Alexandria X-2 Series 2 In the Room

still-one

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Why is the short wall desirable, Steve?

I would have been sitting too close with the X2's if I left them on the long wall. I probably would have gained a bit wider soundstage but the Alexandria's would have been looming right on top of me. The MBL's did work better in that location and also had better bass than when they were on the short wall.

Jim
 
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Lildebs888

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You know how I feel about your set-up, Jim! Amazing!!! :D Thank you again for sharing with all of us to drool over ;)
 

LL21

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Congrats! Looks beautiful and must sound even better!
 

Pedro

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Has anyone compared Alexandria S1 with S2? Is there much difference especially on mids and highs that would justify the upgrade?
 

still-one

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Has anyone compared Alexandria S1 with S2? Is there much difference especially on mids and highs that would justify the upgrade?

There was a small get together with Dave Wilson, his wife Sheryl and son Daryl last evening at Paragon in Ann Arbor. This was not a demo event, just a chance for some of Larry's Wilson owners to get to spend a couple of hours with the Wilson's to talk about the company and ask a few questions. It is interesting that your question is one anecdote Dave touched upon during the evening. While in Vienna on one trip they were listening to live music and Dave leaned over to Sheryl and noted "My speakers (X2 Series 1's) can't reproduce that mid-range", he waited a moment and told her "but I know how to fix it", Hence the X2's S2.
 

chuck

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Has anyone compared Alexandria S1 with S2? Is there much difference especially on mids and highs that would justify the upgrade?
Is Wilson still doing that upgrade? I didn't think X2S2s were still in production. I did the upgrade about 5-6 years ago shortly after the S2s came out and it was definitely worth it but I don't remember how the X2S1s sounded. I have listened to most of the newer flagship speakers (XLF, Q7, Grande Utopia etc.) and the X2S2s hold their own, they are still SOTA.
 

Pedro

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Thanks for your input
Regarding those speakers you heard which do you consider superior than x2s2 beside XLF? Is XLF worth It to replace them?

Luckly WA will do the upgrade on mines next month.
 

chuck

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Thanks for your input
Regarding those speakers you heard which do you consider superior than x2s2 beside XLF? Is XLF worth It to replace them?

Luckly WA will do the upgrade on mines next month.

I don't really consider any of them superior to the X2S2s -- they all do the same thing: play all kinds of music from solo musician to rock concert to symphony orchestra, at any volume level, believably. That said, they are all a little different. If I was buying new today, I'm not sure what I would get. The question for me, since I own the X2S2s, is do I want to switch? meaning is there something I am not getting from the X2S2s, or is there something the newer speakers do so much better that it outweighs, what is for me, a substantial cost to switch. My answer to those questions has been NO. But I know people who have switched to XLFs and are happy they did. It is a very individual, personal decision. My X2S2s in my room and system sound amazing -- it ain't broke so I'm not fixing it.
 

chuck

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When the XLF first came out I asked WA if there was going to be a tweeter upgrade to the X2S2 available and was told no. Later I purchased a Mezzo center channel with the inverted ti tweeter. WA can and does upgrade the tweeter in the Mezzo so I would have to think they could do it for the X2S2. It would be nice to have that option for the X2S2.
 

still-one

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It is not just the tweeter they would also have to rework the crossovers. I actually prefer the X2S2 tweeter over the newer soft dome. Overall I do believe the XLF is a better speaker, just not that mcuh better to warrant what it would cost me to get them.
 
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rockitman

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It is not just the tweeter they would also have to rework the crossovers. I actually prefer the X2S2 tweeter over the newer soft dome. Overall I do believe the XLF is a better speaker, just not thatch better to warrant what it would cost me to get them.

No issues for me either with the x2.2 tweet. Never heard XLF....see little reason to upgrade.
 

chuck

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I'm not so sure about re-working the crossovers. When Dave Wilson did the presentation on the XLF and discussed the new tweeter he emphasized that a primary criteria was that it had to work with the existing mid-range drivers, i.e. cover the frequency above the same mid-range drivers in the X2S2 and these mid-ranges hand off at a relatively low frequency. The Convergent Technology Tweeter covers the same range as the titanium tweeter which I take to mean the crossover point is the same. Anyway, I would think WA could figure out a way to do it if they could do it for the Mezzo.

I'm not saying the new tweeter is better, but it is different. I would like to hear what it would sound like in my X2S2, and have the option to change if I wanted to. I think it is a change I would make if it wasn't too expensive.
 

Ron Resnick

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What prompted you to switch from the MBLs to the Wilsons?
 

Steve Williams

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I'm not so sure about re-working the crossovers. When Dave Wilson did the presentation on the XLF and discussed the new tweeter he emphasized that a primary criteria was that it had to work with the existing mid-range drivers, i.e. cover the frequency above the same mid-range drivers in the X2S2 and these mid-ranges hand off at a relatively low frequency. The Convergent Technology Tweeter covers the same range as the titanium tweeter which I take to mean the crossover point is the same. Anyway, I would think WA could figure out a way to do it if they could do it for the Mezzo.

I'm not saying the new tweeter is better, but it is different. I would like to hear what it would sound like in my X2S2, and have the option to change if I wanted to. I think it is a change I would make if it wasn't too expensive.


Me too but sadly it aint doable
 

still-one

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What prompted you to switch from the MBLs to the Wilsons?
If the question was for me I have to say there is no single answer but several contributing factors. I was very happy with my 111F's and at that time the only speakers I felt challenged my MBL's were its bigger siblings the 101MK2, the Xtremes, Sonus Faber Aida's and the Wilson X2S2's and XLF's. The Xtremes and XLF'S are just too expensive and for me same with Aida's. It is also quite possible these 3 speakers are too large for my 2-Chanel room and moving my system to one of our larger rooms might not get the acceptance I would desire.

I was keeping my eyes out for 101's. The issues here included no local dealer and MBL's really sound best driven by their own amps.
 

Steve Williams

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You don't really know until you try. Has WA tried to install the CVT in the X2S2?

I asked Dave Wilson personally if it can be done and the answer was no. The module is a different size on each speaker as well as different cross overs
 

andromedaaudio

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As taken from the wilson website the x over point of the xlf tweeter is 1,2 kHz (very low by the way ) , i did some internet search but couldnt find it of the X2 , besides that and the fact that the XLf is slightly lower in overall eff which also has to be adjusted .
And the fact that wilson pots its x- overs in resin as far as i know , you might have the reason its not doable .

Ps if you insert a new driver in a design the X over Always has to be adjusted , if you are a respectable manufacturer that is:D
A tweeter is just a small portion of a design, in todays world of high class tweeters a titanium dome versus a soft dome wouldnt be a deal breaker to me, but if they could do it in the mezzo then indeed dimensions is another factor
 
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Steve Williams

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As taken from the wilson website the x over point of the xlf tweeter is 1,2 kHz (very low by the way ) , i did some internet search but couldnt find it of the X2 , besides that and the fact that the XLf is slightly lower in overall eff which also has to be adjusted .
And the fact that wilson pots its x- overs in resin as far as i know , you might have the reason its not doable .

Ps if you insert a new driver in a design the X over Always has to be adjusted , if you are a respectable manufacturer that is:D
A tweeter is just a small portion of a design, in todays world of high class tweeters a titanium dome versus a soft dome wouldnt be a deal breaker to me, but if they could do it in the mezzo then indeed dimensions is another factor

IIRC when I asked Dave Wilson that question he told me the crossovers are different with the XLF slightly lower than the X2
 

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