Wilson Audio Debuts the TuneTot

Discussion in 'Audio Hardware' started by LeeS, May 10, 2018.

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  1. pdxway

    pdxway Forum Resident

    Location:
    Oregon, USA
    So you are saying a Lexus ES costs the same as a Camry to manufacture? Same for Lexus RX 350 vs Toyota Highlander? How dare they! :nyah:
     
    Last edited: May 16, 2018
  2. sublemon

    sublemon Forum Resident

    Lexus makes "luxury" automobiles, but they are still mass market consumer products. not the type of product I was talking about. cars aren't a real good analogy in any case.
     
  3. sublemon

    sublemon Forum Resident

    as far as the ES vs the Camry -- I bet they aren't too far apart in manufacturing costs. They aren't even that far apart in sales price at this point. if they still make the ES in Japan and the Camry in the US, labor costs for the Lexus *might* be higher-- but I don't think you can even assume that.
     
  4. sublemon

    sublemon Forum Resident

    maybe you were being sarcastic? hard to tell on internet sometimes...
     
  5. pdxway

    pdxway Forum Resident

    Location:
    Oregon, USA
    I was. Like you said, may be the actual manufacturing cost is not much different between similar Lexus and Toyota, but people are willing to pay a lot more just for the prestige.
     
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  6. JBStephens

    JBStephens I don't "like", "share", "tweet", or CARE. In Memoriam

    Location:
    South Mountain, NC
    Loudspeaker companies come and go. Wilson came and stayed. You cannot stay if you company is not generating a profit. Wilson makes a profit. So they will still be here tomorrow.
     
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  7. Claus

    Claus Senior Member

    Location:
    Germany
    Wilson Audio has a very good reputation worldwide. They are established as brand.
     
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  8. Richard Austen

    Richard Austen Forum Resident

    Location:
    Hong Kong
    I agree - someone should tell Stereophile as products can become product of the year based on audio show performance. Nevertheless, some audio show performance can be absolutely outstanding - several rooms at the California Audio Show 2017 were outstanding. They could be more outstanding at home and that particular hotel was a big cut above most hotels but still.
     
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  9. Matt Richardson

    Matt Richardson Forum Resident

    Location:
    Suburban Chicago
    I don't mind them pricing their desk top monitor at $10K as long as people are willing to pay it.
    What I don't get is the $669.00 for the two decorative aluminum woofer rings. How much research and development costs does it take to stamp out and paint a couple of those?
     
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  10. Metralla

    Metralla Joined Jan 13, 2002

    Location:
    San Jose, CA
    That is a good example of audio gone wrong.
     
  11. beowulf

    beowulf Forum Resident

    Location:
    Chula Vista, CA
    Yeah, and no less than $299 for a pair of 8" x 12" grills (if even that big)!
     
  12. Dougr33

    Dougr33 Forum Resident

    Location:
    Twin Cities, MN
    Probably cheaper than the upcoming TuneTot Men's Cologne and matching smoking jacket!
     
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  13. LeeS

    LeeS Music Fan Thread Starter

    Location:
    Atlanta
    Their speaker grilles are made from the same material that the cabinets are made from using a CNC machine, then sanded, then precise application of the net to the frame. It is expensive but it's not your average speaker grille.
     
  14. LeeS

    LeeS Music Fan Thread Starter

    Location:
    Atlanta
    LOL! Or maybe the upcoming Shake Shack TuneTot branded tater tots. :D
     
  15. LeeS

    LeeS Music Fan Thread Starter

    Location:
    Atlanta
    TuneTots go through the same quality control process as the other speakers. This is a neat video that discusses how that process works. Shows sanding and painting stages primarily.

     
    Last edited: May 17, 2018
  16. Tullman

    Tullman Senior Member

    Location:
    Boston MA
    ^^^ The fit and finish on my Yvettes is certainly top notch as it should be for a speaker in this price range.
     
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  17. LeeS

    LeeS Music Fan Thread Starter

    Location:
    Atlanta
    Same here on the Alexias and the TuneTots in for review.
     
  18. Claus

    Claus Senior Member

    Location:
    Germany
    Wilson speakers have the best build quality of american brands.
     
    LeeS likes this.
  19. sberger

    sberger Dream Baby Dream

    Really??? No way!! What has society come to? Terrible!!
     
  20. Ski Bum

    Ski Bum Happy Audiophile

    Location:
    Vail, CO
    In my media room, I have Wilson speakers (mains, center and surrounds) and a pair of JL Audio Fathom subwoofers. All of the speakers and subs are gloss black. The JL Audio subwoofers are beautiful, until you compare them to the Wilsons. The finish, feel, construction and details of the Wilsons are simply amazing. And, of course, the sound ain't too shabby.

    Wilsons are expensive, but my Alexia Series 2s cost less, have better construction, are smaller and sound better than the Hansen King V2 speakers that they replaced. The Tune Tots are beautifully constructed and sound great, but they are not what I need (at least now).

    I also understand that someone who cherishes the sound of UK Audio Note speakers is not a likely candidate to purchase Wilsons. (Similarly, a Wilson purchaser might have been choosing among Wilson, Magico, Sonus Faber or Gamut speakers, but likely wasn't thinking about a UK Audio Note speaker.) That's why there are lots of different kinds of speakers. We all hear differently and process what we hear differently, so a kind of speaker that sounds the most realistic to one of us might not be the kind of speaker that sounds most realistic to another of us. We should recognize and respect those differences.
     
  21. LeeS

    LeeS Music Fan Thread Starter

    Location:
    Atlanta
    Well said Hal.
     
  22. SandAndGlass

    SandAndGlass Twilight Forum Resident

    See, that's the problem with this hobby/obsession, we get used to things like paying $280 from some NOS EL34 tubes. I, just bought some new ones for $17/ea. Or $475 for a Shibata stylus. THe next thing you know, is not being shocked by a pair of $10k near-field speakers. :)

    And, if you are used to Wilson speakers and their mile high prices, $10k is just a drop in the bucket.

    It should still be unheard of!

    No, but we seem to be surrounded by those that do.

    Me too.

    I would not trade my A7's for anything that Wilson makes or has ever made.

    And, that is a very wise and interesting statement. What exactly is the point of spending uber dollars to get an ordinary tower type of speaker to play down to 20-Hz.?

    Spend the money on achieving the best mid's, after that, you can add a sub or two, to go as low as you want to do.

    Large horn cabinets on the right for the mid's, small horn on top for the x-tra highs, large bass horn on the left for everything < 40-Hz.

    Makes sense to me. :cool:

    Oh, and at half the price of the desktop versions.

    [​IMG]

    I have sold both of them. For as good as Lexus claims to be made, they have more than their share of QC issues. Your actually better off with a Toyota at half the price. Still better, buy a Honda.
     
  23. pdxway

    pdxway Forum Resident

    Location:
    Oregon, USA
    Recent 2017 Consumer Reports rating was a surprise for me. See Car Brands Reliability: How They Stack Up . Toyota and Lexus are 1 and 2. Honda is 9th! Even Audi and BMW are 4th and 5th. Kia was third. How things changed from years ago.
     
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  24. SandAndGlass

    SandAndGlass Twilight Forum Resident

    WOW! That is hard to believe. My bad, by the way! I had Lexus on my brain, and I had meant to say Infiniti, not Lexus.

    I Think that Lexus makes a truly superior car. I have a couple of friends that have them and the quality is impeccable!

    This Kia thing does surely surprise me though!

    Things HAVE really changed!
     
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  25. Claus

    Claus Senior Member

    Location:
    Germany
    I would never buy Lexus... boring design. I get my BMW SUV at BMW World next week. Nice car, but not my dream car. That's a McLaren 720S - Super Series even better as every Porsche! The only problem... I don't like it sitting on street level.
     
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