Proac D38, Wilson Sophia II, Avalon Ascendant???

You should consider having Rick at SelahAudio build you a custom pair with the drivers and of the shape/design that you like best.
http://selahaudio.com/id103.html
http://selahaudio.com/id74.html
http://selahaudio.com/id73.html

Building a speaker is much more than just putting a bunch of speakers together in a DIY box.

I have heard a ton of DIY speakers, many of them using state of the art drive units, and most of the time was very disapointed.

Hello All,

Thanks agian for all the advice. This was a great thread. I just auditioned the Wilson Sophia II against my ProAc D15 to evaluate for tonal differences etc... I've decided to go with the Wilson Sophia II. I plan on taking delivery in the next few days. My final assessment is simple and mentioned above. ProAc and Wilson are both great. ProAc is more musical at the expense of being slightly colored. Wilson is more accurate. Above all else listen for yourself and go with what you like. Also, realize that a more accurate sound does not always translate to a better sound.

I know you were in a difficult position - having to extrapolate how the D38's would sound from your experience with the D15's(two steps down in the line) - but I worry ,for you, that you've jumped from a known and loved family sound to one very different. Please keep us posted on how the Wilson's wear on you.I've always liked the Proac sound but based on my recent auditions of the D38's they strike me as really,really special!!

Mred,

I absolutely love the Wilson Sophia II's. I am very happy with my decision. Absolutely no regrets. I would say the only drawback is that my bad recordings sound worse but my good recordings sound astonishing. To me the Wilson's are what speakers should be. They allow the sound to come through without altering the tonal characteristics. The Proacs tend to push musicality (which I admit can be very enjoyable). For instance take Diana Krall, Patricia Barber, Norah Jones, or Cowboy Junkies for example. On the Proacs the female voices are right there in all their glory. With Wilsons depending on the track/album they are at times set back. If you keep listening what you first heard as a slightly muted female vocal actually places the voices more accurately in space. If you concentrate you can actually picture the band/vocalist and hear how far away they are from the various instruments etc. In addition, you can pick out each instrument in the background so concisely. Everything is just more real. These are obviously very analytical attributes but to me it makes listening more fun.

I really enjoyed my time with Proac and realize that the D38's would be in another league than the D15's but I really admire the honesty that the Wilson's provide. Spacial orientation, dynamics, an out of the box flavor to music. When I close my eyes and listen to them the imaging is extraordinary and that sense of being at the performance is magical. Especially with any instrumental recordings. I've never been so excited to listen to CD after CD.

Also, my speakers are set-up for home theater as well. Wow! The impact of movies now are just incredible. Again, I did not compare side by side to D38 but suspect that that the overall design and dynamic capabilities of the Wilson would have greater impact for movies.

I understand hesitancy to leave that classic Proac sound but at least for me what an eye opener type of experience this has been. Obviously these are all just opinions as what sounds good to one person may not be the preference to another. Just like some like their coffee black and others with cream and sugar.

So far the Wilson's are wearing just great with me. I don't think I'll be replacing them anytime soon.

Hope that helps.
Thanks!!