I have never heard the 802D's but owned a pair of Sophias and tried a lot of amps with them, including solid-state, tube, OTL, and SET. IMO the things that any Wilson speaker does best (I now have WP7's) is bass, dynamics, and detail, along with a pretty good soundstage. The Sophias are relatively easy to drive but very responsive to amplification. So with your VAC amp, a very nice piece, you will get a big soundstage with 3-D images and good dynamics. However, tube amps are not the last word in bass or speed and detail. Again, this is just my opinion based on my experience, I think the Sophias work better with solid-state in terms of bass control, dynamics, and detail. You will be missing the ultimate in these areas with the VAC, which shines in other areas. Yes, you will probably get a bigger soundstage and images with the VAC, but will miss some of what the Sophias were designed for. If it were my decision I would consider some of the other, more efficient speakers mentioned in the above posts.
B&W Nautilus 802D, Wilson Sophia 2, or others?
I'm getting the upgrade itch again. My current speakers are Nautilus 802's and I am using a VAC PHI 110 setup with 8db negative feedback. The speaker impedance curve won't let me use the zero feedback setting. Overall the system sounds very good. Areas, I would like to improve would be bass impact or punch, a bit more clarity in the midrange. The room is approximately 15 by 14 with a vaulted ceiling going from 8 to 11ft. It is also open at the very top to a kitchen/dining room area so it acts like a bigger room. It does have a room peak in the 30-40hz range with a null around the 60hz range that I believe robs some impact. I love the looks of the Nautilus speaker and what I have does sound very good. From the reviews I have read the Diamond version improves in the areas I feel need improvement but still presents a difficult load requiring the amp to use negative feedback. The Wilson Sophia might present an easier load allowing Zero feedback with some sonic gain just from that change alone. I am a bit concerned that the Wilsons are ported to the rear since the front wall behind the speakers has seven foot wide french doors in the middle which might present a reflection problem. I have not listened to either speaker but metro Phx has dealers for both. Would somebody that is basically happy with the B&W speakers like the Wilson Sophias or should I just stick with the 802D's? Any other speaker recommendations that are compatible with the VAC amp? I don't like the looks of any speaker that looks like the basic box with drivers in it. Listening preferences are primarily jazz and vocals. I usually listen to music with peaks less than 90db but sometimes crank to peaks around 100db. I don't want it to crap out if I want to crank it. If anyone has upgraded from 802's to Diamond version, I would also appreciate your comments. Thanks