Wilson Audio has gone through a rather interesting transition since the passing of its founder, David Wilson. The Utah-based loudspeaker maker has always been a family business and it seemed almost impossible to fill the the void after his passing; Wilson was one of the most successful brands in the entire industry for almost 3 decades and its charismatic owner was a huge part of that success. To their credit, the family has carried on his legacy with a new generation of products that offer superior engineering and build quality. The new Wilson WASAE Center Channel Loudspeaker adds a new “affordable” option to their home theater lineup.
The WASAE Center Channel
The latest entry into the Wilson lineup is the Wilson Audio Special Applications Engineering (WASAE) Center Channel Speaker.
The WASAE cabinet incorporates advanced X-Material (used for cabinet bracing) and S-Material (a blend of materials that form a stable and low-resonance coupling surface for the midrange driver) for precise vibration control.
Featuring the same Convergent Synergy MK5 tweeter found in the WAMM Master Chronosonic, the WASAE Center is designed to deliver linear high-frequency extension and harmonic nuance found in its larger siblings. The mid-woofer utilized is the same as in the Alexx V, SabrinaX, and the wall-mounted Alida.
WASAE Center’s crossover components, include Wilson’s new AudioCapX-WA capacitors. The capacitors are wound at Wilson Audio to extremely tight tolerances specifically for this product, thus increasing low-level resolution.
To support a cleaner signal path, the WASAE Center is equipped with Wilson Audio spade + banana plug binding posts.
Specifications
- Enclosure Type: X-Material / S-Material / Rear Vented (Bass Reflex)
- Mid-Woofers: 2 x 5.75 inches (14.61 cm)
- Tweeter: 1 inch (2.54 cm)
- Sensitivity: 88 dB @ 1 Watt @ 1 meter @ 1 kHz
- Impedance: 4 ohms/minimum 3.9 ohms @ 198 Hz
- Minimum Amplifier Power: 20 Watts
- Frequency Response: 65 Hz – 31 kHz (+/- 3 dB)
- Height: 7 3/4 inches (19.62 cm) w/o spikes
- Width: 26 3/4 inches (67.95 cm)
- Depth: 13 3/16 inches (33.46 cm)
- Weight: 57 lbs (25.85 kg)
- Total System Shipping Weight (approx.): 100 lbs (45.36 kg)
In the Box
- WASAE Center Manual
- Warranty Registration Form
- (1x) Polishing Cloth
- (2x) 3/8-inch 16 Stainless Adjustable Spike with Nut
- (2x) “AA” Stainless Spike
- (4x) Small Aluminum Spike Pad
- (1) 1/2-inch Nut Driver (binding posts)
- (1) 7/16-inch Combo Wrench (“AA” spike)
- (1) 9/16-inch Wrench (adjustable spike nut)
- (1) 1/4-inch Flat Wrench for Adjustable Spike tip (spike install/removal)
- (1) 3/16-inch Allen Wrench (spike set screws)
- Universal Allen Driver
- (1) 1/8-inch Allen Bit (resistor panel screw)
- (1) 5/32-inch Allen Bit (driver screws)
- Full-Line Brochure
- Wilson Audiophile Recordings leaflet
Finish Options
The WASAE Center Channel Speaker is being offered with an abundance of cabinet and grill colors in standard (5 colors), upgrade (14 colors), and premium (10 colors) options (upgrade and premium color options require an extra fee). A custom finish option is also available.
Tip: The standard color offerings are Galaxy Gray, GT Silver, Quartz, Carbon, and Medio Grigio
Pricing and Availability
Pricing for the Wilson Audio WASAE is based on the finish option chosen:
- Standard Finish: $9,500
- Upgrade Finish: $10,000
- Custom Finish: $11,000
- Premium Finish: $11,500
The Wilson Audio WASAE is available through Authorized Dealers and Distributors
BONUS: If you want a more substantial higher-end center channel speaker to complement a Wilson Audio setup, you might consider the Wilson Audio MEZZO CS (Convergent Synergy) price from $17,600 to $20,600 depending on the finish.
Comparison
Here is a basic specifications comparison of WASAE and MEZZO CS.
WASAE MEZZO CS Standard Finish $9,500 $17,600 Upgrade Finish $10,000 $18,100 Custom Finish $11,000 $19,800 Premium Finish $11,500 $20,600 Woofers – 2 x 8 inches (20.32 cm) Midrange or Mid-Woofers 2 x 5.75 inches (14.61 cm) 1 x 7 inches (17.78 cm) Cellulose/Paper Pulp Tweeter 1 inch (2.54 cm) 1 inch (2.54 cm) silk dome Sensitivity 88 dB @ 1 Watt @ 1 meter @ 1 kHz 96 dB @ 1 watt @ 1 m @ 1 kHz Impedance 4 ohms/minimum 3.9 ohms @ 198 Hz 4 ohms, minimum 2.8 ohms @ 98 Hz Minimum Suggest Amp Power 20 Watts 25 watts Frequency Response 65 Hz – 31 kHz (+/- 3 dB) 20 Hz – 22.5 kHz +/- 3 dB Room Average Response [RAR] Height 7 3/4 inches (19.62 cm) w/o spikes 17 3/8 inches (44.13 cm) Width 26 3/4 inches (67.95 cm) 29 ½ inches (74.93 cm) Depth 13 3/16 inches (33.46 cm) 20 7/8 inches (53.06 cm) Weight 57 lbs (25.85 kg) 159 lbs (71.21 kg) Total System Shipping Weight (approx.) 100 lbs (45.36 kg) 250 lbs (113.40 kg)
Related Reading
Here are other Wilson Audio Loudspeakers in their current lineup that we have covered:
