Wilson Benesch Vertex monitors

[audio.bill]

I recall mentioning the Wilson Benesch Vertex monitors in another thread, but thought I should include more details along with my personal experience in this dedicated forum.

While I have a pair of Magnepan 3.7i speakers in my primary system which I greatly appreciate and enjoy, I've also always had a soft spot for the presentation of a reference quality monitor speaker. I augment the bass in this system with a Martin Logan BalancedForce 210 sub crossed over at ~45 Hz which provides full range bass extension. For reference my system electronics include the Audia Flight Phono, Luxman C-900u linestage, and a Rowland 625 power amp.

I was searching for a suitable monitor speaker that I could use as an alternative to the Maggies when I heard a friend's Wilson Benesch Arc monitors which he recently acquired used. I was immediately struck by their stunning clarity and transparency along with the typical pinpoint imaging that fine monitors provide. So I did some research and came across WB's newer Vertex speakers which take the initial design of the Arc to a whole new level. The carbon fiber composite cabinet is pretty much the same, but the primary custom WB driver has significantly evolved and the tweeter was now the same proprietary Semisphere silk/carbon hybrid dome which they use on their best cost no object designs. The woofer/midrange driver is operated full range without any crossover, so your amp is directly connected to the driver without any components in the signal path. The tweeter only has a single capacitor crossover to roll off its bass. After much research and auditioning an endless array of other monitors which didn't compare to what I heard from WB, I decided to get a pair for my system.

The Vertex speakers have a captivating transparency which serves the music very well by capturing every nuance of a performance. They are superb spatially as well, and while they are so revealing the top end remains very delicately balanced and sweet sounding. None of the hot high end that I find averse to long term listening enjoyment with some other speaker designs, particularly common to many incorporating metal dome tweeters. Their midrange is amazingly smooth and realistic, voices are 'eery' in their realism. They're an excellent alternative to the Maggies which are great performers in their own right, but the Vertex seem more natural sounding to me and are in some ways even more engaging. The Maggies have a very revealing and spacious sound as well, but are what I would best describe as a bit more hi-fi sounding in their presentation. When listening to the Maggies in my system they're also very impressive and captivating, but when compared to the Vertex they seem a bit more mechanical sounding in their nature. It's hard to describe but each of these speakers are superb and have their place, but I'm really enjoying the more relaxed and engaging sound of the Vertex speakers. I can run them on their own without the sub and the bass is quite satisfactory, but of course the sub adds bass extension along with a sense of spaciousness which can only be reproduced with fully extended bass loading the listening room.

Unfortunately Wilson Benesch speakers are not very widely distributed in the US, but I suggest that they're definitely worth checking out if you have the opportunity. They're extremely well engineered speakers which offer some unique qualities when compared to most other speakers. Don't expect them to make poor recordings sound great, but they will let you hear everything how it is recorded with a very engaging and enjoyable presentation. They're not overly analytical though - to me they have just the right balance of effortlessness and musicality along with a very natural sense of decay.

I also noticed that Mike recently decided to pick up the WB line, so you might contact him for more details if you're interested. (I have no affiliation with him other than being a participant on this forum.)

[mep]

I had a pair of the Wilson Benesch monitor speakers in my system for a lengthy period of time while I was waiting for my NOLA KO speakers to be built (7 month wait). I too used them with a pair of subs (Def Tech Ref subs) and I enjoyed every minute I had with them.

[bobwah]

Great write up Bill.
Good to hear your enjoying your new speakers


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[bobwah]

Hi Bill,
How are you finding the Vertex after some time?
Ive found my speakers have dramatically improved in the last few days.. My dealer said they would take over 500 hours and they wouldn't have that on them yet. Probably more like 200.
I was listening this morning and I was just captivated by what I was hearing.
The bass is incredible on the Act 1 Evo! for the driver size of these speakers there is a serious amount of slam they can provide. The bass is so textured and accurate without any bloom.
Vocals are so clean and lifelike and they just hang in the middle of my listening room.
Financial problems have forced me to put them up for sale but hopefully another alternative can be found as I don't want to part with them
And like you said in your op the tweeter is very sweet indeed, no fatigue whatsoever.

Best Wishes

[audio.bill]

So sorry to hear of your financial situation and I hope that you're able to find an alternative to selling your WB speakers which you obviously enjoy so much. My Vertex sounded very impressive right out of the box but have continued to improve in time. I don't keep track of how many hours I put on them but they have become even more effortlessly dynamic with improved subtleties being revealed. It's a shame that this line of speakers doesn't get more exposure in the US, they really need to have a presence at some of the shows to get the press coverage that they deserve. Wilson Benesch offers exceptional speakers which are very well engineered and provide an emotionally engaging musicality that is rarely found in competing designs. I agree completely with every aspect of their sound which you described so well. Many other speakers have one or two aspects of performance which stand out, while I find the WB speakers to provide such a well balanced perspective that they really need to be heard to be believed. Thanks for your kind wishes and I hope that everything works out well for you. Enjoy the tunes my friend!

[bobwah]

Good to hear your still really happy with the vertex Bill.
I'd agree with what you said about becoming more dynamic with time.. There was a real palpable quality to the music for me today that seemed better than it ever had been.

Have you ever though of adding a torus to your setup?


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[BayStBroker]

Maybe those of us in North America who admire Wilson Benesch should root for a Brexit so that the Pound will fall and these uber-expensive loudspeakers can be made more accessible.

[Elberoth]

[audio.bill]

Thanks for adding the pictures Adam. I've thought about the Torus but I haven't heard one myself (thankfully! ) so I remain satisfied with my Martin Logan Balanced Force 210 sub. Actually the Vertex on their own sound great too, but naturally the sub adds impact and presence.

[bzr]

Bill, don't go near a Torus unless you have the cash. Once you've heard them paired with another WB product you will swoon. Two Torus Infrasonic's are a revelation that make you sit there grinning like a Manson!

[audio.bill]

Kev - I have no doubt that you're correct about the Torus, in this case I'm considering my lack of hearing it as a blessing (at least to my bank account!) I know my ML wouldn't stand any chance in a comparison.