Loudspeakers

The Alexia Series 2 conveys a feeling of 'togetherness', and I don't mean just a more cohesive and integrated sound than the original due to better temporal accuracy. It draws you into the performance conjured up by the musicians, making you feel you are part of it. I revelled in the wonder of a soundstage of Biblical dimensions glittering with pin-sharp detail set in a sea of ambience cues.

Macro and micro dynamics were perfectly balanced, improving the sense of pace and rhythm, bass went deeper – though don't expect a free ride to the centre of the Earth – while midrange transparency saw all veils from vocals removed. I was enthralled. And this was from a seating position four metres away from the speakers.

Bob Seger & The Silver Bullet Band's Nine Tonight is a live album with some entrancing moments (voice mostly, and simple piano accompaniment) that allow you to dive deep into the live ambience of Detroit's Cobo Hall. Of course, you can hear the shouting, whistling and cheering of the crowd loud on a desktop radio. But do you feel the excitement of being there yourself?

With the set streaming from Tidal the Alexia Series 2 transported The Silver Bullet Band into the listening room. And this was the case with the hugely popular fado singer Mariza performing 'Gente Da Minha Terra' from her Concerto Em Lisboa [EMI, CD 50999 9 58857 2 8].

I know this to be true because I was there, literally, when Mariza became so emotional during that performance she shed tears of sorrow and happiness, and eventually had to stop singing. Time was suspended, 'tied up with the strings of a guitar' as the speakers allowed me to relive that spine-tingling moment once again.

It was time for an experiment. How would the Grammy-Award winning vocalist Gregory Porter sound singing 'Mona Lisa' from his tribute album Nat “King” Cole & Me [Blue Note CD 5791468] compared with Nat 'King' Cole' on his original recording taken from The Unforgettable Nat King Cole [Capitol Records B001AVWJUW]?

Heartfelt as Porter's tribute might be, the Alexia Series 2 nailed the creamy timbre and silkiness in Cole's fleecy voice so naturally that I gave up comparing the two discs and sat back to continue listening as Cole sang 'Unforgettable' followed by 'Smile' before finishing with the upbeat 'L-O-V-E'. And don't even try comparing Michael Bublé with Sinatra. The Alexia Series 2 works as a polygraph. You've been warned.

This loudspeaker takes all kinds of music and renders it with its lifeforce fully intact. Whether it was Kendrik Lamar's 'Humble' from the album DAMN [Aftermath CD 0602557611755] with its gobs of electronic bass and all too explicit lyrics, or the angelic operatic voice of soprano Pretty Yende on Dreams [Sony 88985430152], her piccolo-challenging coloratura trills giving the speaker's tweeter and midrange a workout in Donizetti's 'Lucia di Lammermoor, Act 3: Ohimè!', the presentation was electric.

Bound And Bewitched
Finally, Mahler's Symphony No 1 engulfed the room, in glorious DSD128 from NativeDSD Music [BFO/Iván Fischer; Channel Classics 33112]. The soundstage, imaging and dynamics were overwhelming, from the almost inaudible whispers to the chaotic climaxes. The woodwinds were bewitching, the brass simply breathtaking, and the timpani rolls thrilled with their force.

The Alexia Series 2 delivered all this with flying colours, plus Fischer's impeccable phrasing and clear instrumental lines. The speakers vanished, as did the walls, and I was transported to the Béla Bartok National Concert Hall in Budapest.

Hi-Fi News Verdict
I am tempted to commit the heresy of declaring Wilson Audio's Alexia Series 2 a better speaker than its earlier and much costlier Alexx floorstander, which I tested basically under the same conditions [HFN Nov '16]. Of course, there will always remain the important matter of scale. Nevertheless, it at least declares the need for Daryl Wilson to consider an 'Alexxieva' in the very near future...