The Wilson Audio SabrinaX loudspeaker has just been released. Will Sabrina’s youngest daughter put a blush on Audrey Hepburn’s face?
The time had finally come for Wilson Audio’s chief engineer, Daryl Wilson, to to upgrade the classic Sabrina loudspeaker, the obvious question was how to improve a speaker that already was loved for its supreme musicality? The first thought was to preserve its affability and intrinsic listenability. This led him to draw from Wilson Audio’s latest project, the Chronosonic XVX. His most imperative stipulation was to bring forth greater musicality-while simultaneously improving transient speed, resolution, and transparency.
With the now obvious choice of incorporating many of the Chronsonic XVS loudspeakers attributes, the DNA of this new Wilson Audio speaker system, which is readily available through the entire Wilson Audio line has finally come to fruition. Completing this excursion, Wilson is bringing some of their finest innovations from the WAMM, XVS, Sasha DAW and the Alexa Series-2 down to their new entry-level Wilson Audio SabrinaX loudspeaker.
OVERVIEW
The SabrinX-Material has long been the cornerstone of Wilson’s composite technology. In its third iteration, X-Material remains unbeatable for its rigidity, inertness, intrinsic damping, and extreme hardness. For this reason, Wilson Audio’s engineers deploy X-Material in several different applications throughout Wilson’s model lineup The original Sabrina utilized X-Material only in its baffle and lower spike plate. Now, Sabrina’s outer enclosure is constructed entirely from X-Material. (X–Material is a high-pressure composite of mineral, polymer, carbon, and paper) is very monotonic with a resonance of approximately 1.2kHz)
The SabrinaX cabinet comes that much closer to the near-‘silent ideal’ Wilson has relentlessly pursued for decades. “The music emerges through SabrinaX from a blacker background. Bass transients and overall clarity are vastly improved. Listeners will hear superior “silence between the notes,” which, among other factors, enhances SabrinaX’s rhythmic timing and pace.”
Along with its new bracing system the speaker augments all the above qualities by further reducing cabinet-born resonances. Like all modern Wilson loudspeakers, the engineers meticulously utilized laser vibrometry in an exhaustive exploration of the best cabinet geometries.
Similar to those designed for the XVX’s midrange modules, a new low-turbulence vent replaces the aluminum unit used in the older model. The vent is milled directly into its X-Material enclosure. The intrinsic strength of X-Material makes complex vent shapes possible, which improves the musicality and the overall sonic presentation in the midrange.
Enclosure
The 5.75-inch midrange driver has also been updated and extends flat to 2kHz, facilitating the elevated crossover point to the tweeter. The Wilson Audio SabrinaX woofer is the same 8-inch woofer that was previously used in the Alexia Series-2 and Sasha DAW. The driver now operates in a very quiet cabinet due to updated bracing and outer X-Material enclosure. Once we get to hear it, I expect it will provide fast, articulate bass like its larger siblings. Screws for the drivers are now matte black consistent with the XVX and Sasha DAW.
Drivers
The tweeter chosen for SabrinaX is the Convergent Synergy MK5, which Daryl and the team developed initially for the limited-edition WAMM Master Chronosonic. The MK5 later became an integral part of the Chronosonic XVX’s design. The Wilson tweeter combines ultra-low distortion, exquisite micro and macro contrast, and ultra-high resolution, all of which are accompanied by a sense of ease, accessibility, and supreme musicality. Technically and musically, the MK5 is—by a comfortable margin—the most honest and engaging tweeter the engineering team has experienced to date.
Midrange
The 5.75-inch midrange driver extends flat to 2 kHz, facilitating the elevated crossover point to the tweeter. Midrange honesty, resolution, and beauty are the hallmark qualities to all Wilson speakers. Sabrina’s midrange should be no exception. The crossover points allow the driver to perform optimally within the “sweet spot” of its range.
Woofer from the Sasha DAWTM
The new 8-inch woofer designed and developed for the Sasha DAW’s bass module has found a new home in the SabrinaX. This state-of-the-art driver is installed into an all-new, exceptionally inert bass cabinet, which provides the perfect platform for the driver’s intrinsically excellent dynamic resolution and transient performance. Together, these elements contribute to a rich and yet ultra-fast midbass, which is, in turn, supported by an authoritative bass foundation. The SabrinaX’s bass articulation, transient speed, and bottom-octave extension, it is claimed, “will demolish any preconceptions about the bass quality and accuracy that such a small loudspeaker can produce”
Summary
The original Sabrina came out five years ago for around $15,900. Five years later, it is getting an exponential upgrade with a mass infusion of X-Material, a Synergy MK5 tweeter, a new woofer, new ports, new hardware, and custom capacitors.
The updated Wilson Audio SabrinaX is priced at $18,500. While not an inexpensive loudspeaker by any means, it remains to be seen how much musical beauty is contained in the latest SabrinaX at its price. Although the writers at The Sound Advocate have not auditioned the speaker yet, hopefully, if it is anything like its larger siblings, Wilson might have just created the speaker to beat at under $20k.
The SabrinaX is available for audition in Wilson Audio dealers starting today. We are going to try to get out to one of Wilson Audio’s specialist dealers to get an initial listen!
WILSON AUDIO: https://www.wilsonaudio.com/
Wilson Audio Specialties2233 Mountain Vista Lane
Provo, Utah 84606 USA.
WHERE the MUSIC BEAT meets the AUDIOPHILE ELITE !
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