When a budget speaker is preferred to a high end one...

Considering the inordinate amount of garbage stockpiled into a Harbeth bookshelf speaker (like there was a contest to see which network could be the most complicated piece of junk anyone could produce on design day), it is not at all surprising to hear that a less expensive and well engineered speaker could wipe the room with them. While you didn’t mention brand, I did. Imagine what they could sound like if you could improve them. But you can’t. You’d have to go external to make any headway. Trying to replace all the cheap Chinese scraps in the network with quality components would be cost prohibitive in the face of the initial outlay and the fact that the cheaper parts are smaller. No room to do a straight swap in their bookshelf designs. 

@fsconicsmith

Reality is subjective. Your truth is shaped by your ability to process what is. 

I often wonder if it is more beneficial to spend money on a better than on speakers. I wonder if you can hear the difference.  It would be nice to be able to do an A vs B comparison in your home to see what is best.  Kind of like garbage in equals garbage out.

Does anyone out there listen to the Sophia speakers?

I have a remarkably good-sounding pair of unlabeled speakers purchased in China when living there. They look suspiciously like the Sophia product.