Wilson Sasha vs Meridian DSP 7200?

What are the sonic characteristics of Ayre that make them a great match with Wilson? I have Wilsons (Sophia 2's) and currently use Pass amps (which I'm happy with, but I'm curious).

Thanks.
Ian

Madfloyd,

Well, Pass amps are hard to beat and I can and have lived happily with Threshold Class A mono blocks. I have Lamm M1.2 hybrids, which I like a little better than the Ayre MXR mono blocks because they have a bit richer, fuller sound, and because I like the sound of pure class A amps and what an outstanding NOS 6922 type tube does for the richness and fullness of the sound and the natural decay of the notes.

I think the Ayre preamps are among the very best preamps. Very neutral, incredible dynamics, PraT, huge soundstage with very precise and anchored imaging, tonal balance and air.

Wilsons are great speakers and the Sophias are more forgiving than the speakers further up the line, but they are still so revealing that you can easily hear what a preamp does to the sound. That's why I think the Ayre preamps are a great match with Wilsons. They pass the music without adding anything and without subtracting much.

If you are ever looking for a new preamp, I think you should give the Ayre preamps an audition with your Pass amps and Wilsons.

Ed

Kippyy,

My System consists of:
DCS Puccini
Ayre k5xe
Ayre MX-r
Wilson Audio W/P8
Trasnparent Cables-Ultra
Shunyata Python and Sidewinder power cables
Shunyata Hydra 8 v2
Shunyata Guardia Pro- Used for Amps ( Ihave two power cables per amp)
Rives Level 2 Room Treatment

I bought this system in April 2009 and I just love it! I wish I could have purchased the KX-r but just couldn't swing it now.

I have not heard a full meridian system and I am sure it is quite good but I do not think you can go wrong with Wilson Audio Sasha. From what I understand the Sasha is quite good and better than the W/P 8.

I purchased my W/P in April. I was told by my dealer at that time that I could buy the W/P8 at a discounted price and trade up to the Sasha later and pay only the difference in price between the Sasha and W/P 8. That is pretty cool. I should have my Sasha in early September.

I have two suggestions for you.

1) Have your listening room acoustically treated. I used Rives for the design and the sound in my room has been transformed. It was like I upgraded everything in my system.

2) Have you auditioned the MX-r? If not I would check them out. Detailed, sweet but with some balls. I listen mostly to rock as well and I thought the mx-r made rock recordings sound more full and life like. I know they are significantly more expensive but worth checking out.

You've probably already made your decision, but I just saw this post and thought I'd add my two cents. I've owned both Meridian and Wilson speakers, so I know their strengths and weaknesses quite well.

First, anyone who hasn't heard the latest Meridian speakers with their new apodising digital filter technology simply hasn't heard what their speakers are capable of. What Theo described as a "sterile" sound was, to me, a hardness that ultimately led me to sell my DSP5000's. With the addition of their new digital filter (which is also the secret sauce in their much-lauded 808.2 CD player), that hardness is now gone.

About six months ago, I had a chance to audition the 7200's in my home. I liked them a lot, and found the hardness that had led me to swear off Meridian speakers was now completely gone. But they didn't have enough bass to energize my rather large listening room (28' X 19', opening onto a two-story entry hall), so I passed.

I later heard the MAXX3's (not in my home) and liked them quite a lot too. They were dynamic and detailed, and had none of the leanness that my old Watt/Puppy's had exhibited. Plus, I figured they'd have no problem in my room. So, I started putting money away to buy a pair.

Then I heard the new Meridian DSP 8000.2's (the 7200's big brother) connected directly to a Sooloos music server. They were fantastic, and the ease of using the Sooloos was truly remarkable. The system sounded very organic, and very transparent -- more transparent, in fact, than I remembered the MAXX3's being (driven by tube gear, anyway).

I was so impressed, in fact, that I bought the set.

I can tell you that I've never had as much musical enjoyment out of my system as I do now. Even if the 8000.2's weren't as good as the MAXX3's (and I'm not saying they're not, only that at this level it's all a matter of personal preference), the absence of a rat's nest of boxes and cables IMHO pulls the 8000.2's ahead. And the Sooloos (which admittedly can be hooked up to any system, but which I suspect has a particular synergy with Meridian products now) is such a joy to use. I can walk into my room, tap on the screen, find any piece of music I own, and immediately sit down and listen -- I don't even have to wake up the speakers, the Sooloos does that for me.

In short, if you, like me, have a digital-only system, I strongly recommend you take a long look at a Sooloos-DSP7200 system before buying anything else. It really is wonderful-sounding gear, and once you live with it and experience its ease of use, you'll realize how truly special it is. My 8-year-old daughter loves playing her Taylor Swift and Carrie Underwood songs on it, and unlike with my pat rigs -- which I wouldn't let anyone else touch -- I have no qualms about letting her do it!

A new answer for al old question, Neutrality!!!!!!!!!!!