Wilson Sasha 2 or Alexia for small room 10' x 17'?

I ultimatley  felt the Alexias would be too big and costly so I  did order the Sashas in Galaxy Gray today and they will arrive in about 3 to 4 weeks. I will let you know how it works out. Dan at Lyric HiFi in White Plains, NY is the man! I am excited but slightly nervous. 

Jafant, I thought the Sabrinas sounded very weak and were not even in the same league as the Sashas (the way it should be at twice the cost).  I found them lacking in any bottom end  and a sub would be an absolute must. To my ear, they were not terribly pleasant and did not sound like the Sasha 2s which I found very dynamic, open and way more involving. I much prefer my present Sonus Faber Venere 3.0 and at a quarter of the cost, they are a great value and should not be overlooked in the sub $4k price range.

Thanks for everyone who commented

Thanks for the info. I am kind of new here and it is bad enough the magazines are biased  and always hawking something for someone. Sales people should be restricted from giving info with the sole purpose of selling something. Moderators at other sites remove posts that attempt to influence in order to sell for manufacturers. I have not seen that type of screening on this site.

Went back to dealer to give final payment for speakers. I listened to the Sasha 2 again. To my ears, they sounded better than I remember. I also listened to Maggies, Golden Ear 1, Facal Sopra, B&Ws. No contest. I think I will be very happy with my decision and am excited! Yeah, there are speakers that I did not listen to but when I met "the women" or heard "the speakers"  I suddenly realized that my quest was over. 

Jafant, my system includes a Mcintosh c50 preamp, mc152 amp, Audioquest red river xlr, Furman power conditioner sony Hap z1es, It is currently one of the first listed virtual systems.

The Focals seemed to have a hole in the upper bass region, not very well integrated with annoying shrill tweeter that also seemed to be not well integrated. Maybe it was the music selection.

Sota I did consider the Alexias but the combination of cost and small room size made the Sashas a more reasonable choice. The dealer felt the bass might be overpowering in my room. In the end, I  also did not want to spring for the considerable extra cash as well. Remember, I went in to hear the Sabrinas and ended up having to wrap my head around spending almost double for the Sashas. The Alexias would have been triple the Sabrinas.

Gerry, yes I raced a cup car in PCA only for about 20years starting 944 turbo, a 993 cup and ending with a 996 cup. I very recently sold the 996. Great car, great people and great times. I am very lucky to have enjoyed these wonderful race cars!
Just as I am looking forward to enjoying the Wilsons. Curiously, they are seemingly made from drivers that are not made from exotic and high tech materials, but the sound is anything but ordinary. The lack of use of the latest and greatest driver materials attracts the most criticism. Their research and engineering has clearly paid off.. Wilson has many people lined up willing to exchange tens and even hundreds of thousands for a pair of their speaker. These are not all people with more dollars than sense. Most who can afford these well made pieces of joy are smart enough to know better than to get snookered. They let their ears be the judge to what pleases. In my limited exposure in this fascinating and engrossing hobby, it is not easy to find a more engaging and dynamic experience. Their sound is not for everyone, but that can be said of every speaker made. They certainly seem to have a devoted cult following with many people traversing through the entire line. 

I went to the 4 best dealers within a 50 mile radius and heard about 15+ speakers. I could have heard more, but as I said in an earlier post, I knew my work was done when I heard the Sasha 2s.  Doubt was left since I have not heard the Alexias and was told they were similar to the Sashas but more. Everybody hears and appreciates sounds differently explaining why some prefer a certain style of speaker,
Honestly, audiotroy you  would be more persuasive if you were not so shameless. Give it a rest since you are accomplishing the opposite of your intentions. Trying to talk someone into liking something that you like (and may benefit financially from)  is pointless when most are capable of making up their own mind. The above being said, if I get the chance to audition the Persona, I will take it as mild curiosity.

Many people just want to help, mean well and are so passionate about their gear that they think "Let me enlighten" and can't believe anyone would want anything else. Thanks for all your help.

Ohlala, the Sashas and Sabrinas were heard in the same room which was to my eye about 22' x 24'.
I did not have the opportunity to hear the 
Evette. Both dealers near me did not have them to demo. I did however prefer the separate box design for tweeter and mid that the Sasha had compared to the single box of the Evette. Both dealers did not try to guide me in that direction ......possibly because they did not have any for me to hear. It would be interesting to hear and compare the 3 speakers.

As far as the Sashas sounding boomy, I will soon see. I don't think that will be the case though as my impression of them was not very bass overdone and the room acoustics will minimize much of the negativity. The SF Venere did sound good but needed a sub to sound full range to my ear. I expect to not need the sub system with the Sashas. I do like hearing and feeling bass though........

Thanks for your good wishes. I am anxiously awaiting delivery.
It has been hard to read the vitriol and propaganda thrown on this thread. I am kind of new to the site and am sorry that it has morphed into what it has.  When I started the thread, I really just wanted to pick the brains of people who knew more than me and did not want pm's asking why I did not audition Personas and shameless, thread hijacking salemanship. I can tell you, if I was in the market for Personas where I would not be going to audition! I am pretty sure I am the only one Troll has not endeared. All the best to all. 

Sky, I live in the NY tri-state area. There are only a couple of dealers near me and both are very good, Lyric  and Take 5.  They don't discount Wilson speakers like many other brands. They don't need to as my dealer says they sell at least 1 -2 pairs per week (I believe him as there were a set of Sasha's and Alex's in crates awaiting delivery at last visit)  If I could have found a used pair in the desired color, I would have considered it. They are very heavy (over 500lbs with wooden crates) so delivery and set up were important to me. I will give my admittedly biased review when they arrive, are broken in and are fully sorted. I thought the speakers were worth the relative high cost of admission but your ears and wallet will guide you. For me, most days, I listen 1-3 hours per day so I felt the expenditure was justified and they easily suited my requirements and taste.
 I agree, they do possess the sound qualities not found ordinarily and were easily head and shoulders above other speakers that I auditioned. The detail, dynamics and emotional involvement are certainly ,IMHO, some of  their best attributes .Good luck and enjoy!

I am not sure and don't know where they are.

Your room is larger than mine dcolver and I still considered the Alexias. My dealer said they would overwhelm and I listened to him. I bet they would work well for your room as yours is larger.  Big cost differential though. One thing that I did notice, a decent number of high end electronics manufacturers play Alexias in particular and other Wilson speaker to showcase their gear. They must do it because it puts their equipment in what they feel is the best light.  I have not heard the 8s but I am sure they are wonderful and you are enjoying them just fine! Good luck and be content and happy regardless of the rig being played.

So…after almost a month of waiting, the  Sasha 2’s  (galaxy gray) were delivered. Shipping weight was over 500lbs and I am glad they come with installation! It took 2 men about 5 hours to unpack, remove the protective film and set them up and store the wooden crates (they did also tweak some wiring as well). I was thrilled when I saw them. The quality of the finish and construction blew me away. The shape is an acquired taste that you either love or hate. Everything about Wilson speakers is polarizing from the sound, price and esthetics and I guess I fall into the group that is attracted to them. 

As mentioned earlier, my room is very small causing me concern about the sound fitting and bass issues. The first sounds emitted from them in my room were beyond awful!!! I immediately got worried that I made a huge mistake. The bass was a boomy garbled mess, the highs were shrill and not very smooth , and there was no imaging and sound stage at all creating a poorly integrated 2 separate speaker sound that nobody would love. The look on the installers faces said it all. They were worried too.

Fortunately, the story does not end like this. Closer investigation revealed that the separate amp controlling  the 2 in floor mounted sub-woofers used for home theater, had accidentally been switched on and the volume turned way up. Turning this off just about eliminated the bass issues. Tweaking speaker toe-in/out position and proximity to the wall eliminated the remaining bass problems causing it to tighten up nicely. The last problem was imaging and 3d presence which also got better but was not what I would consider good or even acceptable at this level of speaker. With no other tricks in the installer’s bag, one of the installers called Wilson’s engineering department and they took all the crucial measurements from the installer, crunched the numbers, and called us back with a change to the upper module staircase position. Thankfully, it was a miracle after that. Vocalist and instruments were where they should be and the speakers transformed from 2 separate sound sources to one stage of very detailed  sound with a very 3d presence allowing vocalist and instrument placement on the stage that was created in front of me.. They now have about 30 hours on them and the sound just keeps getting better. The bass is much tighter and the upper and mid have turned liquid smooth  but still retaining the dynamics that Wilson Audio is famous for. Female vocalists like Diana Krall, Eva Cassidy, Melissa Menago, Vanessa Fernandez, Sinead O’connor, Loreena Mckennit  are sheer joy now. Horns, strings, pianos, and bow instruments are incredibly detailed and transparent with just enough grain to excite. The textures, highs and mids are almost electrostatic like but IMO,  much more realistic, natural and way fuller. Classic rock like Nirvana, Linkin Park, Nills Lofgren and others really come to life as do well recorded classical and Jazz artists like Miles Davis and Dave Brubek. I now find myself expanding my musical tastes and variety because music sounds so dam good or am I just getting older?

I am using a Mcintosh C-50 pre amp including the integrated DAC and  smallish MC 152 amp to drive the Sashas and the speaker’s efficiency allows the amp to just about loaf along at impressive volumes. In fact, the volume is rarely turned up past 40%. I exclusively use digital sources (too lazy for vinyl) and am pleased with the level of warmth and depth with the music never becoming overly dry which can happen with very accurate speakers, digital sources and much of today’s synthetic music.

Downsides of the Sasha’s include ability to expose  poorly recorded sources, intolerance to lesser speakers, and the large amount of  brawn, expertise and time required to set them up properly. I found it amazing that moving the speakers 1/4 to 1/2 and inch accomplished a focusing of the soundstage, tightening of the bass and widening of the sweet spot. Perhaps my close proximity to the speakers magnified the positional importance. I still think there is  more available for harvesting and it is fun experimenting.

Overall, I am very pleased with the purchase and the change is a massive upgrade (in sound and price!) to the Sonus Faber speakers that I was using (I do still like the SF sound and may keep them for my art studio…great value and imaging). Music is so much more enjoyable now and I am more addicted than ever!  I listen in wonder as very talented musical artists give me private concerts nightly. The speakers have yet to be spiked and the installer is coming back in a couple of weeks after the speakers break in and fine tune the positioning if needed. I expect a bit more benefits to come with spiking and break in. Anyone looking for a dynamic, well balanced, well integrated, full range speaker capable of playing most music styles in a very emotional and engaging and ultra detailed way should consider auditioning the Sasha 2s. 

As for the question that inspired the initial post of wether the Alexia’s or Sasha’s would be better for my room? Dan my Salesman says I definitely made the right choice. I trust him, but I don’t think that I will ever know for sure if the Alexia’s would have overpowered the room, but I can say for sure that the Sasha 2s are more than enough and I don’t plan on ever finding out.

Thankfully the room and system does not suffer from the boominess or imbalance possible in a small room . The  bass is tight, involving,  and quite pleasing without fatigue experienced over long sessions. 
Vitop, I have not heard the Personas but am curious about how they sound.
The very talented horn player Sebatian Studnitsky's KY Organic on  a pair of Sasha 2's is heaven. He is a recent joyful discovery and would recommend his music!

Similar to tires, it is very difficult even at the very high end to find one product for all applications. Some music just sounds better on certain speakers. We also hear differently and variably appreciate nuances in sounds. Hence the success of the multitude of manufacturers. 
I thought the Sashas were very detailed but your comments piqued my interest in hearing the Personas (not to buy but to experience). Besides the sound and build quality,  I like the fact my Wilsons and electronics are made in the US.

The Sabrinas were nice but imo not a full sounding speaker with a missing bottom end. A boy doing a man's job. A sub would be needed for sure resulting most likely in a non integrated sound. It gave the flavor of Wilson sound but not enough of it to impress me. Prior to the Sashas,  I owned a pair of Sonus Faber Venere 3.0 and I do not feel the difference would have been worth the switch or even an improvement despite the Sabrinas being 5 times more expensive.   Yeah, I know the Sashas are 10 x more expensive but the difference was quite obvious and really impressed me. The law of diminishing return on money spent in hifi is in full effect here but hey, you only live once.

Other gear includes: Mcintosh mc152 amp, Mcintosh C50 preamp DAC, Blue Sound Node music streamer for tidal processed by above C50, Sony Hap z1es high res music server,  Audioquest Red River XLR, Furman dmi15 elite power conditioner,  2 dedicated 20 amp circuits, Audioquest speaker wire (vintage biwire solid core low oxygen copper, they are old but they get the job done)
The system is dead quiet and I take pride in that since I never had that before with other systems. Is it the electronics, the conditioner, the dedicated circuits, the XLRs or all of the above?  Don't know. Don't care. Just happy with what I hear and what I don't hear. 

The Venere S was not introduced when I bought the Venere 3.0.  I would have considered them and was disappointed they came out too late for me to consider. The 3.0 is a really good speaker for the money, was a tremendous sound for the money and are gorgeous. They were so good, it got me hooked ... again into hifi. Smooth with excellent imaging. I just wanted more and fell in love with the Wilson sound.

I went to audition the Sabrinas and felt they were actually more than I wanted to spend on speakers to replace my almost new, very enjoyable speakers". Upon being disappointed with the Sabrinas, the budget flew out the window after hearing the Sashas and I realized nothing less would get the job done. Spending double what I initially thought was barely acceptable became a necessity. Haven't  looked back for a second.

Well, it took awhile, but the dealer set up guru came and spiked the speakers and repositioned them after proper break in. I was very  happy before but the sound  is in  another league better now. The sound is so much more focused and imaging and sound stage is clearer and wider. Vocalists now more distinctly project from center position  in between the speakers on a stage about ear height (not from the speakers). Instruments are heard from the right and left of the vocalist (barely discerned emanating from the speakers). In my small room, speaker positioning changes of minute amounts made huge differences! It will probably do the same in your room as well if optimized. 
 
To all out there, it is time well spent to either have a pro help with set up, or experiment yourself with position to get the best sound possible. My advice, do this prior to spending a small or large fortune on changing components and cables.

Cheers.

They are on the long wall. My above comment from 6/17/17 sums my experience well. I know there is better gear out there. Some for less money and some for more. It does not matter to me as I am happy with the sound. I generally keep my gear for a long time (except for the previous speakers) and intend to do the same with the present system.