Meridian Unplugged - Powered by MrTechGuy.co.uk Forums Discussion HiFi & HT Chat Wilson Audio vs. 8000SE

I would like to ask if anyone has had A/B experience of any of the larger Wilson Audio speakers (with appropriate amplification), against the 8000SE.

Even if not A/B, any impressions would be appreciated.

Shankar

Shankar,

I have not had A/B experience of 8000SE v Wilson Audio, but I have had a lot of experience listening to Wilson Audio Grand Slams v DSP8000. I have a pair of 8000.1, which I obviously listened to all the time, & I spend a lot of time listening to a friends system in South Wales who has a pair of Wilson Audio Grand Slams, a pair of Wilson Audio XS subs, all powered by individual Krell amps. I love the sound of Meridian speakers & electronics, but I reluctantly have to admit that the Grand Slams with a pair of XS beats the 8000's.

The bass is much deeper (obviously helped by 2 number 0.5 tonne sub woofers), the sound stage & overall sound is superb.

However, the cost of a Wilson / Hi End Amp set up is far more expensive than the Meridian set up, you need a larger room, & the pairing of the Amps to the speakers is critical.

Would I swap systems, no. The 8000's can realistically be used in any room & look superb. The Grand Slams need a very large dedicated room. Not many wives would be happy with a pair of Grand Slams or Alexandria's in their lounge.

Thanks a lot. I am quite constrained by the fact that dealers here in India quite frankly cannot afford to carry product in their showrooms, so even a simple listening test is impossible.

How significant do you believe the Subs were to the overall experience?

Shankar

They obviously make quiet a difference in the bass reproduction as they can move a lot of air & go down to about 12 Hz. Albeit the Grand Slamms go down to 20Hz. The XS, if the cross over is set up correctly, don't really give any audible music, they just give you an almighty hit in the chest.
Leighton

I think that the use of subs is more dependent on the room and where you decide to position your main speakers. The 8Ks are very capable down low, but if you position them for the best stereo imaging, you will most likely be sacrificing bass response. I am sure that is true for any flavor of speaker. The cool thing about Wilson is that the dealer will come and set your speakers up in the best place in your room using their setup procedure. You can decide if you need subs after that.

You wanting a speaker change?

Just exploring... Have had M for many years now.

Well, I did compare my DSP6000's to my vivid audio G1's and as you can see from my sig , the G1's ruled....
Cheap solution for a change is to try DIRAC or Acourate or just DSP parametric eq to mess with the sound , correct the bass and to some extent remove the room..
Maybe you wont want new speakers after that ..always found Meridian was rather polite .. you can cure that...

Rodney, I guess those G1s + Amp = £50k?? Old 6000s = £4k?? I'd certainly hope for an improvement based just on that. The G1s look fantastic though.

Unfortunately, that question and the 8000SEs vs Wilson one is way above my pay-grade. A nice problem to have though!

I do have the Trinnov Altitude on order as I already have the Dirac and had some issues with it (a different thread). Replacing the SE is not a trivial decision so will try to figure out a good fit once the Trinnov come in.

Meanwhile, as I had said, just exploring...

Yeh.. I went all in with the speakers, sold a vette and a Camaro to get them and the amp.
I then had to rebuild the room to suit... $25k

Never heard the 8000SE tho, but it is a big decision to replace them with anything other than Meridian .. I would imagine the DSP6000 has some of the house sound of the 8000's.

I have heard some serious stuff .. the best so far is AG trio horns with Gryphon Pendragon bass towers .. Unison Research valve amps.
Amazing dynamics .. etc.. a bit relentless. I would like a setup like that in another room, the G1's for immersive enjoyment and the trios for a roller coaster ride.

Shankar .. what music do you listen to and at what volume?
What are the systems weak points in your opinion?
What do you hope to get with a speaker upgrade?

Hi Rodney

I listen to a very eclectic collection. About 60% is 70s and 80s rock. The rest is international from Jazz & blues, French, Arabic, indian vocals and semi classical etc. Basically very mood dependent. What I have never taken serious fancy to is western classical and chamber.

Why change from SE? I guess it is a combination of factors. The same closed system that attracted me is now proving to be a disadvantage since certain elements (MRC, decoding) etc. Have been improved upon by others. Support, though available, is delayed and I had a long downtime of 6 weeks recently. With an open system, I can potentially plug in a standby element (say amp) which I can't do. And lastly, a certain restlessness.

I can't say that the sound itself would be better or worse, all these speakers are slightly different and one has to like them oneself, and not depend on reviews etc. I listened to AG Duo recently (used to have them a long time ago) and found I didn't like the sound.

Still may not end up changing the speakers. Let me put in the Trinnov and see. (Of course using the Trinnov with SE is a pain).

Shankar