A quick update today. The system is coming together! A few weeks ago the Mytek Brooklyn AMP+ components all arrived. Yesterday, the eight Wilson Audio Alida and single WATCH Convergent Synergy center channel loudspeakers arrived. I know many Audiophile Style readers who've accepted delivery of Wilson Audio speakers at some point in the past, but I also know many who'd love to do so in the future. For those who've yet to put Wilsons in their systems, I'd like to give you a taste of the experience.
When the delivery driver called yesterday, asking if he was seriously supposed to drop off nine crates at my residential address, I assured him this had been done in the past many times. Fortunately, my 1940s neighborhood has alleys, behind the houses, wide enough to accommodate a full semi-tractor and 53 foot long trailer. Not only that, but at the end of the alley is a street wide enough to pull a big rig out safely. One driver broke his passenger side mirror off by hitting an electrical pole, but that's a long story for another time.
The truck arrived yesterday, right on time. I met the driver in the alley, to assist with the unloading of the crates. We usually unload crates with the help of a lift gate, then wheel them into my garage. Once the driver leaves, I work on moving everything from the garage into my house, then up into my listening room. If the crates contain speakers like my Alexias, I call Manny's Piano Movers, who for $375 make quick work of moving everything into my listening room.
The Alida and WATCH crates were manageable enough for me to handle everything by myself. I got a little concerned when the driver asked me what was in the crates and how long I planned to keep them in the garage. I told him, "it's just audio stuff for work and I'll have it all in the house by lunchtime." I'm unsure if the driver was going to call Vito Corleone to "help" me with the crates, but I wasn't taking any chances.
All speakers were packed in their own heavy duty wood crate to minimize the chance of shipping damage. Moving these crates into my house, unpacking the speakers, then moving the crates back outside, wasn't necessary. I avoided marking up my walls by uncreating the Alidas in the garage and carrying them into my house.
Each crate was sealed tightly by eight 3 inch wood screws through the top panel. My cordless drill made quick work of these screws, revealing perfectly packed and wrapped speakers, wall brackets, a metal mounting template, and a hardware kit with everything I need to mount the speakers. Wilson Audio has clearly been doing this at a very high level for a long time. The company has thought of everything.
As I write this, it just dawned on me that many Wilson owners may not even know about any of the aforementioned details. Wilson dealers always handle delivery and setup of every speaker. It's like manufacturers making the inside of their products as nice as the outside. The customer may never see it, but it's the right thing to do. Wilson customers, for better or worse, may only see and hear the speakers in their final listening position. At least they can appreciate the hardcover bound owner's manual that covers everything one could possibly need to know about the specific product.
The WATCH center channel speaker is a bit heavier than the Alida, so I wheeled that crate into my house to get the speaker as close as possible to my listening room without carrying it. I managed to uncrate it and carry it up the 14 stairs without too much trouble. It isn't something I'd like to do on a daily basis, but for the readers of this wonderful community, I was willing to sacrifice my back :~)
I have all the speakers in my listening room now, sitting in plastic wrap. In addition to this plastic wrap, Wilson Audio also applies a frisk on every loudspeaker. The frisk for my Alexias was white, but the company has not moved to an improved clear frisk. The frisk is a protective layer that's stuck on to every visible surface of the speakers, giving the incredible Wilson paint layer an added level of protection. I haven't unwrapped or removed the frisk on any speaker just yet. Perhaps I'm still admiring this audiophile haul, still in disbelief that this project is coming to fruition, and at the same time thinking about my upcoming trip to Munich. Do I mount the speakers before leaving or after Munich? Still thinking about that one.
To recap, all the speakers are here. My Wilson Audio Alexia Series 2 speakers for the front right and left channels, WATCH Convergent Synergy center channel, 8 Alidas (four surround channels and four height channels), and the Lōkē powered subwoofer. I have some serious work ahead of me. It's a tough job, but somebody has to do it :~)
Recommended Comments
Create an account or sign in to comment
You need to be a member in order to leave a comment
Create an account
Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!
Register a new accountSign in
Already have an account? Sign in here.
Sign In Now