Those who’ve attended a Wilson Audio Specialties demo know that the company’s Peter McGrath puts on a good show—when it comes to introducing a loudspeaker and winning over an audience, he’s perhaps the best in the business.
So, I wasn’t actually surprised that Rosemarie took a fancy to the man. I was surprised, though, by how deeply she enjoyed the demonstration.
We listened to several of McGrath’s recent high-resolution recordings, including one made only days before the show, at the University of Miami’s Gusman Concert Hall, with young and enchanting soprano Lei Xu, pianist Ken Noda, and clarinetist Alex Fiterstein performing Franz Schubert’s “The Shepherd on the Rock.”
“These are brand-spanking new digits,” McGrath explained. “New digits are better than old, so this should sound pretty good. Let’s see…”
From the corner of my eye, I saw a smile blossoming on Rosemarie’s face.
The music was glorious and the recording was, as is usual for McGrath’s work, extremely realistic, spacious yet intimate, with a wonderful sense of both the performers and the performance space.
We listened to another song, and another, and another.
We heard great drama, truthful tonal colors, impressive scale, presence, an overwhelming sense of ease and control.
When the demonstration was over, I was simultaneously spent and exhilarated.
I looked at Rosemarie.
“I really enjoyed that,” she whispered.
“You did?”
“Yes! He is incredibly engaging.”
“Incredibly engaging?”
“Yes!”
“Who the hell are you?!”
