Silverline Face-off: Sonatina II vs 17.5

Jax, it ain't over until someone bids on the Sonatina II. You might win your bet yet. Remember that I'm kind of on the fence... :)

Well, the Sonatina II's were locked in beautifully. Years of experimentation with cables, ohm settings, positioning, subwoofer setup (REL Strata III), tube choices for amp are cdp (both Cary)....

17.5 sounds smaller but a bit more precise and refined. I do feel like I am almost starting from scratch to get it locked in though. Experimenting with cables beyond Audience, Nordost, etc... It turns out that my favorite positioning produces a HUGE 100 hz hump the likes of which I've never heard before (measured using Stereophile test disk 3). Moving these rear-ported speakers a few inches forward gets rid of 90% of the hump.

17.5 not quite as efficient as the Sonatina II. Cary SLI-80 in triode powered Sonatina II beautifully with volume set at noon. 17.5 needs more like 1 o'clock. And careful positioning to prevent the bass from getting tubby. And the ultralinear setting is tempting for more power.

Stands! Playing these speakers on Skylan 24D versus EPOS ST12 - they sound like totally different speakers! Each stand has its strengths. Skylan (filled with sand) has black background, sweetness, precision. Too restrained on some recordings? or merely correct. EPOS sounds open, bigger, rollicking, full of information going every which way, just a "kick in the butt" .... and a hint metallic at times compared to the Skylan.

Next I'll try sand in the ST12, kitty liter to replace sand in the Skylans.

I could live with either one and be happy but choosing? Apples vs oranges.

Then there is the daily variation in sound. I wish someone would figure it out. Power quality? temperature? humidity? my mood?

Whew!

Art