Overview
David Wilson seems to have turned the Watt/Puppy story into a different direction altogether. And the results aren’t bad either! Starting with the WATT, to the WATT/Puppy and now the 9th level of refinement Sasha W/P, he has created a niche of his own in the speakers industry. Although the Sasha W/P is said to be combination of the earlier monitor-like WATT and the twin-woofer âPuppyâ bass enclosure, the leap towards providing a better quality has been tremendous.
There is better sound quality, a more refined look and slicker features. Although the Sasha W/P is a little bigger in size, the exterior makes it look more refined, smoother and classy. There are new lines, curves and contours which define Sasha! Also being functionally excellent, Sasha is 1dB more sensitive than the 8th WATT/Puppy System. Sound quality, whether deep bass, mid range or high range, leaves you spellbound. Even normal videos sound like live performances! The colors available in Sasha models are beautiful and glossy.
Price and availability
The paired twosome now not only feature better functionality but also offers a major cut in terms of prices. The Sasha W/P loudspeaker costs $26,900, much lesser than the $28,000 of the outgoing model. Will this price bring the crowd in? With its great features, it is sure to be a winner. The Sasha is available in several colors. All you have to do is make a choice!
Whatâs great
Sasha has a voltage sensitivity of 91dB/2.83V/m, which is usefully higher than average. Panel resonances are almost negligible as they are suppressed effectively by the ingenius construction of the speakerâs two enclosures. The material used is the secret âS materialâ, a compound that is inert, less resonant and well-damped in the mid-range. The speakerâs in-room balance can be adjusted as per the listenersâ ear heights and distances. The design of Sasha is completely new and sleek and ultra-cool! It has no similarities with the earlier WATT/Puppy models. The colors are enigmatic and the model has an unbeatable muscular yet elegant look. The finish is also great. The two modules are housed within the woofer cabinet, making the system compact. Sasha shows great clarity, resonance and precision of sound. The low bass sounds the best with good force and definition. It successfully searches out mere details in the mids to make them sound beautiful. And the highs are also precise and detailed, making listening to the Sasha a pleasure! Thus, these speakers can handle any volume, any range and any frequency. Your room becomes as borderless as the sound-range you can listen to!
Whatâs not so great
The only problem with the new Sasha is that all the features like resonance dampening, etc., do get better, but itâs not an impressive leap as such. Itâs more like a gentle progression. So why get rid of your older model for a new one which has no big changes? Also, the exterior has been totally revamped. Hence, there is no emotional connection to the successful WATT/Puppy series. In fact, many of the parts have been copied from rival companies like the proprietary 178mm paper/carbon-fibre composite cone midrange driver which has been âborrowedâ from Wilsonâs MAXX 3.
Things to watch out for
1. Your Sasha will need a solid amplifier for handling low resistance loads as the Sasha drops down to a low impedance of 1.8 Ohms at 92Hz.
2. Use the Wilson Audio Setup Procedure (WASP) system to quickly find the best place in your room to place the Sasha so as to get the best results possible!
Verdict
It is very difficult to topple down a monument and build an equally iconic skyscraper in its place. But, Wilson seems to have done that successfully! Although the speakers are expensive, they have a much better sound quality and built than any other in the market. Although it is impossible to compare all speakers in the market, the Sasha does score a tad bit higher than most of them. Yes, Sasha has proved to be an icon of its own!
Further readings or word around the web
Did you know that the Material S, which is what the panel is made out of, is impossibly expensive? And yet, one of its predecessors material X is so hard that it has to be cut with carbide-tipped steel bits. Imagine what the better version, material S, must be like! Both these compounds are mineral-filled resin chemically.
