Alexx is the fourth all-new loudspeaker from Wilson Audio in as many years. “It may be intuitive to assume the Alexx replaces the company’s MAXX, in that it is Wilson’s latest entry into the large speaker segment just below the Alexandria, but, in reality, the comparison with the MAXX begins and ends there. Instead, the Alexx is an altogether more complex and sophisticated loudspeaker” say the company.
Alexx incorporates Wilson’s latest thinking on loudspeaker design in the areas of time-domain geometry, driver configuration, and driver development. It is the latest beneficiary of Wilson’s ongoing analysis of low-resonance cabinet strategies via laser vibrometer and Alexx draws from both recent designs such as the Alexia and the Sabrina, as well as the WAMM—Dave Wilson’s up and coming “Magnum Opus”—with which it was developed concurrently.
All-new “MTM” Driver Geometry:
The “MTM” (Midrange-Tweeter-Midrange) geometry generally refers to a driver arrangement where two midrange drivers flank a tweeter vertically. Wilson has invariably employed a modular approach which the company say has several benefits, one being the ability to optimize the enclosure properties for each driver. The separate modules in the MTM can be made to be adjustable—both in terms of the relative position of each driver module one-to-another in the time domain, as well as having the ability to optimise each driver’s dispersion characteristics within the array.
Alexx’s midrange is divided between two different drivers, each covering a portion of the mid-band area. The seven-inch is the Wilson mid, first introduced in the Alexandria XLF. The 5.75-inch is the midrange driver most recently found in the Sabrina. The frequencies covered by the two drivers are therefore expanded upward, the two together covering a broader portion of the midrange. Each of the two drivers is optimised for the portion of the mid-band best suited to their strengths.
All-new Woofer Design:
The all-new ten-and-half-inch and twelve-and-a-half-inch woofers incorporated into the Alexx were first developed for the WAMM project and work together with Alexx’s ultra-low resonance woofer enclosure, which now features an angled baffle for better time-domain integration.
Adjustability of the Upper Modules in the Time Domain:
For the first time, a Wilson array features two stair steps, one for each of the two midrange modules. This allows for precise adjustment of both the time-alignment of the drivers, as well as the axis relationship of the driver to the listening position.
The adjustment mechanism of the lower mid module and the tweeter module and the tweeter is similar to what is found in the Alexia, and evolved from a similar system for the upcoming WAMM.
XLF (Cross-load Flow) Port System:
Alexx joins the Alexandria XLF with its ability to move the port to either the front or rear of the bass enclosure. While this does not change the anechoic behavior of Alexx in the deep bass, it does enable it to more seamlessly interface with a larger number of rooms. Typically, in bass-lossy rooms, the port will be located on the rear; within bass-heavy rooms, the port moves to the front of the enclosure.
Other Important Details:
The latest version of the Convergent Synergy Tweeter is deployed in the Alexx and in this configuration is crossed over slightly higher as a direct result of the concentric two-driver mid strategy.
The resistor plate, which contains the protection and tuning resistors, is now located on an upper bevel on the rear of the speaker enabling easy sight lines and access.
Price (U.S. MSRP)—$109,000.00 (pair)
