The Wilson Sasha V is an exceptional loudspeaker. Its looks inspire pride; it’s built with a combination of finesse and battleship sturdiness; and it sounds terrific no matter what you play through it. A speaker like this doesn’t just happen. Rather, it’s the end result of meticulous evolution (Daryl Wilson calls it “distilled evolution”) and state-of-the-art R&D. Indeed, like a gifted human child, the Wilson Sasha V is the beneficiary of not one but two distinct sets of first-rate genes.

The first set hails from the Big Daddy of the Wilson line, the flagship $369k Chronosonic XVX, which happens to be Robert Harley’s reference speaker. As Robert pointed out in his recent review of the Wilson Alexia V, much of the XVX’s elite DNA has found its way into other models with the ‘V’ designation. The Sasha V is the latest recipient.

These are no mere trickle-down tweaks. The $51k Sasha V inherits the mighty Chronosonic’s QuadraMag midrange and Convergent Synergy Carbon silk-dome tweeter, which debuted in the Alexx V. As if that weren’t enough, other hand-me-downs include in-house developed capacitors that are copper-wound to an incredible 0.2% tolerance (the industry standard is 5—not 0.5—percent), Wilson’s Acoustic Diode feet, and upgraded binding posts. As in the XVX, all crossover wiring is point-to-point and hand-twisted to maintain precise inductance values.

Needless to say, the Sasha V also incorporates Wilson’s latest “V” material. This substance is not an enclosure material. That remains the so-called “X” material. Rather, “V” is a highly effective dampening material. In the Sasha V, it is placed between the lower (woofer) and upper (mid/high) modules, yielding better isolation of the two.

So, what features didn’t the Sasha V inherit from the XVX? Basically, there are three. The first is the ability to independently time-align each driver with respect to ear height and the listener’s distance from the speakers. Every Wilson speaker from the Alexia V on up has this capability. One reason the Sasha V is less expensive than those bigger brothers is that the tweeter and midrange units are housed in the same module. The module itself can be time-optimized with respect to the woofer module, which is more than most non-Wilson speakers can boast, but it’s still less precise than what the higher-priced models offer. (In Wilson’s offerings below the Sasha V, all drivers share a single enclosure, so there is no equivalent time-domain optimization.)

If you’re one of those people who don’t believe that time alignment—let alone to this degree of specificity—is sonically significant, I’d encourage you to attend a demo at a Wilson dealer or an audio show. There, a representative can do for you what Peter McGrath did for me in my home during setup of the Sasha V. After we got the speaker dialed in and sounding exemplary, Peter changed the upper-module alignment setting by a single click—a tiny fraction of an inch. Immediately, all the magic we had taken pains (and hours) to achieve—the precise imaging, the tonal balance, the dynamic nuance—just collapsed. To be sure, the higher-end Wilsons afford even more precise optimization, but I never noticed any lack of the things timing optimization brings when I was using the Sasha V.

By the way, setting up the Sasha V proved straightforward, mostly because the speaker is so revealing of the effects of small changes. The speakers ended up fairly close to the wall behind them—certainly no imposition on the listening room—and relatively far apart. The optimal toe-in had the listening sweet spot almost on-axis with the drivers. Combine this out-of-the-way position with the Sasha V’s immaculate finish, choice of colors, and modest dimensions, and you’ve got a transducer that will not only fit in but also enhance any room décor.

The other feature found in larger Wilsons that is missing in the Sasha V is staggered woofer sizes. Like its bigger brothers, the Sasha V has dual woofers. But here they are the same size (8″), where, in the higher-priced models, Wilson uses different-sized woofers to spread out resonant frequencies. I’m sure the technique works; on the other hand, as you’ll see, I had no complaints about the Sasha V’s bass.

The third feature is the XVX’s two-way, three driver midrange array. Obviously, due to its physical size constraints, the Sasha V cannot replicate this array. Still, as with the features above, I had zero complaints about the Sasha V’s midrange performance.

And that’s about it. Other than those three features, the Sasha V is essentially a scaled-down Chronosonic XVX.

As for the second set of genes that has shaped and informed the Sasha V, these come not from a higher model but from a much older one: the WATT/Puppy. For those not familiar with this legendary speaker, it was born in 1989 out of the need to add bass octaves to Wilson’s groundbreaking WATT (Wilson Audio Tiny Tot) high-resolution studio monitor.

In the initial design, just like in today’s Sasha V, the upper module (the WATT) sat atop the bass cabinet, called a “puppy” because it’s a small “woof-er.” (Get it?) Then, as now, the two units were connected by jumper cables (the “Puppy tail”) to form a single, full-range floorstander. These days, though, the crossover inhabits the bass module, so the upper module cannot be run independently like the WATT could. Then, as now, there was a 1″ tweeter, a 7″ midrange, and a pair of 8″ woofers. As you can see, the basic genetic code of the Sasha V has been in place for a long time.

An instant hit, the W/P evolved and improved through no fewer than eight generations. Wilson’s obsession with controlling resonances and vibrations was apparent from the beginning. For instance, from 1986 to 2004, the enclosures were made of Corian with lead ingots. Over the years, a steady flow of materials research led to thicker enclosures and, eventually, to the letter-designated proprietary materials of today’s Wilsons. Meanwhile, everything from binding posts to internal bracing saw similar upgrades.

In 1999, Wilson’s second obsession, timing, came to the fore in the W/P design. The W/P Series 6 was the first model in the W/P Series to permit adjustment of the upper module. The techniques for doing so also evolved over time, allowing for greater range and precision. Wilson changed the name to Sasha when it made the top module inseparable (though still adjustable) from the bottom. The Sasha, too, has gone through a series of enhancements, most recently as the Sasha DAW, which many of us thought would be the ultimate incarnation of the WATT/Puppy concept. We were wrong.

As good as the Sasha DAW was—and it was incredibly good—the Sasha V is a much-improved speaker, thanks to the “V” material and everything else I’ve noted that the new speaker inherited from the XVX. Which brings us full circle. In a sense, the WATT/Puppy and its descendants got us to the Sasha DAW, while the Chronosonic XVX took us the rest of the way to today’s Sasha V.

Prodigy

The Sasha V’s fortuitous genetic confluence pays off in performance that can scarcely be faulted. The speaker does virtually everything brilliantly. The highs are extended, refined, and never sharp or edgy. The mids are rich and richly resolved, while bass is astonishingly deep, punchy, and tuneful. If you’re sitting in the sweet spot, you get fantastic imaging. Off-center imaging isn’t bad, either, but there’s definitely some magic in that center position.

Dynamics are huge. You don’t have to play the Sasha V at high volumes to experience its dynamic and timbral resolution, but you can if you want to. And you can do so without fear of damage—except perhaps to your ears or neighborly relations. I confirmed this when, in honor of the Sasha V’s ancestry, I pulled out the Wilson Audiophile LP Center Stage, which contains a marvelous recording of John Williams’ “Olympic Fanfare.” I cranked the volume to 11 and was rewarded by being scared out of my wits when the bass drums were thwacked.

About that bass. The Sasha V has spoiled me for other speakers. It’s not simply a matter of power and extension, though both are present in spades. The Wilson’s bass is delicate when it needs to be, meaty when called for, and exceedingly revealing of timbral information. For instance, the speaker conveys the body of acoustic bass instruments more convincingly than I’ve ever heard in my system.

Overall, the Sasha V is the kind of speaker that makes every record, CD, or streamed track new again. You read this claim in many reviews, but in living with this speaker for several months, I truly came to feel that I hadn’t fully experienced a piece of music until I’d played it through the Wilsons.

For example, and in further remembrance of WATT/Puppies of yore, I decided to play an old audiophile standard: Cyndee Peters’ haunting rendition of “House of the Rising Sun” (Black is the Color, Opus 3). Through the Sasha V, the track is mesmerizing. The myriad percussive embellishments come at you like sharp projectiles. Yet Peters’ voice has the cool, natural quality that, on the best systems, also distinguishes this track.

Going back even further, to Sonny Rollins’ classic Way Out West, the Wilsons gave the sax realistic bite but not a hint of sharpness. Dynamics floored me. Meanwhile, the acoustic bass was clean and spot-on pitch-wise, while the instrument’s mass and “chestiness” came through with uncommon clarity.

Through the Sasha V, rhythms are driving and infectious. Radiohead’s “Reckoner,” for instance, is explosive. Yet nothing gets jumbled, and the speaker never sounds confused. No doubt this is because percussive elements are exactly where they belong in time.

A great speaker shouldn’t just sound good, of course; the music it plays should touch you. This happened over and over again in my time with the Sasha V. The second movement of the Ralph Vaughn Williams Sea Symphony gave me chills. Sufjan Stevens’ “Ascension” moved me deeply. In short, with the Sasha V I knew I would hear all the sonic details and all the emotion of the track I was playing. Chalk it up to the aforementioned dynamics and also to the Wilson’s ability to convey distinctly each and every musical line.

I also listened to Peter Gabriel’s intriguing new album, i/o. Because of my experience with familiar material, I listened to the unfamiliar i/o knowing that I was hearing every Easter egg detail, every dollop of bass, all the timbral information, the full measure of each dynamic peak and every emotional nuance of Gabriel’s surprisingly plaintive singing. Further, there was nothing untoward about the sound to distract from the emotional connection. To listen to the Sasha V is to listen with confidence that you’re getting all that’s there, and nothing else.

To my mind, there is just one factor that might tempt me to rationalize a larger Wilson like the Alexia V: those speakers can portray large-scale works in a way the Sasha V can’t quite, simply because they are larger. The Sasha V’s soundstage is sizable in terms of depth and width. But it does not extend very far upward above the listening plane. This isn’t particularly noticeable in real-world listening; but if you move to a bigger Wilson, you’ll hear the difference. This was the only blemish I could find in the Sasha V’s otherwise flawless resume.

Conclusion

With its commanding looks, impeccable build-quality, and remarkable sound, the Wilson Audio Sasha V clearly didn’t emerge out of the blue. Rather, it’s the product of a lengthy and deliberate evolution—one of the longest in all of audio—as well as cutting-edge modern advancements. No doubt about it, the speaker’s got good genes. To me, the Sasha V is the sweet spot in the Wilson lineup. Fifty-thousand dollars is a lot of money for a speaker, but it’s a price point at which near-perfection is possible in a way that eludes less expensive speakers. The Sasha V is highly recommended to anyone looking for a speaker in this price and quality class.

Specs & Pricing

Type: 3-way ported floorstander
Drivers: 2x 8″ woofer, 7″ midrange, 1″ tweeter
Impedance: 4 ohms nominal
Power requirement: 25W min.
Sensitivity: 88dB 1w/1m at 1kHz
Frequency response: 20Hz–32KHz
Dimensions: 14 ¹/₂” x 45 ¹/₁₆” w/o spikes x 23 ¹⁵/₁₆”
Weight: 245 lbs. each
Price: $51,000 (more for some finishes)

Associated Equipment
Analog source: Lyra Etna cartridge, Goldmund Studietto turntable, Graham 2.2 tonearm
Digital source: Bryston BCD-3 CD player
Electronics: CH Precision I1 universal amplifier (phonostage, DAC, streamer, linestage, power amplifier)
Speaker: Metaphor 1
Cables and cords: Empirical Design
Room treatment: ASC Tube Traps
Footers: Goldmund Cones