Wilson Duette Series 1

Frog

New Member
Aug 18, 2014
4
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USA
New member here, registered to get some Wilson advice...

I am considering new speakers for my system and looking hard at the original Duette's. My room is 10' x 12' x 9' high, you can see my current system details below. The main reason I am interested in the Duette's is for their 'hostile environment' abilities, I have walls close to the sides and I would prefer to have them pushed back further than I have my Ninka's currently--although I can leave them pulled a little ways off the rear wall. It is obviously a near-field listening environment, currently I have an equilateral tri-angle arrangement at 80" between speakers and tweeter-to-ear. I am looking for more depth of image and bass control. My room is treated with Auralex foam, blankets, etc., to tame the room and it is pretty dead. Don't get me wrong, it sounds good as is, but looking for another level of performance.

Prior to the Ninka's I was using ProAc 1SC in the same room, they sounded good with more crisp detail and sharper image than the Ninka's, but really lacked in bass, dynamics and slam. Looking for the best of both worlds I guess. Would be using the Linn amp to begin with, but may consider an amp from Ayre, Bryston or something along those lines in the future. I am concerned that moving to a passive, one amp, system I may lose some of the openness, immediacy and dynamics I have now. Anybody out there have some real world experience to share, maybe somebody who is familiar with Linn speakers and can compare/contrast advantages of moving to the Wilson speaker?

Frog

Edit Value
Oppo BDP105D, Slim Devices Transporter, Linn AV5103, 3 * Linn 2250D, Tri-Aktiv Linn Ninkas w/ Kustone bases, Audioquest Opals, Linn K600 Speaker Cables, Salamander rack, PS Audio Quintet
 
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Orb

New Member
Sep 8, 2010
3,010
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0
Hi Frog,
have you had the chance to listen to the Duette Series 1?
Just asking as from my own personal preference there was something about the highs/tweeter that did not match the rest of the speaker and sadly put me off.
I heard them with Devialet D-Premier and also Audio Research Ref5/DS450 combo.
Maybe a different amp such as Hegel would had made a difference *shrug*.
Unfortunately I did not own my current amp (Dartzeel 8550) back then.

And a further unfortunately you will probably find not many have had a lot of personal time with the Duette Series 1 or 2 in their house, as most would go for the Sophia 3 or better.
Good luck and look forward to hearing how it goes and what you decide.
Cheers
Orb
 

Barry2013

VIP/Donor
Oct 12, 2013
2,305
487
418
Essex UK
Hi Frog,
I heard a part of Duette 1s in a room about the same size as yours a few years ago. A lovely red pair. They were quite close to the shorter back wall, probably about a couple of feet. They were teamed with Dartezeel amplification, a high end tt (can't remember which) and Nordost cabling. I only heard them with a classical LP and they sounded very good with more bass than I expected. good imaging and instrumental separation.
Certainly a good match for a smaller room.
Last year I heard the the newly introduced KEF LS50 at the Munich Show and was astonished at how good such a small speaker could sound. Reviews have borne out those initial impressions. You might like to check them out as a new pair would probably cost less than a used pair of Duettes.
 

Lildebs888

New Member
May 12, 2011
361
5
0
Grantsville, Utah
www.facebook.com
New member here, registered to get some Wilson advice...

I am considering new speakers for my system and looking hard at the original Duette's. My room is 10' x 12' x 9' high, you can see my current system details below. The main reason I am interested in the Duette's is for their 'hostile environment' abilities, I have walls close to the sides and I would prefer to have them pushed back further than I have my Ninka's currently--although I can leave them pulled a little ways off the rear wall. It is obviously a near-field listening environment, currently I have an equilateral tri-angle arrangement at 80" between speakers and tweeter-to-ear. I am looking for more depth of image and bass control. My room is treated with Auralex foam, blankets, etc., to tame the room and it is pretty dead. Don't get me wrong, it sounds good as is, but looking for another level of performance.

Prior to the Ninka's I was using ProAc 1SC in the same room, they sounded good with more crisp detail and sharper image than the Ninka's, but really lacked in bass, dynamics and slam. Looking for the best of both worlds I guess. Would be using the Linn amp to begin with, but may consider an amp from Ayre, Bryston or something along those lines in the future. I am concerned that moving to a passive, one amp, system I may lose some of the openness, immediacy and dynamics I have now. Anybody out there have some real world experience to share, maybe somebody who is familiar with Linn speakers and can compare/contrast advantages of moving to the Wilson speaker?

Frog

Edit Value
Oppo BDP105D, Slim Devices Transporter, Linn AV5103, 3 * Linn 2250D, Tri-Aktiv Linn Ninkas w/ Kustone bases, Audioquest Opals, Linn K600 Speaker Cables, Salamander rack, PS Audio Quintet

Hey Frog,

I talked to our customer service rep, Jerron, about this for you. The Duette would be an excellent speaker for you. However, Trent nor Jerron have any familiarity with the Linn speakers. He invited you to call them at Wilson Audio, and they can discuss some of the options and scenarios with you if you would like.

Hope this helps. :)
 

Orb

New Member
Sep 8, 2010
3,010
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Ah slipped my mind, possibly affecting my perception of the tweeter was the interchangeable resistor for the tweeter, so might make sense to try both and unfortunately I did not get to do this.

Cheers
Orb
 

Frog

New Member
Aug 18, 2014
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0
0
USA
Thank you for all your feedback, it all helps! I have been giving this a lot of thought and it certainly is not an easy decision. I have a lot of other options obviously, different speakers or upgrading my preamp, for example. It does sound really good as is, so I don't want to run the risk of messing up what I already have. There certainly is no substitute for auditioning them in person, but that isn't always feasible so you have to read reviews and gather as much information as you can from people who have heard the component. I might take you up on the offer to call the guys in Customer Service, Debby.

Oh, and i did go listen to the KEF LS50 speakers recently, at a dealers showroom. He was using the mini Parasound equipment to drive them. They were exceptionally clean and accurate, but they sure lacked any kind of weight whatsoever. As nice as they are, I don't think I could live with the LS50's. I get the impression the Duette's would be much closer to a full range sound and exhibit some Wilson slam in my small room. It is a balancing act getting the right amount of bass and proper placement in a small room. I also wonder if the LS50's would still be Stereophile Class A if the were in the over $10K price range, doubtful in my opinion, despite being exceptional at $1500. I also listened to the KEF Blades while I was there, wow those were amazing, but not in my room!

Frog
 
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Orb

New Member
Sep 8, 2010
3,010
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0
Yeah the Duette does have pretty good scale/weight IMO, and more dynamic at least perceived that way IMO compared to a fair few other smallish speakers including the SF Memento-Palladio I used to own (preferred the high-tweeter on this SF but Duette is better in quite a few other ways - and the tweeter preference may be down to not listening to ideal resistor in the Duette so cannot fully rule that out).

Cheers
Orb
 

scb

New Member
Feb 4, 2014
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0
I am in a similar situation to the original poster.

I recently moved and had to sell my system (Von Schweikert Unifield 3 speakers, Pass xa60.8 amps) due to space issues. I'm considering a pair of Duettes and possibly a Devialet for a small system that still performs...
 

Frog

New Member
Aug 18, 2014
4
0
0
USA
To get back to you all, I decided to get a new pair of Linn speakers, well slightly used but new to me! I am getting a pair of Linn Klimax 320A. I did go up and listen to some Wilson speakers at the dealer here in my area, listened to some used Sasha 1 and the new Alexias that were on disply. Great sounding speakers, well built for sure, but I am going to stick with what I am familiar with, have had a Linn system since 1992.

Thank you for all your advice!

Frog
 

Orb

New Member
Sep 8, 2010
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0
Enjoy the speakers you like, that is what is important in this hobby :)
Cheers
Orb
 

microstrip

VIP/Donor
May 30, 2010
20,806
4,698
2,790
Portugal
I am in a similar situation to the original poster.

I recently moved and had to sell my system (Von Schweikert Unifield 3 speakers, Pass xa60.8 amps) due to space issues. I'm considering a pair of Duettes and possibly a Devialet for small system that still performs...

Just to tell you I listened to a Devialet - Duette's series 2 and it sounded very good. They were positioned against a wall and there was plenty of space and depth, it was a very enjoyable system. The only "bug" in the system was that they were using Nordost Valhala 2 cables in the whole system - I do not know what was the contribution of the cables in this system.
 

Frog

New Member
Aug 18, 2014
4
0
0
USA
I tell you what, if I had the right room, I just might have gone for those used Sasha W/P 1's, they showed some real potential. Sounds like the Duette 2's are quite a big jump over the 1's, according to the dealer, but the 2's are out of my reach. The Sasha's were on some Audio Research tube amps and sounded superb, within the confines of the sub-optimal room they were in. This whole idea of only 1 amp to drive these BIG speakers is odd to me, being a Linn guy where they put 4 amps on a pair of bookshelf speakers! A very different approach, but it seems to work.
 

Sunny

Well-Known Member
Duette 1 is a great choice. I personally hate Dead rooms. I also hat foam in room correction. It's material used in other applications. For Rooms consult your local Wilson Dealer.
 

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