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Watt/Puppy 7 or Sophia?

I listened to the Sophia's last weekend- and I loved them. They did well with everything I threw at them- rock, techno, jazz, classical. I came away very impressed.
As I'm leaving the dealer, he tells me he can get me a deal on the W/P 7 demos. Unfortunately I didn't get to listen to them as he was closing up shop ( I will in the next week or two). I listened to the Sophia's using Krell amplification /Esoteric universal player and transparent cable.
Now I will be able to listen to the Sophia's using my amps (JC-1's) and an AA Capitole Reference (no pre in my system).
I probably won't be able to listen to the w/p 7's with my own system.
So here are my questions to those that have listened to these two speakers:
1. Are the w/p 7's worth 2x the Sophia's?
2. Do the w/p 7's present music differently than the Sophia's? ( The Sophia's are a newer design, the w/p a modification/redesign of an existing product)
3. Which speaker will mate better with JC-1's?
4. Which speaker will be better in a room that is 16'x 22'x 9'? (actual listening area is 14'x16')
Thanks for your help
vargus

Showing 3 responses by donbellphd

donbellphd
205 posts
 
Vargus,

If you can afford (not just pay) that kind of money for a pair of speakers, can't you build a music/home theater room that would better suit your needs? I like the sound of both the WP-7 and Sophia, and would be pleased to have either. It's true I could pay for the fly yellow WP-7s that might come on Audiogon, but I don't think I could afford them -- I no longer buy Ferraris either. Unless your retirement already is well funded, I'd let budget considerations enter the decision process. On other sites, you can find those nearing retirement with only a few hundred $K wondering how they can grow their savings to match their needs. As you can see from the previous posts, it's a slippery slope: If the Sophias, why not the WP-7s, if the WP-7s, why not the MAXX-2s. But perhaps you are wealthy, in which case I ask again why limit yourself to such a small room?

db
donbellphd
205 posts
 
I realized as I wrote it that my previous post sounded preachy, and would have canceled it had that been an option. The thought of all that expensive equipment in such a small listening environment clouded my judgement. If the speakers are given the space behind them they need for imaging, and if the space behind the listening position is sufficient to avoid boom, it would seem the listener inevitably would be sitting too close to the speakers. I'd at least argue for listening to the speakers in that small room before buying, because I suspect the room will have more of an effect than whatever amp is driving the speakers. A good pair of monitors with a sub might be preferable in that setting, and likely a lot less expensive.

db
donbellphd
205 posts
 
Vargus,

In addition to Audiogon, I regularly read the Vanguard Diehard board at Morningstar and several of the Motley Fool boards. It's on TMF boards that one encounters the plea from someone five years from retirement with a few hundred $K in savings who, having come to realize it's not enough using a 4% guideline, wants advice on quick portfolio growth.

And I've been down the slippery Ferrari slope -- nothing sounds like a Ferrari V-12. But I also know what it's like to at last have a good income after years of schooling. Next thing after our first house was a Porsche 911.

I've found buying used equipment from other audiophiles on Audiogon a very cost effective way to build a first-rate system that can do both stereo music as well as home theater.

db
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