Loudspeakers

Although the SabrinaX's drivers are either new or improved, the forward response characteristic of the 'X' clearly inherits the dips at 380Hz, 2.8kHz and subsequent peak at 4.9kHz, plus associated mild driver resonances [see CSD waterfall, Graph 2], that we recorded for the original model [HFN Aug '15]. These account for the modest ±2.9dB response variations but the consistency of Wilson's driver QC is revealed in the superb 0.6dB pair matching [black/red traces, Graph 1] even if the press-to-fit grille frame adds its own modification to presence and treble [cyan trace, Graph 1]. Especially impressive is the SabrinaX's low 0.1-0.2% THD through bass and midrange (re. 90dB SPL) – a quality assisted by the enhanced 89.6dB/1kHz sensitivity of these new speakers, a full 2dB higher than Wilson's own conservative specification which is more in line with the mean figures of 88.8dB (500Hz-8kHz) and 86.6dB (200Hz-20kHz).

The diffraction-corrected bass shows a fairly steep 52Hz/–6dB roll-off [re. 200Hz; green shaded area, Graph 1] but this improves with rear-wall reinforcement. Moreover the bass output is clear of significant spurious pipe resonances, the port offering a useful 27Hz-85Hz tuning to support the 60Hz-280Hz passband of the 203mm pulp woofer (all –6dB limits). Nominal impedance is quoted as 4ohm with a specified 2.6ohm/135Hz minimum which is only slightly more optimistic than the 2.4ohm/155Hz measured here. Moreover, with a broad sub-8ohm from 60Hz-8kHz, the SabrinaX represents a reasonably challenging load, particularly through the bass where the boldest swings in phase of –60o/67Hz (5.8ohm) to +27o/255Hz (3.6ohm) are found. PM