The only person that can decide if Wilson’s are worth the money is you. I believe they are. I also believe that Sonus Faber, MBL and Vandersteen are. But ultimately their worth is a function of how they sound to you. It certainly isn’t a function of someone being a sore loser if they cannot afford them. Depending on what you like, either of the brands I mentioned are excellent speakers regardless of cost.
@celtic66 Do you really think the people marketing range rover, rolex, bose, etc. had some exceptional marketing strategy that sustained these brands for this long? Can't be true. How could it be? They're more evidence of the inability to differentiate and bad taste of rich people. Once something has been popular with them for a long enough time it's permanently respected no matter how silly it is.
FWIW, I had a pair of original Sophias a few years ago. At the same time in house I had a pair of Piega P 10s and Green Mountain Audio Continuum 3s. When the dust settled I kept the GMA speakers and sold the other two. And the Sophia came in third in that horse race.
The good news is that I sold the wilsons for what I paid.
I sold my Tekton Enzo Xl that I was going to trade in on a pair of Moabs. I don't like to wait for things. Moabs might take 6 months to get because of supply problems. Plus I just decided I really don't want that big of a speaker. I may still get them but I am looking at other options. If they had a pair in stock, I probably would have them already.
do you need checkers (taxi)? - or go well ... if the latter, then buy yourself a passive ATC 50 or 150 - and you will be happy ... you will thank me for the good advice for many years.
No doubt that Wilson makes excellent speakers but only an audition will tell you if they are right for you. I don’t like vanilla ice cream, but all those who do, don’t have poor taste, just a different preference.
I had the W/P 7 in the front with Wilson Watch, all 3 powered by Mark Levinson 33H. In the rear I had Cub 2s also hooked up to ML amps. I loved them. No problems. Sounded unbelievable playing anything. Ex took them out of storage. Her friend sold them on US Audiomart. Would do it all over again if I could afford it. It is your money and your ears but I don't think you'll regret it.
Wilson good for a transistor amp. Not so well by tubes. Missed : the “natural” sound, detail, 3D...not my cup of tea. Is hi-fi ,no high-end. (It’s my opinion)
I spent the last year listening to bookshelf/monitor size speakers. Not an easy thing to do during a pandemic even though I am luckily enough to have 5 high-end stores around me. I listened to the Tunetots and was not impressed and did not buy them. I even liked the new Totem speakers at $3k, more then the $12k tunetots. But again, these were their small ones and the Wilson’s do have their own sound regardless of size, you need to hear them, you may like them for the money.
I picked up a pair of Sophia 1 last year for a great price as the finish had cracks at most of the seams. I called Wilson to ask advice on how to repair. They told me that this was due to a glue defect during a period of production. I paid to ship them to Utah. Wilson completely disassembled my Sophias, repaired the seams, repainted the speakers and added the new foam baffles. They wrapped them in protective film and back into the crates. They even paid for the return shipping back to me! They knew I was not the original owner...they were committed to their product. The rep I worked with said the owner wants every single outbound shipment(new or service)to exceed the customer’s expectations. I am still blown away by their level of customer service. Oh...they sound amazing too! They are so dynamic and play so full range. I have subs but have them crossed over at 43Hz and sometimes they really aren't needed. They really do disappear in my room. I have had various ARC amps and they have been great with them all. They are not the most efficient speakers so you will need to give them at least moderate power. ARC tube 75wpc serves them well.
The fact that Michael Fremer has Wilsons speaks volumes.
ARC also has had them in their listening room over the years as well as Magnepan and Sonus Faber.
Heard a pair of sophias with pass mono blocks. 600 wpc. The sound was stunning. If I could afford them, I’d buy a pair of Sophia 3’s. Matched with my krell pure class A would be awesome.
Call Jared at Wilson, to find the closest dealer to you if you don't already know. Sometimes you can pick up a really nice pair of demos for less than half price.Yes-to my ears, they are worth it.
IMHO, they worth it. I have Alexander pair with Coloseum. The best sound that I have ever heard. Very natural and it’s almost like spiritual experience when you listen to it. Money in the bank or even your investment don’t give you such pleasure in life.
I've listened to most of the W/P incarnations, and have lived with the Sophia 2's for about 10 years now. I love the Sophias. The W/P 8 is a very fine speaker IF you like the Wilson sound. They are more dynamic than the Sophias (although all Wilsons go LOUD if that's your thing), but also more critical of setup, and like all W/Ps (although less than any earlier incarnation) they have what sounds to me like a "hollowness" in the mids. Not a glaring issue, for sure, but I would say more tailored to jazz and classical reproduction. The Sasha doesn't seem to suffer the same hollowness to my ear, and neither does the Sophia. The Sophia is easier to set up and optimize and is less picky about room acoustics in general - it's just a lot more forgiving than W/Ps. I haven't listened to the 8's extensively, but I did choose the Sophias over the W/P 7s at the time. Money no object, I would trade my Sophias for Sasha 2s which to me have dynamics of W/Ps without the midrange issues. That said, I'm very happy with the Sophias, and will likely live with them for another 10 or 20 years - if I live that long. FWIW, I've heard Sophias described as the Wilson speaker for people who don't like Wilson speakers, and to my ears it has some truth to it.
Unless Wilson goes bankrupt, which appears very unlikely IMO, I wouldn't worry about service and parts. They are very good in that respect.
Pretty hard to advise on buying speakers without you auditioning them, and if you can audition them, you won't need anyone's advice.
Having said that, I was never a huge fan of the Watt/Puppy in early iterations and haven't heard the 8s so can't help there, Have listened to Sophia 3 and liked them a lot. I personally have older larger Wilsons and would never give them up (I also have other very good and very different speakers in other systems).
With Wilson, you pay more, but you generally get quality stuff. OTOH, you might want to add the Vandersteen 5A to your list....
I don't think you'll be sorry purchasing Maggie 3.7 I've had them the past 2 years with a sub plenty of clarity, staging, dynamics a you are there fell with good recordings. Good luck, happy listening!
mijostyn, I had Acoustat 2 plus 2's 20 years ago on a Krell stack. Amazing speakers. I just had Acoustat model 3's and they finally gave out and the panels started to rattle. I miss the punch that dynamic speakers have but I don't think I would be happy 100 percent owning a dynamic speaker. I had Tektons. don't let the naysayers fool you. They are decent loudspeakers. Thought about Moabs with the same drivers covering 300 hz to 20k hz with 6 db slopes would be seamless like a planar but with punch. I think the old Wilsons are out. It's between the Magnepan 3.7i and Tekton Moab. I can get them brand new compared to the 14 year old Wilsons at the same price.
Wilson makes Phenomenal Speaker's. Big fan since the early 90's IMO probably one of the BEST. The WATT PUPPY's the WITT's and the Sophia all sound great with the start of the Watt Puppy V However they are not for the budget audiophile. You can get a great deal in the used market place. You need to inspect very well. The Majority of people have cared meticulously for these speakers. Be careful of the products that have been repaired, modified or upgraded by the non experienced DIY's The Sasha DAW sound incredible 15k - 28k price range. If you have the cash give them a try. The Watt, Witts and the Sophia can be driven nicely with moderately priced electronics. They are that good.
I suspect you are going to get a wide range of opinions on this, all the way from Wilsons are great to they are overpriced garbage. You need to make up your own mind, of course. I just bought new Sabrinas on closeout, for a subtantial discount. I heard them during an extended audition a few years back and thought it was some of the best sound I have ever heard. I have heard other Wilson's over the years, going back to seeing David Wilson demo early Watt/Puppies back about 1989, and I have always, always come away very impressed, in spite of the price tags, and the at times, a design that I don't find particularly appealing. There are a LOT of speaker manufacturers out there, and always the possibility of something better lurking around the corner. I had Magnepan 3.7i's before - they worked very well in a space that I had before, but not so well in the space where I live now. Lots of factors here - the space, your electronics, and how you hear music.
@jeffvegas, your 300 watt Krell is more than enough to drive the 3.7s into distortion. You have the right idea for sure. You might also look for a pair of Acoustat 2+2's. They do come up once in a while. Sound Labs not so much. Those of us who are into speakers of that type really have no where else to go except maybe into a bigger Sound Labs. Dynamic speakers need not apply. The Tektons will play loud and that is about it. Their sound is best described as ....fractured. Go with the 3.7i's and set up a Sound Labs piggy bank account.
Although speaker sound is of course a personal preference, I'll never forget the sound of a pair of WATTs (no puppies had been added yet) that were nearly randomly placed in a designer show house in NYC decades ago. I was astonished at how lifelike the "background music" piano sounded. I haven't owned any Wilson speakers, but if they're as good as their vollyballs I imagine they're worth it.
I’ve owned the Sophia 3 for a couple of years. Enjoyable yes, great no. I’ve discovered afterwards far superior speakers such as the Lawrence audio double bass, cube audio Nenuphars and Soundkaos Vox3A. The sophia’s main weaknesses are a rather limited soundstage (they were installed by Wilson) and a tweeter that sounded metallic to my ears.
What you are going to get here is of course personal answers. But you set the bar fairly low. Good is not really good or excellent. But if you are asking are they good, yes, they are. Of course, we all have our own preferences.
Yes, I've never owned them, but I have many many hours of Wilson listening experience as I have a dealer that is five minutes away. Was going to purchase Sabrina's but got a deal on TAD E-1s that I could not pass up.
Wilson with the right amp and supporting cast can be very very good. In the end, you need to hear whatever model you decide to purchase and decide if you can give it a supporting cast that will make them sing. It is never about just component X, all need to work well together and the amp/speaker interface is very critical.
I was looking at Tekton Moabs but they are having trouble getting drivers to make them so its a 3 month wait minimum. I need something now. If a Majestic 545 Sound Lab came up used, I'd be a player. Good luck finding a used pair though. Martin logans aren't doing it for me with their hybrid designs. If I'm going planar, it's gotta be full range. Thought about Maggie 3.7i, but even with my 300 watt Krell it may not be enough power for those. Maybe I'll just get a decent speaker to get me by until something else pops up.
My best friend has a pair of Watt/Puppy's. Not a bad sounding loudspeaker for a little tike. The grills are comical, disintegrating foam. I am so biased towards planar line source loudspeakers my opinion of dynamic speakers has little worth except for Tektons. From a value perspective Wilson's are obviously not so hot. Maybe on the used market you can get a pair for reasonable money that are not too old. Wilson owners are not the type of people who abuse their speakers. In my head there is no new loudspeaker worth more than $40 grand.
Tony, who knows these days. Wilson is certainly well established but their market can be very fickle. One good economic downturn and companies like Wilson and Sound Labs for that matter can get into trouble in a hurry. Companies like Klipsch will survive as they make product the vast majority can afford. Wilson also has competition now in Magico and YG. When they started they really did not have any.
As for Range Rovers, I put money down on a Tesla Cybertruck. Now that is style:-) (triple motor with full self driving capability. FUN!)
I would love to have a pair of Wilson speakers. I have heard them in someone's home a few times and several times in different stores over the last few decades. They sound wonderful. The resale value shows what these speakers are worth. A big part of the resale value, in addition to its performance is based on the reputation of the company and its product support. When I spend large sums for a stereo component, I want to know the company is going to be there when I need them. Many of these big name hifi companies have been transitioning from their original founder/genus's to the next generation of leadership and ownership these last few decades. Some have made the transition and sadly, some good companies have not. Wilson Audio will hopefully be around for some time to come. Indications are that they will, right?
I’ve spent decades doubting the power of marketing, even though it’s one of my degrees. Strong marketing does explain the strength of several products which really may not represent to many a cohesive price/performance formula.
Truly successful marketing explains Range Rover, Rolex, Bose and Wilson Audio. I applaud those firms for playing the game better than others. They validate the consumer with a sense of pride and accomplishment regardless of what other seemingly more critical minds project.
I now live in an area up to my gluteus maximus in Range Rovers brought in by transplant residents who rave about them. Really? And why does your Range Rover smell like curry? Which BTW I love. But they did not ask me to buy them for them, so I move on.
For those haters of others audio products; it’s not YOUR money, it’s not YOUR ears so stay in your own lane please. Stop rescuing strays. Don’t we have enough caustic judgement already?
Thank you I’ll be here ‘till Friday and try the veal.
Seeking and making recommendations on speakers out of context (system discussion) is not productive.
I guess he has not heard a good metal dome tweeter, then, or at least set up in a beautiful system. I am reviewing now a dynamic speaker with a metal tweeter that has some of the most scrumptious high end I have heard in my room. The tweeter performs on a level with the ribbons I have used. Not the same dispersion, but every bit as erudite and flawless sounding. BTW, that is not a tacit endorsement of the speaker discussed in the OP. Everyone has their preferences.
Sounds like you’re just looking at speakers you can get a deal on. If you share what sound characteristics are most important to you it’ll get you better recommendations here.
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