Brand new Maxx3 or second hand Alexandria X2 S1?

Pedro

New Member
Feb 8, 2015
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Hi everybody,

Yesterday I´ve been auditioning Maxx2 and Alexandria X2 S1 which I think are from same generation. I can buy both in my country for almost same price (Brand new Maxx3 is even USD20K more expensive). From my impressions X2 without doubt overcome my expectations as I´m a bass freak and my main genre is Rock/metal. With Maxx 2 naturalness and "big" sound was there but I couldnt feel impact I was looking for. Both speakers were in diferente rooms and paired with different electronics.

I´m really leaning toward to X2 S1. The owner is really careful, and according to him were acquired new 6ys ago, so I think there isnt much use. In the other hand Maxx3 (which I couldnt listen yet) is from the later generation.

Any inputs would be very welcome.

Rgds
Pedro
 

audioarcher

Well-Known Member
May 6, 2012
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I would vote for the Alexandria's. Only heard the Maxx's a couple of times, but I did not care for them when i heard them. What size room do you have?
 

jfrech

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Sep 3, 2012
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All 3 are excellent speakers. I have personally owned the Maxx 2 and Maxx 3. Really comes down to your budget here as the X2's are better speakers (set up is a bit more complicated-this is crucial with any wilson)

Also, I'd take either of the Maxx's with better source equipment and cabling. Garbage in garbage out philosophy...just my 2 cents.
 

Pedro

New Member
Feb 8, 2015
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A friend and audio engineer. Been owning B&W 801D for 6+years and they simply can't bear high volumes, also they don't have bass or still can't fill my room. Even feeding them with Krell ev0 600e, they don't deliver slam I need. Also not to mention how tired and stressed I was with their sound, Always too metalic and unbearable. With any Wilson I listened never felt that fatigue anymore.
 

audioarcher

Well-Known Member
May 6, 2012
1,396
51
970
Seattle area
A friend and audio engineer. Been owning B&W 801D for 6+years and they simply can't bear high volumes, also they don't have bass or still can't fill my room. Even feeding them with Krell ev0 600e, they don't deliver slam I need. Also not to mention how tired and stressed I was with their sound, Always too metalic and unbearable. With any Wilson I listened never felt that fatigue anymore.

B&W need a lot of power. Had B&W 805n's for a couple of years, and can relate with your experience.

Alexandria's are Wilson's most efficient speaker. You should have no issue powering them.
 

LL21

Well-Known Member
Dec 26, 2010
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My personal favorites among the Wilson have always been the big X series. There has been something about its effortless delivery combined with excellent adjustability which have kept me very happy.
 

jfrech

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Sep 3, 2012
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Wow, I missed the room link...That you tube video is great...thanks for posting.

What's the rest of your system? Sources/amps/cabling...this is key to...
 

andromedaaudio

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I would assume all posters are right as they have expirience , but i think it cant be that long that wilson will equip the maxx series with a soft dome , and in my view they are a tad more listening fatique free still , but i am not a wilson owner ( or delete the maxx line in flavour of the alexia line but i dont think so )
 
Last edited:

Sharp 1080

Member
Apr 20, 2010
284
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18
Dallas,Texas
I would assume all posters are right as they have expirience , but i think it cant be that long that wilson will equip the maxx series with a soft dome , and in my view they are a tad more listening fatique free still , but i am not a wilson owner ( or delete the maxx line in flavour of the alexia line but i dont think so )


Not happening with the soft dome tweeter. I asked before I ordered Maxx 3's in December. They replaced my Watt/Puppy 7's. I have been perfectly happy with the Ti tweeter in the Maxx 3. It seems less fatiguing than my WP/7 combo did. I have to add that I did have my room computer modeled with Vicoustics panels before adding the Maxx 3. I also changed over to all Transparent cabling, which helped both the WP/7 and Maxx 3! I'm not anti soft dome but it seems there is a "bandwagon" effect on some audio forums. I guess it is more room, speaker placement, chair placement, and upstream equipment used? The Maxx 3 fills the gap as a "large floor stander" able to play in large rooms. The Alexia, and Sasha's sound similar but cannot reproduce the scale that the larger speakers do easily.

I have to agree with the others on here and vote X2. I looked for used a pair of X2 S1 in black before ordering my Maxx 3.
 

Steve Williams

Site Founder, Site Owner, Administrator
Not happening with the soft dome tweeter. I asked before I ordered Maxx 3's in December. They replaced my Watt/Puppy 7's. I have been perfectly happy with the Ti tweeter in the Maxx 3. It seems less fatiguing than my WP/7 combo did. I have to add that I did have my room computer modeled with Vicoustics panels before adding the Maxx 3. I also changed over to all Transparent cabling, which helped both the WP/7 and Maxx 3! I'm not anti soft dome but it seems there is a "bandwagon" effect on some audio forums. I guess it is more room, speaker placement,chair placement, and associated equipment used? The Maxx 3 fills the gap as a "large floor stander" able to play in large rooms. The Alexia, and Sasha's sound similar but cannot reproduce the scale that the larger speakers do easily.

I have to agree with the others on here and vote X2. I looked for used a pair of X2 S1 in black before ordering my Maxx 3.

I would have bet money the Maxx would have been ultimately upgraded to the soft dome tweeter
 

Pedro

New Member
Feb 8, 2015
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Do Alexandrias X2 (s1 and s2) use same material on tweeters? Beside mid woofers, what is the difference between them on tweeters?
 

LL21

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Dec 26, 2010
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Do Alexandrias X2 (s1 and s2) use same material on tweeters? Beside mid woofers, what is the difference between them on tweeters?

I believe the Maxx 3 Tweeter was considered quite a revelation after it came out (post Alex Series 1)...and was thus used in a further updated form for the Alex 2? I believe people (Steve - pls chime in) felt the main improvement also lay in the mid-range cones which were deemed to relieve the Series 1 of some perceived nasal quality.
 

jfrech

VIP/Donor
Sep 3, 2012
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Austin
Not happening with the soft dome tweeter. I asked before I ordered Maxx 3's in December. They replaced my Watt/Puppy 7's. I have been perfectly happy with the Ti tweeter in the Maxx 3. It seems less fatiguing than my WP/7 combo did. I have to add that I did have my room computer modeled with Vicoustics panels before adding the Maxx 3. I also changed over to all Transparent cabling, which helped both the WP/7 and Maxx 3! I'm not anti soft dome but it seems there is a "bandwagon" effect on some audio forums. I guess it is more room, speaker placement, chair placement, and upstream equipment used? The Maxx 3 fills the gap as a "large floor stander" able to play in large rooms. The Alexia, and Sasha's sound similar but cannot reproduce the scale that the larger speakers do easily.

I have to agree with the others on here and vote X2. I looked for used a pair of X2 S1 in black before ordering my Maxx 3.

I used to own Maxx 3's. Killer good speaker. I totally agree...good placement, good room treatments, good cabling (like Transparent) and good sources their is no fatigue. It's like a formula race car...set it up right and it sings...wrong...and you know it.

I've heard the Alexia's a few times. Great speaker to...but they are different and it's great Wilson gives you a choice. Lil smaller room and good to great source...go for Alexia's. Bigger room, well treated, great sources...you'll love what the Maxx 3 will do...

You can also go other directions like I did with my current Rockports...I am not a bash the wilson metal tweeter guy...I have heard the X2's plenty of times...could easily live with that speaker too!
 

Sharp 1080

Member
Apr 20, 2010
284
9
18
Dallas,Texas
I would have bet money the Maxx would have been ultimately upgraded to the soft dome tweeter


Steve,

I'm sure you would have enjoyed the phone conversation between myself and Jerron before ordering! I later received a call from Daryl who sent out the photos of the Maxx 3 being built. He actually is the one that takes the pictures of our speakers being built. I believe you are right, it will eventually change over, just not at the present time due to other production priorities which is the flagship speaker.
 

Sharp 1080

Member
Apr 20, 2010
284
9
18
Dallas,Texas
I used to own Maxx 3's. Killer good speaker. I totally agree...good placement, good room treatments, good cabling (like Transparent) and good sources their is no fatigue. It's like a formula race car...set it up right and it sings...wrong...and you know it.

I've heard the Alexia's a few times. Great speaker to...but they are different and it's great Wilson gives you a choice. Lil smaller room and good to great source...go for Alexia's. Bigger room, well treated, great sources...you'll love what the Maxx 3 will do...

You can also go other directions like I did with my current Rockports...I am not a bash the wilson metal tweeter guy...I have heard the X2's plenty of times...could easily live with that speaker too!


I had the chance to buy a pair of Alexia's before ordering the Maxx 3. I know the Alexia is smoother and would have worked but in my room, but I needed a larger speaker. The Alexia was not much larger than my Watt/Puppy 7 pair. I so want to hear your system Jeff, the Rockports are one of the few high end speakers I have yet to hear in person. I have followed you and your system evolution on Audiogon and even posted there (Statman) a few times when the Wilson bashing would start up. Yesterday, I made the mistake of "borrowing" from my dealer a pair of Transparent Reference MM2 speaker cables. Today he wants to bring over the D' Agostino monoblocks which the cables are calibrated for. It's your fault! ;)
 

Sharp 1080

Member
Apr 20, 2010
284
9
18
Dallas,Texas
I believe the Maxx 3 Tweeter was considered quite a revelation after it came out (post Alex Series 1)...and was thus used in a further updated form for the Alex 2? I believe people (Steve - pls chime in) felt the main improvement also lay in the mid-range cones which were deemed to relieve the Series 1 of some perceived nasal quality.

You basically nailed it. The "ring" used on the rear of tweeter was changed along with the midrange driver from the Alexandria but with a less powerful magnet. One of the reasons why there is difference between the two as a far as the efficiency, 91/94db.
 

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