The shortcoming of the Ayre with the Wilson combi is that the stage will not be very deep and wide. There is some wide and depth, but not first class. Wilson can give depth, but there are other brands with better crossovers. They can build a bigger and wider stage. With Pass Labs and Wilson the stage will become deeper and wider. I compared these two brands with eachother. The Ayre is very good in the high freq. But the Pass Labs will let you hear more layers of a recording. Also the mid freq are a lot more involving. I sold my X100.5 to a person with the Watt puppy7. It was one of the best combi's I ever heard with Wilson. Most of the time the endresults were average. This is maybe more possitive said than it was!! |
Bryston is not an amp which can give a deep and wide stage. Depth and wide are the most essential parts which need to be there in the world of highend. Wenn they are not there you play at a 2-dimensional level. I call 2-dimensional audio standard audio. Because a cheap amp of 100 dollar also can produce a 2-dimensional image. Wenn you have speakers like Wilson you would be a fool to choose for a 2-dimensional amp. Compare a Pass amp with a Bryston amp and you will hear how big the difference is in stage. It is that simple! |
I had many discussions with Pass Labs as well about there limitations. Pass Labs is very good in giving a deep and wide stage. But it still lacks the sharp and small individual focus of instruments and voices like they sound in real. But also how big they need ot be projected. So you need the right cables to creatre this. I sold my Nautilus 800S to a person with a Bryston 7B. This was a very good combo. An 800S cannot give a deep stage so in these situations an amp which can give a deep stage make no sence. You Always need to know what the properties are of the speaker you own. Only then you can look for the amps and sources which can give all these properties/ talents. |
Your speakers use crossovers which are not capable of giving depth. You need a sharp focus and power ( watts and lots of ampères) to control your speakers. That isn why a Bryston is a good match with your speakers. |
This has nothing to do with a match. Wenn you have speakers like JBL they often use simple crossovers. I heard a lot JBl speakers in my life. Most of them already have difficulties to get the image full loose from the speaker. Depth is a lot more difficult to achieve. I love to compare. I Always want to know what a speaker can. How the image is build and if they can give depth. Even wenn you connect a Pass Labs to most JBL speakers there will be no depth. Maximum a little. I am talking about most, beause they have also some very expensive ones. Maybe they use better crossovers in these speakers. I do not know. For JBL I would go for class AB. You need power and ampères!! |
Wilson with Boulder is well controlled. But there is no emotion in the overwhole sound. I auditoned this many times at shows. I would not even want this sound for free. At the end audio is about music. Wenn a system cannot play the sound instruments should have, you never will enjoy this system for a longer period. You need to be thriled al the time you listen to your beloved music. It is not only sound what makes listening to music special. To create an intimate sound like in real you will go to an addictive level of hearing your music. Because you will get closer to the music. There will be a lot more emotion. |
I would choose for the X series and not for the XA series. I will do personal a next upgrade to the X600.5 as well. I prefer drive and speed as well. The difference between Boulder and Pass labs is more than only the sound. The Pass Labs gives a different focus on the different instruments. You hear more easy the difference in the sound of all these instruments. With the boulder it is extremly well controlled, but you miss the different coulor of instruments. Sound realism is a very important part in the world of highend. |
Boulder is a brand which you find at many shows these days. But also in different settings. And yess you Always listen to all parts togheter including the acoustic room. I loved the control, but these sets never had a lot of emotion which I need to be touched. I owned the 30.5, 60.5 and 100.5 of the XA series. But in the setting I play now I prefer the X series. |
I do not say you should buy it, I never use these words. I am not talking about buying. You only should listen to it. I cannot decide what another person has to buy. There are more good brands and stuff. Just take your time and listen to it. Nothing more, nothing less. Don't get me wrong!! |
Why is it rude? It is as it is? I am not bashing any brand. I tell just about there properties. The truth can be hard maybe. I hate lies, for it is Always about the truth. Nothing more, nothing less. I met many people in this business which paid a lot of money for stuff which is average or ecen poor. This is something what need to be changed in this world. |
I auditioned many times Wilson speakers. Often very dissapointing. We had these discussions here at Audiogon many times. They are not easy speakers. They need the right stuff and attention. I only heard 2 good settings. One was with Krell Reference and they other one was with my old XA-100.5. I would still go for the X series with Wilson. Because they will have more control. And you still get a musical mid freq. I love the looks of Wilson and how they are build. But the acoustic problems they often give in a normal house situation can become a pain in the ass. The people which I met at there home had all the same problems. Acoustic problems with the low freq. I would go fo amps with a lot of power, ampères and speed. But with a very musical mid freq. I think poweramp SS with tube preamp also will work great with Wilson. You can create a bigger and wider stage. What I said earlier; they have depth and wide, but there are ones which use better crossovers who make a bigger stage. But you can increase the stage still with other amps and pre amps. |
I have heard the puppies 7 two times good. So it is possible. But it ain't easy. I also heard the 8 version. Here it also had a lot of acoustic problems. They adapted the type of music caused by the issues. You Always need to have the freedom to drive all music you love. |
