Wilson Audio: "An Audiophile's Journey"
organ
Posts: 4,969
Brought to you by Wilson Audio.
Some of you may find this interesting: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RAXn6JkwonA
Nothing new for those who has been into audio a long time. The man featured in this video got into audio later than most of us and went straight for the hardcore set up. Too bad he didn't dedicate a listening room for his set up. Still, an interesting view into his set up.
Some of you may find this interesting: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RAXn6JkwonA
Nothing new for those who has been into audio a long time. The man featured in this video got into audio later than most of us and went straight for the hardcore set up. Too bad he didn't dedicate a listening room for his set up. Still, an interesting view into his set up.
Post edited by organ on
Comments
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This video almost lost me and I almost quit watching when he said "it was more of playing with the toys, never really listening to the music." Somehow, I pressed on and I ended up being impressed that his living room life resembles my own. Music is a part of my family's life as well and the differences between gear become noticeable not only to my wife and I...but our son as well, even at his early age. I love it when my wife Kim comes home and asks if she can enjoy some tunes. It's as much as an emotional stress reliever to her as it is to myself.
Enjoy the music.
Tom~ In search of accurate reproduction of music. Real sound is my reference and while perfection may not be attainable? If I chase it, I might just catch excellence. ~ -
I agree. It's nice to see the whole family sharing the same passion for both music and audio. I also like how he gets his kids involved in getting the vinyl ready for play. LOL @ his wife when she kept saying it couldn't get any better when he wanted to upgrade the mains, and BAM!:cheesygrin:.
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kids and expensive stereo equipment do not mix.Amplifiers: Norma IPA 140, MasterSound Compact 845, Ayre v6xe, Consonance Cyber 800
Preamp: deHavilland Ultraverve 3
Dac: Sonnet Morpheus 2, Musical Paradise mp-d2 mkIII
Transport: Jay's Audio CDT2 mk2, Lumin U1 mini
Speakers: Rosso Fiorentino Volterra II
Speaker Cables: Crystal Clear Magnum Opus 2, Organic Audio Organic Reference 2
Interconnects: Crystal Clear Magnum Opus 2, Argento Organic Reference 2, Argento Organic 2
Power Cables: Argento Organic Reference, Synergistic Research Foundation 10 and 12 ga.
Digital cables: Crystal Clear Magnum Opus 2 bnc, Tellurium Q aes, Silnote Audio Poseidon Signature 2 bnc
Puritan PSM156 -
That guy's wife is a keeper....
My wife thinks MP3's and my SACD's sound the same so there is no reason to have better gear if noise comes out it is good enough... -
So let me see, this guy is some kind of "highly paid" Redmond tech guy who slowly realized he could afford to spend $48,500+ on a pair of Wilson Alexias and who knows how much on that SUPER heavy weight turntable and amplification?
Frankly, it's all a bit too yuppie for me. Not that I have anything against Hi-Fi audio, but I "do" mind "who" gets to represent it and why. Nothing against Wilson either, they make good stuff. But the video, to me, seems like FLUFF! No substance, no real "character" I can get interested in. FLAT all the way around. But a nice million dollar plus home! lol
I preferred the guy who was making his own High End speakers in a trailer out back. Can't remember his name. Now that guy was "amazing"!
cnhCurrently orbiting Bowie's Blackstar.!
Polk Lsi-7s, Def Tech 8" sub, HK 3490, HK HD 990 (CDP/DAC), AKG Q701s
[sig. changed on a monthly basis as I rotate in and out of my stash] -
Absolutely , My wife could care less about audio and video quality, if she can hear it and see it , it's good enough. I wonder if they have a wife trade in at Wilson?Dan
My personal quest is to save to world of bad audio, one thread at a time. -
Absolutely , My wife could care less about audio and video quality, if she can hear it and see it , it's good enough. I wonder if they have a wife trade in at Wilson?
That would be wonderful.Zu Soul Supreme
Coincident Frankenstein mkIII
Esoteric K-07 -
I wonder if they have a wife trade in at Wilson?
Only if you buy a pair of their speakers. If you buy a pair of Alexandria, you get an extra lady for free. I know because I run quality control at the Wilson Wife Trade-in Center. I have to break them in before they go for trade. -
Hmmm, not sure what to think of this one...- Not Tom ::::::: Any system can play Diana Krall. Only the best can play Limp Bizkit.
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Nice video. That guy gets it, for him it was about pulling the family together with music. He won his wife over so his upgrade path should be fairly easy. Pretty cool that she 's enjoying it as much as him. Those two kids will be music lovers for life & not that MP3 stuff either. Real music that you can connect with. Being set up in the living room makes it even more appealing."2 Channel & 11.2 HT "Two Channel:Magnepan LRSSchiit Audio Freya S - SS preConsonance Ref 50 - Tube preParasound HALO A21+ 2 channel ampBluesound NODE 2i streameriFi NEO iDSD DAC Oppo BDP-93KEF KC62 sub Home Theater:Full blown 11.2 set up.
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I don't know what you think he gets because their are far better ways to pull the family together than dropping $75K on a stereo. Fine if the family enjoys it, I'm glad.Pretty cool that she 's enjoying it as much as him. Those two kids will be music lovers for life & not that MP3 stuff either. Real music that you can connect with.
Not that MP3 stuff? Just wow. -
audiocr381ve wrote: »I don't know what you think he gets because their are far better ways to pull the family together than dropping $75K on a stereo. Fine if the family enjoys it, I'm glad.
Not that MP3 stuff? Just wow.
Why don't you call the guy and make some suggestions on better ways to spend his money, after all you know what's best for him & his family. Sheesh!!!"2 Channel & 11.2 HT "Two Channel:Magnepan LRSSchiit Audio Freya S - SS preConsonance Ref 50 - Tube preParasound HALO A21+ 2 channel ampBluesound NODE 2i streameriFi NEO iDSD DAC Oppo BDP-93KEF KC62 sub Home Theater:Full blown 11.2 set up. -
It's a commercial for the store and Wilson, nothing more. I'm inclined to think they are actors, but hey, that's just me.If you can't hear a difference, don't waste your money.
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let me know if they do maybe we could go in and get a better deal with 2:)Absolutely , My wife could care less about audio and video quality, if she can hear it and see it , it's good enough. I wonder if they have a wife trade in at Wilson? -
Only if you buy a pair of their speakers. If you buy a pair of Alexandria, you get an extra lady for free. I know because I run quality control at the Wilson Wife Trade-in Center. I have to break them in before they go for trade.
Just remember they're not used, they're previously owned or gently loved... -
pearsall001 wrote: »Why don't you call the guy and make some suggestions on better ways to spend his money, after all you know what's best for him & his family. Sheesh!!!
If someone came to me and said, "I want to connect with my family better, I'm thinking about dropping some cash on a stereo system" I'd call them a fool. He can spend his money any way he wants to, just don't parade around saying that it was to bring the family closer together, which might have happened indirectly but my point is that their are better ways, like a trip to the park.
The video annoys me because of the emphasis on the family. To me it's just a sad way of justifying his hobby. Their is absolutely nothing wrong with having hobbies either, but the message in this video is a little skewed. -
Exactly to much sugar coating with the family..
Opps Sorry daddy I dropped the TT weight on the record and it rolled off and hit the speaker.
As for the kids being music lovers probably yes, but it's still going to be an MP3 world for them because of their age.
It's just a commercial for Wilson nothing more.
But yes I would love to have 75k to spend on audio, :-)audiocr381ve wrote: »If someone came to me and said, "I want to connect with my family better, I'm thinking about dropping some cash on a stereo system" I'd call them a fool. He can spend his money any way he wants to, just don't parade around saying that it was to bring the family closer together, which might have happened indirectly but my point is that their are better ways, like a trip to the park.
The video annoys me because of the emphasis on the family. To me it's just a sad way of justifying his hobby. Their is absolutely nothing wrong with having hobbies either, but the message in this video is a little skewed.ATC SCM40's,VTL TL 2.5 Preamp,PSB Stratus Goldi's,McCormack DNA 500,McCormack MAP-1 Preamp,Pro-Ject Xtension 10 TT,Ortofon Cadenza Red/Nordost RedDawn LS Speaker cables, Bryston BDP-2, Bryston BDA-2,PS Audio AC-3 power cables -
audiocr381ve wrote: »If someone came to me and said, "I want to connect with my family better, I'm thinking about dropping some cash on a stereo system" I'd call them a fool. He can spend his money any way he wants to, just don't parade around saying that it was to bring the family closer together, which might have happened indirectly but my point is that their are better ways, like a trip to the park.
The video annoys me because of the emphasis on the family. To me it's just a sad way of justifying his hobby. Their is absolutely nothing wrong with having hobbies either, but the message in this video is a little skewed.
Oh, now I get it...thanks for clearing that up."2 Channel & 11.2 HT "Two Channel:Magnepan LRSSchiit Audio Freya S - SS preConsonance Ref 50 - Tube preParasound HALO A21+ 2 channel ampBluesound NODE 2i streameriFi NEO iDSD DAC Oppo BDP-93KEF KC62 sub Home Theater:Full blown 11.2 set up. -
audiocr381ve wrote: »If someone came to me and said, "I want to connect with my family better, I'm thinking about dropping some cash on a stereo system" I'd call them a fool. He can spend his money any way he wants to, just don't parade around saying that it was to bring the family closer together, which might have happened indirectly but my point is that their are better ways, like a trip to the park.
The video annoys me because of the emphasis on the family. To me it's just a sad way of justifying his hobby. Their is absolutely nothing wrong with having hobbies either, but the message in this video is a little skewed.
I pretty much agree with this. This is nothing more than a commercial for the speakers and the store that sold them. It's aimed at high wage earners that want something to show off. The side benefit is the kids & wife enjoy them as well.
We will see how the admitted tweeker/upgraders wife will react when he wants to spend even more money on a new pair of speakers sometime down the road. Yes the kids will always continue to love music, but unless daddy gives them the money for the same kinds of speakers, they will be enjoying their music on something else.
I grew up loving music but never on something like that. It's not the gear that got me into this hobby it was wanting to hear the music that I already had sound better.Marantz AV-7705 PrePro, Classé 5 channel 200wpc Amp, Oppo 103 BluRay, Rotel RCD-1072 CDP, Sony XBR-49X800E TV, Polk S60 Main Speakers, Polk ES30 Center Channel, Polk S15 Surround Speakers SVS SB12-NSD x2 -
I don't think it's any different than a parent having a classic car and spending time with their kids on that hobby. Yes both are a bit of a justification, but can also be a genuine opportunity for a hobby to facilitate family time.
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audiocr381ve wrote: »If someone came to me and said, "I want to connect with my family better, I'm thinking about dropping some cash on a stereo system" I'd call them a fool. He can spend his money any way he wants to, just don't parade around saying that it was to bring the family closer together, which might have happened indirectly but my point is that their are better ways, like a trip to the park.
The video annoys me because of the emphasis on the family. To me it's just a sad way of justifying his hobby. Their is absolutely nothing wrong with having hobbies either, but the message in this video is a little skewed.
Hello, audio381ve. For someone being in the hobby, your response is a little surprising. At least it is to me. I don't know whether it's the cost associated, jealousy, hatred for those who have such a system or the means to get one or what. If it has anything to do with cost, ya' gotta remember that for some folks, spending more than $500 on a complete system is going to far. For others, spending that much on a system stand would be just a start and for others blowing 2 large on an amplifier is just a drop in the bucket. Somebody I know is about to drop 3.5K on just a crossover upgrade. There are still others in this hobby that can afford to spend 150K on just speakers and I know of a handful of audiophiles that have spent that much and more on just hiring an acoustician or three. To some folks in this hobby, spending 75K on a set of Wilson's isn't that big of a deal. Different strokes for different folks.
I actually justify [in part and somewhat] this hobby because it allows me to GTG with friends from all over the nation I would have ordinarily never have met. I will not disclose how much I have in my rig but the entire family, not just me, wants to listen to movies and the TV with the system on. We simply get more pleasure out of it and on average, 98% of watching the boob tube is done as a family [stereo on] even though we have 3 TV's throughout the house. I would also say that on any given week, all three of us slap in a good album and dance until we drop right there in the living room. No, it's not the only thing we do as a family and yes, there are other hobbies we also enjoy but I don't get where this negative attitude or portrayal of having a system that can bring the family together comes from. It happens.
I will say this though for full disclosure. The main reason I justify this hobby is because it is a true passion of mine and it has been ever since I was 8 years old after hearing my uncle Tommy's system. Music calms me down, moves me, riles me up, gets me emotional, makes me want to get up and dance, offers goosebumps and as my audio journey progresses, the impact of what music does gets better as time marches on and simply feeds my addiction in looking to chase after excellence. I feel as if I don't need to justify this hobby to anybody as it is mine but it sure does make it that much sweeter when the family gets involved and enjoys it just as much as I do. You should see my 3 year old when I slap in Dead can Dance. He gets so excited because he hears sound emanating from all over the living room and he will not miss a beat in pointing this out to Mommy and Daddy. He's got his own boom box upstairs but he prefers to come down, listen, point out the sounds and dance on the main rig with "the family". There's even many a night when we put him down for the night that the TV goes off and the wife and I will simply relax and listen to tunes together. My point is, a good system can and possibly will bring a family together, especially when the other hobbies are either out of season, unavailable/unfeasible due to the weather, gets too expensive to repeat that often, is too far from home to get in during the normal day along with a plethora of other possibilities. Having a hobby that's paid for and available at a moment's notice for the family [or just myself] to enjoy is just an added bonus....and a great one at that.
Tom~ In search of accurate reproduction of music. Real sound is my reference and while perfection may not be attainable? If I chase it, I might just catch excellence. ~ -
It's a commercial for the store and Wilson, nothing more. I'm inclined to think they are actors, but hey, that's just me.
That's actually an "interesting" possibility here. And don't expect to see this commercial on network TV. People who watch that don't make enough to buy these. lol
Perhaps it might be useful as you respond to this ad if one checks one of the slots below so we have a "context" for your perspective?
Yearly Income:
40K or below______
80K - 40K+______
125K - 80K+_____
250K - 125K+_____
500K - 250K+_____
The Million or above category____
Of course, I am joking. But this is obviously aimed at a particular class of individual. That's obvious; the home, the location, the speakers!
I couldn't help myself, the main character is so "vacuous"! And the wife is a "cutout", but their personal income must be near the upper range above.
cnhCurrently orbiting Bowie's Blackstar.!
Polk Lsi-7s, Def Tech 8" sub, HK 3490, HK HD 990 (CDP/DAC), AKG Q701s
[sig. changed on a monthly basis as I rotate in and out of my stash] -
UUGH.....a blatant commercial for the store and Wilson..nothing more. 10 bucks says the guy owns the dam store...LOL
The guy could not be anymore of a "yuppie" if you tried. Also who in there right minds puts 5-6 year old kids on top of that..what ever it is, credenza thing, to drop weights on a 10K turntable...LMAO
I had to turn it off at that point.... -
I don't think it's any different than a parent having a classic car and spending time with their kids on that hobby. Yes both are a bit of a justification, but can also be a genuine opportunity for a hobby to facilitate family time.
I agree with this.
To me who gives a crap how much he spent on what he wants to spend it on.
I doubt he was an actor as I'm sure there are plenty of people who would be willing to share their story of Wilson. If he wants his kids to help out and be part of the music then all the power to him!
I find it funny, that people will judge him for the amount he spent on speakers etc. Yet they say well I just want to get the most out of the music I own so thats why I upgrade. He's doing the SAME THING, just he has a bigger budget to work with. Why should you knock him down for doing that??? Also if the kids want to be involved and get a system then they will find a way won't they? Doesn't mean mom and dad will give it to them. We all have to start somewhere.
Its like any hobby, do I feel like I should ever spend 20K on a watch? No, its not my thing. There are others that would, or a vacation, or a car, or ______. We all have budgets, some are larger than others and some people need to respect that.
And he wants to have his family involved. Sure he might have a big house, who cares? I think it would be nice to have a dad around and a mom all share the same space vs. dad always off in his little room doing whatever and keeping the kids out. Would I really let my kids next to a 10K turntable? Probably not till they are older, however that is ME, and not HIM. -
I liked the video.
But it felt too rehearsed to me. Definitely had the feel of an infomercial to it moreso than picking some random shlub off the street and having them talk about their passion for audio.
The article about the Emotiva head is what I envision/have happen when I talk to other audiophiles. I get interrupted because their favorite song passage is coming up.
I appreciate the message but it still feels commercial to me."Some people find it easier to be conceited rather than correct."
"Unwad those panties and have a good time man. We're all here to help each other, no matter how it might appear." DSkip -
This is a PRO staged commercial..nothing more. The people are so sickly sweet you pretty much want to get sick. Weather there paid actors or not is not the point..weather it's there real house or not..who cares. Nobody in there right minds put kids that young..that high...to mess with a 10K turntable..the whole premise is stupid. It's a staged act. Not sure what anybody doesn't get.
I have 3 grown kids..they all love music..they have been listening to it since they were born.
They would all listen to music with me....would i let my 7 year old son, mess with my turntable..of course not. weather you have a 75K system or a $1200 buck system is not the point. If you like music, and you enjoy listening to it with your kids..and they like it..thats the point. -
Like him, I've had some great listening experiences in that same Definitive Audio shop, one of which included a pair of Maggie 20.7s with all Audio Research Reference gear including tube monoblocks. They are one of the best local shops for high end audio, and obviously will cater to however large of a budget you would like.
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Just remember they're not used, they're previously owned or gently loved...
That is not a problem. All trade-ins will be sent to single men who own Bose cubes. -
I noticed a few members mentioning the price of his gear, but you have to keep in mind that for some folks $75k is pocket change.
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