WD25a vs WD25t

Hi all

I'm considering building myself some new speakers to go with my WAD6550 and I'm considering the WD25a and WD25t. I've not had a chance to listen to either of the designs and am curious about the differences in sound between the 2 designs. I assume its mostly in the bass response of the speakers?

I'm probably going to get the flatpack versions due to lack of tools and construction space but if i go for the WD25a then my budget would cover the XL Treble unit. I Know its a very subjective question but how much better is the XL version?

Steve

[petercom]

You are correct in assuming the difference is mainly in the bass response. The WD25t, with its larger cabinet, has a more extended bass but both offer the same clarity and definition through the bass region. The larger baffle of the WD25t also smooths out the midband a little.

The XL treble unit brings out a lot of midrange detail and is very clean and clear throughout the treble area. However both treble units are very smooth, and we have a lot of nice comments on the forum about how good the STD kit sounds.

I hope that is enough information for you to make up your mind. I think it is more down to whether you want a pair of floorstanders or stand mounts that really matters.

Thanks

I have a bit of a habit of prefering the sound of standmounts when compared with floorstanders of a similar price then later wishing for more bass Which is why i'm debating a bit rather than just following my instincts and getting the standmounts but i think the standmounts are probably the right choice for me.

Just out of curiosity do you have figures for the frequency responses of the 2 models?

Do you have a demo room or are you planning to attend any shows in the near future so i could have a chance to listen before i buy?

Thanks again

Steve

[Cobblers]

Hi Steve,
As you have probably read I am highly impressed with the standmounters std kit.
Peter has done a very good job of getting the more affordable tweeter to integrate seemlessly with the 10inch mid/bass.

The XL speaker should prove superior because the tweeter can reach lower than the standard unit, therefore will sound even cleaner at the bottom of its working range, relieving the bass mid from some of the upper mid/lower treble duty.
However as I said (without knowing what I am missing out on -since I haven't heard the better unit) performance is utterly superb with std tweeter.

I would go for the better tweeter option if I was considering the two options you are choosing between. the Bass from the standmount is so much better than normal standmount designs anyway.

[petercom]

Originally Posted by steveA

Thanks

I have a bit of a habit of prefering the sound of standmounts when compared with floorstanders of a similar price then later wishing for more bass Which is why i'm debating a bit rather than just following my instincts and getting the standmounts but i think the standmounts are probably the right choice for me.

Just out of curiosity do you have figures for the frequency responses of the 2 models?

Do you have a demo room or are you planning to attend any shows in the near future so i could have a chance to listen before i buy?

Thanks again

Steve

The responses are shown in the articles in Hi-Fi World and can be downloaded from the World Designs catalogue/speaker kits area. They won't give you any idea of what they sound like, though.

We have a demo room here at Arena Electronics and can accommodate anyone who would like to listen by appointment. Give us a ring beforehand and bring whatever partnering equipment and music you wish.

I'm fairly sure i'm going to go for the standmounts and will hopefully be able to put the order through in the next couple of weeks.

Thanks again for all your help

Steve

Likewise I'm considering either the stand mount vs the floorstander. Do the WD25A & T XL kit x-over's now include the 'tuning' modifications discussed recently in the construction articles?

I'd appreciate a comment.

Chuck
College Kid

[petercom]

The kits are now supplied with the latest fine tuned version crossovers as described in the construction articles.

The only extra is the Panel Damping Compound that you may like to fit to the WD25a if you choose those. This is not supplied as part of the kit but can be ordered from our catalogue.

[Primalsea]

I've often heard people say they prefer standmounts over floorstanders but could'nt understand why. I while ago I herd some Linn Kans and although I didn't like them they did image like no other large speaker I have heard. I also herd some custom made standmounts that were in a 6in cubed box and had a single 3in driver. Although these were limited in the frequency extreames the midrange was fantastic and imaging was also exceptional.

Would this be a similar situation with the WD25 standmounts imaging better that the floorstanders but having less bass.

I'm not sure if its interaction with the bass frequencies that can muddy imaging or if good imaging is just a virtue of smaller boxes and smaller drivers on their own.

I suspect one of the biggest reasons that people prefer stand mounts is simply budget. Bigger cabinets cost more so for the same price point imply less budget spent in other areas.

In my case I could either afford the xl wd25A or the std wd25T. I decided on the stand mounts and am very pleased with them they are great speakers and seem to be getting better by the day

Has anyone tried either of these speakers with a low power SE amp? If so how did it cope? I'm tempted to have a go at building a 2a3 SE based on the JE labs curcuit that andrew ivimey posted in the 'Now the Learning Begins' thread as a first scratch build project and i'm curious how good a match it might be for the world designs speakers.

Steve