Wilson Audio XVX Music Machine
The Absolute Sound called it a Time Machine in their review, which it is, but it makes music like nothing else.
This past summer Gale, Doug, and Charlie went to Florida to hear the XVX in a very good system (Read that story HERE). The three of us became immediately convinced that they were the best speakers we have ever heard. The new mid-range driver developed by Daryl Wilson gives a truly extraordinary performance in the essential range where most of the music resides. We decided we had to bring XVX into our showroom and share this incredible speaker with you.
XVX have arrived at The Sound Environment and assembly is finished. There are six parts to each speaker that must be carefully put together. It takes hours with two to three people. We even use a torque wrench to adjust the tightness of every bolt and screw to Wilson’s exacting standards.
We are now in the break-in phase, which will last about two weeks before Speaker Room Integration (SRI) can be done. After break-in of 200-300 hours, Gale and Todd will work their magic SRI’ing the XVX. SRI at this level takes them a full day or more to accomplish, especially with the micro time adjustment capability on the XVX.
A word about our SRI. Gale and Todd have been doing this as a team for 10 years. They keep getting better at it. What they can accomplish now with a speaker at the level of Wilson and Rockport is truly amazing. They make the speakers really sing. I venture to say they are the best in the country at what they do.
Finally, XVX will be ready for you to listen to in early January.
The speaker itself is extraordinary. It is a four-way system with seven drivers in each channel, each complete speaker weighing 685lbs. Each speaker is a little over 16″ wide and 74″ tall with a depth of 33″. Assembly is a challenge. From the brawny task of just moving the speaker to perfectly setting each driver enclosure into the gantry, great care must be taken to make certain everything is done absolutely correctly.
Nowhere in the United States will you hear the XVX perform as well as at TSE – also true of the Rockport Cygnus at the other end of the room. The room is good, the setup extraordinary and the system driving the speakers second to none.
“I can’t imagine anyone, no matter what their preferred speaker brands or listening biases, not being captivated by the XVX’x lifelike presentation. After all, real is real. The XVX isn’t just a milestone for Wilson Audio; I believe that it is a landmark achievement in loudspeaker design.”
– Robert Harley, The Absolute Sound