Wilson Audio • SabrinaX Loudspeakers

by Mark Blackmore | August 8, 2022

© www.theaudiobeat.com

My introduction to Wilson Audio’s original Sabrina loudspeaker came during the 2016 Consumer Electronics Show. The Audio Beat reviewer Vance Hiner and I were visiting the VTL room to write our show reports on the company's newest offerings. VTL’s Bea Lam was spinning her favorite vinyl selections, and the speakers used to demonstrate the electronics were the Sabrinas. I remember thinking that this was a great pairing of electronics, speakers and music, and I didn’t want to leave the room. After many joyful minutes, Vance turned to me and said, “Audiophiles should just buy this system and go home.” He and I still use that phrase, “go home,” to indicate when a product is just so good that the continuing search for better can be considered over.

Now, six years later, I have the new SabrinaX playing in my living room. Would this experience be another “go home” moment? Superficially, there are few visible differences between the original Sabrina and the new SabrinaX, but looks are certainly deceiving. This new iteration may indeed be one of the best trickle-down products in audio; almost every aspect of this design is upgraded and uses shared technology from other, more expensive models in the Wilson line.

As the “X” addition to the name implies, all cabinet surfaces use Wilson’s ultra-dense and non-resonant X-Material, an upgrade from the original’s use for just the front baffle and bottom panel. A quick knuckle rap on any surface yields a dull “thunk” with no apparent resonance. All the internal parts have been upgraded, almost as if Daryl Wilson and his team of engineers went to the parts bin and selected their best high-performance parts for this modestly sized speaker. The SabrinaX's tweeter is the same drive unit originally developed for the WAMM Master Chronosonic and which is used for the Chronosonic XVX and Sasha DAW. The single 5 3/4" midrange is used as the upper-midrange driver in the new Alexx V. Handling the bass range is a single 8" woofer that was developed for the Sasha DAW. Capacitors are now upgraded to Wilson’s own in-house-manufactured parts.

The cabinet vents in the back through an aluminum port extending almost 8" into the cabinet. Below the port are new binding posts, originally developed and launched with the Sasha DAW and used for the Chronosonic XVX and Alexx V and which accommodate 4mm banana plugs. This change will please those opting for the convenience of bananas with stiff, unwieldy speaker cables. Wilson Audio also indicates that the posts are now also easier to use for spade terminations. One visual change is the 4 3/4" by 3/4" slotted vent near the top of the cabinet’s rear face, instead of the round port used for the original Sabrina. That vent is stuffed with an acoustic foam to release internal air pressure from the midrange chamber, reminding me of Dynaudio’s Variovent system from the past.

Finally, the heavier SabrinaX (112 pounds, up from 94 pounds) is coupled to the floor with Wilson Audio Diodes, which predate the Acoustic Diode isolation footers included with Wilson’s larger speakers. The wide base of the Diode allows for good coupling to the bottom of the speaker, and the Diode’s spikes are easily adjustable for leveling the SabrinaX on the floor.

Due to scheduling conflicts, Wilson Audio’s Peter McGrath was not available to do the setup when the speakers arrived, but he would come later on, after I had done my best at positioning the speakers in my room. In preparation, I watched the video on the Wilson Audio Setup Procedure (WASP), which features the late David Wilson, and also read about the process in the review of the Chronosonic XVX. The WASP method uses someone's speaking voice to locate the “zones of neutrality” that define the areas in the room best suited for speaker placement. Because my room reflections are well controlled by Zanden acoustic panels, I found it helpful to have a second set of ears at the listening position to hear when my voice became clearer. The entire process took only twenty minutes. There wasn’t a pressing need to spend more time dialing in the SabrinaX, because Peter would be in my listening room in a few weeks to double-check my work and do the final positioning.

It turns out that I was quite close to the final positions in the room and had a fun two weeks of non-critical listening before the fine-tuning. Although I was consciously trying to avoid prejudging the SabrinaX based on my initial setup, certain aspects of their sound became immediately apparent. These speakers have lightning-fast transients, similar to those of the horn tweeter of my Altec Valencia, coupled with energetic, propulsive bass, reaching far lower than the Altec speakers could ever muster. Wilson Audio’s recording of the bass-drum whacks on “Liberty Fanfare” from Winds of War and Peace [Wilson Audio WCD-8823] was stupendous, shaking the listening room, and the opening bass drum and tom-toms of Montrose’s “Rock Candy” (Montrose [Warner Brothers/Audio Fidelity AFZ 028]) had all the power and punch I’d expect from this testosterone-laced rock anthem. One unexpected sonic trait was that the Wilsons made the soundstage blacker, much like a better phono stage or cartridge might. Having a speaker exhibit a lower noise floor in my listening room was a first for me.

When McGrath finally arrived, he asked to hear how the system was sounding and thought my efforts on placement were close -- maybe 85% correct. The first step in dialing in the speakers involved two tape measures, ensuring that measurements from the back wall would be consistent as we moved the speakers forward and back. A helpful tip was to use masking tape to hold the tape measures in place during the process so an errant foot wouldn’t move the tape. With a set of Wilson’s Way sliders, it was easy to adjust each speaker's distance from the wall. While listening to a Christy Moore track, McGrath assessed the changes and assigned a value to the change using a numbered grid system he had drawn on a legal pad. The idea was to get the bass and midbass timing correct so that the sound of the upright bass took on body and soundstage precision. At first, the sound was shouty and the bass was a bit loose and amorphous, but each small adjustment brought the sound closer to what he was looking for. As he said, “We have to get the demons out of the room.” I was surprised how quickly we were able to find the correct spots. After thirty minutes of moving the speakers forward and back, sometimes only a quarter of an inch at a time, we found the best positions for them in my living room.

Now happy with the setup, McGrath spent the rest of the day playing his personal recordings and choice demo material from his laptop through a Denafrips Iris digital converter, feeding Vance Hiner’s dCS Bartók DAC on loan for the setup period. Many music selections were from recent chamber-music performances (one was recorded just four days before his visit), and the sound was improved by his setup expertise in a number of ways.

With the positions in the room finalized, the SabrinaX was transparent to changes in front-end components, amplifiers and wiring, as well as microphone placement used by recording engineers. The speakers intensified the differences between my solid-state, push-pull and SET amps. Each amp is good in its own right, and I don’t have strong opinions on which is best or most tonally correct. This one aspect might make the SabrinaX a perfect reviewer’s speakers, because each change was easily noticeable and repeatable. McGrath’s demonstrations of MQA vs. native-resolution recordings were enlightening and, in this case, his MQA files were preferred, having rounder images with more natural timbres. I cannot imagine anyone failing to hear the differences.

Through the SabrinaX, absolute-phase switching on the dCS Mosaic app was similarly revealing. I wasn’t always convinced which polarity setting was correct, but the change was always easy to hear. I must admit that polarity changes make significant differences on some recordings, and I’ll miss this feature on the app when the Bartók has to go back to its owner.

The increased clarity of the SabrinaX enhanced my amplifiers' resolution and impact. Despite being almost forty years old, my Conrad-Johnson MV52 sounded fresh and vibrant. My (only somewhat less vintage) BAT VK60 sounded even richer and creamier than normal, with improved layering of images in the soundstage. My Innersound ESL amp sounded better than ever when playing the Wilson speakers, another welcome development. It’s a bit disconcerting to think that these amps exhibit a higher level of performance through the SabrinaX than I have previously experienced using my own speakers. I had worried that my aging electronics might be a weak link in my system; now it is apparent that they are still competitive, but my own speakers are less so, particularly when compared to what was possible with the SabrinaX.

Many of Peter McGrath’s files were of solo piano, and it was abundantly clear that the SabrinaX was an excellent choice for listening to piano recordings. The consistency of tone in the lower registers of the piano was a standout. Scales and arpeggios in the left hand showed no signs of bloat or ripening and seemed very close to the sound of a live piano. Also, the SabrinaX had no issues handling the dynamic swings of close-miked piano and refused to harden the sound, even at louder-than-live volume levels. After one particularly vigorous recording of Chopin, Peter grinned and reminded me that “Piano is a percussion instrument.” The Wilsons were also revealing of microphone preferences and even piano manufacturers. My piano-professor colleagues would have little trouble hearing the differences among Steinway, Bösendorfer and Yamaha pianos when listening to recordings through the SabrinaX.

Comparing McGrath’s piano files to Glenn Gould’s 1981 version of Bach’s Goldberg Variations [CBS Masterworks MK37779] showed the LP to be equally propulsive, with a good sense of felt hammers striking the strings of his piano. Gould's humming along with the melody was set farther back from the piano’s sound, but it was also easier to hear and floated like a ghostly image behind the intimately recorded piano. For those listeners who are irritated by Gould’s singing, the SabrinaX will make this recording artifact even more intrusive, due to its increased clarity and precise image placement. But it's on the recording, so there's not much one can do other than accept it.

Every Wilson speaker I’ve heard had excellent bass, coupled with the impression of unlimited dynamic range, and the SabrinaX was no exception. What's surprising is how much performance Wilson manages to coax out of this small floorstanding speaker. “Albo Gator” from Michael Brooks’ Albino Alligator [Qobuz, 16-bit/44.1kHz stream] is a perfect track to show off the unexpected dynamic power of the SabrinaX. The song starts off with some wheezing harmonica chords, and just when you think there’s nothing special about the track, a massive gong shakes the room with waves of reverberations. Shortly after the gong dies down the track treats you to some low bass that is almost subwoofer-like in its depth and power. All of this came from a single 8" woofer! Visitors shook their heads in disbelief at hearing how effortlessly the Wilsons could handle the subterranean bass notes of this odd recording.

An inside joke amongst my audiophile group is to ask “Is this speaker is a Bad Boy?” referring to Billie Elish’s tune from her album When We All Fall Asleep, Where Do We Go? [Qobuz, 24-bit/44.1kHz stream]. Given enough amplifier power, the SabrinaX could transform this silly little tune into a full-frontal assault. The rear port had a lot of air pumping, and I even could detect a bit of air from the midrange vent. While the Wilsons did justice to heavy synth bass lines, their playback of acoustic bass guitar was equally good. “Birds” by Dominique Fils-Aimé, from Nameless [Qobuz, 24-bit/88.2kHz stream], starts with an upright bass so closely miked that you feel like your ears are inside the body of the instrument. Pitch definition, the wooden-body resonance, and string/fingerboard slaps were about as good as I’ve ever heard in my listening room. The slaps, snaps and jingles accompanying the bass have some unusual reverb manipulations, circling toward the middle of the soundstage, then snapping back to the speaker. Due to the SabrinaX's resolution, I felt like I was hearing exactly what the recording engineer, Jacques Roy, intended, with no smearing or hangover to mar the sound.

For a different side of the SabrinaX's bass, try Tord Gustavsen’s new ECM album Opening [Qobuz, 24-bit/96kHz stream]. The second track, “Findings,” has the typical ECM sense of space and atmosphere, but Jarle Vespestad’s drum set is particularly realistic. The toms are arrayed across the entire front wall and have pinpoint imaging. While the SabrinaX was the ideal speaker for piano, its reproduction of a drum set was nearly as strong. Each tom hit was a series of distinct events: head strike, head resonance, drum-body resonance and finally the room acoustic.

Vocals on the Nameless album bring up a point to be made about the midrange. Dominique’s voice is processed to be upfront in the mix and has a touch of tinniness, or maybe a slight shoutiness. The SabrinaX faithfully reproduced that effect, so if you like a lot of modern pop recordings that have similar qualities, then be sure to bring your favorite albums to audition. This is not a speaker that will flatter the sound of poor recordings, nor will it sweeten or fatten the vocal range. Its overall tonal balance leans toward the mellow side of neutral, but its transparency can be somewhat ruthless with poor recordings.

The soundstage presented by the SabrinaX was both wide and surprisingly tall for a smallish speaker, with good depth on many recordings. Jose Carreras’s Misa Criolla, by Ariel Ramirez, [Philips 420 955-2] is known for being beautifully recorded, with a great sense of acoustic space. In the beginning of the “Kyrie,” softly beaten drums light up the acoustic signature of the hall (Santuario de la Bien Aparecida). With the SabrinaX, for the first time I could hear slap echo in the hall, suggesting a larger recording venue. As the choir enters, I heard individual voices as they either blended with or stuck out from the chorus. And when Carreras enters, his voice emerged between the speakers, floating above the sound of the chorus. I was reminded why I love this performance, and the Wilsons transported me to the venue.

One aspect of the soundstage representation took a bit of getting used to and that centered on image size. Janos Starker’s Bach Suites for Solo Cello [Mercury 432 756-2], on large panel speakers, like my Innersound Eros, or vintage speakers, like my Altec Valencia, which use big paper-cone woofers with Alnico magnets, presented the central image of the cello as huge. When listening to that recording, I was reminded of the scene from The Wizard of Oz, when Dorothy first meets the Wizard only, to see a large floating head. With either the Valencia or Eros speakers, the sound of Starker’s cello emphasized the woodiness of the body, the rosined bow across the strings, and the impression of being on stage, sitting very close to the performer. With the SabrinaX, Starker was farther back on the stage, with the perceived listening position being in the audience, and the cello was more compact. I am positive that the Wilson version of this recording is more accurate, but it does not have the wow factor of my usual speakers. I grew to enjoy this accuracy, but it did take some time to adjust to the speaker’s tighter center image. Ultimately, I found the SabrinaX’s soundstage performance compelling and accurate.

In a pre-review phone call, Daryl Wilson and I discussed some of the mythology that surrounds his company's speakers -- i.e., that they are finicky or fussy about room placement and they are difficult loads for amplifiers. Let’s address the first myth as it pertains to the SabrinaX. I have never used the WASP method before, yet I was able to get the speakers unpacked and sounding good in less than thirty minutes. Knowing that I would have a company representative coming to the house meant that I didn’t need to sweat the smallest details, but I certainly had good listening sessions with just a small amount of effort. Once Peter McGrath spent about thirty more minutes refining the positioning, we had a large soundstage with plenty of bass reinforcement and a clear center image. A good analogy might be taking an extra moment or two to adjust the focus of an SLR camera. Instead of finicky, I prefer to say that the SabrinaX is revealing, bringing better sound as you improve the placement in the room.

Regarding the second myth, some Wilson models might require a robust amplifier to sound their best, but that was not the case with the SabrinaX. McGrath suggested that prospective owners of the SabrinaX may already own a wonderful amplifier and front-end that will work nicely. I was able to enjoy a wide variety of music with an equally wide range of amplifiers. The Conrad-Johnson MV52 only produces 45Wpc and has never been known as a powerhouse, yet it was a fine match with the SabrinaX as long as I didn’t try to play at rock-concert levels. The BAT VK60 has roughly 36Wpc available from its parallel 6C33 tubes, yet it ended up being my favorite amp with the SabrinaX, even if it softened the bass somewhat. I was pleased by the sound using my Innersound ESL amp, which is unfazed by low-impedance loads and is rated at 300Wpc into 8 ohms or 600Wpc into 4 ohms. But, in the end, my heart belonged to both tube amps’ richer tone and smoothness.

All these years later, I have no aural recollection of my first listening experience with the original Wilson Sabrina, but I do have a vivid memory of how the speakers made me feel during the listening session in the VTL room. They portrayed music with calm authority, complete control and pleasing musicality. This newest version strikes me as considerably more energetic, like a high-performance supercar waiting to be pushed to the limits. The SabrinaX combines excellent dynamic punch with startling transparency in a beautifully engineered package. Even more than the original, I think, the SabrinaX is a speaker to purchase and then “go home.”

Associated Equipment

Room treatment: Zanden Audio AP-1 panels.

© www.theaudiobeat.com