2. speakers
  3. 1430500576

Amps for Egglestonworks Andra II or Sophia 2

After many years, I'm interested in upgrading my system with great full range speakers. I'm currently using really old Meridian active speakers, so I will need amplification too. I have a Meridian 508.24 CD player and a Sonic Frontiers Line-2 pre-amp, and I intend to keep those.

I don't really want to spend more than $9K total.

The two speakers I'm most interested in are the Egglestonworks Andra II and the Wilson Audio Sophia 2. I have heard neither of these speakers, but they both have glowing reviews. Years ago, I had heard the Egglestonworks Rosa and I liked them, though they were close together in a smallish room. The best thing I've ever heard was a high dollar setup with Wilson Maxx 2 speakers in a large room. I guess I'm getting at the fact that I have enjoyed the sound of both families of speakers, and would probably adapt to either and be happy if I could integrate them into my challenging room. The reported mid-bass hump of the Andra gives me a little pause, but most people seem to love them.

It looks like the Sophia 2 is going to be somewhere around $7200 on Agon, and the Andra II might be a grand cheaper. I've seem many people state in these forums that the Andras don't shine unless you have big amps driving them, and that makes me wonder if the total system cost will be higher with them.

I did a little looking around and it sounds like the Parasound A21 is a good amp for the money. Can anyone advise me as to whether that has enough gusto to run either pair of these speakers near their potential?
sboje
roccl007's avatar
Ag insider logo xs@2x
roccl007
205 posts
 
LAMM M 1.2 OR LAMM M 2.2 with success in my ancient set up. Those two speakers are a bit on the analytical side ....

Be carefull !!!!!
zd542
5,339 posts
 
Do you plan listening to any of this stuff before you but it?
sboje OP
38 posts
 
I wouldn't be able to listen to either of these unfortunately. With the Andra II, I could afford a bigger amp, but I assume they'd probably need it.

I do think I want solid state amps. I know some people get excited about trying new tubes, but the process always gets on my nerves a bit. I will look and see if there are Bryston or LAMM amps for $2k or $3k.

I know I'm not going to get 100% out of either speaker with a used amp in these price ranges, but do you guys think they'll still get me 95% of the way there?
zd542
5,339 posts
 
This is a really difficult situation. The equipment you are considering is very detailed. And because of that, system matching is more difficult than average. On top of it all, to do this right, you pretty much have to listen to anything you buy. At this level, even though the components are considered "better", what makes them better also makes system matching much more difficult. I know this may sound odd, but if you were looking at less "high end" gear, it would be much easier to recommend something. I have a lot of experience system building and looking at all the info you've provided, I couldn't even begin to make a responsible recommendation. And I say this even though I've owned at least 2 of the components you list. If you could narrow down your choices by doing some listening, it would be much easier to recommend something.

One thing I can tell you for sure, is that if you are going by reviews, professional or otherwise, the components you read about won't sound the same when you actually get to listen to them. Sometimes they sound close to what the reviewers say, but sometimes they sound completely different. Its a very risky way to shop.
sboje OP
38 posts
 
The only complaints I've heard about the Andra speakers regarding system matching is that they don't sing without powerful amplification, but everyone says the high end of them is sweet. Maybe it's a better gamble than the Wilson?

I know this may sound somewhat foolish, but the high end audio landscape has changed remarkably. At my local place, they have 3 rooms. Room 1 has Rockport Altairs with TWO different stacks of electronics worth $200K each. In the smaller room #2, you have Rockport Aviors with probably $60k in electronics. In room #3, you have stuff I can't stand to listen to. I don't blame them for catering to the rich; they make a lot more money that way. I feel like the only way I win in this market is by buying the used gear of people who have a lot more disposable income.
More to discover