Price Paid:  $0.00

Summary:
I have listened to the Wilson Grand Slams going back many years at this point. I have owned excellent speakers from many fine manufacturers - 3 different pair of Wilsons, B&W, Totem, Von Schweikert and several others. I currently own Watt Puppy's that I feel are the best value speaker I have ever owned. Every other speaker I have owned I was able to find other speakers that I like better (for the same price) or as much for less money. The B&W, while being pretty good speakers, in no way compare to many other brands/models in most every regard. They are popular speakers because there are a lot of dealers, not because they have the best performance. Though they are not bad by any definition.

I have been in this hobby since 1980 when I spent every penny of my paper route money on either audio equipment or records/music/concerts. I have never heard a better speaker than the X-1 Grand Slams, bar none. I would love to own a pair of these speakers that are bettered only now by the X-2 Wilsons. I have reached a point in my life, where purchasing a pair of these speakers used puts them into an affordable choice for me. Regardless of my love for music and listening, at my income level, I would have a difficult time justifying the $70K price for any pair of speakers, but A - I am a bit more conservative financially than many and B - I just can't justify saying to my kids that they are going to have to pay for 1-2 years of college themselves so that I can have new speakers. I have no problems with others buying these and even more expensive speakers for whatever reason (but hopefully because they appreciate the performance). It is only through full price customers that allows people like me to purchase some of the best equipment for much more reasonable prices.

I love these speakers and until I can find another pair of speakers that can even come close to these at the price I can buy these used (or that list new for this price - $70K), they remain the best speakers (except the X-2) that I have ever heard.

Price Paid:  $0.00

Summary:
THIS SPEAKER RANKS UP THERE WITH THE BEST.IT HAS ALL THE SOUND QUALITIES THAT ONE SHOULD BE LOOKING FOR IN A SPEAKER.MY ONLY COMPLAINT FROM WHAT I'VE HEARD PERSONALLY IS THAT DEEP BASS NOTES AND THAT WAS FILLED IN WITH THE COMPANY'S XS SUBWOOFER.

Strengths:
IMAGING,PRESENTATION,DYNAMICS,POWERFUL

Weaknesses:
NOT THE DEEPEST BASS NOTES BUT WAS SATISFYING.

Similar Products Used:
GERMAN PHYSIKS,NEAR ACOUSTICS,LEGACY FOCUS

Price Paid:  $0.00 from ------

Summary:
well enough is enough. I've heard tham ' with 2 krell amp's and integra cd and theyre the best. Wonderfull is 2 little. If I could I would have buy Them. The best sound stage ' and I've heard a lot... For quality u have 2 pay , nevertheless they are very pricy speakers but oh gosh ...

Strengths:
everthing

Weaknesses:
kidding me?

Similar Products Used:
kef coda 8 , m&s 908 , 802b&w , linn ninka , klipsh , dali , martin logen and a lot more ...

Summary:
This appears to have become a sort of forum for more or less informed opinions, so I am going to try to shed some unbiased light on the matter, based on my limited experience of these speakers.

Disclaimer - The speakers in question aren't mine, they're my dentist's, which may say something about how much I pay for half an hour of agony every six months or so...


First of all, as a musician and music lover, I want to put these speakers in perspective by noting that their cost compares relatively favorably to that of a good grand piano or a basic line array as used in serious venues.

Nevertheless, to buy these speakers you have to be single (as my dentist is): My house currently contains 4 pianos, 2 of which are leading-brand grands, but despite the fact that my wife is also a musician and passionate music listener, my buying a pair of used JBL L300s (from a dealer, with 5 yr warranty) for the risible sum of $2600, nearly resulted in Armageddon...No matter how much money you have, there will always be a diamond necklace, furcoat, Mercedes or something else your better half wants.

In any case, I had always considered that if home speakers this expensive exist and people actually buy them (as I know thay do), those people must be knowledgeable and feel that the sound justifies the cost.

So imagine my disbelief when hearing a mutual friend's account of my dentist's visit to his home to hear his Infinity Kappa 9s, bought 10 years ago for circa $1200 - Dentist's comment: "I thought that compared to my speakers yours would sound like ****, but they sound just the same".

Here is the classic case of someone with too much money trying to ingratiate himself with a prestigious Hi-Fi dealer to make himself feel better, without knowing enough to realise he's being taken for a ride.

My subsequent visit to hear for myself led me to draw the following conclusions:
Yes, the Wilsons are good, but in a small square room with a low ceiling they are simply a waste of money and say nothing in favour of the dealer who recommended them for use in such a location.
Placed in a more favorable environment, my L300s - whilst being more colored - offer greater focus, a more transparent sound and a far more convincing soundstage from any point in the room.
In the ideal room with full Wilson setup treatment the Wilsons are undoubtably less colored and probably more ACCURATE, but I'll keep my $2600 JBLs thank you very much.

Moral: If you're thinking about spending this much on a pair of speakers, don't be afraid to look unknowledgeable by being humble. Don't feel you have to convince the dealer you're J.D. Rockerfeller by waving your gold credit card in front of his face. Make sure you have heard as many speakers in as many price ranges as possible. Listen to them at home in direct comparison. Stop and think - Am I buying these simply to nurture my ego? If you don't, you may just end up feeling like an idiot.
If you are still convinced you want them, then...Congratulations!

Strengths:
Sound pretty good

Weaknesses:
Too room-sensitive

Similar Products Used:
1978 JBL L300 "SUMMIT", Infinity Kappa 9

Summary:
as a huge fan of high resolution audio gear, I have auditioned many different high-end speakers systems fairly extensively. and, I have found that 15 to 20,000 is the approximate point of diminishing returns; in that once one crosses this mark the only way the very real sonic benefits of better speakers can be realized is the combination of extensive room treatments, and precision placements. all this having been said I consider these speakers phenomenal in every performance category, especially when resolving SACD and other high-demand formats. they cross from phenomenal to reference when paired with exceptional ancilliary equipment, and when properly placed in a suitably prepared listening area.

Strengths:
near perfect sound...

Weaknesses:
...which requires a near perfect (i.e. dead, and properly shaped) to enjoy the benefits of

Similar Products Used:
revel ultima, b&w nautilus (both 800 series and true nautilus), aerial acoustics, monitor studio, vienna acoustics, and wilson watt puppies