Introduction

In the past, I’ve had the pleasure of auditioning a few models of Wilson Audio speakers and have always left the room with my jaw on the floor. I promise that you will never hear a speaker like one from Wilson Audio. I tested one of their latest models today, the Sabrina, and it did not disappoint in the slightest. I had the chance to see a brand-new pair at a local hi-fi shop in Ormond Beach, Florida in both Obsidian Black and Titan Red.

The Sabrina, as Wilson puts it, was clearly inspired by the original WATT/Puppy and Alexandria XFL, both of which are legendary speakers that I hope to one day hear personally. Here is Wilson Audio’s introduction to the Sabrina:

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“The inspiration for Sabrina arose from two distinct and seemingly disparate sources: the original WATT/Puppy, and the Alexandria XLF. The WATT/Puppy was the result of Dave Wilson’s belief that a well-designed compact loudspeaker could outperform many of the much larger state-of-the-art systems of its day. Sabrina is nearly the same size as its 1980s progenitor. The XLF, on the other hand, represents the current pinnacle of Wilson’s three-decades-long quest to bridge the gulf between live, unamplified music and its reproduction. The XLF platform offers the world’s most precise time-alignment capability, custom-designed drivers, and cabinet modules constructed from Wilson’s proprietary materials, reducing cabinet resonance and coloration to inaudible levels.

The objective for Sabrina was to take the wealth of knowledge and experience contained in the XLF and distill it down to its essence. To create a loudspeaker that, like the first WATT/Puppy, could stand alongside much larger systems and offer the kind of dynamic contrast and harmonic expression that is the defining character of Wilson Audio loudspeakers.” – Wilson Audio

Highlights

WILSON AUDIO SABRINA SPEAKER

  • WATT/Puppy inspired
  • At only $15,900 per pair, it’s an “affordable” high-end speaker
  • Plenty of color options available for an extra $1000

Wilson Audio Sabrina Tower Speakers Closeup

Design

Each speaker weighs in at a whopping 94lbs each making them quite a challenge to maneuver into place, but once they are, your efforts will be amply rewarded. As for drivers, we find the pretty standard Wilson Audio setup here with a silk fabric dome tweeter, and paper cone woofer and mid-range. Each speaker has a four-layer automotive-grade finish that is a sight to see, each one handmade and polished.

WILSON AUDIO SPEAKER REVIEW SPECIFICATIONS
Woofer:

8” paper cone

Tweeter:

1” doped-silk dome

Midrange:

5.75” paper pulp

Frequency Response:

31Hz–21kHz +/-3 dB, RAR (Room Average Response)

Nominal Impedance:

4 ohms / 2.53 ohms minimum @ 139Hz

Sensitivity:

87dB @ 1W/1m @ 1kHz

Dimensions:

Height 38” (w/spikes 39.3”), Width 12”, Depth 15.2”

System Weight Per Channel:

94lbs

Approximate Shipping Weight:

222lbs

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Wilson Audio, Sabrina, Floorstanding Speakers Reviews 2017

Listening
  • Listening System Setup
  • Source – FLAC Audio using a Alienware 17 Laptop
  • DAC/Pre – AudioLab M-DAC
  • Amplifier – Primaluna ProLogue Tube Amplifier (stock tubes, 60min warm up)

Epica, Storm The Sorrow

I’ve heard a number of Wilson Audio Speakers over the years and I have always loved their mid and upper ranges, clarity here is unmatched in any other speaker I’ve heard recently. Featuring a powerful female vocalist and low, heavy guitar riffs, the Sabrinas really pulled the song apart and created a wonderful sound stage. I really enjoyed how they kept the song clear and focused, never muddy or tiring, each time I listened it, I could pick out new sounds that I had seemingly missed on the last listen.

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Nightwish – Last of The Wilds

Here is a song that brings the best of rock and Uilleann pipes together in an amazing combo. The Wilsons provided a tight low end for the bass guitar hits and drum beats, while also giving highs a run for their money. I probably listened to this song half-a-dozen times because of how amazingly clear the pipes sounded, it was almost unreal. Being able to close your eyes and hear the melody as it should be heard was wonderful. While the bass hit fast and hard, it couldn’t go as low as I would have liked at loud volumes, but it still was incredible.

Linkin Park – In the End

Piano throughout and two very different male vocals are highlights of this song, but also having enough power to create an image of the song and balance the individual voices and instruments is key. The Sabrinas did an amazing job, especially at delivering tight bass. I didn’t even get a whiff of sloppy low-end in this song that can be easily heard from lesser speakers. I loved every second of being able to listen to this song from the Sabrina’s.

Conclusions

Wilson Audio Sabrina Tower Speakers

Likes
  • No-holds-barred audio clarity
  • Extremely tight bass
  • Excellent color options
  • Like most Wilson speakers, ships in a nice protective wood crate
Would Like To See
  • Wood veneer options
  • More deep bass

A very solid speaker from Wilson Audio at a good price point of $15,900 that goes up to almost $17,000 when you choose a higher end color, these speakers are very successful at distilling the WATT puppy and the XLF to the true essence of the Wilson Audio line. Expensive yes, worth it, also yes.