I listened to both, in depth, in several different systems, over several months a few years ago. These were the current versions of both speakers at the time. I don't know what their designations were.
I found both designs to be extremely pleasant to listen to. Although, I agree that the WP7 seems to fall victim to improper setup with greater frequency, I found both to be easy to listen to over a prolonged period, my first criterion for ownership.
I found myself most sensitive to the differences in the dynamics of these speakers' presentations. Orchestras, solo voices, drumkits and lutes, which span the full gamut in terms of their dynamic envelopes seemed more convincingly portrayed by the WP7s. As a result I felt more connected to the musical flow, be it rhythmic, melodic, etc. While there was never anything abruptly discontinuous about the Kharmas presentation, I didn't quite feel the sensation of being "permeated" by the music as I did with the WP7s, and at live events. Their musical radiation pattern seemed to stop short of wherever I was. This is not to say that the soundfield of the Kharmas was in anyway curtailed. In fact, I've seldom felt more immersed in the sound than when listening to these speakers.
There are many other differences between these speakers, any of which may be more important to you than anything I perceive as being particularly important. So, go listen. They are both astoundingly good, and deserve your full consideration.
I found both designs to be extremely pleasant to listen to. Although, I agree that the WP7 seems to fall victim to improper setup with greater frequency, I found both to be easy to listen to over a prolonged period, my first criterion for ownership.
I found myself most sensitive to the differences in the dynamics of these speakers' presentations. Orchestras, solo voices, drumkits and lutes, which span the full gamut in terms of their dynamic envelopes seemed more convincingly portrayed by the WP7s. As a result I felt more connected to the musical flow, be it rhythmic, melodic, etc. While there was never anything abruptly discontinuous about the Kharmas presentation, I didn't quite feel the sensation of being "permeated" by the music as I did with the WP7s, and at live events. Their musical radiation pattern seemed to stop short of wherever I was. This is not to say that the soundfield of the Kharmas was in anyway curtailed. In fact, I've seldom felt more immersed in the sound than when listening to these speakers.
There are many other differences between these speakers, any of which may be more important to you than anything I perceive as being particularly important. So, go listen. They are both astoundingly good, and deserve your full consideration.