Any comments on the performance of the new Sophia II?
TIA! |
Hi George,
My seven year old son is quite content with his boombox in his room; however, since moving my system to a dedicated room in the basement, this left open the Denon/Paradigm system in the livingroom to both boys. They do enjoy it and the 2 year old now hardly ever uses the Paradigms as a drum :) Rotten kids.
David |
Happy Holidays back at 'cha, David, (and to everyone). Does your son have his system up and running,yet?? |
" At 'this' level/price-point;there are many great speakers and we get to pick and choose."
Yeah, like the Merlins :)
Just pulling your leg.
I can appreciate your disappontment in receiving your brand new speakers and there is some damage on them. It is good that you bought them from a dealer that you know well and can work with you. Someone taking what looks like a skill saw to the crate before or after the speakers were inside it would make me upset with the shipping department at Wilson, unless, of course, this happened at some point during shipping.
Merry Christmas.
David |
Thanks to having a nice dealer.---They are closed today but Brooks left me a message and I should have no problems. I've dealt with him for years;but---I never had anything like this happen.
A nick like this that is below the surface would look like a patch job,no matter how hard you would try--- Unless you brought the speakers and left them for several weeks, They are just to beautiful for a patch job.>> Druffcorn: The TAS review of the 802's (Issue 117) was a masterpiece. It taught me a lot about speakers and ins and outs of bass. I never heard these speakers but just from the review my mouth was wattering.---So, I find it easy to see someone would prefer this speaker.At 'this' level/price-point;there are many great speakers and we get to pick and choose. |
yes,I thought I wanted sophias but found that I liked 802ds more! It was a hard choice for me,as i found myself at a different store than my old stand by for the last 30 years! I consider the guys at my old store to be top shelf, however, they tried and failed to out preform the 802ds with the wilson sofias. The 802s seemed a little bright at first, but now have 300+hrs on them and they sound better than I could haved hoped. |
Couldn't you just put some black laquer (like from the hardware shop or a paint store) in the ding and forget about it? |
Well the 2's got here. They have damage. It appears(or looks like) a skill saw cut to the crate. Dead straight, vertical, 3 or 4 inches long and 1/4 ,wide.(i.e.,a slot,like a ballot box) This cut left splinters on the inner side. A splinter nicked the finish--down to the white,under the piano black. Although this nick is only an inch long it is enough to depress one. Without the crate one might never figure how this happened.
Sound wise, new speakers always suck;I expected that part;not the other part. |
Avguygeorge,
How are the initial impressions? |
My series 2's will be here this Sunday.Of course that means breaking them in for a couple of months. |
I sent Wilson my Sophia serial numbers, and they quoted me $4000 plus shipping and handling of $500 - $600 from Chicago.
(I don't know where they got the idea I live in Chicago - I live in Boston!)
Sadly, I'll have to look elsewhere for my Christmas present.
Jim |
I emailed Wilson Audio to ask about the upgrade - specifically , if it could be done "in the field" or if the speakers needed to return to Wilson.
Here is the response from them "The Sophia upgrade needs to be performed at Wilson Audio. Let me have the serial #'s and I will check the age of your speakers and inform the upgrade price.
All upgrades are to be performed through a Wilson Audio dealer. I would be happy to direct you to the closest dealer in your area. "
I was really hoping the local dealer could install the upgrade in my listening room, and have me avoid all of the hassle of packing and shipping these extremely heavy speakers. I am much less inclined to do the upgrade if I have to ship the speakers to Utah.
Too bad - I was already softening my wife up!
Jim |
My dealer is saying another few weeks... |
So any news on the Sophia II?
Thanks. |
Avuygeorge,
That's GREAT. waiting for your reivew on the Sophia Series II.
Cheers..... |
Actually my dealer is going to buy back my speakers--(meaning he will resell them)then I will get a brand new set---due in Dec |
From what i understand from Wilson Audio, the Sophia Series 2 will start shipping on 15 Nov 05 to the dealers, anyone looking forward to it?
Cheers..... |
Heard the dealers will know more in a month or so...
I personally am so happy with my speakers I don't think I am going to make any changes..
Just because they are making a change does not necessarily make the speaker better to your ears. Also, I would rather work on my amp than use the extra money to get another 2 or 3% out of my speakers.
Personally, I think this is a great buying opportunity for a lot of people who have been on the fence about Sophias...I would be willing to bet there are going to be a lot of floor models out there for sale... |
anymore news on when will the new Sophia Series 2 be available for audition at dealers? also what tweeter will be used?
many thanks |
I bit the bullet and bought them.
The bitter taste is not there since the prices of them over here are nearly double the US price (dealers selling series one for £9k ex-demo) and they are here on audiogon for $9k. The maths really doesn't add up.
If they do what I think they will, I'll be happy and move onto the next element for upgrade and I won't look back until I get a bigger house because I can't get bigger Wilson's up my stairs, the stairs would collapse..... |
Dmurfet,
If you did not paid Sophias Series 1 yet-then you should re-negotiate. What if new Sophia Series 2 is much better than the old one? Then, even with huge discunt on price you will have bitter taste in your mouth after buying old version.
Just looking how many people is talking about Sophias...
Many of them will be in akward situation. Either to go for new Sophia Series 2 or to buy old one with big discout.
Since Wilson say that Sophia Series 2 is better in every way than old version( I like new grills, same as Maxx2 ), I suspect we will see lot of Sophias( series 1 ) on used market soon( since the price for upgrade to Series 2 status is over $3K and new grills are not included ). |
I've just agreed, but not paid for a pair of Sophias - should I re-negotiate? I feel I'm getting a bit of a bargain even after shipping and duty because of rip off Britain prices but will prices fall much further? |
New Sophia Series 2 is just introduced by Wilson. They have a new tweeter. Price is $13990/p US Retail and old version can be upgraded to new one. You can find out more on http://www.soundstageav.com/audiovideonews.html I bet that we will have Watt/Puppy 8 soon... |
I have a change of amps for my Sophias. I use a Belles 150a Ref. most of the time. Then when I'm so inclined I switch to my CJ 8xs triode monos.It was a pure simple monetary choice on not getting the 7's.I'm one of those guys whom can watch a ball game with no tv. audio and listen to music at the same time.---My stuff is always on when I'm online,like right now. I've only had these for 2 months so they are still breaking in; but they're the best speaker this poor boy ever owned.About 10 leagues ahead of my "old" Merlin, MM's.(Or, so I think) |
I thought it was worth it.
The major benefits of the Sophias are that they cost less, and are easier to drive with excellent but less expensive amplification. They sound truly fabulous with gear such as the Naim Nait 5, or the Music Reference RM10 which are not the best matches with WP7s. The Sophias can sound even better with mega expensive stuff, but I think that the superiority of the WP7s is better revealed in that context.
The benefits of the WP7s that have the most meaning to me are that they are more dynamically nuanced, and can be set up with more precision. They have less residual noise, play louder, deeper and higher. They are clearer through the midrange, have a more precise soundstage, and have more palpable imaging. Whether these have any meaning to you is completely a matter of personal taste.
The Sophias are incredible speakers, the WP7s are more so, the MAXX2s more than that, and the Alexandrias more than that. I don't think you can go wrong in any case. Listen and decide what's best for you. |
I suppose the only way for me to answer this question is to listen back to back, but I'll ask anyway - opinions on WP7 versus Sophia - is the step up worth it? |
Hi all Sophias fans,
anyone one heard Sophias driven by PAss Labs X250.5 or X350.5?
Will they be a good match?
Many Thanks! |
Just thinking about pulling the trigger on some wilson kit, I already have Krell, but only a tiny showcase to run my HT set-up. I know a lot of people think the Krell / Wilson sounds too fierce, but then don't consider the front end. I have the Meridian 861 v4.2 which tends to be very smooth. Would this tame the fierceness or should I really be looking at BAT / LAMM /Audio research.
Trouble with this is I want to enclose the power amps in a cupboard (open at the back) and I see lots of problems trying to enclose tubes........
I have owned tubes before and liked it, but it is dynamics I like the most. I appreciate the "people have already made up their mind before they post" concept ....... anyone use other SS gear with Wilson and smoother front ends? Would Levinson / Pass / Halcro help? |
Gentlemen,
in case you haven't noticed, there is a NICE follow-up review on the Sophias in this month's issue of the Stereophile by Paul Bolin.
I gotta go listen to them again this weekend before I get my heart broken ;-) |
I guess this locking on will take a while for me 2. When seated and turning my head a bit the soundstage becomes disjointed. That never happened with the Merlins. This may be a non audiophile description but it's like I'm in a bubble;I turn my head a tiny bit; bubble gone. I also think the Merlins dssapear better.(I guess that's the same thing)--But overall that ends "advantage Merlin". It's like I'm hearing 2x's as much music.---If Bobby could ever fit a woofer in one of his speakers and not loose anything along the way---. |
Avguygeorge,
It will take you a while to lock in on the position. Everyone says the mm make a difference. I didn't want to agree but they are right. Once locked in you won't leave the room. I am almost there w. the 7s 9 months later. I use Sound Anchor tone coasters under the spikes to make my life easy moving them the little amounts.
On another note, a friend of mine w. the Merlins just got a Berning Amp. He never spends on equipment & now he is upgrading his entire system. The Berning took the Merlins to the next level for him & he won't even pick up his phone. I will be checking it out next week. They are both great speakers. The treble w. the Merlins is very different than Wilsons. Depending on your equipment you will create the right synergy. |
Thanks Junsan. Most will love it where I have to admit ----oops;forgot to take the bam out of the chain. Yes, once removed---getting chilly in here; almost goose bumps. Still have to do final leveling and get a touch closer on the positioning. |
Avguy,
Congrats on your new speakers!
I think Wilson speakers kinda impress you over time. I didn't get chills on the Sophias until I heard several times and after some head to head comparisions with other speakers.
give it some time, I'm sure you've made a right decision.
another proof for the law of diminishing return...? eh.. forget about that ! I don't think the WP7's 2X better than the Sophia either ;-)
I'm going to A/B between the Sophia and Aerial 9 and Vandy quatro soon. Will I still buy the Sophia after that? likely.. but who knows :-) |
Became an owner--Wed.of this week.I wonder if anybody else went from Merln MM's to Sophia??? Sad to say the Merlins are so close--'cept for bass area. Mine ain't broked'in yet. Merlins ain't bad speakers--at 4k used.For a bit over 10k for the Sophias;that is a lota bucks for that few hrts. That's how I call it. I got what they call titianimum/silver (dark silver) Usually I get chills etc with new speakers---not this time. |
Absolutely, Avguygeorge. These speakers are big and heavy and the crates are ridiculous. I might be able to use one as my coffin if my audio spending continues as my wife will kill me if I even consider any more purchases.
Keep looking...I am sure you will be able to find a good deal on some Sophias. Dealers in your area might be a good resource too. You might pay a bit more but you will get the warranty and some piece of mind...
Either way, the search is worth it as the speakers are just awesome...
John |
Thanks for the "no-change" info John.That's good news. I did contact the seller of the pair that went at auction 2 days ago. If that had been a local seller I would have helped drive up the price. (They went for 7,7--I would have gone 8 easy) His ship est.was awful high so I'm still watching and waiting. (His est was over 600;then another 225 for paypal) BTW; thanks, because most everything I needed to know,I found here. |
That is correct, Jungsan but that was simply a price increase not a change in the speaker...
Bass performance is outstanding well defined and deep. I had a bit of bloom with mine when they were set up initially but the dealer then came by and we were able to fix this...These speakers are not nearly as directional as the B&Ws but you will need to experiment with placement.
John |
Isn't it $12700 now? but was 11700 before???
btw, John, what do you think about the bass performance of the Sophia? |
HI Avguygeorge
I actually looked into this as I bought an older pair of Sophias. I spoke with Wilson and no changes have been made since the Sophias were introduced a few years back... I believe you should be able to do better than 90% of retail as I paid quite a bit less than that for mine and received the 5 year warranty too.
John |
Does anybody know if there have been upgrades to the Sophia's? (I see the price has gone up since '02) I see in Feb/03--on page 73-- it says retail is (was at that time 11,000.) might also say; used these go for 90% of retail--ouch!! |
Jhorton 19,
I heard the WP7 system set up with Halcro amps at CES this year. It was one of the worst sounding combinations at the show -- shockingly bad: tinny, harsh, brittle, and very mechanical sounding.
Having heard the WP7 in other systems, I suspect it has to do with the lack of synergy between the Halcro and Wilson speaker. On the other hand, a friend who has had more experience with the Halcro said it made him nostalgic; it sounded so much like Crown or Phase Linear (I can't remember which he said, but you get the picture). |
Jungsan:
I have listened to the Sophias with McIntosh, Levinson and Naim gear and all sounded great...The only mismatch to my ears was Halcro gear...Sounded bright and tinny to me. I have heard great things about BAT tube gear with the Wilsons and am dying to hear them with McIntosh tube gear as well.
John |
Spent 4 hours with the Sophias and 802D's today at a great audiophile store. Brought and used my own electronics for the demos, which included a Classe CA200 power amp, Classe CA-50 and a high-end Sony ES CD player. MIT interconnects and speaker wire. These are old electronics, but are still fine.
For me, the B&W's were the clear winners. I played mostly rock (melodic acoustic and guitar rock), some blues, jazz, piano and big orchestral music.
To me, the highs on the B&W were more beautiful with more sparkle, without loss of detail. I found both speakers to be very close in openness and sense of air, until we listened to this sensational jazz track (salesman had me put it in), which revealed to me that the B&W's won out in this category also for my ears (and his).
For some tracks, it was harder to tell which one I liked better.
I could not say which clearly had a better soundstage & imaging. Both were great and it varied.
As far as heavy guitar rock, the Wilsons did not sound as well rounded, balanced and punchy as the B&W's. But the Wilsons sounded great.
I don't know if you would call it slight colorization or complete accuracy, but whatever you call it, it was really clear to me that the B&W's were better for my taste. The best way to describe what made the B&W's better for me was that is sounded "more musical" to my ears.
It sounds like I did not like the Wilsons, which is not at all the case, they were great. But compared to the B&W's, it was clear which one worked best for my taste and electronics. So I bought them (ouch!!)
No matter which speaker you pick, it's a win/win situation except for your bank account. :-)
Dave |
speaking of amps.
what amp do you think is the best match for the Sophia? |
Hi Dave:
Frankly, I was hoping to like the 802Ds more than the Sophias but it just was not close.
I listen to a pretty wide variety of Music but list Wilco, Mark Knopfler, The Who, Pearl Jam and John Hiatt amongst my favorites. I tested both the Sophias and the 802Ds with all of the above plus some Jazz and with the following electronics-Mark Levinson, McIntosh, and Naim solid state amps.
Again, just my opinion but the Sophias sound much better to my ear.
Have fun with the search!
John |
Is there anyone who compared the Sofia with the 802D that liked the 802D's better? Looking for an objective viewpoint.
Is it fair to say that most people on the forums like the Sofia better?
Is one more suited for rock music than the other?
Thanks!
Dave |
Dealer came over to my apartment last night...Tweaked my speakers a few inches here and there...Positioning tightened up the bass nicely and widened the soundstage a bit. There is no question that these speakers are substantially less directional than my old B&Ws.
Also, for those of you who have rather small living quarters, these speakers can work quite well. Obviously I would love to have more room to let these things breath but the dealer was pretty blown away with the sound we were able to achieve.
Room is about 12Wx20LX9H. I have some openings in this room so I am a bit limited with placement. Speakers are on the long wall-about 7 feet apart, 1 1/2ft from the wall and 8 feet or so to my listening position which is a pretty deep couch against the far wall. Speakers are about 7 ft from the side walls and they are toed in a bit.
Can't wait to get my Nordost cables back...Will post an update once I get them hooked up.
John |
This thread strikes a warm and fuzzy chord with me because I recall stretching my budget on dream speakers during my nine years (don't ask!) of postgraduate training. "Back in the day" I sacrificed a nicer car/apartment for Apogee Duetta II's and never regretted it for a moment. I would not go into debt to fund equipment, however. I can tell you that now that I'm more "comfortable", the upgrades (eg. I recently went from Sophias to WP 7's) don't bring about the same magnitude of joy and excitement as they did before.
Savour those speakers as much and as long as you can. When ennui sets in, judicious upgrades to the rest of your system will be all that better appreciated. |
Thanks, Jungsan...They are incredible...Absolute magic with my McIntosh...The search is over-for now. |
congrats John!!!
I've been drooling over the sophias for about a month by now.. man I missed out all the funs while I was away on vacation ;-) (see my babblings on the sophia vs. 802D thread)
I had pretty much the same revelation of yours :-)
I'll be a fellow owner in about 3 months- waiting to take advantage of my dealer's yearly "one year no-interest fininacing" deal..
I'm stretching my budget like crazy too.. I'm a graduate student with minimum wage stipend...T_T...good side is though.. I don't need to worry about my retirement yet!
Happy listening! |
