Wilson Sophia2s demand better than AYRE V5xe, so..

Johnnyb53,

I agree with you. Hearing Wilson on very good tube gear will leave a lasting impression. VTL has a lot of synergy with Wilson. I can tell you that Ayre is not the greatest match with any wilson speaker. I tried my MXR with wilson and it was to much of a good thing.

Audphil1, to address your objections:

I have heard the entire Wilson line from the Sophias on up, and some of the models several times. They definitely have a common sonic signature and I find that the biggest difference from one model to the next concerns scalability and how big a room they can energize with their sonic signature. Secondly, I heard the Alexandria and Maxx in the same room. Third, I don't really squint and concentrate on how a given system *sounds* so much as monitor how it makes me *feel*, because it's that connection between the music played and how it affects me emotionally that reveals what a signal chain really has going on.

The Alexandria may be 3 times the price of the MAXX, but that's because of the principle of the law of diminishing returns. On a lot of music, and each optimized for its room, the two will sound very similar. Actually, since I heard them both in the same room, the advantage should have gone to the MAXX because the Alexandria was too much for that room size.

I have listened to too much gear and too many types of music over too many decades to have any doubts as to what I heard and what made the first demonstration so compelling and the second one so "ehhh." The VTLs rule and are a great match for the Wilsons. The Ayres by comparison are placeholders.

I'm not too concerned about the time that elapsed between the two demonstrations (which were actually more like 16 months apart) because I can recall vividly how I *felt* when I heard the two systems. The demo with the VTLs was two years ago and I can STILL recall how I felt emotionally when I heard it, which is to say, the most exhilarated I've EVER felt in 40 years of pursuing high end audio. The demonstration with the Ayre amplification, by contrast, was like watching a movie that's a good time-passer, but which you forget about as soon as you walk out of the theater. The Alexandria powered by the VTL Siegfried Reference Monoblocks was Sir Laurence Olivier doing Hamlet; the MAXX's powered by Ayre was Die Hard 2.

Johnnyb53,

What preamp were they using with the Siegfrieds?

Hce4:
I actually own sophias (the 1st version). I have 2 basic recommendations for you. First, be doub-ly trip-ly and quadrup-ly sure that the physical positioning of the speakers in your room is absolutely optimal. It makes an immense differebce when it's correct. I assume your dealer did it, but if you guys didn't take a long time to voice them properly, you can get midbass deficiency.
I've tried a number of amps with my Sophias. Cary V12's, Jeff Rowland 201's, Bel Canto Evo 2's Audio Research SD135,
and my final choice and long term keepers, The Audio Research VM220 MonoBlocs. There is just NO SUBSTITUTE for high power tubes on the Sophias. The VM220's were recently dropped fro the Audio Research line so there may be some still available. They were about 10K new. I've seen a few pair on the 'Gon for about 6K. Wilson audio has a long history of showing their spekeakers with Audio Research tubes, and if you call them, AR will be high on the list of recommended electronics. They are well built and last forever.
Sophias LOVE tubes...when properly matched they are superb.
Hope this helps,
Jim

I suppose I should mention the system that inspired me to purchase the Wilson Sophia 2s:

Wilson Sophia 2 speakers
SME 30/2 turntable (don't know what the cartridge was)
VTL 6.5 phono preamp
VTL 7.5 series 2 preamp
VTL MB450 series 2 mono amplifiers
Transparent top cables (don't know what models, but all the cables combined cost way more than the speakers, I was told)
Room - 21x15x10 feet and very well treated!

Similar experience to Johnnyb53. I kept thinking, this is unlike anything I have ever heard before, words simply fail.

One recommendation I received via email is to consider a new source, and specifically a new turntable. As we all know, turntables offer the best bang for your buck when it comes to value and sound quality. Most agree the ratio between turntables and CD players is 3 to 1, meaning, you'd have to spend 3x as much on a CD player to acheive similar sound on a turntable that costs 3x less. Plus, we all know that a good vinyl set up can give those things I'm looking for such as tone, bloom, dimensionality, spacious and natural sound. Another suggestion from someone thinking outside the box, as was the tube preamp change and room "tweaking" suggestions...

But, it doesn't change the fact that the Ayre amp is lacking, in my system, bottom end extension, pitch and impact, midrange texture and body, and utlimately control.

Ultimately I may find the VTL gear I originally auditioned is the solution to sonic bliss for me, but I welcome any further comments and opinions on the matter. I'm trying to recreate what I experienced with VTL on a smaller budget... I'll keep you all posted!