Wilson Audio Sabrina X Description:
Flagship DNA
The Chronosonic XVX® is Wilson Audio’s most ambitious and complex production loudspeaker to date. Daryl Wilson and his team of designers and engineers borrowed some of its technology from the limited-edition WAMM Master Chronosonic®, itself the beneficiary of the most prolonged and intense research-and-development cycle in history of the company. Much of the technology and many of the features of theXVX, however, are new and specific to that model. Indeed, Wilson introduced more new performance and ergonomic elements in the XVX than during any other design effort.
Fresh on the XVX project’s heels, Daryl and his team turned their attention to Wilson’s smallest floor-stander. The SabrinaX is a ground-up rethinking of the Sabrina®, the universally loved, small, floor-standing loudspeaker from Wilson Audio. Like the original Sabrina, the new X-version is a rare combination of traditional Wilson hallmark attributes such as bass authority, dynamic resolution, midrange beauty and integrity, and a sense of inherent musical “rightness.” Wilson’s goal was to design a loudspeaker that could stand alongside much larger systems. Like its flagship sibling, the Chronosonic XVX, SabrinaX offers a level of dynamic contrast and harmonic expression that is the defining character of Wilson Audio loudspeakers.
Enclosure
X-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, the SabrinaX’s outer enclosure is constructed entirely from X-Material. 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. SabrinaX’s new bracing system 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.
Drivers
Tweeter from the XVX
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 we’ve experienced to date.
Midrange
The 5.75-inch midrange driver is remarkably smooth throughout its bandwidth (which extends flat to 2 kHz, facilitating the elevated crossover point to the tweeter). Midrange honesty, resolution, and beauty are the paramount qualities of all Wilson loudspeakers, and SabrinaX’s midrange is no exception. The crossover points allow the driver to perform optimally within the “sweet spot” of its range.
Woofer from the Sasha DAW™
The new 8-inch woofer designed and developed for the Sasha DAW’s bass module now finds a 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. SabrinaX’s bass articulation, transient speed, and the bottom-octave extension will demolish any preconceptions about the bass quality and accuracy that such a small loudspeaker can produce.
Hardware
Unlike the plastic items found in many high-end loudspeakers, Wilson ports have always been heroic. We machine this critical element from a solid billet of 6061-T6 aluminum. Over the years, we’ve refined our port shapes for better performance. For the SabrinaX, a new geometry effectively reduces already low port noise.
The new model utilizes the same Wilson-designed and -manufactured binding post as the XVX. It is easier to tighten by hand, and also features a banana-plug option. This unique Wilson Audio connector resets the bar for reliability and sonic integrity within high-current connections.
The SabrinaX uses the same spike/diode assembly found in the Chronosonic XVX, which increases the mechanical impedance path and improves vibration “draining.” The larger diode also enhances the physical presence and beauty of the design.
AudioCapX™
The first Wilson loudspeaker to benefit from Wilson’s recent integration of capacitor design and manufacturer into its factory in Provo, Utah, was the Chronosonic XVX. Led by engineer Vern Credille, the design team developed a proprietary multi-wound capacitor specifically for the XVX, which the engineers dubbed AudioCapXWA. The team took a similar approach with Wilson’s smallest floor-stander. Vern designed a custom version of the Wilson AudioCapX explicitly for SabrinaX’s crossover. The new capacitor technology significantly lowers the noise floor to even greater extremes, allowing the listener to hear more detail and resolution. As is true for all Wilson loudspeakers, Wilson’s craftspeople painstakingly hand-assemble SabrinaX’s crossover. Wilson leads the industry for the quality of its crossover execution and ultra-rigorous manufacturing tolerances. The AudioCapX advances Wilson’s ability on this front as well.
MA8950 Integrated Amplifier Overiview
The MA8950 Integrated Amplifier offers 200 Watts per channel and combines McIntosh’s amplification expertise and preamplifier technologies into one comprehensive stereo sound system component. It replaces the award-winning MA8900 (Secrets of Home Theater and High Fidelity 2017 Best Stereo Integrated Amplifier) and adds additional performance enhancements to an already outstanding stereo integrated amplifier.
McIntosh MA8950 Integrated Amplifier
Dynamic headroom has increased from 2.0dB to 3.1dB in the MA8950 as a result of its filter capacity being doubled. This gives the MA8950 even greater ability to reproduce musical peaks with less distortion. The increased filter capacity will also help deliver more amazing bass playback, low end performance, and overall bass control.
The MA8950 comes standard with the DA2 Digital Audio Module instead of the DA1 Digital Audio Module that came in the MA8900. The DA2 offers 7 digital inputs: 2 coaxial, 2 optical, 1 USB, 1 MCT, and 1 audio-only HDMI Audio Return Channel (ARC)1 connection. TVs with a compatible HDMI (ARC) output can be connected to the MA8950 to enjoy your TV’s sound like never before through your home music system. Popular multi-channel audio formats from Dolby® and DTS® are supported and will be expertly converted to 2-channel audio for proper playback. The MA8950 remote can control the TV’s power and volume when CEC communication is enabled in both the amplifier and the TV. The DA2 also features increased DSD playback support of up to DSD512 via the USB input.
The DA2 is powered by an audiophile-grade, Quad Balanced, 8-channel, 32-bit Digital-to-Analog Converter (DAC) that has improvements in both dynamic range and total harmonic distortion compared to the DAC in the DA1. The coax and optical inputs in the DA2 can decode digital music up to 24-bit/192kHz for playback of high-resolution audio. The DA2 has a McIntosh exclusive MCT input that offers a secure DSD connection to any of our MCT series of SACD/CD Transports to deliver the best possible sound quality of the high-definition audio found on your SACDs. And with its modular design, it’s possible to someday replace the DA2 with a newer Digital Audio Module.
With its vast selection of digital audio inputs, analog connectivity has not been overlooked on the MA8950. It comes with 1 balanced and 6 unbalanced stereo inputs plus 1 Moving Coil and 1 Moving Magnet phono inputs for your turntable(s). All inputs can be given custom names for user-friendly system control and configuration. The Moving Coil phono input comes with adjustable loading so you can fine tune the sound of your vinyl records. All unbalanced analog connectors are made from premium gold-plated solid brass for superior signal handling and grounding. All analog and digital inputs can be given custom names for user-friendly system control and configuration. For further flexibility in setting up your stereo system, the MA8950 includes an unbalanced fixed output and an unbalanced variable output that can be used to send the audio signal to a second power amplifier.
Other updates include upgraded power supply components for even lower noise emission and added reliability under the most demanding conditions. The MA8950 continues to use powerful control microprocessors for robust and smooth system operation, as well as some of the latest state-of-the-art audio-grade circuit components to produce the best sound possible.
The MA8950’s 200 Watts per channel are delivered by a pair of the famous McIntosh Autoformer™ and is enough power to properly drive virtually all loudspeakers. The unique design of the Autoformer guarantees your speakers will always receive the full 200 Watts regardless if they have 2, 4 or 8 Ohm impedance.
Hifi Rose RS150 Description:
RS150 is High-Performance Network Streamer that provides various multimedia services with high-quality sound and ultra-high-resolution video.
Create your own high-quality sound station with RS150.
Pure Sound
State-of-the-art DAC Setting Integrated with Asahi Kasei’s flagship DAC chip AK4499EQ, the RS150 offers low noise, low distortion, ultra-high-resolution sound and analog rich density with proprietary processing supporting PCM 32bit / 768KHz and Native DSD512 (22.5792Mhz).
Analog Acoustic Sensitivities
Delivers the musical inspiration from high-quality sound by the tuning of Acoustic engineers with thirty years of experience. Clearly expresses the full range, from grand, and rich bass to delicate, and elegant highs.
Linear Power System and Ideal Circuit system
Linear power supply minimizes noise inflow significantly. An ideal circuit system eliminates electrical noise and creates dramatically improved sound quality without distortion.
Highly Precise Femto Clock
The highly precise Femto clock delivers superb stereoscopic,
and distortion-free sound with quiet and clear background imaging.
Case milled from Solid block of High Purity Aluminum
The high-purity aluminum is integrated into one piece to maximize thermal efficiency. By minimizing parts in the assembly area, vibrations that can affect sound qualities are greatly reduced, creating a profound and ideal sense of space.
MQA Certified
RS150 supports MQA full decoder technology. MQA (Master Quality Authenticated) is an award-winning British technology that delivers the sound of the original master recording. The master MQA file is fully authenticated and is small enough to stream or download.
Ultra HD 4K Video Support
Watch Local or RoseTube video files in Ultra HD 4K quality on a large display with an HDMI connection. Feel the magnificent and vivid touch of the Opera House at home now.
Advanced Control
14.9-Inch-Wide Touch Screen Intuitive, and convenient interface through high-resolution IPS Multi-Touch panel. The front display can play album art and music videos at a wide viewing angle.
Bluetooth Remote Controller
With a Bluetooth remote controller, control the device with ease.
Innovative ROSE OS
HiFi Rose OS system provides an innovative musical experience. Stream and play ultra-high-quality music, 4K high-definition video, ad-free YouTube, Podcasts, various radio stations from around the world, CD playback/Ripping, and more.
Connect Anything
Wired/Wireless Connection
Seamless streaming over the network is possible.
It supports Airplay and DLNA functions and can connect to smartphones,
computers, and tablet PCs via Wi-Fi / Giga Ethernet / Bluetooth communication.
Build a home media library
Designed to contain enough storage in consideration of listening to HiFi music sources, RS150 can recognize up to 4TB of SSD, 10TB of external HDD, and 400GB of MicroSD. Also, it supports connection with NAS. Experience high-quality music without worrying about drive capacity from now on.
High Performance Input / Output Terminal
Compatible with multiple devices via several kinds of terminals. Supporting a variety of input and output terminals, RS150 completes the ultimate connectivity.
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