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Sasha uses the identical midrange driver employed in the MAXX Series 3. That unit is a slightly
simplified version of the all new driver developed as one of the core components of the Alexandria
Series 2.
The creation of the newest Alexandria was spurred by a musical experience Dave Wilson had at
Vienna's famed Musikverein Concert Hall. What began as an auditory epiphany—the realization that
the unique and treasured sound of the Musikverein (which many consider the world's finest concert
venue) was a product of the way early and late reflections combined with the direct sound from the
stage—soon led to a quest to create a driver possessed of such speed and low distortion that it
could reproduce the subtleties of sound Dave had heard in Vienna. A detailed account of that
process can be found here.
To accomplish the task, Wilson Audio formed a strategic partnership with an independent driver
manufacturer to co-design a brand new, proprietary midrange unit. Commenting on the sound of the
new driver in the MAXX 3, Marc
Mickelson wrote in soundstage.com: "It is more lively and animated, more detailed,
textured and expressive ...while never giving the impression that the frequency response,
for instance, has been contoured or goosed. This wasn't a matter of output as much as input -- the
ability to convey important musical information from recordings, once again differentiating them
from each other."
The midrange is not the only driver inherited from MAXX Series 3; Sasha also uses the MAXX tweeter,
a unit designed for lack of grain and distortion, along with a wide bandwidth.
The redesign of Sasha's bass cabinet, which has greater internal volume than the old Puppy enclosure,
called for new woofers as well. The dual 8 inch units feature a new magnet and motor assembly, which
significantly increases the magnetic force relative to the cone mass, resulting in improved bass
dynamics and acceleration.
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