This show report is just a simple reminder that when it comes to Wilson Audio speakers, I prefer mine hooked up to VTL. I’ve already mentioned this several times during the 2024 high-end audio show season, but it’s also the reason why I haven’t skipped entering Luke Manley‘s room in quite some time. As I told Luke at Munich 2024, “No one can keep me sitting in front of a pair of Wilson Audio speakers as long as you can.”
Words and Photos by Marc Phillips
Once again, I’m not being dismissive toward Wilson Audio. I like them. It’s just that Luke’s Vacuum Tube Logic amplification seems to bring out something new to Wilson speakers–in this case the Alexia–that I simply don’t hear with most amplifiers. I mentioned this preference to others at the show, and one person explained that VTL and Wilson were always sold together back in the old days because it was such a synergistic match. That certainly makes sense to me.
Maybe it’s the Nordost cabling. When I attend most high-end audio shows, I notice that the VTL room and the Nordost room are often right next to each other. The VTL and Wilson (or sometimes Stenheim) room always features Nordost cabling and grounding devices. In addition, the Nordost room usually employs Wilson speakers–this year it was the SabrinaX, a Wilson model I’ve always enjoyed–and the results were spectacular.
Or maybe it’s just VTL. In the past my audio buddies and I have discussed the idea of “high-end audio mafias,” where certain brands are often sold together as a package because a deal has been struck in some smoke-filled back room. That’s true in a few cases, but I think it’s hard to ignore the sonic benefits of VTL, Wilson and Nordost together, and they should be sold as a package if the dealer really cares about good sound.
In other words, if I was shopping for a pair of Wilson Audio Sabrinas, or even these gorgeous blue Alexias, I’d immediately ask which VTL amp would be the best match. For me, it’s the only way to go.
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