WILSON AUDIO.....BIG NAME, BIG PRICE........ARE THEY THAT GOOD?

I suspect you are going to get a wide range of opinions on this, all the way from Wilsons are great to they are overpriced garbage.  You need to make up your own mind, of course.  I just bought new Sabrinas on closeout, for a subtantial discount.  I heard them during an extended audition a few years back and thought it was some of the best sound I have ever heard.  I have heard other Wilson's over the years, going back to seeing David Wilson demo early Watt/Puppies back about 1989, and I have always, always come away very impressed, in spite of the price tags, and the at times, a design that I don't find particularly appealing.  There are a LOT of speaker manufacturers out there, and always the possibility of something better lurking around the corner.  I had Magnepan 3.7i's before - they worked very well in a space that I had before, but not so well in the space where I live now.  Lots of factors here - the space, your electronics, and how you hear music.

Wilson makes Phenomenal  Speaker's. Big fan since the early 90's IMO probably one of the BEST. The WATT PUPPY's the WITT's and the Sophia all sound great with the start of the Watt Puppy V However they are not for the budget audiophile. You can get a great deal in the used market place. You need to inspect very well. The Majority of people have cared meticulously for these speakers. Be careful of the products that have been repaired, modified or upgraded by the non experienced DIY's 
The Sasha DAW sound incredible 15k - 28k price range.
If you have the cash give them a try. The Watt, Witts and the Sophia can be driven nicely with moderately priced electronics. They are that good.

mijostyn, I had Acoustat 2 plus 2's 20 years ago on a Krell stack. Amazing speakers.  I just had Acoustat model 3's and they finally gave out and the panels started to rattle. I miss the punch that dynamic speakers have but I don't think I would be happy 100 percent owning a dynamic speaker.  I had Tektons. don't let the naysayers fool you. They are decent loudspeakers. Thought about Moabs with the same drivers covering 300 hz to 20k hz with 6 db slopes would be seamless like a planar but with punch. I think the old Wilsons are out. It's between the Magnepan 3.7i and Tekton Moab. I can get them brand new compared to the 14 year old Wilsons at the same price. 

I don't think you'll be sorry purchasing Maggie 3.7 I've had them the past 2 years with a sub plenty of clarity, staging, dynamics a you are there fell with good recordings.
Good luck, happy listening!

Pretty hard to advise on buying speakers without you auditioning them, and if you can audition them, you won't need anyone's advice.

Having said that, I was never a huge fan of the Watt/Puppy in early iterations and haven't heard the 8s so can't help there, Have listened to Sophia 3 and liked them a lot. I personally have older larger Wilsons and would never give them up (I also have other very good and very different speakers in other systems).

With Wilson, you pay more, but you generally get quality stuff.  OTOH, you might want to add the Vandersteen 5A to your list....