WAMM serie VI, my new toys

[goan]

Just arrive yesterday, they have many problem that I need to fix, they're in poor condition but already sounding great

PS : sorry for the poor English, I'm French...

 

[LL21]

Magnifique! Felicitations! Congrats!! Enjoy!

What were your speakers before?

 

[Kingsrule]

Awesome!
Since Dave set up all the original Wamms how are u going to time align all the drivers??

 

[goan]

Magnifique! Felicitations! Congrats!! Enjoy!

What were your speakers before?

Thanks
Wilson WATT Puppy V

Awesome!
Since Dave set up all the original Wamms how are u going to time align all the drivers??

I'm using Holm Impulse program to mesure the speakers. But on the Wilson website there is the manual for the WAMM to set them up : https://wilsonaudio.com/media/328/manual-wamm.pdf

 

[microstrip]

Thanks
Wilson WATT Puppy V
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I'm using Holm Impulse program to mesure the speakers. But on the Wilson website there is the manual for the WAMM to set them up : https://wilsonaudio.com/media/328/manual-wamm.pdf

Congratulations on the new speakers - I am sure you will have a great time setting them up. And merci bien for the reference to the WAMM manual - I could find there a reference to something we have been debating in WBF a few days ago - Martin Colloms detailed description of WASP in his book "High-Performance Loudspeakers" ( I own the sixth edition, so page 130-132).
Curiously in his book Martin Colloms explains how David Wilson choose his starting listening position in WASP.

 

[ddk]

Congratulations on the new speakers - I am sure you will have a great time setting them up. And merci bien for the reference to the WAMM manual - I could find there a reference to something we have been debating in WBF a few days ago - Martin Colloms detailed description of WASP in his book "High-Performance Loudspeakers" ( I own the sixth edition, so page 130-132).
Curiously in his book Martin Colloms explains how David Wilson choose his starting listening position in WASP.

Your ML3+M1.1 and that Wamm are a perfect match!

david

 

[analyzer]

Actually It seems that condition Is not "poor". Probably they have minor marks buy considering the age ...
When you have time please post more photos !
En tous cas... Choix superbe...
Marco

 

[goan]

They are really in poor condition, one of the Seas midrange is damaged, a lot of distortion when you listen to normal or high level, so actually i can only listen at low level.
The 2 Magnat sub are broken, the coil are deformed.
There's many scratch & damage everywhere on the all boxes, the 4 M6 module & the B139 Baffle need to be repeint and most of the veener need to be repaired or replaced...
I think that some of the Janszen ESL are dead too...

So I need to restored them, not just a refresh, a real restoration... this is a long time project, but I let you know every step of this restoration whit many pictures.

If someone knows the 18 Magnat reference please ? or if you see 1 or 2 of them for sell... many thanks for your help

 

[microstrip]

Your ML3+M1.1 and that Wamm are a perfect match!

david

It seems you have read my mind!

 

[MRJAZZ]

They are really in poor condition, one of the Seas midrange is damaged, a lot of distortion when you listen to normal or high level, so actually i can only listen at low level.
The 2 Magnat sub are broken, the coil are deformed.
There's many scratch & damage everywhere on the all boxes, the 4 M6 module & the B139 Baffle need to be repeint and most of the veener need to be repaired or replaced...
I think that some of the Janszen ESL are dead too...

So I need to restored them, not just a refresh, a real restoration... this is a long time project, but I let you know every step of this restoration whit many pictures.

If someone knows the 18 Magnat reference please ? or if you see 1 or 2 of them for sell... many thanks for your help

The Magnat 18” sub woofer (driver) that Wilson used back in the day, had a history of failure ( something to do with the weight of the driver ( magnet/voice coil assembly, and the orientation of the driver ( being used vertically, as opposed to being used horizontally ( face down)....it would ( the voice coil) would not stay centered after a period of time.
I had a pair of series 3 back in the day and both Magnat drivers were defective. Someone at Wilson recommended researching the possibility of using a 18” JBL sub woofer/driver. I did, and it worked very well in the existing cabinet. As I recall the port size had to be recalculated. I don’t recall the JBL driver model number, but it was a very popular driver then, and I am confident they are available today. I believe Wilson actually went with this JBL driver in some of their future sub woofer products. Give them a call, they probably can give you the model number and the correct port size for it to work in the existing cabinet.
Cheers.....

 

[ddk]

The Magnat 18” sub woofer (driver) that Wilson used back in the day, had a history of failure ( something to do with the weight of the driver ( magnet/voice coil assembly, and the orientation of the driver ( being used vertically, as opposed to being used horizontally ( face down)....it would ( the voice coil) would not stay centered after a period of time.
I had a pair of series 3 back in the day and both Magnat drivers were defective. Someone at Wilson recommended researching the possibility of using a 18” JBL sub woofer/driver. I did, and it worked very well in the existing cabinet. As I recall the port size had to be recalculated. I don’t recall the JBL driver model number, but it was a very popular driver then, and I am confident they are available today. I believe Wilson actually went with this JBL driver in some of their future sub woofer products. Give them a call, they probably can give you the model number and the correct port size for it to work in the existing cabinet.
Cheers.....

JBL 18" woofer is 2245H. This is a vintage driver but they have current production 18" ones too that you can find easier.

david

 

[goan]

Many thanks for these information about the JBL driver, for the moment l prefer to try to keep the system in it's original definition as most as possible...
But if I can't find someone to repear the 18" Magnat or a spare unit to replace it, I certainly go to the 18" JBL. This is a legitimate use for such a speaker since it has been used in the WHOW and POW WHOW serie 2.

 

[goan]

A few pics of the electronic components :

Active crossover :

External PSU :

Equalizer :

 

[microstrip]

Thanks for the pictures - is the series VI the lastest one? Do you know the year of manufacture of your pair?

 

[goan]

After the VI there was a VII, the change were :
- the tweeter (the same than WATT 3 on the WAMM VII instead of the WATT 2 tweeter in the WAMM VI).
- of course the filter change between the tweeter and the SEAS Midrange.
- internal and external cable for the 4 midrange/ treble modules.
- filter for the ESL super tweeter.

And Finally there was the ultimate WAMM version, the VII A :
- All the boxes were made of X material whit new geometry.
- the sub driver was the 15 " Focal instead of the 18" Magnat.
- Tweeter change for the titanium version like the X1 Grand SLAMM.
- All cable change.
- All the filtrer change.
- Active Crossover an Equalizer have symetric connection.

Mine is a special one, it's not born as a VI, it was a 2 version which was build in the beginning of 1983. They talk about it in the Wilson History book, it was the first sell in Europe for Dave and he came to Paris to present her in a show "musique dans le Marais", and just after he install it in the customer room.

The picture about this in the Wilson History book :

At "Musique dans le Marais" :

As you can see it's the one which was used to for the first Wilson Audio add (same wood veneer) :

 

[goan]

Here is a review of a French magazin for this show :

And in 1990 Dave came again to this customer house to upgrade the speaker in the VI version :

An other French Article about this :

 

[goan]

And finally, in 1993 Dave make a big gift to this customer by offering him the WAMM VII upgrade. This one consist of 4 new M7 midrange / treble module and a small passive component strap to add on the ESL module to modify his filter.

I'm in negotiation to recover this upgrade set asap

 

[Carlos269]

I have a pair of the WAMM Series VIIA subwoofer towers and they are indeed very special. The use of the X-Material makes for an inert cabinet free of any resonances in spite of their massive size. The Series VIIA WAMM’s we’re indeed the ultimate revision and expression of this unique design.

 

[microstrip]

I have a pair of the WAMM Series VIIA subwoofer towers and they are indeed very special. The use of the X-Material makes for an inert cabinet free of any resonances in spite of their massive size. The Series VIIA WAMM’s we’re indeed the ultimate revision and expression of this unique design.





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Do they use the same woofer as the old JMLab Grande Utopia? I owned it for a short time and the bass was fabulous.

BTW, you were wiser than me - you kept the Cello Audio Palette with cart. I stupidly sold mine cheap, only kept some of the strings ...

 

[Carlos269]

Do they use the same woofer as the old JMLab Grande Utopia? I owned it for a short time and the bass was fabulous.

BTW, you were wiser than me - you kept the Cello Audio Palette with cart. I stupidly sold mine cheap, only kept some of the strings ...

The JM Lab Grande Utopia used the “W” sandwich cone version of the Focal Audiom 15” driver, while the WAMM Series VIIA used a modified “VX” Polyglass cone version of the Focal Audiom driver. The “VX“ version has slightly greater efficiency and a very slightly lower FS parameter, while the “W” version has a greater power rating.

Yes, I’m glad to have this very special version of the Cello Audio Pallete MIV, which Paul Jayson upgraded for me. It is an essential part of my reference audio system. It is instrumental in dialing in my system to produce a tonal balance that I consider “organic”.