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Wilson Sophia II vs. Thiel CS3.7

Anyone compare the two directly?

Looking for detailed impressions on these two loudspeakers only if you feel you auditioned them in their absolute best light. Mis-matched systems and problems with synergy don't really reveal what a speaker can do, so be honest and voice your opinion only if you really know the strengths and weakness of each speaker.

Bass:

Which one went deeper, tighter more impactful, tuneful?

Midrange:

Which one had more presence, texture, tonal accuracy, inner detail, transparency?

Highs:

Which one extended farther, had less grain, sounded most natural?

Overall:

Which one was more coherent, dynamic, resolving, transparent?

Which one had a wider soundstage, fuller images, shaper images, better depth, layering, separation of instruments?

Which one has the more accurate tone for acoustic instruments?

Again, looking purely for sonic differences, how do they honestly compare to each other?

Thanks!
hce4
unsound
7,329 posts
 
I was shocked to see the price jump on the Thiel 3.7's. I think I understand the reasons for the Thiel's cabinets, but whatever the improvements are, do they justify the costs? As I said, I haven't heard them yet, but, they are still a passive radiator enclosure with less than full range bass extension, and though they may be more sensitive than some previous Thiels', they still have an impedance load that appears to require a pretty mighty amp. I've been a Thiel fan and user for 20 years, but, the price/value ratio doesn't appear to be where it once was. Then again the proof is in the listening.
pops
2,273 posts
 
Good point Unsound and as I mentioned I have heard them and they are very good but 12K for that performance is a little sporty.
tom_hankins
928 posts
 
Hce4,
Depending on your room size and amplification I would consider trying to find a dealer who still has a pr. of CS7.2s in stock and get them. Probably around the same price as the 3.7, and a better speaker.
At $10K I thought the 3.7 was the best I have heard in that price range. At almost $13K, I would still buy them over the Sophias. But it would be hard to pick the 3.7 over the Quatro Wood and save $3K.
calbrs03
184 posts
 
I heard these speakers this morning--5/17--and had my socks knocked off. The definition, the clarity is incredible at all volume levels. Deep, tight bass. Crisp treble. A natural, not overly pronounced midrange. It was truly amazing how well all the parts and pieces came together to produce an all together effortless sound. (Well, there was about a 1000 watts of BAT amplification upstream to help out.) Still, a fabulous bit of engineering.

On the other hand, 12k is a lot of money for anything. There used to be a larger selection of Thiels, so you could pick your price range and get really exceptional sound which made the upgrade path not so steep. Looking at price for performance for the new models, I'm going with the 2.4 at less than half the cost. That's only my opinion and not a slight on a fabulous 3.7.
unsound
7,329 posts
 
Tom's thnking along the same lines as I am, though I was thinking about the less beautiful non-wood Quatro's at almost half the price of the 3.7's and greater bass extension to boot.
Calbrs03's thinking even more along the same lines as I am. Used Thiel CS5i's can be had for less than $3K. Even with the very high shipping costs, one could send them to Thiel for a refurbish and sent back home and still have lots of money left over for some killer amps.
Still all of this is just conjecture, untill I actually get to hear the 3.7's. Perhaps they really are that good, and they really are worth the asking price? I think Thiel streamling thier line mightg be a good thing. I thought the previous extended line didn't really offer that much improvement from one level to the next. Case in point, the CS 6's didn't seem (to me at least) to be worth the cost increase over the 3.6's.
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