Wilson Sophia 2 or Sonus Faber Amati Homage

Dancingking, there's someone on Audiogon right now selling the Amati Homage.
Just do a search for Sonus Faber Amati Homage on the main Audiogon page.

Hi, Rjhodkin, do you have Amati Homage speakers for sale? I am interested to get a pair if the price is right.

I have a pair of Kharma CRM 3.2 FE, and would like to go for a pair of Amati Homage. I have never heard them, but judging from reviews, Agoners' opinions, and from my ears (I have a pair of SF Minima FM2 in my second system), my feeling is that the Amati sound more natural than the Kharmas. Anyone has ever had the chance to compare the two speakers?

Are you still looking for some Amati Homage speakers?

Johnnyb53, the OP is talking about the original Hommage series NOT the new line of Amati's. The price of the original Amati used is comparable to the Sophia 2's.
BTW, I have heard both speakers and IMO, the difference is fairly great. The Amati's work best with a good tube amp with some drive capability....SET's don't apply. With a beefy ss amp, they are also good, BUT the Amati's are not for everyone's taste. If you have a medium to small room, IMO the Amati's are not the best choice. The Sophia's OTOH, can sound very good with less power, therefore a SET amp may be a choice. My impression of the Sophia's is that they are a slightly more "refined" sound than the Amati's. They also do not need quite as big a room. Which do I personally prefer? Depends on the ancillary gear, the room and what type of music I listen to more...For rock, some jazz, blues and alternative...the Sophia, for Classical and intimate portrayal of voice( particularly female vocals) the Amati's...Hands down. No easy choice here, they are both good speakers, but like everything in this hobby, need to be carefully matched to your ancillary gear and most importantly, your room. Just IMHO.

Given that the Amati Anniversarios are $30K/pair and the upcoming Amati Futuros are $36K, aren't the $17K Sophias at a disadvantage here? Even the Sasha W/Ps at $27K cost less than either SF model, and they fill a bigger room and go lower than the Sophias.

I heard the Sophia's and IMO, the bass sounded flabby. I think the Sonus Faber's has a tighter faster response. The Sophia's did everything else right, but I found the bass sloppy.

I heard them side by side at the same dealer and to my ears Amati was a clear winner. With Sophia I could not feel any emotion at all. With Amati music was all excitement and emotion. Both were driven by Sim Audio electronics. HTH. YMMV.

I heard the Sofias at Definitve and Magnolia had 'just' sold their Amati's and as it's been replaced by the Futura which they dont have and dont even know if they're getting I haven't been able to hear yet.

I'm leaning towards the Amati Homage and worst case figure I can always go back to the Sophia as it seems much easier to find those and I think the Amati's hold heir value?

I'm leaning towards LSA amplification after some good feedback but have heard GREAT things about the new Peachtree Grand Integrated?

HELP!!! I've heard the Sophia and liked them a lot and only been able to listen to Cremonas - can't find an Amati anywhere near the NorthWest.

Seattle has a Wilson dealer (Definitive Audio) and Sonus Faber dealer (Magnolia AV) within blocks of each other in the Roosevelt district. According to Magnolia's website, the Amati Anniversary is one of their standard product offerings.

If you haven't already, give a call to their Roosevelt and/or Bellevue showrooms to see if you can arrange an audition. They carry McIntosh as well, so you can hear them driven by high quality tube or solid state electronics.

If you like warmth, stick with Sonus Faber.

In regards to electronics, I would avoid Musical Fidelity and go with a tube amp. Not sure what your budget is, but there's plenty to choose from (VAC, McIntosh, Quicksilver, ARC...).

Those are two completely different sounding speakers. Only you can determine which of those speaker's sound you prefer. (Both are fine speakers.)

However, if your room is already too bright sounding, using the Sophia II's might be slightly more problematic, (as I thought their treble response was a bit more extended than the Amati's); although room treatments can fairly easily tame brightness. (Assuming you can implement them; I've found that the WAF factor usually rears its head when room treatments are involved.)

The Amati is a full range speaker. (And the Amati's does have significantly deeper bass than the Cremona's, given the twin 9" woofers versus the twin 7" woofers.)

I recommend finding some excuse to take your significant other on a vacation trip to a city that has a dealer(s) where you can listen to both speakers, (preferrably side by side).

Good Luck in your search!