I recently noticed that Wilson is no longer making a powered version of the WATCH Dog. Does anyone know why they stopped?

The Dog ran away!

Where did you see this splaskin?

The WatchDog is still on the Wilson website. My you be thinking of the XS subwoofer? If they're not making a powered version anymore, my guess would be issues with the amplifier supplier and the desire for those with more exotic interests to drive them with hugely expensive amplifiers. :rolleyes:

my guess would be issues with the amplifier supplier and the desire for those with more exotic interests to drive them with hugely expensive amplifiers.

My guess as well

My son blew out th amp on his WD

Fortunately the folks at WA replaced it at N/C

I can think of why... while the Wd is an incredible sub, perhaps it deserves even better EQ and amplification potential than the Marsh plate amp. I wonder if this reduces the price of the WD, since now you'll need some decent amps to drive it.

btw, I am looking into a Lake EQ processor to deal with a couple of room modes for both 2ch and HT. The Lake is the first EQ I've seen that has impressive enough specs to be hopeful for it's not reducing the sound experience.

I I wonder if this reduces the price of the WD, since now you'll need some decent amps to drive it.

LOL. I doubt it. It is a Wilson.

I e-mailed Wilson and asked them the reason for the change. We shall see. The amp provided with the WD was class AB with EQ to allow a perfect blend with the WP. When set up properly, damn nice.

The unit while excellent recently has not been a great seller for Wilson. Besides the cost, the unit is very large compared to most subs, even large subs. For HT use (rather than 2 channel music), space placement becomes a problem not to mention having the placement room to place it properly. A smaller sub was called for, one where the amp can be placed elsewhere given the old box's large size.

Besides the cost, the unit is very large compared to most subs, even large subs.

You ain't seen nothin' til you see the XS which stands 84" tall and weighs 750 lbs. ;)

Hi

What kind of Amp did the powered Watchdog used? A plate (BASH-type) amplifier?

I e-mailed Wilson and asked them the reason for the change. We shall see. The amp provided with the WD was class AB with EQ to allow a perfect blend with the WP. When set up properly, damn nice.

I am not convinced of this technique. I notice my ARC preamp already deteriorates the sound from my DCS DAC, so I really doubt the Wilson plate amp would not do same or worse. Not that it's a bad amp, it's just another component massaging the waveform between source and speaker amp.

I received a reply concerning the WATCH Dog from Wilson. It appears that Mark was correct.

Hi Dr. Plaskin,

In our efforts to keep up with custom applications (built-ins), our dealers have been asking about modular subwoofers for some time - the ability to stack or configure multiple subwoofers in a single system. Thus, the unpowered Watch Dog was born. We are officially releasing it hopefully this week. We also plan to have available the controller section of the Watch Dog in a single, rack mount version. We plan to use the same manufacturer to build the controller as the one who built the amp/controller for the Watch Dog. As with all amplifiers and electronics, there were a few isolated events early during the production stages, however, in general, the Watch Dog 2 has been very reliable.

The new subwoofer uses the same driver and cabinet volume as well.

If you have any further questions, you can reach me at the contact information listed below.

Warm Regards,

Jerron Marchant
Office Manager
Wilson Audio Specialties, Inc.
jerron@wilsonaudio.com
phone: 1-801-377-2233
web: www.wilsonaudio.com

Not really... Mark (H) suggested the new cabinet would be smaller, and Jerron says the new cabinet will be same size as the old. Looks like the major reason for all this is stacking... hm... I would never have thought of that, is this a good idea Seaton?

tzucc, where I thought Mark got it right was that the WD has not sold well. Also, HT applications could be more flexible.

Steve

oh, I thought his point was that it didn't sell well because of the size of the cabinet... I don't know how you get around that...

tzucc, you win-I can't get around the size. Given the size of the XS, Wilson views the WD as a modular sub.

Steve

I was speculating re the size. Obviously the amp and controller add to the overall size, so given the same cabinet volume for the woofer box, the overall box depth (the amp and controller were not part of that volume), the overall depth and weight must be less, making it stackable and easier to place in limited space..

the plate amp hardly takes any space... I know... I've been inside the WD, tightening the speaker wire lug nuts ... while I had the driver out (and it is ONE HUGE BEEFY MOTHER btw with dual magnets.. it's very heavy and probably 12" deep from front to back) and it's mostly very dense insulation and huge cross bracing. In other words, other than the driver, it's all insulation and wood, and the plate amp hardly comes into the enclosure very much at all.

OK. I will talk to the Wilson guys today and get all the specifics. I have had a WD for years but I have never opened it up. i suppose I ill be selling it and replacing it with the new one. I wonder what amp would be best. Something high wattage with a huge damping factor. Definately not a tube amp.

If the total box size is the same, then the primary advantage of removing the amp and controller would be accessibility of the controls when the unit is placed in a cabinet. That would be one very deep cabinet.

Hello,
The WatchDog with a built-in amp is no more. Wilson is now selling just the cabinet (only a bit smaller & lighter - I don't recall by how much) with the same driver etc. for ~$6,500.00 msrp. The controller (to do phase, cross over, etc, essentially all the features that the Watch Dog 2 had) as a separate option for ~$3,500.00. You need to add a 'quality' (outboard) amp to this whole set up. This means that the overall cost of the Watch Dog has gone up substantially, assuming that you'll put a reasonable monoblock amp for at and above $3,000.00. I am just wondering now whether the best solution is something like a Velodyne 1812 (of course XS is not being built for a while now either!), which would come with at least as many features and a far better sub for the same money! Any thoughts on this? Has anyone here tried the 1812 with a Wilson system?
I know that a nice ssp (Lexicon MC-12 w/ room eq and others) can act as a controller, however, WD had more 'tunability' to it than a typical high end processor would allow for, hence my comments.

OK. It is as I thought. The internal volume of the woofer enclosure is the same. The plate amp/controller was in a seperate compartment in the discontinued one. The dimensions of the new one are 3 inches less tall and 3 inches less deep than the old one. The width is the same. The weight is less, obviously. The MSRP of the new box is $6.5K and the controller is $3.8K.

OK. It is as I thought. The internal volume of the woofer enclosure is the same. The plate amp/controller was in a seperate compartment in the discontinued one. The dimensions of the new one are 3 inches less tall and 3 inches less deep than the old one. The width is the same. The weight is less, obviously. The MSRP of the new box is $6.5K and the controller is $3.8K.

$3,800 for a controller to set phase and level etc. is outrageous even by Wilson standards. Are you sure that does not include an amp? I would much sooner buy just the WD box and add a Velodyne SMS-1 and a good amp.

$3,800 for a controller to set phase and level etc. is outrageous even by Wilson standards. Are you sure that does not include an amp? I would much sooner buy just the WD box and add a Velodyne SMS-1 and a good amp.

I am sure that does not include an amp. And your solution might very well be a good one.

No amp. I am sure.

not that it will be any cheaper, but I am going to acquire (most likely after an eval audition) a Lake EQ to do what needs to be done for my room. That will take care of my three subs and three front speakers, I think, in one single box.

not that it will be any cheaper, but I am going to acquire (most likely after an eval audition) a Lake EQ to do what needs to be done for my room. That will take care of my three subs and three front speakers, I think, in one single box.


Tzucc if you put any more speakers in there, none of us will have room to sit down at the next BAAS meeting ;)

Here it is:

http://www.shows.soundstagelive.com/shows/avtour2006/sep14b/wilson_watchdog_pg.jpg

And here:

http://www.shows.soundstagelive.com/shows/avtour2006/sep14b/wilson_watchdog_pop.jpg

Ron, thx for the photo... that looks like a nice crossover... maybe I can swap out my GSB with this unit.

Seriously, for that kind of money, I'd get the large Genelec.

Hi,
Just purchased a used Watch Dog II for my Sophia 2s...which I am considering changing to either WP8s....or Rockport speakers.....any suggestions how to best set up system for HT and analog...

John

For under $10K, I could build someone a stereo pair of 10' tall stacks of NHT acoustic suspension subs with 20 12" woofers, 2000W (10 channels) of outboard power, outboard stereo crossover, 130dB output, >800lbs, 25Hz and up at <+/-.5dB and a -3dB of 20Hz. I think that would more than manhandle a single $10K+ 13" ported sub.

Hi,
Just purchased a used Watch Dog II for my Sophia 2s...which I am considering changing to either WP8s....or Rockport speakers.....any suggestions how to best set up system for HT and analog...

John

John,

How is your WatchDog connected? Is it running off of the line level outputs of the Meridian? Does your version of the 861 have the room correction feature?

The Meridian is 861 v4.25
I drive the Watch Dog 2 with the balanced LFE output from the Meridian...crossing over at about 50Hz, with the narrow output from the Meridian to eliminate the higher frequencies from being feed into the Watch Dog 2....which by the way is a wonderful unit...for me much better than the Revel Sub 30....and as side not the Wilson Sophia 2s have been replaced by Rockports...