Wilson Audio Specialties Alexia V Loudspeaker

In my review of Wilson Audio’s Chrononsonic XVX in Issue 308 (September 2020) I wrote: “The XVX isn’t just a landmark for Wilson Audio; I believe that it is a landmark achievement in loudspeaker design.” That statement is even more true today than when I wrote it. Wilson’s flagship production speaker has become my reference standard and continues to impress even after more than three years of near-daily listening.

At the time, the XVX introduced more innovations than any other single product in Wilson Audio’s 42-year history. From an entirely new midrange driver to the in-house-built capacitors, to the “V” material that gives the XVX its name, to myriad other advances and refinements large and small, the XVX heralded a new era for Wilson.

But the XVX has two problems: It is too big for many rooms, and it is priced out of the reach of most music lovers.

Enter the Alexia V. The Alexia, of which there have been two generations before the new “V” reviewed here, sits just above the midpoint of the Wilson line, with the Alexx V and Chronosonic XVX above it and the Sasha (now the Sasha V), Yvette, and SabrinaX below it. Now the long-running Alexia has been given what I call the “V treatment”—a redesign informed by the materials and techniques developed for the XVX. Could the Alexia V bring the essence of what makes the XVX so special to a much wider range of living rooms and budgets? Although still premium-priced at $67,500, the Alexia V costs about one-fifth the XVX’s $349,000 price tag.

When the Alexia V was announced, and I looked more closely at its design and considered its mission, I decided that I was the ideal reviewer to assess this new speaker because of my long experience with the XVX. In addition, I could simply move the XVX out of my listening room and drop the Alexia V in its place. By driving both speakers with the same sources, cables, and electronics in the same room, I could take the Alexia V’s full measure, particularly how much of the XVX’s “DNA” made it into its little brother.

Wilson Audio’s Peter McGrath and Tyler Hall visited in early March to perform the swap. You can see a video of Peter and me with the XVX and the Alexia V before and after the swap on The Absolute Sound’s YouTube channel. While you’re on our YouTube channel, you’ll also find an in-depth tour of my listening room’s design and construction.

So, how are the XVX and Alexia V similar and different? The XVX is a four-way, seven-driver design with one 12.5″ woofer, one 10.5″ woofer, two 7″ lower midranges, one 4″ upper midrange, one forward-firing tweeter, and one upward-firing ambience tweeter. The Alexia V is a three way with 10″ and 8″ woofers, the same QuadMag 7″ midrange driver first used in the Chronosonic XVX, and the same Wilson Convergent Synergy Carbon tweeter developed for the $135k Alexx V (see Matt Clott’s review of the Alexx V in Issue 340).

The other primary difference between the XVX and the Alexia V is the sophistication of the time-alignment mechanism, realized in the XVX with four separate, individually adjustable enclosures and a precise and elaborate sled mechanism for ensuring time alignment between the drivers at the listening position to within 2 microseconds. The Alexia V’s is made from three enclosures, with the midrange and tweeter enclosures independently adjustable, but not to the same precision as the XVX.

And yet, I look at the Alexia V and see the culmination of Wilson Audio’s fundamental technologies, now taken to a new level with the advancements developed for the XVX. The Alexia V benefits from more than 30 areas of improvement over its predecessor, the Alexia Series 2. Most notably, the Alexia V incorporates the “game-changing” “V” material first used in the XVX, which inspired that speaker’s name. “V” material reportedly exhibits extraordinary damping properties, that, when deployed in strategic locations, results in a quieter cabinet. Specifically, the “V” material is positioned between the woofer enclosure and the midrange-tweeter section, isolating the upper enclosures from the woofer cabinet. It is also found within Wilson’s Acoustic Diode feet, which come standard with the Alexia V. The Acoustic Diodes were not yet developed when the XVX was first installed in my listening room, but I added them later, which allowed me to hear their effect independently of other variables. The Acoustic Diodes are a significant upgrade over Wilson’s standard feet, rendering cleaner attacks and more rapid decays that contribute to greater articulation and clarity.

But the star of the XVX, and now of the Alexia V, is the Wilson-developed QuadMag midrange driver. I think of this driver as the heart and soul of the XVX; it is, I believe, a major contributor to the XVX’s unparalleled sense of harmonic beauty through the midrange. The XVX’s midrange is soft and gentle, yet simultaneously highly resolving and lifelike. The resolution isn’t an “audiophile” type resolution in which details are prominently projected, but rather its resolution is in the way the driver reveals the richness and delicacy of instrumental harmonics with a subtlety and sophistication that elude so many other speakers. The midrange driver’s density of tone color is simply gorgeous and conveys a totally natural and lifelike sound rather than an artificial emphasis on upper midrange energy that produces a false sense of detail. I think of it as “musical resolution” rather than “sonic resolution.” The musical rewards of this type of presentation are profound; the XVX makes you instantly forget you are listening to a recreation rather than to music itself.

That same Wilson-designed midrange driver is now the foundation of the Alexia V. The midrange is named the QuadMag for its strategic array of four magnets. Interestingly, the magnets are not made of a rare-earth material but of classic Alnico (aluminum, nickel, and cobalt), which has been used for decades for driver magnets. The Convergent Synergy Carbon tweeter is also fairly new, making its first appearance last year in the $135,000 Alexx V. The tweeter’s rear-wave chamber is built in-house via 3D printing.

Not surprisingly, the Alexia V’s enclosure is made from a combination of materials, including Wilson’s long-standing “X” and “S” materials. Other improvements inspired by the XVX include in-house-made capacitors (first used in the XVX), an improved woofer port that increases laminar air flow, increased midrange and woofer enclosure volumes, and a host of other small refinements that add up to a significant improvement of the Alexia platform. This is a good place to mention that all Wilson speakers, from the SabrinaX to the WAMM, are built to the identical standard of quality and finish. The lower-priced speakers are simply scaled down in size, not in build or finish quality. Speaking of finish quality, the Alexia V is spectacular. Every element, down to the machined aluminum-and-glass panel that covers the rear-panel resistors is exquisitely realized. By now, it goes without saying that the paint quality is extraordinary—glass-like in smoothness and utterly flawless. Overall, the Alexia V is a beautiful and compelling package.

Listening

As mentioned, the Alexia V replaced the Chronosonic XVX in my listening room, driven by identical sources, electronics, and cables. My first impressions were that the XVX and Alexia V share many sonic characteristics but with the Alexia V sounding a bit more forward, incisive, and “extraverted.” The XVX is more subtle and refined, a little darker in tonal balance, and “bigger” sounding in every sense of that word, as would be expected considering the size difference.

Nonetheless, it was readily apparent that the two speakers were cut from the same cloth. This was particularly true in the bass, long a Wilson strength. Wilson speakers have been known for their powerful midbass energy and dynamic impact. But the latest generation of Wilson speakers, starting with the XVX, has taken that quality and elevated it to an entirely new level. The earlier generations of Wilson speakers had midbass power, but the low bass rolled off, and there was a discontinuity between different bass registers. In the XVX and now in the Alexia V (and other newer Wilson models), the visceral midbass authority is there but with greatly extended deep bass, much better resolution of tonal color, greatly improved pitch articulation, and more precise dynamic expression. In addition, the newer Wilson speakers seem to have a kind of “grip” in the way the woofers couple to the air in the room. The bass seems to lock in with a muscularity and authority that benefits any genre of music. This characteristic extends all the way to the bottom octave in a perfectly linear and seamless way. This linearity results in a greater continuousness in power, texture, articulation, and dynamics from the lowermost octave all the way up to where the bass blends seamlessly with the midband. The musical effect is profound; bass guitar generates visceral, whole-body involvement, and the way the kickdrum and bass guitar work together to create a “pocket” is simply sensational.

With the Alexia V, Wilson has brought this extraordinary bass performance to a smaller and more affordable speaker. Although the Alexia V doesn’t go quite as low or move as much air as the XVX, it has that unmistakable “grip” I mentioned, a powerful muscularity throughout the entire bass region (not just the midbass), density of tone color, pitch resolution, dynamics, and a continuousness from the low bass all the way up to the midrange. Moreover, the bass is perfectly balanced with the rest of the spectrum, with a satisfying fullness and weight that never veers into sounding overblown, thick, or excessively heavy.

To hear all these qualities in a single recording, listen to the superbly recorded solo acoustic bass of Brian Bromberg playing a rendition of “Blue Bossa” from his album Wood II. An entire track of solo bass may not be your thing, but the piece showcases the Alexia V’s thrilling combination of bass weight, tone color density, precise pitch definition, and dynamic articulation. As Bromberg exploits the instrument’s full expressive capabilities over its entire tonal and dynamic ranges, the Alexia V’s illusion of a large wooden instrument existing between the loudspeakers never wavers. The speaker follows every nuance of dynamic expression, articulates every transient, resolves pitch with aplomb, and sounds just as realistic in the instrument’s lowest register as in its highest. Another recording that showcases the Alexia V’s remarkable bass is the title track from Spirogyra’s 2009 album Down the Wire, written by the group’s bassist. This is some of the funkiest electric bass playing on record, with the Alexia V delivering a powerful rhythmic experience by virtue of the qualities I’ve just described. Orchestral performances are anchored with tonal solidity; the fabulous-sounding Arnold Overtures on Reference Recordings in 176/24 showcases the Alexia V’s ability to convincingly portray an orchestra’s bass section with tonal authenticity and texture. Another quality: The upper bass is so clean and fast that the transition to the midrange is seamless. This clarity in the upper bass allows the midrange to sound open and transparent. Speakers with thickness in the upper bass seem to cloud the entire midrange and reduce the impression of midrange transparency.

Although the Alexia V may not go as deep as the XVX, or have quite the same power and weight, the Alexia V’s bass is simply phenomenal in every way and fully satisfying. I’ve heard much larger and more expensive speakers that don’t deliver the bass performance that seems to come so easily to the Alexia V. Although I’ve been spoiled by the XVX’s unparalleled bass, I thought to myself after living with the Alexia V for a few months that I would be fully satisfied with the smaller speaker’s bottom end. Moreover, I never approached the Alexia V’s dynamic limits; even playing music with strong bass energy at high levels, the woofers exhibited no sign of strain.

It’s worth noting that Wilson’s approach to woofers is different from that of any other manufacturer. Wilson developed the disparate woofer-size method in 1992 with the X-1 Grand Slam and has been refining it ever since. In the very few speakers from other companies that use woofers of different sizes, each woofer is housed in its own enclosure. I don’t know the technical reason for Wilson’s approach, but the company seems to have discovered and exploited a different technique for superior bass reproduction.

With the Alexia V establishing a powerful tonal and rhythmic foundation, the speaker’s virtues continue with a beautifully rendered midrange and treble. As mentioned, the Alexia V’s mids and treble are a bit more forward and incisive compared to the XVX, yet the Alexia still exhibits the harmonic richness and warmth in the lower midrange that makes the XVX so involving. Brass and woodwind instruments have a full measure of weight and tonal density in their fundamentals and lower-order harmonics without the artificial emphasis on upper harmonics that can impart a metallic sheen to trumpet, saxophone, and the human voice. Yet despite the tonal smoothness, the Alexia V projects a strong sense of presence and of instruments existing between and around the loudspeakers. Listen, for example, to Samara Joy’s gorgeous voice and beautiful phrasing on the track “Two Hearts” from Terri Lynn Carrington’s Grammy-winning album New Standards, Vol.1. The comparisons by some jazz critics between this 22-year-old phenom and Ella are justified. Here, singing a ballad, Joy’s voice is pristine, crystal clear, and projected with a palpability and realism that are striking. The Alexia V adeptly expresses the exquisite texture of her voice and every nuance of her mature and sophisticated phrasing. The beautiful sax solo on this track also showcases the Alexia V’s lower-midrange warmth and texture, along with a smoothness and lack of glare in the upper midrange. The instrument has a tonal density that complements the mood of the track. In these respects, the Alexia V sounds very much like the Chronosonic XVX. The XVX, however, benefits from two midrange drivers, along with a two-way midrange in which a 4″ driver handles the upper end of the midrange for greater dynamic speed and steepness of attack. Nonetheless, the XVX’s harmonic beauty, clarity, and ability to project a realistic sense of palpability are readily apparent in the one-fifth-the-price Alexia V. And as everyone knows, the midrange is the heart of a speaker and where most of the music lives. I’ve always subscribed to J. Gordon Holt’s famous dictum: “If the midrange isn’t right, nothing else matters.”

Sharing the XVX’s QuadMag midrange driver with the Alexia V may also explain the Alexia V’s resolution of detail. Here, I’m talking not about the resolution of instrumental timbre described earlier, but rather the ability to hear individual instruments within the presentation. That is, the presentation of a soundstage composed of separate instruments, each one clearly articulated rather than congealed into confused homogeneity. In addition to sounding more like live music and less like a recreation, this quality makes a speaker more musically rewarding because it enables one to shift his attention from one instrument to another and to hear each instrument as a separate entity within the whole. A good example is the track “Elucidation” on Like Minds by Gary Burton, Chick Corea, Pat Metheny, Dave Holland, and Roy Haynes. Each of these virtuoso musicians is always playing something interesting, whether soloing or accompanying a soloist. The Alexia V allowed me to fully hear each musician’s contribution.

The Alexia V doesn’t have quite the same speed as the XVX—as noted, the latter features a two-way midrange implemented with dual QuadMag 7″ drivers and a 4″ upper-midrange driver. That smaller midrange provides the initial transient speed to deliver the “pop” of a drumstick hitting the drumhead or the steep attacks of percussion transients that bring them to life. But that state-of-the-art performance doesn’t diminish the Alexia V’s achievement in rendering an absolutely thrilling reproduction of the drum kit and the concomitant musical rewards of such an upbeat, rhythmically powerful, and propulsive presentation. This transient “pop” on drums combines synergistically with the powerful and well-defined bass to provide the sense of rhythmic propulsion I’ve been describing. A friend recently introduced me to reggae, a musical genre that I never responded to. But after listening to some classics of the genre, attending a reggae festival, and seeing the venerable band Steel Pulse live twice, I developed a newfound appreciation for the music. Moreover, the music has a unique rhythmic feel that is easily diluted by a loudspeaker. But listening to Steel Pulse’s classic album True Democracy through the Alexia V provided another perspective on the exceptional way the Wilson conveys body-motivating rhythmic expression, along with its addictive combination of bass weight and speed.

It’s interesting that after a period in which it appeared that tweeter domes made from progressively harder materials such as diamond and beryllium were poised to displace older soft-dome designs, many cost-no-object speakers are sticking with—or returning to—soft domes. In theory, hard metal domes have an advantage in that the frequency at which they “break up” (become non-pistonic) is much higher than that of soft domes. And yet, soft dome tweeters seem to have a more relaxed and natural character. That is an overgeneralization; there are superb speakers that use metal-dome tweeters. Many years ago, when I visited Wilson Audio to preview David Wilson’s magnum opus, the WAMM, David showed me a large array of raw tweeters of various designs and materials. He had measured and listened to every one of them in designing the WAMM and told me that the tweeter’s cost was not an object for this statement of his life’s work. Then he showed me the soft dome tweeter he’d chosen for the WAMM and explained why he picked it over metal dome units. Since then, Wilson has developed its own soft dome tweeter employing an elaborate rear chamber behind the dome that Wilson manufactures in-house on a 3D printer.

Although the Alexia V’s treble sounds a bit more forward to me than that of the XVX, it has a smoothness and ease that foster a sense of relaxation and involvement. As with the midrange, the Alexia V’s top end has beautiful resolution without calling attention to itself. Rather, it blends seamlessly into the musical fabric without sounding like a separate component of the music, as is often heard from lesser loudspeakers.

Conclusion

I hope that my comparisons between the $349,000 Chronosonic XVX and $67,500 Alexia V are not viewed as invidious. My intent was to put the Alexia V’s performance in context with the reference-grade speaker from which much of its design was derived. Indeed, viewed from this perspective, the Alexia V is a triumph. It brings many of the virtues of the XVX to a smaller and more affordable loudspeaker, making lots of that reference speaker’s special qualities available to a larger number of music lovers. Chief among these virtues is the Alexia V’s spectacular bass performance. The Alexia V struck the perfect balance, delivering powerful weight and muscularity yet never sounding thick or overblown. This combination of power and finesse was musically rewarding. The Alexia V’s “grip” and ability to pressurize the room with a tuneful and resolved bottom end established a compelling foundation for the speaker’s many other qualities. Although not as refined as that of the XVX, the Alexia V’s midrange nonetheless shares with the XVX the sense of harmonic beauty and warmth that is one of the Chronosonic’s defining features. This smoothness and ease extend to an upper octave that resolves real musical information without a metallic edge. Finally, every detail of the Alexia V’s design and build exudes the highest level of quality and craftsmanship.

Some readers object to the very existence of a $350,000 speaker like the Chronosonic XVX. But because there is a market for cutting-edge designs that allow designers to push the boundaries of what’s possible in music reproduction, the technologies developed for cost-no-object products can trickle down into more accessible offerings that a greater number of people can enjoy. The Alexia V is the very embodiment of that idea.

Specs & Pricing

Type: Three-way dynamic loudspeaker
Driver complement: 10″ and 8″ woofers, one 7″ midrange, one 1″ tweeter
Loading: Rear ported
Frequency response:19Hz–33kHz ±3dB (room average response)
Sensitivity: 90dB 1W/1m @1kHz
Impedance: 4 ohms, 2.59 ohms minimum (at 84Hz)
Dimensions: 15.75″ x 51″ x 24.25″
Weight: 265 lbs. each net
Price: $67,500 (in standard finishes)

WILSON AUDIO
2233 Mountain Vista Lane
Provo, Utah 84606
(801) 377-2233
wilsonaudio.com

Associated Equipment
Analog source: Basis Audio A.J. Conti Transcendence turntable with SuperArm 12.5 tonearm; Air Tight Opus cartridge; Moon 810LP phonostage; DS Audio ST-50 stylus cleaner, Levin record brush, Degritter ultrasonic LP cleaner
Digital source: Wadax Reference DAC, Wadax Reference Server, Wadax Reference PSU, Wadax Akasa Reference DC Power Cables, UpTone Audio EtherREGEN Ethernet switch
Amplification: CH Precision L10 Dual Monaural linestage; CH Precision M10 Dual Monaural power amplifiers
AC Power: Shunyata Everest 8000 conditioner, Shunyata Omega and Sigma NR V2 power cords; Shunyata AC outlets, five dedicated 20A lines wired with identical length 10AWG
Support: Critical Mass Systems Olympus equipment racks and Olympus amplifier stands; Center Stage² isolation, Ayra Audio RevOpods isolation
Cables: AudioQuest Dragon interconnects, AudioQuest Dragon Zero and Dragon Bass loudspeaker cables
Grounding: Shunyata Altaira system
Accessories: The Chord Company GroundArray noise reduction
Acoustics: Acoustic Geometry Pro Room Pack 12, ASC 16″ Round Tube Traps
Room: Purpose-built; Acoustic Sciences Corporation Iso-Wall System