Wilson Audio Alexx V (PLEASE CONTACT)

Stereophile's Component of the Year — and one of the most consistently decorated speakers of the last five years.

Jim Austin of Stereophile said it's "distinguished not by any special warmth, approachability, or friendly coloration" but by its evenness and clarity.

Awards: Stereophile Component of the Year (2022); Hi-Fi+ Editor's Choice (2026); numerous additional honors from The Absolute Sound, Stereophile, and Hi-Fi+ since 2021

The original Alexx earned real critical acclaim when it launched in 2016, built on technology developed during the five-year effort behind Wilson's WAMM Master Chronosonic. The Alexx V doesn't just refine that formula — it's a genuinely re-engineered performance envelope, adding barely an inch to the original's footprint while incorporating the open-gantry architecture, V-Material vibration control, and QuadraMag midrange technology that debuted on the far pricier Chronosonic XVX.

That trickle-down engineering produced real, measurable gains: minimum impedance improved from 1.5 ohms in the original Alexx to a friendlier 2.0 ohms, sensitivity increased by a full 1dB, and a completely new Convergent Synergy Carbon tweeter delivers more linear high-frequency extension with superior ambient retrieval. An illuminated rear cross brace — borrowed from the Chronosonic XVX — aids precise module setup and time-alignment, while the independently adjustable upper modules let you tailor the speaker's performance to your specific room rather than accepting a fixed factory configuration.

If you want to hear what happens when Wilson's flagship-level engineering gets applied to their second-largest regular-production speaker, this is the result — and the awards shelf backs it up.