Wilson Alexx V vs Rockport Orion
- Thread starter Chpray
- Start date
To me the Rockports sound more like real music than the WB. They move air and couple to the room more naturally. The coherence of all 7 inch drivers is outweighed by the feel and weight of real musicians coming from the Orions and the Cygnus I had before them. They also hit a lot harder. I love WB but even with the Torus it’s a compromise. Listen to Orion or Lyra yourself and make your own judgement. What I think or your dealer thinks is not important. I would not use subs with either Orion or Lyra it will muddle things up. Like WB Rockport designs and makes their own drivers. They claim their new drivers have the lowest distortion they have ever measured and they collect drivers from other manufacturers. The enclosures of Orion and Lyra are more inert than WB. Watch videos on their construction. There is nothing slow about them. Lyra has a springier mid/upper bass than Orion which might appeal to you. In the end you have to listen for yourself.
Hi - I’ve owned Cygnus for over 5 years and am considering upgrading to Orions. From your previous post it appears you’ve taken the same path I’m considering: Moving from Cygnus to Orions. Would you please elaborate on the differences between the two loudspeakers in your system? Thanks in advance for any info!
The difference (obviously) comes from the new enclosure and the new drivers. The enclosure is significantly quieter which has 2 effects. Less cabinet noise and that leads to the ability to hear leading and trailing edges of notes that would otherwise be obscured by it. This allows you to hear all that the driver is capable of. This you will interpret as more detail and a more lifelike presentation. The new drivers like all of Andy’s drivers have the lowest distortion in the market. The design idea was to create the best 3 driver 3 way full range speaker in the world. To do this he needed surface area and the largest distortion free woofer he could make. He came up with the amazing 13 inch woofer which is the best I’ve ever heard. To reach down to this he needed a larger 7 inch mid and to reach down to this he needed a larger 1.25 inch tweeter. This is the first tweeter that they fully designed in house. All of this changes the crossover points allowing each driver to operate optimally. The cabinet design allows for a huge amount of volume to devoted to the woofer leading to the best mid/lower bass I know of. The midrange has its own dedicated chamber making this possible. Orion is better in all meaningful parameters but at a very high price. The Cygnus is the best value at Rockport and is a great speaker.
Measure the THD of tweeters going out to 40K vs one rolling off at 17K , here in lies the tale , as to everything in Audio no one measurement or advantage tells the full story , but everything has it’s accumulative effect..!
Regards
I find Rockports more organic and natural sounding. Wilsons, on the other hand, sound very hifi to me: there’s your dynamics . Theres your soundstage depth. Here’s your pin point imaging. There’s your singer in Tokyo and guitar player in Nashville…
with that said, I think vivid spirits sound more organic and less boxy than either of the 2.
all depends on the experience you are looking for
with that said, I think vivid spirits sound more organic and less boxy than either of the 2.
all depends on the experience you are looking for
Vivid is another excellent loudspeaker. Unfortunately, my wife doesn't like the look of it, so I don't think that I can ever get it pass the main entrance, lol.
Yes. Dick Dickie is genius. Shame he gets ignored while so much hifi drek gets hyped up
I considered attending Toronto Audio show held last month to see my three years old grandson living in Toronto.
It is best to listen to the speakers in well organized showroom.
Maybe you could show your wife the movie "Fifth Element" several times, eventually the look (the scene with the blue opera singer) will grow on her
I definitely "urge" you to go listen to this mentioned set before you make that or that decision, I was in a similar dilemma with ALEXX on my mind, and others in this price range,
my heart and soul went (in my case) with the CLASSIC in its Third and upgraded version C3 (combined and designed with internal KONDO cross and wiring)
pic below
the "Kaiser Acoustics Classic Brilliant Edition" speakers with a custom massive and Duelund outboard crossover.
www.monoandstereo.com
my heart and soul went (in my case) with the CLASSIC in its Third and upgraded version C3 (combined and designed with internal KONDO cross and wiring)
pic below
the "Kaiser Acoustics Classic Brilliant Edition" speakers with a custom massive and Duelund outboard crossover.
Kaiser Acoustics Classic Brilliant Edition speakers – M & S | Ultimate High-Fidelity
www.monoandstereo.com
Last edited:
Haha. Great idea.Maybe you could show your wife the movie "Fifth Element" several times, eventually the look (the scene with the blue opera singer) will grow on her
Yep, I will check it out.I definitely "urge" you to go listen to this mentioned set before you make that or that decision, I was in a similar dilemma with ALEXX on my mind, and others in this price range,
my heart and soul went (in my case) with the CLASSIC in its Third and upgraded version C3 (combined and designed with internal KONDO cross and wiring)
pic below
the "Kaiser Acoustics Classic Brilliant Edition" speakers with a custom massive and Duelund outboard crossover.
Kaiser Acoustics Classic Brilliant Edition speakers – M & S | Ultimate High-Fidelity
View attachment 121488
View attachment 121487
View attachment 121486
Great question. I have sold several pairs of Wilson audio loudspeakers. They are great folks who provide impeccable service and keep making newer models.
I am just getting started with Rockports. I just got a chance to hear the new Alexx 5.
Two completely different presentations of music. The Orion is one tweeter, woofer, and one mid-range driver loudspeaker. This design just pulls me in like no other. In five seconds, all you are compelled to do is listen to music. Their attention to design, manufacturing, and crossover work is unparalleled. It is the finest cabinet in the industry. It would be best if you auditioned both Loudspeakers with music.
I have compared Orion to XVX not Alexx V. Same room, same electronics at the Sound Environment. To me (and nearly everyone who works there or heard both of them there) the Orion is a better speaker. The XVX is not the Alexx V but its a larger version of it in some sense (larger cabinet one extra driver).The XVX is gone now but you can now hear Alexia V and Orion in the same room at The Sound Environment if they haven't moved them. In comparison the Alexia V sounds flat and uninteresting. Also, it's not Roman numeral 5 its V as in V material. Hope it helps. Wilson and Rockport both make great speakers. The Rockport's have an absolutely dead quiet cabinet which allows extremely low distortion drivers to be fully heard from the beginning to the end of each note without the cabinet obscuring any bit of it. This allows for better resolution and comes across as a more realistic/natural sound. Also, the bass is different. The single 13 inch Orion woofer is a thing to behold. It couples to rooms beautifully. Finally the simple 3 driver 3 way design is the antithesis of multi driver box over box over box design. It gives up driver surface area in pursuit of absolute purity of presentation. You might prefer either one depending on your own personal tastes. The only way is to listen for yourself. You can't go wrong with either.
I love the Kaisers' look with those outboard xovers packed with Dueland bits! Gorgeous. I have heard the Alexx Vs dialed in at Marty's, and they sounded exceptional, especially with the large-scale orchestral. I listened to the latest Rockports with Absolare Electronics in Munich, and even under show conditions, they impressed me. Whichever speaker is selected, the room, cables, and electronics will create significant differences in the final result.
Without feigning indifference or my proprietary interest, my favorite loudspeakers in this class are the Von Schweikert Ultra 55s and new generation Ultra 7s. In particular, the Foundation bass amplifier technology implemented as part of a completely analog xover network solves nearly any room position issue and delivers bass dynamics and texture that must be heard.
The rest of the spectrum keeps the beat going. Add in Albert Von Schweikert's "AIR" ambient information recovery algorithm powered by a rear-firing ribbon and horn driver array that delivers perfect off-axis response and a naturally believable soundstage. It is harder to find a pair of VSA speakers for an audition than the more prominent brands, but well worth the effort if you are shopping for speakers in this class. PM me whether you are in Europe or the US on that one.
Below is my pair of U7s in Ferrari Grigio Gray, now being built at the factory, and a silver pair powered by bridged Westminsterlab Rei amplifiers, Quest preamplifier, and Lampizator DAC in the VSA demo room, which is how mine will be set up.
PS In the U-7, each driver, including the rear ambient array, is adjustable to suit your room, components, and personal listening preferences.
Without feigning indifference or my proprietary interest, my favorite loudspeakers in this class are the Von Schweikert Ultra 55s and new generation Ultra 7s. In particular, the Foundation bass amplifier technology implemented as part of a completely analog xover network solves nearly any room position issue and delivers bass dynamics and texture that must be heard.
The rest of the spectrum keeps the beat going. Add in Albert Von Schweikert's "AIR" ambient information recovery algorithm powered by a rear-firing ribbon and horn driver array that delivers perfect off-axis response and a naturally believable soundstage. It is harder to find a pair of VSA speakers for an audition than the more prominent brands, but well worth the effort if you are shopping for speakers in this class. PM me whether you are in Europe or the US on that one.
Below is my pair of U7s in Ferrari Grigio Gray, now being built at the factory, and a silver pair powered by bridged Westminsterlab Rei amplifiers, Quest preamplifier, and Lampizator DAC in the VSA demo room, which is how mine will be set up.
PS In the U-7, each driver, including the rear ambient array, is adjustable to suit your room, components, and personal listening preferences.
Last edited:
Similar threads
