Comparing the Sound Quality of Fleetwood Deville vs Wilson Sasha
Both Fleetwood Deville and Wilson Sasha are highly respected brands in the high-end audio world, known for their exceptional craftsmanship and sound quality. However, they cater to slightly different tastes and have distinct sonic signatures. Here's a comparison of their sound quality:
Tonal Balance:
Fleetwood Deville: Warm, rich, and full-bodied. Known for a smooth, laid-back sound with a slight emphasis on the mid-bass and lower midrange. Vocals and acoustic instruments sound particularly captivating.
Wilson Sasha: Crisp, clear, and neutral. Offers a more analytical and revealing sound with a focus on tight bass and extended treble. Known for its accuracy and detail retrieval.
Soundstage and Imaging:
Fleetwood Deville: Creates a spacious and immersive soundstage with a well-defined center image.Instruments are well-placed and have good separation.
Wilson Sasha: Offers a precise and focused soundstage with excellent imaging. Instruments are precisely placed within the soundstage, allowing for clear delineation and separation.
Dynamics and Transients:
Fleetwood Deville: Handles dynamics gracefully, with smooth transitions and a natural flow. May not be as explosive as some competitors in handling large-scale orchestral pieces.
Wilson Sasha: Delivers fast and transient attacks with excellent clarity and definition. Captures the energy and excitement of dynamic music with precision.
Overall Sound Character:
Fleetwood Deville: Relaxed, smooth, and engaging. Ideal for long listening sessions and laid-back music genres like jazz, acoustic, and vocals.
Wilson Sasha: Detailed, analytical, and revealing. Best suited for critical listening and complex music genres like classical, rock, and electronic.
Other Considerations:
Room Acoustics: Both speakers require careful room treatment to achieve their optimal performance.
Associated Equipment: Both speakers benefit from high-quality amplification and source components.
Personal Preference: Ultimately, the best speaker for you depends on your individual sonic preferences and musical tastes.
Here are some additional resources that may be helpful:
It's important to note that these comparisons are based on general observations and individual experiences may vary. The best way to decide which speaker is right for you is to audition both speakers in person with your favorite music.
Bard is the Google AI. I have found it is really good at qualitative answers. Instead of a list of web sites… you get real answers. It generally works really well.
Reviews aren’t really all that subjective. They tend to parrot each other which is why ai works so well. It seems like you’ve already heard both, and if you can’t make a decision by the way they sound, go by looks, price, maybe size as deciding factors.
If you're shopping in the Sasha V price range I would look closely at the Verity Arindal as it may give you the best of both worlds. If closer to the price of the Deville is where your at then the Otello.
I find it very odd that the OP is comparing 2 dissimilar speaker designs- bookshelf vs floorstanders, timing+ridgidness vs musical. Seems like a curiously vs actually interested in purchasing.
The Fleetwood Sevilles have already been deeply reviewed including here and here. I have been closely tracking the SQ version as I hope to likely be able to purchased in the future. Usually, reviews are about new components, so the Fleetwood are not less exposed than other speakers.
Mere words will not tell you how it sounds, and especially if you “subjectively” like the speaker or not. Without hearing, it’s difficult to communicate a musical vs a transparent speaker. I’m chasing both. My main system is transparent, my flea watt system is for chasing tube midrange magic. To me, like the Devore Orangutan 0/96, the Devilles are one of the most musically pleasing speakers available.
Comparing 2 dissimilar speaker designs does still satisfy curiosity in some form, regardless if actually interested in purchasing or not (demoing tomorrow at audio excellence canada)
Sure, Mere words will not tell you how it sounds, but was just trying to get a feel from others who have experienced both. I enjoy reading people's impressions.
Yes, the Devilles are musically pleasing. I see many Wilson/Magico owners getting tired of that HIFI clean sound.
At this stage of my journey I have not gotten jaded with that sound yet. I enjoy both in different ways on different days.
@f208frankI have heard the Deville several times in a very nicely set up system with and without the subs.
While I was really impressed with their ability to image and throw a very nice soundstage, I was underwhelmed with the dynamics these speakers offer. They’re too relaxed, lack bottom end and lack the dynamic impact. They sing though if you feed them the right kind of music.
I have not heard the Sasha V but I own the Sabrina. I don’t find the sound to be analytical. Great clarity, drive and natural tone. The midrange is realistic and not colored. There’s also absolutely no way I would swap for the Fleetwood as it’s just not my ideal sound.
The decision is yours, like most anything in this hobby, and it should be based on listening tests if possible
I listened to both the Wilsons and Magicos and they are definitely quite amazing in their own way. I am unsure why Wilson gets so much hate. The Devilles definitely hold their own and I appreciate them even more after these recent comparisons. My only conclusion after comparing all 3 was that I like them all. *shrugs*
1. Wilson: that bass, time alignment adjustment, great all rounder (sasha v)
2. Devilles: so so easy to get lost in the music, vocals still sounded best and most natural on this speaker
3. Magico: so beautifully transparent with less bass but more detailed, closed box design
Like most well established high end and expensive brands (B&W, McIntosh, ARC, Pass Labs), plenty haters out there. But who cares. Get what sounds best to you.
Another speaker I tried recent that surprised me a bit was the Focal Maestro + Scala. The vocals/mid range on that is very clean without that tipping point of over doing it like on the Magicos.
The Magicos are really interesting to me because I never knew expected that many people to be into that sort of sound.
After demoing the wilson sasha v, the magico s3, focal scala, I ended up getting the Scala.
Bit surprised as I pre judged the focal due to hating their headphone sound. I initially thought I would like the magico s3s the most as it looked the best to me and the overall tech was really cool, but the sound was too clean/sterile to me especially the mid range. Though it was very impressive upon first listen or even 2nd, that type of sound wore on me. I also see that magico is slowly moving into direction of having a more polite mid range compared to previous models, with s3 showing that in spades. I think they know what the market whats and had to adjust. The thing I loved most about the s3 was how amazingly defined fhe bass was. Less bass than the wilson sasha V, but much more defined and detailed. The sasha V had the most bass but for some reason just did not move me. The thing I liked about the Sasha V was that it felt to be a good all rounder.
The Scala won my heart over as it was the most detailed natural sounding out of the 3 for my ears, not to mention how amazing the spacing was between instruments. Just wow.
OP- fantastic that you demoed for yourself- much better to understand sonic differences than mere words can convey. I too am a Magico fan- the S3 (2023) sounds similar to the M2/M3 - one of these may be my end game target. I’ve listened to many Wilson speakers, but they never connected with me emotionally.
I've never heard a pair of Wilson speakers that I remotely wanted. I own Deville SQs. They couldn't be any more different IMO. The Deville's are engaging, enveloping, and sound like live music. The Wison's are sterile and precise with exaggerated bass.
Different speakers for totally different tastes would be my take.
I have been really impressed with Wilson speakers… often blown away (like well set up $500K ones), but I have never been inclined to want them for myself. But have recommended them for folks that value that kind sound. Same with. Magico.
Just carried by high end electronics... It is no miracle of the speaker. Dave Wilson was always sneaky as sht at shows back in the days...always make it a difficult dumb load so dudes are forced to deploy the serious electronics. Such serious electronics can even carry a hog to victory lane.
#3
Same rinse/repeat/rehash of the same crap for decades...no innovation...just buy drivers from Focal ( learn to make your own driver one day Willy!),
After owning both the Devilles and the Scalas, I keep teetering back and forth between just keeping one set of speakers or both.
I am currently in honeymoon phase with the Scalas and when swapping to the Devilles, I still do enjoy em quite a bit.
One thing that sort of steered me away from the Wilsons was because they have such a premium baked into the cost due to their brand name. If that speaker had won my heart over I can look past that but thankfully it did not. I spoke to a few Wilson owners and majority of them even when happy with the sound do feel some of their money went towards the "brand name" when purchasing the speakers. Of course nothing wrong with that at all. I do respect/appreciate what Wilson as a brand had/has contributed to the audio world at the end of the day.
$19,000 for a pair of birdhouses without stands. With stands, around $21,000.
The price tag puts them in the same category as Wilson Audio Sabrina X.
Completely different sound and the decision on what looks and sounds best to you is yours. However, when I look at the Fleetwood Deville, with or without stands, and I look at Wilson Sabrina, I struggle to understand why the DIY looking Devilles, even though they sound good with limited and specific type of music, should cost as much as they cost. They impressed me with their ability to image on small scale acoustic stuff but they pooped on fast and dynamic live jazz…and forget rock.
If there’s a premium baked into the Sabrinas, what’s baked into the birdhouses? The Devilles look like a $21,000 joke next to the Wilsons.
@deep_333 design decisions are made based on what sounds best and Wilson Audio manufactures their own components. When there’s better quality and more effective to source parts from external entities, then a decision is made to do so. It is a smart business model and as long as it doesn’t result in sacrificing performance (I’m sure they go thru rigorous testing to confirm this), it should be completely fine. By the way, I don’t think Wilson Audio uses Focal drivers anymore. But they did. Focal is known for their drivers so once again, I don’t see why that’s the basis or a reason for hating the brand.
Wilson Audio speakers were never cheap. The first time I heard a pair of Watt/Puppies in 1996, I was smitten. As bad as I wanted a pair they were out of reach for me back then. I bought a pair of Thiels which I felt came close but still wasn’t quite the same. Wilson speakers use all top notch components inside and out. Everything on the inside is just as top level as what you can see on the outside. That includes especially the crossover components. That stuff adds up quickly.
Watch some of Danny’s videos where he tears down popular speakers. Most look hifi on the outside but contain the cheapest components on the inside. My cousin rebuilds speakers and crossovers. Even my Thiel speakers which had all roll film caps in the crossovers were the some of the cheapest film capacitors you could buy, he told me.
Wilson speakers aren’t for everyone. And I have learned first hand that these speakers are just the starting point. It takes a commitment to get them the best electronics and cabling you can afford. The payoff is a rewarding concert like sound in my listening room that can captivate me for hours. It took a lot of effort and $$$$ to get the digital sound up to par. What I found is that as the digital got better, I could play the music louder. On the analog side, the limit was the noise floor- groove noise, tape hiss in the recording, pops etc. The noise floor raised up with the volume. But with digital the noise floor is inaudible. The volume used to be limited by the amount of grain or digital glare. That’s gone. Now I have to make an effort to turn the volume down. It is like an addiction. The sound is so good I crank it up to increase my pleasure. Used to I did not like listening to live music. The Wilsons make live music really jam.
It takes a commitment to get them the best electronics and cabling you can afford. The payoff is a rewarding concert like sound in my listening room that can captivate me for hours
Yup. Don’t get an Escalade if you can’t afford the gas.
^I posted mine for sale, I decided to keep it simple and just have one set of speakers rather than to deal with the "which speaker should I listen to today" decision. Minimalist at heart. I know some people enjoy swapping in and out speakers but I do not.
@deep_333 design decisions are made based on what sounds best and Wilson Audio manufactures their own components. When there’s better quality and more effective to source parts from external entities, then a decision is made to do so. It is a smart business model and as long as it doesn’t result in sacrificing performance (I’m sure they go thru rigorous testing to confirm this), it should be completely fine. By the way, I don’t think Wilson Audio uses Focal drivers anymore. But they did. Focal is known for their drivers so once again, I don’t see why that’s the basis or a reason for hating the brand.
@audphile1, Really? I suppose i can’t expect all forum stock to be degreed engineers, but, they really sold you on that "design decision" crap, huh? Funny indeed, but, it is also quite obnoxious when a dude who charges 90k for a freaking speaker can’t engineer his own drivers from scratch.
Take a look at Borresen, TAD, Yamaha, etc, that’s called real engineering dude. On the same note, what do you call a Wilson with a Focal driver? Call it a shameful li’l Focalson...
P.S
If, in case, you are a Wilson dealer or Wilson paid pied piper (forum incognito), don’t bother to extend this conversation any further.
No, not a dealer. Just a happy owner of a pair of Wilson Sabrinas.
Not sure why it’s surprising to you that a top notch speaker requires world class electronics.
Back in late 90s I walked into Innovative Audio in Brooklyn NY. I stopped and paused my breath. I thought they had Nataly Cole in the store, performing live. It was a pair of Grand Slams (robot looking mofos) playing in a listening room, driven by an all VTL system with a top of the line VPI table. I stayed there and listened to the entire record. I never heard anything like this. I was hooked. May be it’s the effect those big Wilsons had on me at the time that lasted thru all these years until finally I got a pair of Sabrinas, but I can tell you I hear that sound signature, that realistic, live type of sound that these speakers produce.
You can knock yourself out hating David Wilson or Daryl or the entire brand. But there’s no denying their speakers are special. So again, it’s the recipe that matters. You can get the ingredients from the best possible sources. I don’t go mining for salt when I want to grill me up a ribeye.
@audphile1, I am not a stranger to the Wilson brand, i owned one of the original WAMMs for many many years. At some point, a guy has to wonder where the hell is the money getting spent when a manufacturer charges a measly 90k and above for a speaker.
I have also owned/had on loan at least one model of Magico, Rockport, whatever, big name brand in the past 30 years...I can discern how much aptitude is on display in each instance and how much cash a manufacturer actually spent on dev'ing a speaker.... vs taking the easy peasy way out to fill those bottomless pockets. We can agree to disagree.
This is another big myth, a lie propagated by certain manufacturers.
Here are some examples.
I used to have the TAD Reference from A.Jones, currently have the E1TX. Put either of them on a 800 dollar dac or a 3000 dollar amp, they sound freaking excellent. Put it on a 15k dac and a 40k amp, they scale up like a mofo and sound mind boggling. My buddy has the big Raidho --->similar story, sounds phenomenal on all kinds of electronics at high and low price points...Some of the big JBL synthesis line i used to own --->same story.....Borresen --> similar story....evens some Magicos do just fine...
But, a Wilson...."Oh no,,,it only sounds awful because it’s you...it’s all your fault, never the manufacturer’s fault! ...it’s all the awful electronics you tied to it. You just didn’t spend enough to make the best come out of it (2 minutes before midnight the day before the solar eclipse!)", says the manufacturer and his dealer....
Translation---> it’s the electronics that carries them all day long, no miracle of the speaker.
Like i said earlier, i can put certain serious electronics in front of anything and sweet melodies will come out of it.
Have you had nails for breakfast? You just can’t seem to be able to cool it. I haven’t seen this much hate pouring out of anyone in a while. You’re like an energizer bunny. Chillax. None of this is healthy. I get it…you really dislike Wilson Audio. It’s fine.
I find the Wilson towers all very analytical. Almost Teutonic. Cold may be a bit strong but definitely not warm. Recently I listened to a set of Alexx Vs driven by Burmister mono blocks and preamp. The front end was digital- Aurender. I listened to Brothers In Arms by Dire Straights. It almost snowed in the listening room! It was NOT what I thought $350,000 in gear should deliver.
The Raidho and Borrenson are very accurate but not musical. I found Magicos kind of plain and boring. I expected more from the TADs based on all the hype. The Vandersteen Seven XTRM sound good. I also really like the Acora speakers. If I had an Acora dealer within a reasonable distance I might have given them more consideration. Heard a pair of horn speakers by Volti Audio in Tennessee. Excellent sounding speakers that drew me into the music. They required some very expensive SET amps to sound their best.
I find Wilson speakers to be excellent performers for several types of music. Set-up of the speakers is critical to get the best sound. Those who are obsessed about the dollars might be better served watching for a sale at Best Buy.
I demoed the Wilsons multiple times with different set ups and I just never resonated or liked the sound that much for some reason. I always sat there thinking not much of it, especially for the $. Their build and paintwork is quite amazing though.
I moved on to the Focal Scala Evos and they are absolutely wonderful...
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