Wilson Sophia 2--- VTL S-150 or Ayre V1-xe?


Hi,
I just got the speakers and need an amp to drive them. I was wondering if a VTL S-150 would be enough. I have a Cary SLI-80 right now and I dont get the tight full bass. The top end and mid is perfect though. I dont think I could live with a ss amp on Wilson for it would be too bright. Thx.
nickt
Depends on your space.

I have been running my WP7s for several years with the 100 wpc Music Reference RM200, which is a glorious combination in my relatively small room. Bass quality is exceptional, but not Krell-like. Of course, the RM200 is not your average 100 wpc tube amp.

I've heard the RM200 with Sophias and it works great as long as the room is not too large. Since the Sophias are relatively efficient a gigantic amp should not be necessary unless you intend on habitually playing them at jet plane levels in a large room.
If your happy with the highs and mids why not spend your money on a pair of subs then you'll have everything you want without the hassles of equipment buying/selling and associated loss of monies.
"I dont think I could live with a ss amp on Wilson for it would be too bright."

SS amps, like any other component, have different sound signatures. Some are overly bright and fatiguing, some are warm and sloppy, and many are in between.

I've hears the Sophia 1 on Simaudio w5 (SS), and the sound was stellar, some of the best I've heard on any setup. We swapped to a tube amp, and the magic disappeared (weak, sloppy, boring sound)

As you proceed with thinking about the right amps, please keep an open mind as to amp topology, and find the right amp for you whether it is SS or tube!
I've had my Sophia II's for a couple of months now. I believe they need high current amplifiers. I am running them with Densen 350 mono amps with very good results. If set-up correctly Wilson Sophia II's are not bright; as with any speakers it's about synergy.