Wilson Sophia II vs. Thiel CS3.7

Hce4, I can say I have had the Vandersteen 5A for
some time now, and have tried several amps. I will not say
the 5A is my last speaker, as we all know how our audio fevers can
rise and fall. However, earlier this month I bought the Vac
Phi 300.1 and the 5A has already reached new heights in my system. This may sound overused, but the 5A just sounds so
much like the components in front of it. With the Vac Ren
70, very lush, very detailed, not quite enough power for my
taste although a healthy 70 watts. With the Gamut D200,
great dimensionality for a non-tube amp and plenty of power.
I guess my point here is, do not give up on Vandersteens
just from hearing the 5A once. It is very dependent on
the amp. I know the VTL 750 is a great amp, but it was
not on the 5A IMO. I have seen 5A's for around 11K used,
and you can always seek out the Quattro which has been
mentioned. I have not heard the latest Wilson or Thiel
designs, and have not owned either for several years.
I also have nothing negative to say about the ASL amps
which you heard on the 5A's, as I have never heard them.

For me that is easy.

A close friend of mine, 3.7 owner, put his Thiels for sale next day after hearing the Sophias 2 in his system.

Sophias were more musical, more real sounding and less fatiguing. We were both surprised. This is one of those demos to eventually persuade me to get Sophias myself.

His system consists of:
EMM CDSE se / DCC2 se combo
ARC Ref 3
ARC Ref 210 monos

ELBERTOH2,the Sophia's image better than the first order crossover Thiels?

I've owned the Thiel 3.7 for 10 months. Before buying it I auditioned the original Sophia.

I've never heard the Sophia II, but the technical descriptions I've read of the changes seem pretty minor. They're still using the same Focal inverted dome tweeter, but with some new modifications to reduce its distortion somewhat.

I disliked the Sophia because of its whitish, grainy treble.

Also, the Thiel 3.7 is far more dynamic than any speaker I've heard. This dynamism has bowled over everyone who's visited me. It makes all music, soft and loud, more engaging and closer to the dynamics of a live concert.

Thiel claims the 3.7, unlike all prior Thiel models, has a benign impedance characteristic that is easy to drive.

I've never noticed any lack of bass power, even on classical "power" music like Mahler or the Verdi Requiem. The bass is exceptionally clear, tight and free of resonances, probably due to the cabinet design.

My review of the 3.7, including my other equipment, is here:
http://www.audioasylum.com/cgi/m.mpl?forum=speakers&n=259489&review=1

Interesting thread.

Some other speakers in this price range to check out:
Pioneer S-1EX, S-2X and PMC EB1i.