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Wilson Sophia II vs. Thiel CS3.7

Anyone compare the two directly?

Looking for detailed impressions on these two loudspeakers only if you feel you auditioned them in their absolute best light. Mis-matched systems and problems with synergy don't really reveal what a speaker can do, so be honest and voice your opinion only if you really know the strengths and weakness of each speaker.

Bass:

Which one went deeper, tighter more impactful, tuneful?

Midrange:

Which one had more presence, texture, tonal accuracy, inner detail, transparency?

Highs:

Which one extended farther, had less grain, sounded most natural?

Overall:

Which one was more coherent, dynamic, resolving, transparent?

Which one had a wider soundstage, fuller images, shaper images, better depth, layering, separation of instruments?

Which one has the more accurate tone for acoustic instruments?

Again, looking purely for sonic differences, how do they honestly compare to each other?

Thanks!
hce4
elberoth2's avatar
elberoth2
1,223 posts
 
For me that is easy.

A close friend of mine, 3.7 owner, put his Thiels for sale next day after hearing the Sophias 2 in his system.

Sophias were more musical, more real sounding and less fatiguing. We were both surprised. This is one of those demos to eventually persuade me to get Sophias myself.

His system consists of:
EMM CDSE se / DCC2 se combo
ARC Ref 3
ARC Ref 210 monos
wadav
84 posts
 
ELBERTOH2,the Sophia's image better than the first order crossover Thiels?
patent
16 posts
 
I've owned the Thiel 3.7 for 10 months. Before buying it I auditioned the original Sophia.

I've never heard the Sophia II, but the technical descriptions I've read of the changes seem pretty minor. They're still using the same Focal inverted dome tweeter, but with some new modifications to reduce its distortion somewhat.

I disliked the Sophia because of its whitish, grainy treble.

Also, the Thiel 3.7 is far more dynamic than any speaker I've heard. This dynamism has bowled over everyone who's visited me. It makes all music, soft and loud, more engaging and closer to the dynamics of a live concert.

Thiel claims the 3.7, unlike all prior Thiel models, has a benign impedance characteristic that is easy to drive.

I've never noticed any lack of bass power, even on classical "power" music like Mahler or the Verdi Requiem. The bass is exceptionally clear, tight and free of resonances, probably due to the cabinet design.

My review of the 3.7, including my other equipment, is here:
http://www.audioasylum.com/cgi/m.mpl?forum=speakers&n=259489&review=1
kana813
956 posts
 
Interesting thread.

Some other speakers in this price range to check out:
Pioneer S-1EX, S-2X and PMC EB1i.
unsound
7,329 posts
 
"Thiel claims the 3.7, unlike all prior Thiel models, has a benign impedance characteristic that is easy to drive."

I kind'a doubt Thiel would make such a claim. Thiel has been designing that type of "benign impedance charateristic" for decades in all their speakers. For example; Thiel's own advertised measurements for their own 20 year old Thiel CS 3.5 is 4 Ohms nominal, 4 Ohms minimum. Perhaps Thiel's current measurements are more accurate, and perhaps their current speakers are better at this task, but Thiel has been aiming to do this, and has done so quite well for some time now.
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