Wilson Audio Alexia V Review

Wilson Audio, a brand hailing from the United States, has placed great importance on the concept of the “Zone of Neutrality” from its inception to the present day. This concept directly determines the quality of their products and their esteemed position in the audio world.

The idea behind “Zone of Neutrality,” as I understand it, is to ensure that the sound emitted by different speaker drivers reaches the listener’s ears simultaneously. Only through this can the sound’s authenticity, coherence, and consistency be guaranteed. However, achieving this for multi-driver speakers is not easy, as variations in driver placement, the impact of crossover networks, enclosure angles, and inconsistencies can all lead to deviations in the “Zone of Neutrality.”

Due to this challenge, Wilson Audio introduced the concept of “modular enclosures” over 40 years ago in 1981. This involves placing different drivers in separate, independent enclosures, which can be adjusted for distance and tilt angle. Since then, this concept has been implemented in all of Wilson Audio’s speakers, establishing them as indisputable Hi-End products in their respective fields.

Standing on the Shoulders of Giants

In 2019, Daryl Wilson, the son of Dave Wilson, founder, and chief designer of Wilson Audio, took over his father’s business. Dave Wilson had already established Wilson Audio’s top position in the industry with the development of the WAMM speaker in 1985, becoming a legend in the Hi-End audio world.

As early as 2017, Daryl Wilson began designing his speaker creations. The Chronosonic XVX floor-standing speaker was one of his achievements, challenging his father’s flagship WAMM Master Chronosonic speaker from 2016. It represented Daryl Wilson’s fresh understanding and pursuit of Hi-End while achieving unprecedented overall performance and unique design elements.

One commendable aspect of Wilson Audio as a brand is its continuous effort to incorporate technology and design concepts from its top-tier products into lower-level offerings, allowing enthusiasts to experience cutting-edge technology without completely emptying their wallets. The recently released Alexia V floor-standing speaker is a perfect example of this.

Wilson Audio has always been known for its pursuit of excellence in all aspects and continuous advancements in research and development. On the occasion of the 5th anniversary of the development of the Alexx V floor-standing speaker and the launch of the Alexia Series 2 floor-standing speaker, the engineers at Wilson Audio decided to challenge themselves and see how far they could elevate the standard of the Alexia series speakers.

It is evident that thanks to the knowledge gained from the Chronosonic XVX and Alexx V speakers, the Alexia V floor-standing speaker can truly be described as “standing on the shoulders of giants,” delivering exceptional overall performance. So, how does Alexia V perform? Let’s dive into a detailed introduction.

The Design

In terms of appearance, the design of the Alexia V floor-standing speaker exhibits refined lines and thoughtful considerations. The enclosure of the Alexia V is meticulously handcrafted using various patented materials. These materials include the latest versions of X Material and S Material, with deliberate application of V Material in critical areas.

Carbon fiber, aerospace-grade aluminum, austenitic stainless steel, and gold connectors spanning the entire signal path are employed. These materials are carefully selected and optimized to play a unique role in sound reproduction.

For instance, V Material is integrated into the top of the mid-bass enclosure to enhance damping and sound control. X Material is systematically used in all three enclosure modules, with improved internal bracing and panel thickness, enabling the Alexia V floor-standing speaker to achieve a new level of enclosure damping within the series.

Furthermore, engineers at Wilson Audio discovered that using S Material significantly enhances the coupling ability of the midrange driver and allows for a more open and accurate sound reproduction. Wilson Audio extensively researched the time-domain calibration capabilities of the drivers used in the Alexia V, and the results showed that each driver achieves better time-domain alignment with one another, enabling listeners to experience more subtle details and enhanced precision from any listening position. This is the essence of the manufacturer’s “time-domain” concept.

Due to the new manufacturing method employed for the enclosure of the Alexia V, the overall structural integrity is greatly improved, and the connection of the midrange enclosure effectively reinforces the external framework of the entire module. As a result, a larger enclosure structure composed of X Material and aluminum is formed compared to previous models from the same manufacturer.

Additionally, the Alexia V floor-standing speaker achieves a subtle balance in its enclosure lines compared to other models in the same factory. For example, certain parts of the enclosure have slight protrusions while others do not.

The protrusions on the top of the Sasha DAW floor-standing speaker’s bass enclosure, originally designed to reduce excess pressure between the midrange and bass enclosures, are now integrated as part of the Alexia V enclosure. Furthermore, the appearance of the high-frequency module of the Alexia V has been improved to conform to aerodynamics and facilitate the accommodation of larger Convergent Synergy Carbon high-frequency drivers.

The Wilson Audio Alexia V utilizes X-Material the most on its enclosure, which exhibits high rigidity and high damping characteristics. It is used in the low-frequency enclosure, the hollowed-out framework, and the upper speaker module. S-Material is employed to fix the midrange driver and is used on the front baffle of the two midrange driver modules.

A 5.75-inch driver with fast response and high resolution is utilized in the mid-low frequency section. This driver was originally used in the Alexx, TuneTot, and Sabrina X models and has now been carried over to the Alexia V. The other 7-inch mid-low frequency driver features the Alnico Quadra Mag magnetic engine.

In terms of the high-frequency driver, the Wilson Audio research and development team has created a brand-new driver called the Convergent Synergy Carbon (CSC) high-frequency driver after numerous tests and listening sessions. It is an evolution of the CST driver, with slight modifications to the magnetic engine and a newly designed rear-wave enclosure made of carbon fiber material.

The exclusive Convergent Synergy Carbon (CSC) high-frequency driver from Wilson Audio is manufactured using a unique and intricate carbon fiber back wave chamber made entirely by dedicated 3D printers from multiple manufacturers. This special high-frequency driver possesses an unprecedented ability to express subtle ambient sounds and produces exceptionally harmonious tonality.

The seamless integration of the high-frequency and mid-frequency ranges is one of the key factors in accurately reproducing sound. Initially, the Alexia Series 2 floor-standing speaker employed a cellulose fiber/carbon composite midrange driver, the same as the one used in the WAMM Master Chronosonic floor-standing speaker.

Over the years, this midrange driver received much acclaim in the Alexia Series 2. After extensive experimentation and systematic improvements, the Alnico (aluminum-nickel-cobalt) QuadraMag midrange driver was further developed for the Chronosonic XVX floor-standing speaker. It has now been applied to the Alexia V floor-standing speaker, providing a richer and more vivid sound.

Every capacitor used in the Wilson Audio Alexia V floor-standing speaker is custom-made in the manufacturer’s in-house capacitor manufacturing department, ensuring the industry’s smallest possible tolerances. Additionally, the AudioCapX-WA capacitors and the fine-tuning performed at the overall level of the crossover set a new standard for low-level resolution in the speaker.

Compared to the Alexia Series 2 floor-standing speaker, slight adjustments have been made in the crossover of the Alexia V, raising the measured impedance at 84Hz from 2.54Ω to 2.59Ω, resulting in a 1dB increase in sensitivity. The custom-designed binding posts are also meticulously crafted.

The Alexia V floor-standing speaker inherits the design from the Chronosonic XVX and Alexx V models, ensuring cleaner signal pathways at their contact points. The internal wiring of the Alexia V floor-standing speaker also features brand-new custom cables, laying the foundation for a balanced and pristine sound signal path.

Sound Performance

Firstly, when listening to the vocal album “Fields of Gold” by Eva Cassidy, the Wilson Audio Alexia V presents her vocals with clarity and amplification, transparency without any barriers, and pure and emotional tonality. Even the subtle huskiness in her voice is audible, clean yet rich in depth, demonstrating a healthy and full-bodied sound.

The soundstage reproduction is top-notch, with the spatial dimension of the stage portrayed realistically by Alexia V. The stage presence is prominent, and Eva Cassidy’s vocal placement is accurately positioned in a clean background, making her singing appear lifelike as if she were performing indoors.

Playing Carol Kidd’s album “When I Dream” with the Alexia V and the emmLabs system, the female vocalist’s voice exhibits a strong sense of coherence, effectively conveying emotions with beautiful and affectionate tonality. The midrange performance of the entire system is exceptionally transparent, allowing the various background vocals to complement the main vocals.

When listening with closed eyes, the sense of being present at the live performance is evident, and it conveys a sense of the singer’s physical presence, interpreting the delicate female vocals with a touch of playfulness and mischief. In terms of balance, there is no emphasized amplification of the vocal articulation, presenting a strong sense of balance that brings a sense of realism to the listener and reveals the contours of the female singer. It expresses a relaxed emotional expression.

Switching to the NS1 streaming player and trying out the PCM files of Nils Lofgren’s album “Acoustic Live,” when paired with the emmLabs system, the Alexia V provides an extremely authentic sense of being present at the live performance and exudes a sense of “sophistication” emitted by this setup.

When playing “You,” it feels as if the singer is standing right in front of the equipment, with a lifelike representation of their mouth movements. The fast-paced acoustic guitar sound is transparent and penetrating, but this transparency is pleasing and not the type that makes the midrange overly dry or thin. The clear and transparent vocals carry a suitable sense of weight, with ample vocal thickness and excellent high-frequency extension. The entire system’s combination gives no impression of lag or slow response.

On the contrary, the sound showcases rock music’s rapid, passionate, rough, and authentic qualities. The separation of the singer’s voice is extremely impressive. Additionally, at the beginning and end of tracks, the live recording captures the audience’s cheers and screams, presenting an incredibly realistic live reproduction under the vast soundstage, making one feel as if they are in an “unplugged” solo performance, generating an inexplicable excitement and thrill that follows the rhythm.

Conclusion

The Wilson Audio Alexia V floor-standing speaker, as a representative of Wilson Audio from the United States, not only inherits the lineage and characteristics of Wilson Audio but also delivers even more abundant low-frequency performance in the form of a floor-standing speaker.

It provides users with an exhilarating speaker system and an immersive listening experience. The Alexia V has achieved perfection, whether it’s resolution, dynamic contrast, overall tonal balance across the frequency spectrum, or low-frequency stability and linearity.

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Wilson Audio Alexia V Specifications