i considered at length the wilson sophia 2 vs b&w 802D. i auditioned both in the same room with same gear [arc ref amp and my pass x350.5, arc ls26, transparent cables + ICs + PCs. i spent 4 hrs x 2 sessions including a/b
the 802D's have excellent highs and mid range, good and deep bass. they project slightly forward. good overall nuance. lots of grunt. they can throw a great left hook anywhere in the spectrum. and they love to be played at moderately loud and loud volumes. they do not present well at low listening levels.
the sophia 2's have more finesse overall. they have a tighter and faster bass BUT the do not have a full range bass. they lack the very bottom, which was ultimately frustrating becdause they do everything else equal or better than the 802D. i chose the sophia 2 over the 802D, but with the knowledge of living with an LF speaker. in the end, i went to the w/p 8 because i listen to a wide range of classical music, which includes those giant late romantic and contemporary compositions with a row of standing basses and other assorted denizens of the deep (orchestrally).
however, if i listened to almost exclusively small ensemble works with little in the way of required huge heft down below, the sophia 2's are a superb speaker all around, especially in terms of nuance, finesse, and overall presentation (crossover coherency). my guess is, in most jazz combo's and small jazz orchestras, ie those without big band tendencies, the single standing bass , piano, and bari-sax are only very slightly shortchanged in lower frequency ambiance -- not actual notes-- whereas the benefits of the sohpia 2 in the upper end are greater than the excellent 802D. also, the sophia doesnt require as big an amp... and tubes are not a problem. with the 802D, you need a min of 300 wpc (advised to me directly from B&W england) to get everything fully engaged... and more is better. the b&w may also favor a s/s amp to get the bottom end moving with command (vs the more sensitive sophia 2) . you would need a lot of tube power to keep the 802D running to their potential.
in terms of shear volume, it it can go the distance with a bruckner symphony at full tilt, it can give you the 100 db peaks .
wishing you enlightening auditions with the speakers when you get to that point. cheers.
