I have very happily owned a pair of VR5 HSE's for some years now, and have heard the Wilson Sophias at audio shows. I cannot speak for the current VR 5's or 9's, but I found the Wilson's to be undesirable and could not understand what the all the talk was about. They were screechy and way too forward. The true test of a speaker is long-term "liveability" (much like a wife) and my VR5's have stood the test of time.
Neal
Neal