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Wilson Sophia vs Aerial 7/9

My next speaker move will likely be to full range, so trying to start understanding how models compare.

I've read good things about these here for years, and recently heard the Sophia 3 at a local store and was impressed. (not to mention the Sasha, omg that was some experience, driven by a pair of Ayre mx-r, but out of my price range alas). The Sophia 1/2 used are in my range, as are the 7b/9. Of course the lower models would be a more comfortable spend but if pressed I could save longer for the higher.

Wide range of music, so hard to pin down on that. More to the rock/pop/jazz side of things than classical, but some of that as well.

Amplification is Ayre AX-7e. (Is this even a good match for either of these speakers?) Should I be considering something else?

Thanks for any advice or insight.
joncourage
teajay
1,714 posts
 
Hi Brownsfan,

Thanks for sharing what you heard in a demo of the 7T's. It not only proves that personal taste and system synergy is so important, but always take another person's opinion in consideration and then go listen for yourself.

In the context of my system the Aerial 7T was the first box enclosure speaker that out preformed my bi-amped, Mystand mounted MG-20's to my surprize. The rest of my system is reference level and other very highly regarded box enclosure speakers had not come close to this level of performance in my room. So go figure, I wonder what got in the way of thier performance when you heard them?
joncourage OP
185 posts
 
Thanks for the thoughtful responses; excellent, measured advice from obviously seasoned audiophiles.

To be more specific my initial inquiry was regarding the Sophia 1 or 2, and the Aerial 7b or 9. When I originally wrote I wasn't even aware of the 7t!

Very interesting learning though, and thanks again.
Ag insider logo xs@2x
dbphd
1,632 posts
 
I suspect you're talking very different costs from a pair of Aerial 7bs at under $2K, a pair of Sophia 1s or 2s in the $5-6K range, to a pair of 7Ts in the $10K range.

db
joncourage OP
185 posts
 
Yes, was not including the 7t in requests for comparison. Too new, too expensive. Interesting info though, but for (far) future consideration.
brownsfan
1,508 posts
 
Teajay, If your 7T's outperformed a set of MG20's, there was something dreadfully wrong with the ones I heard. I can't imagine what the deal was. My living room is my listening room, so appearance is important and the 7T's are stunning looking speakers. I listened to them first using a decent front end in a less than ideal room. After a few minutes I asked the owner to move them into his reference room. In both settings I pretty much heard the same thing. There was an inaccurate timber across the board on orchestral music in both systems that put me off right away. In the reference system, the low end was bloated, which could have been a placement issue. Also, the speakers did not distinguish themselves in terms of spacial information as compared to the maggies. I also sensed that the owner was somewhat less than enthusiastic about the 7T's. I had a couple pair of Michael Kellys ADS speakers prior to my run with Magnepan, so I expected great things from the Aerials. I'd love to hear from others who have had a chance to hear them.
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