Wilson Audio Debuts the TuneTot

I've gotten to know some of the Wilson family. They are some of the hardest working and classy people I know. They got to where they are from slowly building a company from nothing in the early 80s. They are able to charge high prices as they are addressing a wealthy customer segment in the market. But that takes hard work to build something worthy of the money people will spend, just like a Rolex or Ferrari.

 

The thing about capitalism is that one really can't charge what they want as there is competition in most markets. So if say Wilson wants to sell TuneTots to recording/mix/mastering engineers, then they must at least offer enough perceived value to get them to spend a good bit more than they might on Genelec monitors. If the value is not there, then sales will be zero and Wilson will have to discontinue the product.

 

Why isn't anyone complaining about the TAD Micro Evolution One? They are a $12,500 a pair mini monitor. Hmmm, at that price certainly they must be even more overpriced than the Wilson's. Or the Joseph Audio Pulsar. At $7k per pair they are getting really close to the overpriced category. Or the Raidho C- 1.2. $15,500 a pair. what can those people be thinking. A pair of Elac Debut B5's and some 12 gauge zip cord a probably just as good for a lot less money. Uh oh, now I've done it. I have thrown speaker cables in the mix.

 

I think what people are struggling with is that the TuneTots only go down to 65Hz... Maybe down the road they have will have a small matching sub that will compliment it. This way listeners will have something approaching their smaller floor standers sound wise , but with the ability to fit in less accommodating spaces...

 

I don’t recall that anyone has mentioned the frequency response. Only the price. Honestly, I was just practicing my sarcasm a bit.

 

well I complained of the price by saying its the most expensive mini monitors ive ever heard of and about the fact that it uses a 5.5 inch woofer. a mini monitor is by definiton limited in LF extension, high SPL, ect.

to compare TAD small 3 way standmount, it uses a 6.5 inch woofer and offer a coaxial mid/tweeter. its another realm of features, almost twice the woofer cone area and a bigger box

theres nothing on the market of mini monitors that is even close to being such a rip off.

 

I was in the local shop to tire kick something else, they had a pair of them hooked up to some NAIM something or other (not my music). They appear smaller than the photos make them look. I think the styling is 'less aggressive' than some of the other wilson line up. I own a pair of Wilson speakers and my only bitch is that it looks like I have a pair of R2-d2 in my living room.

For their size, their pretty darn room filling, and I was in a pretty flappy room with high ceilings. They sound like wilsons. I think they might shave off some sales of the sabrina and duette. I actually preferred them to the sabrinas I have heard in the past (different setups-but that is still a lot to say). I think they might be using all of their dense cabinet material in these-did not read spec.

Without the port plugs the bass was pretty un-tame in the setup I heard. So just use the plugs. IDK why they made the plugs removable...that is beyond the scope of my use in audio.

And....while their 'monitors', I really would not think of them in that sense of use.