Quick Summary
Wilson Audio has reintroduced its iconic WATT/Puppy loudspeaker, with the new model now available globally.
It not only sports retro sci-fi looks, but has some truly high-end components to make for an awesome audio experience.
US audiophile brand Wilson Audio has announced the global availability of a new version of its iconic 80s loudspeaker.
The WATT/Puppy has been remastered and reintroduced almost 40 years after first being made available.
Priced at £41,998 per pair, the floorstanders have more than a touch of retro droid cool about them – reminding us of 70s/80s sci-fi movies and shows, such as Star Wars and Buck Rogers. They are made in Utah, and can be configured using a wide variety of colour options and finishes.
Each WATT/Puppy speaker contains a Convergent Synergy Carbon (CSC) tweeter for pin sharp high frequencies, which pairs with a 7-inch AlNiCo (alluminium, nickel and cobalt) QuadraMag midrange driver.
The lower half is dominated by two 8-inch woofers for deep, involving bass response. You're certainly getting a lot of oomph for your money.
The top part of each speaker sits on an adjustable spike, which allows for precise alignment depending on your ideal listening position. It also reduces vibrations from the woofer cabinet, by having this unit floating above.
One of the changes made between the 1986 original version of the loudspeaker and today's model comes in the form of the capacitors used. While the 80s variant contained capacitors with single-wound construction, the new release adopts copper AudioCapX-WA capacitors that are wound and hand-finished by Wilson Audio itself.
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This couples with copper end-spray and gold leads for the mid and high-frequency connections. The woofer capacitor has been reengineered too, with lower inductance for a "rich sonic texture".
If you're wondering where the name comes from, the top part of the speaker, which handles the mid and high frequencies is called the WATT, while the lower section, with the bass woofers, is the Puppy.
Each loudspeaker is made by hand to order. They are exclusive being distributed in the UK by Absolute Sounds.
It's also worth noting that additional premium and custom colours are available on request.
Rik is T3’s news editor, which means he looks after the news team and the up-to-the-minute coverage of all the hottest gadgets and products you’ll definitely want to read about. And, with more than 35 years of experience in tech and entertainment journalism, including editing and writing for numerous websites, magazines, and newspapers, he’s always got an eye on the next big thing.
Rik also has extensive knowledge of AV, TV streaming and smart home kit, plus just about everything to do with games since the late 80s. Prior to T3, he spent 13 years at Pocket-lint heading up its news team, and was a TV producer and presenter on such shows as Channel 4's GamesMaster, plus Sky's Games World, Game Over, and Virtual World of Sport.
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