Frantz,Hi
My posts will sound like heresy to many here. I have not heard the Wilson subs but contend with certitude that for the same cash outlay of a Wilson Thor Hammer or Magico equivalent, one shall obtain much better results by using the budget for more of much less expensive subwoofers.
If one wants to have a glimpse, just turn off the main and listen to a sub .. not much going on .. right? mumble, rumbles and if the high-pass crossover cuts around 100 Hz with a any steep slope not much else ... That is what subs do.
I know the original post was about sub driver's size but allow me...
Now, Any subs from whatever manufacturers you choose, even those made of Fairy dust have to abide to the laws of physics, to the laws of small room Acoustics. A small room is any of the listening rooms that all of us here at the WBF is likely to have unless we have our own private concert hall and even then ... It has been shown by many that the best way to have a smooth bass in a room is to use multiple subs. The recommendations are not the same .. The Harman people: Devantier , Welti, etc, recommends multiple subs at specific placements namely middle of the listening room walls. Earl Geddes recommend semi random positioning. This is the idea of a "swarm" and it works for music or movies. The better the response in the room the better the bass. Furthermore, the more subs the less each individual sub has to work for a given output. If a driver works less it tends to produces less distortion. Moreover several subs tend to work in making the in-room bass frequency response more even, i-e less bumpy. This again translate into better bass.
Our hobby is dominated by several myths some of these very comfortable .. The idea of special fairy dust or manufacturer special sauce to "voice" his subs is one of these and Wilson or Magico or whoever cannot be faulted for providing uds with what we desire and to feed our imagination (insecurities?). At a budget similar to the Thor hammer + High End amp ( A Crown Class D pro amp would have been superb at the job but no one that would go for a Thor Hammer would ever consider mating it with a lowly Pro amp) A little over this budget, or at the same ... . One would buy you four (4!!) JL Audio Fathom 212 or two Gotham or 4 (!!!!) Paradigm Sub2 or to me a much better solution 5 pairs of Seaton Submersive and still find some left over money to hire a serious acoustician and have them integrate the subs in your system…
Of course subwoofers integration is not a given. It is not a plug and play affair. It requires patience and dedication to make it work. it also require an open mind. Audiophile from both side of the aisle do have the dedication, what is often missing is the willingness to accept a novel idea, to understand that the cost /price of a solution has little bearing to its effectiveness, to learn the basic physics underlying bass reproduction in a room and likely the most difficult for many to accept: that DSP in the bass does more right than wrong. In the bass the room takes over almost enirely and the best way to diminish its contribution are DSP and multiple Subs .. Preferable a combination of both.
So RonR please consider that array of multiple 15 inchers ( or the "swarm" idea you mentioned. if well executed (not a given) it has the potential to provide you with a level of reproduction you may have never experienced.
I think you're spot on. Nicely said.
AC