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Wilson Sophia

I have been looking at stepping up from my B&W 704s and heard the 802Ds, the Naut 802s and the Wilson Sophias. I was all set to spend the 4500 on a pair of used 802s but then I heard the Wilsons. All I can say is that the Wilsons absolutely spoke to me. My problem is that this is a huge investment for me and I think that I must be crazy to even be thinking about this purchase. Even more so, because I live in an apartment building and cannot "crank up" my system to massive volume levels.

My question is-am I going to be able to truly appreciate these speakers with my McIntosh MA 6500 integrated and my Lector CD player? There is not going to be any money in my budget to even consider other changes for a long time. Wilson's were set up with mid level Naim gear.

Are there any risks with buying the units off the floor if I can get a deal?

As always thanks for your input.

John
jhorton19
jungsan
38 posts
 
Gentlemen,
in case you haven't noticed, there is a NICE follow-up review on the Sophias in this month's issue of the Stereophile by Paul Bolin.

I gotta go listen to them again this weekend before I get my heart broken ;-)
dmurfet
101 posts
 
Just thinking about pulling the trigger on some wilson kit, I already have Krell, but only a tiny showcase to run my HT set-up. I know a lot of people think the Krell / Wilson sounds too fierce, but then don't consider the front end. I have the Meridian 861 v4.2 which tends to be very smooth. Would this tame the fierceness or should I really be looking at BAT / LAMM /Audio research.

Trouble with this is I want to enclose the power amps in a cupboard (open at the back) and I see lots of problems trying to enclose tubes........

I have owned tubes before and liked it, but it is dynamics I like the most. I appreciate the "people have already made up their mind before they post" concept ....... anyone use other SS gear with Wilson and smoother front ends? Would Levinson / Pass / Halcro help?
pingpong
43 posts
 
Hi all Sophias fans,

anyone one heard Sophias driven by PAss Labs X250.5 or X350.5?

Will they be a good match?

Many Thanks!
dmurfet
101 posts
 
I suppose the only way for me to answer this question is to listen back to back, but I'll ask anyway - opinions on WP7 versus Sophia - is the step up worth it?
siliab
362 posts
 
I thought it was worth it.

The major benefits of the Sophias are that they cost less, and are easier to drive with excellent but less expensive amplification. They sound truly fabulous with gear such as the Naim Nait 5, or the Music Reference RM10 which are not the best matches with WP7s. The Sophias can sound even better with mega expensive stuff, but I think that the superiority of the WP7s is better revealed in that context.

The benefits of the WP7s that have the most meaning to me are that they are more dynamically nuanced, and can be set up with more precision. They have less residual noise, play louder, deeper and higher. They are clearer through the midrange, have a more precise soundstage, and have more palpable imaging. Whether these have any meaning to you is completely a matter of personal taste.

The Sophias are incredible speakers, the WP7s are more so, the MAXX2s more than that, and the Alexandrias more than that. I don't think you can go wrong in any case. Listen and decide what's best for you.
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