The Wilson Benesch Geometry Series Loudspeakers… a personal audiophile’s perspective
Introduction:
Every speaker in the Geometry series is a luxury level product and completely built and assembled at Wilson Benesch in Sheffield, England. All drivers are produced in-house. All of the models, regardless of size, share some of the same technological advances including the integration of carbon fiber into a curved cabinet construction to reduce resonance and standing waves. Each speaker is an example of an artistic achievement at the greatest level. These state of the art luxury loudspeakers connect with people and elicit a sincere emotional response by drawing the listener in to the music. As you move up the line you get a larger and more dynamic sound which makes the emotional impact more intense.
Models: (USA retail prices April 2021)
*Vertex $12,800 (Entry level integrated standmount)
*Vector $19,100 (Entry level floor standing speaker)
*Discovery II $24,500 (Mid level integrated standmount with isobaric bass system)
*ACT ONE Evolution $39,500 (Mid level floor standing speaker)
*Endeavor $49,500 (Ultimate reference level, wide bandwidth, luxury standmount speaker)
*Resolution $74,500 (High end luxury tower with double isobaric bass system)
*Eminence $249,000 (The Statement luxury tower flagship loudspeaker representing the most advanced speaker ever produced by Wilson Benesch.)
Musical Qualities:
The Wilson Benesch Geometry series line of speakers is indeed a special creation. This is one of the few speaker lines I have come across with little to no listener fatigue. They have a very natural sound presentation and continue to grow on you. The speakers provide imaging that is solid and focused but not artificially increased. You will appreciate depth in addition to width within the soundstage. Recordings close to the microphone feel right there with you in your listening space. It’s as if you can reach out and give the artist a “high five.” On the contrary, recordings of performances where the band or orchestra is further away are also very realistic. You can close your eyes and place yourself in your favorite concert hall or music venue and really get a true sense of sitting in the middle of a larger listening space with real acoustic ambience around you.
Audiophiles like to comment on how speakers finish notes just as much as how they play the notes. With the Geometry series the reverberation off the top of a drum skin or the way that a piano note disappears into the background as another note is played (decay qualities) are just so natural and acoustically pleasing. The vocal vibrato has a special magical quality with just the right amount of sustain and air under the notes. Guitars and strings have so much textural nuance. You don’t just hear the notes, you feel the artist pulling on the strings and the piano player pressing down on the keys and pedals. This is a music lovers speaker line in the truest sense. They create an accurate, articulate, and balanced musical environment in your listening space and portray the truth and emotion of the music as the artist intended.
Treble:
With the Geometry Series speakers you get treble extension that takes you to the height of what you want to hear without pushing beyond that. What I mean by this is you won’t feel that the speakers are too bright but at the same time you won’t consider them too warm. I can’t tell you how many times I have challenged this phenomenon with many different songs and I am always so impressed at how the speakers handle the upper register. It’s safe to say that Goldilocks would call them “just right!” The magic is in the design and voicing of the in house silk-carbon hybrid dome semisphere tweeter. It is truly a remarkable sounding tweeter.
Midrange:
The in-house designed and manufactured, isotactic, polypropylene Tactic II midrange drivers in the Geometry series sound rich and full. The midrange is where most of the music lives and Wilson Benesch blends the midrange into the upper and lower registers like few other speakers I have encountered. It is just a very well balanced sound from top to bottom.
Bass:
The in house designed and manufactured isobaric bass drivers in the upper models are similar to REL subwoofers in character. These are arranged in line or in a clam shell configuration depending on the model. The bass is tight, fast, articulate, and defined. Bass note separation in the music is second to none. The conventional bass drive units in the lower models within the Geometry series also carry many of the same characteristics, and depending on room placement and room size, can offer a good helping of the world class isobaric bass drive system. Bass helps make music sound more 3D and when properly integrated it provides a rhythmic sense of clarity to the sound stage along with the more obvious palpable deep note dynamic enhancement. In the geometry series the bass provides depth and character.
Crossover Design:
Wilson Benesch believes that every capacitor and inductor used in the signal path is a drawback on the overall sound quality. As a result, they utilize more simple crossovers because they optimize the cabinet enclosure size and allow acoustic roll-off of each individual drive unit. In addition, when needed, they choose to implement changes in the drive unit design rather than adding complexity to the crossover. You may ask, wouldn't that mean a lot of work goes into creating different drive units for different models? The answer is yes! In fact, within the Geometry series, there are almost 30 different specifications of drive units even though the external appearances look similar. So when it comes to crossover design, the truth is the Wilson Benesch crossover is largely designed around the acoustic and mechanical design of the enclosure and the drive unit, rather than in the electrical domain.
The reason I am spending the time discussing this rather complex topic is because by utilizing a more simple crossover and by making adjustments to both the enclosure and driver design, Wilson Benesch is able to create that magical and effortless sound quality rather than having to fall victim to crossover "bandaids" that can, at times, lead to more mechanical "edginess" in the music. It's safe to say they are building instruments just as much as they are building speakers!
Pride In Ownership:
Wilson Benesch products come from a rich family tradition utilizing the highest quality materials and are fully assembled from beginning to end at Wilson Benesch in Sheffield, England. The design and all in-house driver technologies are state of the art. The use of carbon fiber composite monocoque and acoustically engineered curved cabinet construction with in-house machined aluminum front baffles provide a fit and finish that exudes luxury. The color choices and finish options along with the elegant modern and narrow form factor of these speakers provides unique integration with a variety of home interior designs. This should not be underestimated as this speaker line is as much of an artistic expression in physical form and appearance as they are a masterful conveyor of musical expression with sound. Some models are offered in Ferrari inspired (P1 Enzo) carbon fiber color finishes as well as beautifully integrated bespoke exotic wood finishes. These speakers are sure to appeal to men and women equally. So if your spouse, partner, or significant other is a stickler for aesthetics the Geometry series is sure to please.
Summary:
As an audiophile for over 25 years, and having owned many different speakers, I have yet to come across a speaker line like the Wilson Benesch Geometry series. I can listen to these speakers for hours, regardless of volume level, and walk out of my listening space without any listening fatigue. I have not come across another speaker in which I stare into the sound stage with so much anticipation and am consistently rewarded. The treble, midrange, and bass blend seamlessly presenting the human voice and fine instruments realistically. The Geometry series speakers provide texture. The sound is holographic and layered, more like a painting than a photograph. I find their musical presentation addictive. When you close your eyes, you get lost in the music. It is a surreal experience. Not only do the speakers have a world class sound but they also have an elegant and luxurious appearance with a sleek and modern form factor. In my opinion the Geometry series embodies what the two channel listening experience is all about— adding dimension and depth to music while provoking a strong emotional response. What more could you ask for?
-Deva