Eidolon, Amati Homage, or Watt?

Its quite refreshing to see so many positive comments regarding all of the speakers concerned. Often when one asks a question (such as your own) it will meet with highly partisan, non-objective comments and recommendations - Kudos to all of the thoughtful respondents.

My own immediate thoughts (after reading the thread): Have you been able to bring any of these speakers home for audition? If not would you be able to? You're spending quite a bit of $. I would think that any dealer relieving you of this much $ would be happy to oblige you.

So much of what you hear is system/room-dependant that it'd be a shame if you didn't actually get a few of these fine speakers home for a good weekend-to-weekend listen.
The character you are hearing at the dealer will most defiantly be different than it will in your own system. Even simple things often overlooked such as speaker cables and IC’s can take a speaker from sounding brutally analytical to heavenly musical.

Additionally:
Speakers such as the W/P-6’s are extremely fussy about positioning and can sound dramatically different in two different rooms. A Wilson dealer should be willing to show you how they’d sound in your space.

I’ve never heard the Amati’s, I have heard the W/P 6's, the Eidolons - and the Circes (that Larryro mentions).

Delivery of sound from each is quite different. The least-mentioned Circes are wonderful speakers and really should be considered in your audition (probably the Kharma’s too). The Circe’s are especially wonderful with tube gear. They are very open, with three dimensional soundstage that lives and breaths –I’d call them the closest to an electrostatic or magneplanar but with dynamics… and no need for head-in-vice listening! One can walk around the room and still point to a given instrument or musician in a swing/jazz band. The Circes lack the dynamics of the W/P, but this is true of so many speakers – including (but not limited to) all other speakers on your list. That said, the Circes will get down pretty deep, and with some fairly articulate bass – lower than the Eidolons & just as tuneful.

The W/P are impressive in their speed, dynamics and HUGE soundstage. I've never heard them on CJ gear - most often they are paired to beast SS amps from Krell etc. But what I have heard from those systems is nothing short of remarkable. If it were me I would HAVE to bring them home – just to be sure.

The Eidolon's - which are much talked about, and come very highly regarded, do just about everything right, but need lots of juice! In contrast to the Circe’s the Eidolons image equally well, with a very natural presentation - but not quite as natural as the Circes. The Circes just seem more organic in sound quality – start and decay. In the bass, the Eidolons have neutral & tuneful bass, but not as quick, deep or snappy as the W/P's. Where the Eidolon really shines is in the midrange/highs & ability to disappear. The Eidolon’s ability to plausibly recreate the human voice may be without equal.

What a truly difficult decision... and one that I’d love to be in the position to have to make ;)

Thanks for the thread, & be certain to post what you end up with.
Cheers,
Mike

Good post Mike.
On the subject of bringing speakers home for audition, there are very few dealers in my area that will allow this with large speakers anymore. And for those that do, you need to appear very serious, i.e. you will buy other speakers from them if not the first pair. Times have changed. If you are careful to audition with equipment you know (or bring your own), and music you know, you can usually get a good sense of what the speaker will do in your space. This is one reason to travel to a dealership that carries your electronics (and be prepared to buy from them if you take a significant amount of their time.) Also, you can do a lot with your own space if you treat it well acoustically - and thus minimize the differences from the showroom. And at this price range, you can make a point of hearing the speakers you are serious about in several dealerships - different rooms, different equipment.

WOW! As a first time poster, I especially can't thank everyone enough for your sincere and insightful advice. It all goes to highlight an important point I often forget; there is no best or perfect speaker (gear) necessarily, but rather what is most appropriate in any given system and context for each individual. I am grateful for the sharing of all of your thoughts and experiences, as it provides a sound framework from which,hopefully, I can discover my own sonic bliss.If I haven't done so already-(Bin)

Thanks again,
Ted

I must congratulate all the respondants, and especially Mike above, for a well-focused review.

It's been a while since I have listened to the Avalons, but I found little fault with them other than a polite representation of the lowest two octaves. Spectral and similar high-current amps are recommended to bring out their best, which should not disuade you as long as you have plans to change (not really upgrade) your electronics -as long as you do that you will not look back.

The only speaker I have heard anyone trading up to from Avalons were Rockports (the Antares, at $40K). If the latter is in your price range, and you need contact info for Andy Payor in Maine, let me know. This is a "final" step for many happy audiophiles who want to step off the continual upgrade path, and something I hope to pursue in the future. Andy is a true pioneer and one of the genuinely authentic artists we have in audio.

I have dreamed about Wilson's work for many moons, and the latest iteration of the Watt/Puppy 7 should be auditioned since David is probably coming into his prime in adding the magical characteristic of "naturalness" that [listeners whom I respect stated] the Sophias have in spades. I have not listened to the W/P 7 (I will at the HiFi show at the Hilton next month), but by initial accounts this appears to be an entirely different animal than the W/P 6. As for pricing, the W/P 7 will list for $24K (up from $20K), but the Sophias will remain at the $12-13K range.

Alas, I have not heard the Alons nor the Amatis.

I would also suggest listening to the Talon Khorus X ($16K) at a trustworthy dealer. I own the little brother of the Khorus, the Raven ($7K), and find the lack of any emphasis of the audio spectrum refreshing. The micro/macrodynamics are stunning, and bass reproduction (even at low volumes) amazing. Jazz and vocals sound real, and there is no compression even at high volumes so that you can approximate the levels of live performances without any consciousness of strain or fatigue (in my wife's words, "it doesn't sound loud, it sounds like music").

The current Khorus (X) is an entirely different creature than the one which initially garnered great reviews - the enclosures are much more solid, the finishes are beautiful (high W.A.F.), and it remains easy to drive (yes, tubes are not only allowed but sound great; I am saving for the Tenor amps). The only Achilles heel to this design is the patience to allow for proper break-in (now performed at least in part at the factory). I attribute this to the pair of custom 10" combo midrange/woofer cones which are positioned back-to-back (only the front cone is visible). These assemblies are massive but in combination with the crossover network allow pistonic motion at speeds and midrange quality equalling the best electrostats (I still own an old pair of Martin-Logan CLSes).

Any audition you make MUST be based on well broken-in speakers otherwise you will not hear the potential of this (or any other) design. Give the Talon designer Tierry Budge or Mike Farnsworth (their prez) a call at (801) 619-9000; I have found both of them to be honest and informative.

I wish you the best of luck in your plans. I am envious of your room; any system you choose will have the space to breathe which will allow you to hear them at their best.

Arooj
NYC

Qualsound, I find that the Eidolons are easier to drive than the comments in this thread suggest. I've listened to Eidolons in my dealer's listening room using both Rowland 100 watt solid state amps and BAT tube amps with excellent results. At home, I drive my Eidolons with Atma-Sphere MA2 OTL amps (220w) and don't feel any lack of power to fully drive these wonderful speakers.

I suspect you will find that your C-J 8's will be a good match to the Eidolons given their triode configuration. Wonderful amplifiers!