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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 5 ส.ค. 2024
- What does it sound like when you listen to a speaker that’s roughly the price of the home you put it in? The Wilson Chronosonic XVX is a $370,000 audio supertower of seven drivers stacked atop one another producing a spectrum of sound beyond the range of human hearing-literally providing more realistic detail than you could possibly hear. WIRED Luxury Gear Editor Jeremy White breaks down what that leap in price actually produces in audio quality, and the surprisingly intricate and impressive technology housed in both.
Pick up your own Sonos Era 300 here amzn.to/3xwlpL5
When you buy something through our retail links, we earn an affiliate commission.
Director: Anna O'Donohue
Director of Photography: Mateo Akira Notsuke
Editor: Louis Lalire
Host: Jeremy White
Senior Producer: Efrat Kashai
Creative Producer: Christie Garcia
Line Producer: Joe Buscemi
Associate Producer: Amy Haskour
Production Manager: Peter Brunette
Camera Operator: Sasha Novitskiy
Sound Mixer: Tom Morley
Production Assistant: Samuel Herbaut
Editorial Consultant: Chris Haslam
Photographer: Mitch Payne
Post Production Supervisor: Christian Olguin
Post Production Coordinator: Ian Bryant
Supervising Editor: Doug Larsen
Assistant Editor: Fynn Lithgow
Animation: Sam Fuller
Location: KJ West One hi-fi store, London www.kjwestone.co.uk
Wilson Audio’s UK distributor: Absolute Sounds www.absolutesounds.com
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Buying the $370,000 speakers would be an emotional experience for me too, when my wife divorced me because of it.
@@jopo7996 true but their would be negatives as well
So when do your speakers arrive ?
lol
but now the judge said your wife deserve one of this Wilson speaker lol
Paying this much does not worth, you can have 95% at least with mess than 10% of that money. Hi end is more a luxury than money for audio quality
If you Can aford a 370 $ speaker set ...i doubt she would leave
We're in *SERIOUS* mid-life crisis territory here.
It's similar to a Vette vs a Lambo.
Mid-life crisis is a myth, you just ralize that your time here is limited. Once you know, you know.
Now how does a $2000 speaker setup sound with the same size and number of drivers compare to the Wilson? That would be a more fair comparison than a relatively portable Sonos speaker.
Cause that was clearly a sonos ad. No one is interested in a fair comparison here
Exactly. 500 dollars is an awful lot for a boombox
I could create a stereo listening experience for $2k that would blow you away. The Wilson's are 100% not worth the cost. They're gorgeous and a statement piece. Truly beautiful but wholly unnecessary to accurately reproduce music.
Exactly. Take a set of $2,000.00 speakers and attach to the same amps driving the 300k speakers. Then see if this guy can hear the difference.
Tbh the Sonos sounded a bit flat and metallic for a 500$ speaker, would love to see a "still affordable" speaker competing
I'm still on the fence on which one to get
🤣🤣
Honestly, if you just wanna play something quickly on the go, you already have your phone speakers for that. I say go for the Wilsons.
Sell your house and go for Wilsons :)
Lol
LOL
listening to this on my phone speaker😎
As most people do when watching audio equipment reviews.
As a recovering audiophile, one thing is that no matter how good your set up becomes, you'll get used to it within a few months. Then it's time to go to the bank for the next big thing, which surprise suprise, you'll get used to as well. In the end you'll end up more time setting up your gear and reading and researching about the gears than actually listening to music.
All i want to say is, enjoy your music. It's doesn't matter if it's coming out of a 10£ earbuds or a 100000£ speaker system.
Thank you. So there is indeed a twinkle of light at the end of the rabbit hole.
It depends upon you; for me the better the sound, the deeper the physiological impact.
I enjoy a song on an ordinary system, where on a good one it becomes a full emotional experience.
been there...
Once your gear hits a certain level, a lot comes down to preference, I guess? It's generally cheaper to achieve the same sound quality with headphones, than with speakers. And the right dsp goes a long way in getting the most out of your system.
@@VideoArchiveGuy I think it's the quality of mids capturing emotion in vocals, but I don't know besides that
The irony is, you'd be hard pressed to find a mastering studio with a pair of speakers worth more than $50,000, and that's already rarefied air. Above that, you're getting into the extremely rare occurrence. Obviously the room itself will be worth a lot of money as well
Indeed. The highest cost studio monitors hover around the $24k region for a pair. Those speakers are the pinnacle. The Wilson?? Eye candy at best.
@@MyFatherLoves Mastering studio speakers are often intended for a completely different purpose and studios wouldn't necessarily spend that kind of money for monitors.
@@VideoArchiveGuy
Well they do
And you'll be surprised how much the acoustic of the room costs.
A flat response is necessary for composing.
@@iamcarl4591 The room treatment is the real value here.
@@_Dav1K Exactly and a pair of 1000-2000USD monitor is quite common
where's that "contains an ad" "sponsored content" label
Yup, just a Sonos ad.
Even have a link in the info section
valid
it says in the description: "When you buy something through our retail links, we earn an affiliate commission."
@@jstick993 that's not proper labeling.
With 370,000 I could invest in a high dividend ETF and travel every month to go listen to piano concerts in New York at the philharmonic, for the rest of my life.
unless you plan on living less than a year... that could be a nice plan.
otherwise, think twice before you write some nonsense analogy
The thing that annoys me so much about this video is that it frames it as if you either buy a Sonos (or other) streaming speaker OR an unbelievably expensive stereo setup. There are amp and speaker sets at the same price of the Sonos that sound soooo much better than the Sonos. Do yourself the favor and go to a store that sells both and I am sure that you will pick a cheap stereo system, because it makes do much more out of the music you feed it...
True that. There are also many used products that cost less than Sonos but sound far superior. I have a pair of vintage B&W DM4s I picked up at a yard sale 20 years ago for $70. The clarity and natural tonality are much closer to the Wilson than the Sonos.
So not a sound investment ?
hehe
Well, at least now I can hear my bank account crying in high fidelity.
Audiophile here. Yes, I see you joke lol ...I think everyone that's involved in this hobby is that understands completely that this isn't a financial investment. But I would say that it is an emotional investment. The main driving force is that we genuinely love music, and when you can create a system that propels you into the music, *that* is what makes it worth it. If you've ever had that tingly feeling when listening to exceptional music, it's that much better whenever you're playing it on a really good system.
Now compare that Sonos to a cheaper pair of bookshelf speakers or even one's that are the same price. I think it would still get absolutely destroyed.
yup, why sonos? garbage
I have a sonos one in my bathroom. They are one notch above Bose in terms of thump and sizzle. Even my old NHT C3 blow them into the dirt.
Name a pair of equal price speakers that would best the Sonos? It doesn't exist.
Name a cheaper speaker that would best the Sonos. It also doesn't exist.
You're allowed to have an opinion, but factually - you're wrong.
Easy: PSB Alpha AM3, $500 for a pair of very nice powered bookshelf speakers.
If you've already got a receiver/amp the P5 is a very nice pair with more oomf since they're larger.
@@tieran9491 Some Definitive Technology bookshelf speakers and a cambridge DAC
I kind of hate videos like these. Yeah, the huge contrast makes for a flashy demonstration but it totally erases the fact that you can do way better than Sonos at 500 dollars. Sonos is convenient and most people don't want to spend any time connecting components. The small tradeoff in convenience at the 500 dollar point for powered monitors or a small receiver and good bookshelves is well worth it, if audio quality is your primary focus. There's no need to sell organs or refinance your house to get good sound.
I've heard Wilson speakers and they are fantastic, but diminishing returns kick in well below their price point too.
It's a Sonos ad
You’re missing the fact that wires are obnoxious and very difficult to hide well. And I ain’t about to have wires visible in my audio/office space.
Sonos is hella good.
For that price I'll get a personal orchestra
It's an awful lot of live music trips
So good for podcasts then?
😆
I wonder what Cannibal Corpse sounds like on the Wilsons?
Probably pretty good? Fast drivers are good for fast music. Who would've thunk it...
These are the mid level Wilsons, The top of the line are about $700,000 so the entire system was well over $1M. I listened to Tool for an hour by myself in that room and it was marvelous.
@@brianjacobs967 was it that much better than a killer set of 10k -30k speakers. i bet it did but not 340k more better.
A hi-fi so amazing that,
It can only be heard by a passing bat.
for people who dont listen to music with their gear, but listen to their gear with music
Buy $320,000 speakers to play 128kbps mp3 files.
😂
Listening to this on my phone speaker
Them 20Hz sounds hitting hard rn
If comparing with Sonos, at least give it a chance. Place 4 Sonos One (gen 2's) in four corners and add 2 Sonos Sub Gen 3's at opposite ends. Promise you that you will get a lot more detail and thumping bass, which you would be able to feel.
The thing about high-end audio systems is the difference in sound separation, staging and clarity between a $500 and a $2,000 system is far greater then the difference between a $2,000 system and a $50,000 system. The difference is even more subtle as you go up in price. Many would not be able to tell the difference between a $50,000 system and the $350,000 system demonstrated in this video.
Bottom line is if you CAN tell the difference and care, and have the resources, then a six-figure audio system is worth it.
Nice example of price anchoring 😀
Wilson never used any normal pricing scale. They actually (no kidding) would throw a dart at a chart of prices. They'd then round up the cost to command snob market respect. "Should we charge $93,000? " Nah, round it up to $100,000..." "We don't make speakers for poor people. If you want high fidelity, you have to pay for it." - they've done this since the 80's.
Just bought it after selling the house and adding the entire life savings. It really drowns out the cries of the children due to hunger.
I guess these speakers are for people who want to feel the sound waves and their wallets vibrating simultaneously.
"Emotional" "Life" "Soul" etc are words you hear a lot in videos like this. If you are an average man or a sane human being $300 - $2000 setup will be a luxury. You are not gonna miss anything.
LIstening to WILSON and SONOS on my laptop speakers, both sound great, can barely tell the difference😀
This is a sonos ad
This was brilliant. But can we have a follow up on what the pre amp and amps etc do?
Most of the listeners, should get at least stereo speaker pair. Funny how you never mentioned "stereo" even once, but spoke about micro-adjustments in Willson speakers.
If one considered as audiophile and see money as no object, why not. Am semi-audiophile and can hear the big difference between the Sonos and Wilson. Mid-low frequency is just phenomenal on the Wilson VS Sonos is very bright and mono. Its night and day between the two product, but comes at a cost/set up or if one doesn't want to spend so much and want simpler "Plug-n-Play" set up, then Sonos as is.
Wilson set is a beauty to behold and a treat to the ear.
I know someone who spent $500k on a speaker system, and yeah, it sounds "great," but it doesn't sound "better" than most ~$2k systems I've heard. It just sounds "different."
At some point It is all in your mind telling you that it "has to" sound better because you spent more money.
@@Mike-er2ih and at some point, we all get old enough that our hearing can't even resolve the edge frequencies or clarity that fancy sound systems can reproduce
Dumb comment. You have no clue what you are talking about. @@briangoldberg4439
The best advice for ANYONE into music... and looking for gear .... just needs to understand " Diminishing Returns "
There IS a very big difference... but.. it's all a matter ' what level is enough for me '
Listen for references... and spend wisely to get what you can afford.
"This really was an emotional experience"
So what you're telling is that only rich people can actually hear what Debussy has composed? That's about the dumbest thing I've ever heard. I wonder what Debussy himself would've thought about it though.
No. You're focusing on the price, while the dimensions and physical spacing of the speakers are so vastly different. Of course a wide true stereo setup will sound better than something that's practically almost mono because everything's cramped in a box. If you'd put average studio monitors next to the big speakers, like Focal Alphas or Yahama HS8, you would have a radically better sound for the same 500 dollars. It wouldn't be as nice as the big boys, obviously, but at least it would be a fair comparison.
“How mad do you want to make your neighbors?”
“Yes.”
I m mad since i know my neighbour has a sonos speaker and not a proper audiophile setup
Personally, my preference these days, is nice set of headphones 🎧 👌
But I absolutely appreciate these huge set ups.
I wonder how much of the sound quality is down to the cabinet, amplifier, and room acoustics vs the driver itself.
A lot
I think room acoustics is the least understood or appreciated part of the equation for most consumers. Room position and/or treatment is the most inconvenient part of creating quality audio.
Room acoustics is absolutely priority #1 for getting accurate sound. How the speaker is integrated into that room would be priority #2. How the speaker is designed would be priority #3. And then waaayyyyy down at the bottom of the list would be the amplifier and DACs. Put simply, if your DAC and/or your amplification is adding anything to the music, you're not going to hear the music how the artist intended for you to hear it, and that's wrong.
All my opinions of course.
Good speaker placement equals a more developed soundstage.
A good listening position placement equals a more perceivable enjoyment of the Bass.
Hence...
speaker positioning, getting the couch off the back wall, room acoustics, then equipment
Very roughly, if we would be standing in a normal sized room, and I were to be talking to you one meter away, you'd be hearing about 50/50 direct sound and room acoustics.
The reviewer is right. Audiophile sound is in the end all about emotion and having a physical connection with the music. All the technology and the money is in service of that.
Making a video about the equipments used to record the audio probably makes more sense lol
The Wilson speakers are definitely going in my garage and I'm putting my Chiron and Speed-tail between them.
I got a pair of the ERA 300s for 673 shipped around Father’s Day, absolutely love them with my arc and sub.
This was such a fun video to shoot. Got to play Many Men by 50 cent on a million pounds sound system
Listening to this on my cheapo $20 computer speakers
Missed opportunity to say "Wilson Chronosonic XVX recommended" instead of "Headphones recommended"
The only place you can see and hear these speakers in London - KJ West One ❤ Was also shot there btw
Very well done. Ive had the privilege to demo Wilsons not too long ago and yes, they truly are on a whole other level. No need to close the eyes to suspend disbelief. The asking prices aren't there to just appease the rich, you will hear where each and every dollar went when you power on your rig and play your Wilsons!
Show me the Costco option (four figures) not six
I’ve been building a hifi room for four years. The pay off is everything when you adore music like I do. I’m $30,000 in so far. Worth every dollar and more.
If you have the money why not. I searched for 30 years and for me I get this feeling with my Lipinski Sound speakers. In the end sound is personal, but it does needs to be as close to the real thing as possible.
A great video! I think this was well made video that briefs the audio hobby.
When you first experience the full tower floorstanding speakers and very well set up hifi system, it changes your world.
If you like music, it’s very well worth looking into it.
I wish “wired” to cover how each generation think of HiFi audio hobby.
My sister has Sonos too!
And here I am going to recycle my Sonos 5
If your pallette, being audio, food, etc, cannot discern something that provides more sensory depth, then by all means get the lesson expensive option. It's about ROI. In this example, the Sonos provides 70% of the performance at less than 1% of the cost.
"The more drivers, the more detail you can hear" ..
Not always true. Electrostatic speakers (or hybrids like Martin Logans) can cover plenty of audio territory with one driver and have even more detail than nearly all dynamic cone speakers.
It is an unfair comparisson to use only one sonos, a more reasonable one would be to go with a subwoofer and a sterio pair at least
i like how they used analogies that could be understood by many in much simpler terms.
Sponsored content is my passion
Listening Britney Spears songs w this speaker🔥🔥
I am an audiophile and used to go to high end audio listening rooms. The best system I ever experienced was Martin & Logan electrostatics with an Entec subwoofer and a Goldmund turntable.
Not sure why this piece didn't talk about the source, most audiophiles consider vinyl to be the best source for high-end audio. Interestingly enough, the dealer and I both chose the same test material, White Winds by Andreas Vollenweider, on vinyl of course. It is a flawless recording that demonstrates staging and separation better than any other recording I've ever heard.
Currently I own a Linn audio system.
Great video, but think I'll just get 822 Era 300's....
Thinking about stacking them up and climbing a Sonos stalk to the moon.
My $250 (each) Pioneer speakers have exactly the same frequency range (EDIT: actually a wider range, they go 20Hz to 50KHz)
Maybe a better comparison could be made.
7:00 what is he wearing in his ears while listening to the speakers?
Binaural microphones to record outside noise at the ear level.
That's why he walked around the room, to record how the two speakers change their sound on and off-axis (to either speaker).
Edit: clarified text by amending grammar.
@@TheOneInYellowyou are exactly right! I was there on the room and that how we were doing it
@@mateonotsuke yep, and it's one of the cool recording techniques within the audio hobby that can help demonstrate various effects off sound, remotely! However, this should only be used as a useful tool rather than a 1:1 copy of said effects.
Hopefully this info will help others on the explanation of the earphone microphones and binaural recordings!
What's the point in even comparing these? It's like comparing a Ferrari to a Mini
Because it's comparing something most people are used to and may even own to the insane technology of a top of the line product. It's interesting.
Well at least you can still use all the features of your Mini 70 years later. Sonos well you're dependant on them for app support.
Please clean your camera sensor first next time!
I would like to hear Venetian Snares on that rig.
Great vid ❤
Devialet Phantom even achieves 14Hz Infrabass and also goes up to 27kHz, looks way better, is more compact, also achieves very high accuracy, and „only“ costs 3000€
I think they started with the price of the speakers and try to justify it. Do they want to say that sound quality difference is that great to warrant the ridiculous hefty price? Dont think so.
Don't forget the cost of sound dampening the listening room itself.
I disagree. I don't think it's about loving music. I think it's about loving gear.
My headphones have a nominal frequency response range of 5-35000HZ and they cost less than the Sonos
How does that compare to the Graham Audio LS5/8 ($15,500 US)?
One big point of why people build High-end Audio systems is to be sonically transported to the time and space where a recording happened. When a good speaker system is set up in a properly acoustically treated space, live recording playback should create a realistic illusion of being in the space of the recording.
You should audibly "feel" the size of the space and the arrangement or sound stage of musicians in front of you... you can feel the size of music, for example, in a huge church or the intimate space of a tavern etc.
I believe that is the biggest point this video missed out on. That is not to say one can't enjoy an orchestral piece through your iPhone speaker... my point is that there are levels to this sh!te (haha) and recreating the visceral experience of what it actually sounds like to be at a concert hall is not easy or cheap.
Also, one can spend a fraction of this $370K cost and build a system and a room that can get say 80% "close" to what this system does. In High-end audio getting closer to 100% of what a system like this can do is where things get very expensive like crazy compounding price increases for performance increments of 1% to 5% at a time.
why is the volume itself so different tho? i know trying to match the volume of the Wilson is an impossible thing, but you can at least make a stereo pair with the sonos man XD.
When comparing a $370k+ audio system to a $500 one, there are clear differences in performance and experience. These differences are relative, much like with watches, wine, houses, or cars. Some might dismiss high-end products because they haven't experienced them, similar to how someone who only drives a regular car might never understand the thrill and experience of driving a Ferrari. Without firsthand experience, opinions are often shaped by cognitive biases and personal perspectives. Additionally, value is subjective; many people prioritize savings or seek the best options within a certain price range or lifestyle. Conversely, those who have experienced high-end products and value the enhancements find the differences worthwhile. Ultimately, it's not about good versus bad, but about understanding how our perspectives, values, and cognitive biases influence our view of luxury purchases.
You do not need $370K speakers to get better sound than the Sonos Era 300. I have the Sonos Era 300 pair with a Sub Gen 3 setup for casual background music in the dining room and another setup with Monitor Audio bookshelf speakers and and an SVS subwoofer for more serious listening. That I consider on the more expensive side having spent a few thousands on it including streamers, amplifier, preamp, DSP processor, turntable, cables and some acoustic panels. There is a stark difference between the two setups. Heck, Sono's own Five Hifi speakers for $1100 a pair will better the Era 300s.
Wilson Audio stuff falls into Audio Art category. It is analogous to someone buying a painting for $1million for example.
For us TH-cam watchers, one word: better.
Honestly, due to hearing damage (temporary or permanent) I have to wonder how many humans will actually hear what is coming out of the higher performance speakers, regardless of the performance per cost ratio. I remember concerts more depending on who I share them with, not the acoustic performance. I think that may be a factor in my audiophile decisions.
speakers like the kronos are unnessesary... more drivers is not more detail, its really more chances for comb filtering and introduces issues with crossovers (what driver gets the high notes vs middle vs low)
There are a many fallacies in this review. More drivers absolutely does not mean more detail. Lol. More drivers give louder sound and wider frequency response, but at the expense of detail and coherence. The crucial part of a speaker is not just the drivers, but also the crossover. Many speaker designers would argue crossover is the heart of any speaker. If you can get away with no crossover or fewest possible number of components, then the better. Heavy dense cabinets are not necessarily better. They can over-dampen the sound into lifelessness. Some speaker companies utilize certain cabinet vibrations to complement the overall sound.
Bro forgot to include the price of the treated room that these speakers demand to be in
Filmed at KJ West One. Come and experience for yourself in Central London.
I think you're asking the wrong question.
Are super expensive speakers very very very very very good? Yes, obviously.
The interesting question is: at what price point can you get an experience let the proximate the Rolls-Royce of speakers?
Obviously Rolls-Royce would be more pleasant experience than a Toyota. But that's not adding much. We all know that.
What everybody would to know is whether a Mercedes S-Class is closer to a Toyota or to a Rolls-Royce.
Lexus !!
With such a system you also need a proper (and of course expensive) treated room. Won't be listening to these speakers with an open window next to a construction site :D
But how much music is there that's been recorded with the right microphones to capture that frequency range to even make listening on this rig even relevant? My novice guess is not much.
So, you're telling me that I can buy a $1m speaker which makes sounds that I can't hear even when I'm sitting on the required ~1.5ft perfect spot at the middle of my couch? Perfect, I'd take 2 please!
[dramatic sound]
'And ultimately all the money that's gone in the Chronosonic is there to make you feel something'. Really? An equipment that makes sound activating your ears and your listening sense makes you feel know?
i wish you could put a subwoofer anywhere in the room
Ahem... Please explain why these would be in any way superior to something like a PreSonus StudioLive 315ai with active cross-overs, coaxial design, balanced inputs, larger bass driver, front-ported, DSP, 2000w and 3-way TRI-AMPLIFIED... For a FRACTION of that ridiculous price?
But how does Owen Wilson sound coming out of a set of Wilson speakers?
Our ears operate at the speed of sound, which is far slower than the speed of light the eyes take in. Generative listening is the art of developing deeper silences in yourself, so you can slow our mind's hearing to your ears' natural speed and hear beneath the words to their meaning.
I suppose I need to introduce myself..
I'm Erik and I am a soundaholic. I just got into the middle life crisis.
Nice to meet all of you!
Great content
I love hifi, but taken to extremes I just becomes miserable.
What good is a great stereo if it can only be enjoyed alone. Hifi has to be the life of a party 🎉
A US$ 10,000 is already enough to get you 90% of the Wilson setup.
Sonos is for background music, not for moments where you want to enjoy your music.
perhaps they should compare against 5 sets of that sonus + a sub
Weird. These $370,000 speakers sound like my cheap headphones.
Then watch the video on your big speakers
"and you are listening to them both through your laptop"
Everyone should have at least one high-end system in their life