As I was soon to learn, though, there was a lot more to reviewing Lökēs than that. Why? Because a pair of Löke subwoofers does more than reinforce the already deep bass extension¹ of the Wilson Alexia V loudspeakers with which they are now paired in my system. Therein lies the tale.
Behind the woof
"Wilson Audio has a long history with subwoofers," Wilson CEO Daryl Wilson² explained during a Zoom conversation that also included Blake Schmutz, director of the Wilson Audio Special Applications Engineering (WASAE) division.³
"If you go back to our original WAMM, which was low frequency limited, my father complemented it with two large woofer towers. Then, later, for people with space issues, he released the passive WHOW [Wilson High-Output Woofer] as an option. After that came the active POW WHOW, with a built-in amplifier. Fast-forward 15 years, to right after the X-1 Grand SLAMM was introduced, when my father asked Chief Engineer Vern Credille4 to create the huge XS,5 the ultimate subwoofer for home theater."
Since peaking in size with the XS, Wilson subs have gotten smaller and smaller, responding to dealer and consumer demands. When Wilson employees added their voices, expressing a desire for an even smaller subwoofer for their own setups that was reasonably priced by Wilson standards, the LōKe was born.
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Denne historien er fra November 2023-utgaven av Stereophile.
Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.
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INSTANTLY ICONIC
AUDIO SALON HOST/ENTREPRENEUR/SYSTEM AND FASHION DESIGNER DEVON TURNBULL'S RECORD-BREAKING ART OF NOISE SHOWING AT SAN FRANCISCO MOMA.
Buckeye PURIFI EIGENTAKT 1ET9040BA1
Back in 2016,' I documented the rise of class-D amps using the early Tripath technology. Used in the Bel Canto eVo 200.2, TriPath cracked open the door to the High End but was never admitted due to a dim and opaque treble.
Moon 891
No less than eight boxes, powered by six after-market power cables, comprise my current reference front-end.'
Clearaudio Signature
The Clearaudio allowed each mix, each sonic artifact, to reveal its unique character.
Gryphon Audio Designs Diablo 333
What's in a name? Denmark-based Gryphon Audio Designs laid down a marker when company founder Flemming Rasmussen chose that name in 1985. Browsing through the current Stereophile Recommended Components list, I only found one other manufacturer that utilizes an animal moniker.
The Rega Naia Turntable. Add Lightness.
To watch as Rega very slowly expands its turntable offerings upmarket requires the patience of a Thomas Pynchon addict waiting for each new tome from the notoriously slow-working and reclusive author.
Phono Preamplifier Seduction
Give me the seduction, give me the pleasure,\" Ron Sutherland was nearly shouting into the phone. \"I want to turn off the analytical mind and just enjoy myself!\"
Record Player Revelations
Like romance or car racing, the act of playing records is tactile by design. Like drifting through curves or making out, spinning vinyl is a learned skill that requires users to touch everything with practiced assurance.
Taking Care of Business
As Jim Austin wrote in this space in the December 2024 issue, following a medical procedure that he had in mid-October, he needed to take several weeks' leave to recuperate. He delegated the magazine's production to Managing Editor Mark Henninger, AVTech Editorial Director Paul Miller, and myself. The three of us worked with copy editor Linda Felaco and longtime art director Jeremy Moyler to produce the issue you hold in your hands.
Estelon X Diamond Mk II
Taste is a funny thing. Love cilantro? Millions swear it tastes like soap.
