Loudspeakers

Time was that all loudspeaker cabinets were simple wooden boxes, glued together from particle board, MDF or, if you were very lucky, birchply. Now, with our improved understanding of how internal standing waves and panel resonances colour the sound of a loudspeaker, cabinets are no longer engineered simply to contain the volume of air within and support the drivers without. Cabinet shape, bracing, damping and materials all have a crucial bearing on the final sound, from ply to metal to composites and the mineral-loaded polymer substrates used by Wilson Audio. The fact that many of these new materials are also better suited to accepting automotive paint finishes, and layers of lacquer, is just another tick in the 'benefits box'.

Wilson's earliest speakers were fashioned from wood but it has subsequently implemented various grades of an epoxy resin, loaded with crushed granite, carbon and pulp. These are the S-, M-, X- and V-Materials featured in the last four generations of Wilson speakers. The ability to 'tune' the density, rigidity and hardness of this composite, by varying the mix ratios, results in sheets that are best suited for large bass cabinets, smaller mid/treble enclosures and other roles, for example in the V-material inset into the top of the woofer enclosure to better support the mid/treble mounting hardware. PM