Wilson Audio’s iconic WATT/Puppy, a product which became synonymous with high-end audio loudspeaker design, returns after a short hiatus bearing the company’s latest technology.
In celebration of the WATT/Puppy’s 50 year anniversary, the Wilson Audio engineering team has progressed the classic design with substantial revisions which promise, yet again, to elevate the concept. The company poses the question: What if David Wilson could have exploited the resources Wilson Audio now fully harnesses?
From 1986 to 2011, the WATT/Puppy saw a total of eight iterations which saw the speaker evolving via material technology and driver advancements. Furthering that progression, the new WATT/Puppy now employs Wilson Audio’s latest materials, including S-Material for the coupling of the midrange driver to the front baffle, V-Material placement in strategic locations for cabinet reinforcement and vibrational distortion control, and X-Material for cabinet strengthening and bracing.
The WATT/Puppy 50th Anniversary also capitalises on Wilson Audio’s latest driver developments. The high frequencies are handled by the highly regarded Convergent Synergy Carbon (CSC) 25 mm coated textile dome tweeter, first developed for the Alexx V and also employed on Alexia V and Sasha V. The tweeter also features an in-house 3D-printed rear chamber which is said to aid in providing a linear response and the elimination of back wave reflections.
The CSC tweeter then hands over to Wilson Audio’s 180 mm AlNiCo QuadraMag midrange driver which is used across all the speaker models above WATT/Puppy, right up to XVX Chronosonic. As the name implies, the midrange driver features a motor system comprising four large AlNiCo magnets in a lateral/side-by-side arrangement. The driver is known for its tonal accuracy, fast transient response, and “sonic beauty and bloom”. As per other speakers in the range, the WATT features a slot port on the upper rear panel.
Two 200 mm woofers complete the driver array and handle the low-frequencies. They are incorporated in a separate module which is, of course, the Puppy. The high power drivers are the same as used in Sasha V and employ “homogenous cellulose composite” cone material said to provide fast transient attack. The drivers are supported via a rear reflex port.
The use of the drivers in a slightly smaller bass cabinet has seen modifications and improvements to the crossover network. The new point-to-point crossover features Wilson Audio’s own in-house made AudioCapX-WA capacitors in a new copper version featuring “copper end-sprays” and gold leads. As per the upper-tier Wilson Audio speakers, the crossover network can be accessed via a panel on the rear of the cabinet, allowing the custom resistors to be replaced and/or exchanged. The crossover panel is adorned with a glass and aluminium cover. Centrally placed within the panel, and of course visible through the cover, is a commemorative plaque depicting the 1974 to 2024 50th Anniversary.
Placed atop the Puppy bass module is an integrated spirit level which allows for a convenient adjustment process when levelling the speakers. The WATT has always featured a solid steel (or aluminium) bar which, back in the day, allowed David Wilson to lift and transport the solidly heavy monitor to recording sessions. The new WATT/Puppy pays homage to that handlebar design aspect in a new way, by providing an ergonomically improved design. The WATT/Puppy also features Wilson Audio’s own speaker binding posts which accept both banana and spade connectors.
The WATT/Puppy frequency response is stated as spanning from 26 Hz to 30 kHz at +/- 3 dB given as a ‘Room Average Response’ (RAR). Nominal impedance is 4 ohms, with a minimum point of 2.87 ohms at 86 Hz. System sensitivity is 89 dB/1 Watt/1m at 1 kHz. Amplifier power recommendation is a minimum of 25 watts per channel.
The new WATT/Puppy 50th Anniversary is available for audition via importer Advance Audio Australia’s select specialist dealers.
Wilson Audio WATT/Puppy 50th Anniversary Loudspeakers
Price: AU$66,995
Australian Distributor: Advance Audio Australia
+61 2 9561 0799
www.advanceaudio.com.au
