent. In its various generations, the WATT/Puppy has always had a voltage sensitivity that is much higher than average, and the System 8 continues that tradition, my estimate coming in at 92dB(B)/2.83V/m. However, and also like its predecessors, the WATT/Puppy 8's impedance…

I first heard VTL's TL-6.5 Signature line-stage preamplifier at HE2005, in New York City, playing Lyle Lovett's cover…

I flipped on the TL-6.5's rear-panel power switch, then toggled on the front-panel Power pushbutton. After the TL-6.5 had completed its 90-second turn-on sequence, its blue LED display read "00," indicating minimum gain. I pushed the CD1 input button for the Krell player,…

Description: Tubed, remote-controlled line preamplifier with MOSFET output stage. Tube complement: two 12AU7. Inputs: 3 pairs balanced (XLR), 3 pairs single-ended (RCA), 2 pairs single-ended tape. Outputs: 1 pair balanced/XLR, 2 pairs single-ended RCA, 2 pairs single-ended RCA buffered tape. Voltage gain: 14dB to single-ended RCA outputs, 20dB to XLR outputs. Input impedance: 50k ohms (20k ohms minimum). Output impedance: 25 ohms (maximum 195 ohms at 10Hz). Polarity: non-inverting at all outputs. Frequency response: 1Hz–200kHz, +0/–1dB (20Hz–100kHz into 600 ohms…

Analog Sources: Linn Sondek LP12 turntable with Lingo power supply, Linn Ittok tonearm, Spectral moving-coil cartridge; Day-Sequerra FM Reference Classic FM tuner.
Digital Sources: Krell KRC-28 CD transport; Adcom GDA-700, Bryston B100-DA D/A converters; Roku SoundBridge network music player.
Preamplification: Duntech MX-10 moving-coil head amplifier, Margules Magenta FZ47 phono preamplifier; Bryston B100-DA preamplifier section; Krell KCT Current Tunnel, Mark Levinson ML-7A (with L-2 phono section) preamplifiers.
Power Amplifiers: Mark Levinson…

The VTL TL-6.5 Reference's maximum voltage gain was 19.6dB for balanced signals from its balanced outputs, 13.6dB for unbalanced signals from its unbalanced outputs. The preamplifier preserved absolute polarity— ie, was non-inverting—from both outputs with the red "Phase" LED not illuminated. (The XLRs are wired with pin 2 hot.) The input impedance didn't change with the setting of the volume control; across the audioband, it was a uniform 14k ohms unbalanced and 32k ohms balanced. This is lower than the specified 50k ohms, but should still be sufficiently high to…