Sonus Faber vs Wilson

tonywinga,

I once almost went from Thiel 2.4s to Wilson Sophia 3 for the improved bass. I ended up buying two subs and high passing them at 60hz and have surprisingly been happy. My system is a bit upside down now with my speakers only making up 25% of my system cost but you know how it goes lol….
The wilson are fine but I lost interest when the Sophia turned into the Yvette and went up $10k. But honesty even if I had the Sophia’s I would want to run subs with them. Once you have true 20hz bass you can’t go back. 
Imo mid size well designed speakers (Sopra 2, Olympica iii, 228be, Thiel 3.7 etc) with subs give these large very expensive speakers a run for their money. In reality mid sized speakers with subs are often better as you can tune the bass to the room. Once you run subs it is hard not to question the price of these large speakers unless you truly have a large room and sit far away. If you have a large room but sit within 10’ then it is irrelevant again. 

Hi James633- I actually have subs in my room.  I put them near the corners behind the main speakers.  After hearing the Wilson Alexia 2's for the first time, I came back and "tuned" the subs to the room better using what I heard at the store.  I phased the subs based on their relative position to the main speakers.  I did some math using 30 Hz as the reference point and came up with a phase angle of 29 degrees.  I think I'm more lucky than smart but after some experimenting, 29 degrees phase angle dialed into the subs seemed to be where the bass really popped.  I also have the subs roll off starting at 34 Hz so they do not interfere with the Thiels.  I don't think the subs are quite as fast as the Thiels but they do a great job supporting that last half octave down below 20 Hz.  And I do sit 10 feet from the speakers.  
Then, just recently I added a really expensive power conditioner to my system (the front end).  One advantage- the highs improved dramatically becoming so smooth now- even digital highs are creamy smooth now.  So that is my dilemma.  How much sound improvement will I really gain with such a large expenditure to acquire the Wilson's?  The clarity of the bass is still not quite there to match the Wilson's but it is close, real close.  I have one CD with some strong bass (Stanley Clarke) that I used as a reference.  One CD to make a large purchasing decision.
Hearing different outstanding systems is always a good thing, especially when It helps us to see where our own system's deficiencies lie.  I gained a lot of ground but I still am fighting that bug in me to get new speakers.

The subs integrated perfectly into my system.  I have to either turn them off or put my hand in front of the cones to tell if they are working.  And I agree with you that once you experience that last octave down to 20 Hz it is hard to give it up.  I have one song, a Choir song with a large bass drum.  When the bass drum is struck, the power of that drum is intoxicating.  The subs and the Thiels working together make moments like that possible.  But I wonder how it would sound on the Wilsons...

tonywinga,

You have a really nice system and room BTW. I have no complaint with Wilson really other than the cost. 
One more thing to try before throwing cash at the system. If you have the ability to highpass the subs and cut the lows out of the mains it will make a huge difference. Running the subs at around 60hz (right where your bass driver rolls off and the passive radiator picks up) will really elevate the bass (no pun intended) and the whole system. 
Subs are just so good these days might as well let them do their thing. At 60hz they will blend well. At 80hz I find I can hear them and at 40hz and less the system as a whole is not near as good. That has been my experience in a few different rooms with the same system. 
Anyway, something like the JL Audio CR-1 would add the ability if your system lacks a high-pass.  If you end up using a higher crossover you might want to pull the subs a little closer to the mains. If you keep the face of the driver less than 39” away from the front wall you should still be good at 60hz and less for room nodes based on the 1/4 wave. 

I've also visited John at the Biltmore.  Compared Focal, Sonus faber Nova III (one woofer), and the Wilson Sabrinas (not SabrinaX).  He used the BIG Gryphon amplifier.  I liked the Focal the least.  It took a lot of listening to determine the Sabrinas were just a little better than the Nova III's....but interior designer girlfriend nixed the Wilsons as "too ugly."  I think the Nova V's would likely have bested the Sabrinas, but he didn't have them available.

My opinion, FWIW, is keep the Serafinos and enjoy their excellent sound.  It is easy to get into the "better speaker" quandary, and (again, FWIW, and from 50 years having stereos, and owned a store)) you will likely never obtain the "best" speaker in small speaker increments.  If you were to make a big leap in price, you might get stuff that is better than the Wilson Sashas or Serafinos, but then the itch will hit again...  At some point, it's worth just staying with good stuff and listening to music rather than to the equipment; I think you'll get the most enjoyment.