Wilson Alexandria XLF Measurements "Quite Poor"

[rockitman]

no hard feeling Christian...I respect your taste and opinion...by the way I had a look at your system...very nice set-up!! some serious money there...the Pass are amazing !!

Regard

Guy La Rue

Hi Guy,

Thanks for the kind reply. I may have initially taken this thread out of context. I guess my issue is with JA's measurements especially when he says:

As I said at the beginning of this section, there are practical limitations when measuring so large a loudspeaker. While I am confident that my measurements regime fully characterizes the performance of a small speaker (such as KEF's LS50, which I reviewed last month), with a speaker as large as Wilson's Alexandria XLF, the measurements offer suggestions rather than certainties.

It makes you wonder why he published his flawed test condition results to begin with ? Happy New Year.

Best,

Chris

 

[MylesBAstor]

Hi Guy,

Thanks for the kind reply. I may have initially taken this thread out of context. I guess my issue is with JA's measurements especially when he says:



It makes you wonder why he published his flawed test condition results to begin with ? Happy New Year.

Best,

Chris

Don't you just love these armchair quarterbacks that know more than Dave Wilson?

 

[A.wayne]

Some may prefer ..War ...

Until the coloration of another mans speaker , be of no more significance than the color of his eyes , let there be War ...

Let's not get personal, guys. Come on, it's a new year in a matter of hours now. As Mr. Marley would say.....

? Don't worry, be Happy! ?

Tom

 

[A.wayne]

Sigh ...

Hi Guy,

Thanks for the kind reply. I may have initially taken this thread out of context. I guess my issue is with JA's measurements especially when he says:



It makes you wonder why he published his flawed test condition results to begin with ? Happy New Year.

Best,

Chris

 

[A.wayne]

Don't you just love these armchair quarterbacks that know more than Dave Wilson?

So JA is an armchair qtr back , anyway here's a tissue , wipe that brown Stain from your nose ..

Lol

 

[rockitman]

Sigh ...

Who is Doug Schneider anyway ? I have never heard of him when it comes to respectable reviewers (tongue & cheek). Finally JA sums things up after his flawed measurements:

Note, also, that I don't measure distortion, which in this high-sensitivity speaker is likely to be very low. But overall, this is an impressively well-engineered design. As well as auditioning the Alexandria XLF at Innovative and in Michael's room, last January I had the opportunity to perform extended comparisons between the XLF and the earlier Alexandria X-2 Series 2 at Wilson Audio's headquarters. There is no doubt in my mind that this is the best speaker yet to come from the Utah company, which makes it a very fine speaker indeed.—John Atkinson

I guess my X-2.2's even measure poorer than the XLF. I love the sound I'm getting from my poor measuring speakers, keeping in mind these guys in the measurement world don't have the equipment/setup to properly measure the speaker to begin with.

 

[A.wayne]

Christian ,

I had addressed the flawed part of his testing , the area in question 1-3k showed in the imp mag and phase , tells me its there , the test was flawed not in its scope but in its details , this is why i read stereophile , they test and listen , which is the only way to do it in my opinion, their methodology means regardless it deserves a listen ...

Now less pause for a min , less say this was a NEW contender , a speaker for 200k touted to kill the king WA XLF SPEAKER , we will call this speaker the FRANTZ BASTOR TPX ..

How receptive would you and others be after seeing those same test results and stereophile declaring it the best speaker in the world ...

An honest answer ...!!!

PS: Forget Doug Schneider , our focus is JA...

 

[Revel Salon 2]

Who is Doug Schneider anyway ? I have never heard of him when it comes to respectable reviewers (tongue & cheek). Finally JA sums things up after his flawed measurements:



I guess my X-2.2's even measure poorer than the XLF. I love the sound I'm getting from my poor measuring speakers, keeping in mind these guys in the measurement world don't have the equipment/setup to properly measure the speaker to begin with.

Doug is probably the only reviewer I trust. not afraid to tell it like it is...

Guy;-)

 

[rockitman]

Christian ,

I had addressed the flawed part of his testing , the area in question 1-3k showed in the imp mag and phase , tells me its there , the test was flawed not in its scope but in its details , this is why i read stereophile , they test and listen , which is the only way to do it in my opinion, their methodology means regardless it deserves a listen ...

Now less pause for a min , less say this was a NEW contender , a speaker for 200k touted to kill the king WA XLF SPEAKER , we will call this speaker the FRANTZ BASTOR TPX ..

How receptive would you and others be after seeing those same test results and streophile declaring it the best speaker in the world ...

Honest a seer ...!!!

These frequency range tests on single drivers/crossovers point ect make good fodder. What's important is how all the drivers integrate as a whole in a coherent fashion for the listener. These tests don't capture that very well.

 

[A.wayne]

Chris,

How receptive if for another speaker .....

Damn Iphone ..

 

[LL21]

As far as I see now in my room (31 feet long) the main problem is not the speaker but the listener and speaker placement in the room. Due to difference in distance between the speaker plane - front wall and the listener - back wall , the difference in the paths between speaker - front wall - listener and speaker - back wall - listener causes a cancel in bass at zone between 30 and 40 Hz. A room with rigid walls that does not absorb bass is this range will enhance this null zone. Placing the speakers and listener according to the rule of the thirds makes both paths similar and minimizes it. Perhaps - I have not simulated it - having a port on the back, as the XLF now has, can also help this aspect, as the speaker is really very deep and paths from speaker and port get different .

However, placing a sub in a plane distant from the main speaker plane will fill this null. And yes, most of the time they are not needed over 38 Hz with full range speakers.

Hi Microstrip - are you trying to set these up yourself? If so, definitely have a chat with Pedro at Absolute Sounds...he is tremendous.
There are so many variables with the big Wilsons...every angle, every resistor, the placement, and now the woofer port too. Every quarter inch/angle makes a difference with these speakers...room placement, and individual speaker movement...not to mention resoldering in different resistors into the speaker...particularly for a room your size.

 

[rockitman]

...not to mention resoldering in different resistors into the speaker...particularly for a room your size.

No sodering needed to change out resistors on the X-2 series 1 through XLF. They attach via nut style binding posts just like the ones for the speaker wires.

 

[Steve williams]

No sodering needed to change out resistors on the X-2 series 1 through XLF. They attach via nut style binding posts just like the ones for the speaker wires.

I agree. None needed in my X-2's

 

[jap]

Don't you just love these armchair quarterbacks that know more than Dave Wilson?

+1

 

[LL21]

No sodering needed to change out resistors on the X-2 series 1 through XLF. They attach via nut style binding posts just like the ones for the speaker wires.

I agree. None needed in my X-2's

Great stuff! Nevertheless, still important to change out to the right resistors...

 

[microstrip]

Great stuff! Nevertheless, still important to change out to the right resistors...

Thanks for the good advices. In due time I will ask the appropriate people to check for my findings - I had the help of our distributor and his people on assembling the speakers. But first I want to have some time to get used to the speakers and assemble a system around them. I have some past experience with the Maxx3 in my room and keep a record about its placement. The "zone of neutrality" is still the same for the X-2.

BTW, changing the default resistors is a last resource in the X-2 - although it can be done in three minutes.

 

[rockitman]

Great stuff! Nevertheless, still important to change out to the right resistors...

Yup, I have done that + 0.5 dB midrange units and +1 dB for the tweeters. My room being on the smaller end needed more bass trapping (well damped) hence the need for the boost in the mids and treble.

 

[Robh3606]

Don't you just love these armchair quarterbacks that know more than Dave Wilson?

Hello Myles

I think you are missing the point. Those speakers are not neutral but voiced. If you happen to agree with Dave Wilson on how a speaker should sound then all is good. From a flat landers point of view a 200K speaker with on and off axis curves like that is an abysmal engineering failure. Hey no lie lie hear I am a flat lander. Speakers should in my point of view be flat for a large portion of their in room response. It's contrary to my idea of what a good speaker should be.

Now that doesn't mean it can't sound good but it will color every bit of music played through it.

Rob

 

[Steve williams]

Yup, I have done that + 0.5 dB midrange units and +1 dB for the tweeters. My room being on the smaller end needed more bass trapping (well damped) hence the need for the boost in the mids and treble.

very interesting Christian as I am going to face the same in my new room.

How did they decide on +0.5 Db midrange and + 1 Db tweeters for the room vs other resistors

 

[MylesBAstor]

Hello Myles

I think you are missing the point. Those speakers are not neutral but voiced. If you happen to agree with Dave Wilson on how a speaker should sound then all is good. From a flat landers point of view a 200K speaker with on and off axis curves like that is an abysmal engineering failure. Hey no lie lie hear I am a flat lander. Speakers should in my point of view be flat for a large portion of their in room response. It's contrary to my idea of what a good speaker should be.

Now that doesn't mean it can't sound good but it will color every bit of music played through it.

Rob

You're missing the point. The measurements should have never been published and anyone who puts any faith in them is barking up the wrong tree.

Oh and we've been up the flat FR speaker discussion before; thought that had been discarded 20 years ago.