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Wilson Sophia

I have been looking at stepping up from my B&W 704s and heard the 802Ds, the Naut 802s and the Wilson Sophias. I was all set to spend the 4500 on a pair of used 802s but then I heard the Wilsons. All I can say is that the Wilsons absolutely spoke to me. My problem is that this is a huge investment for me and I think that I must be crazy to even be thinking about this purchase. Even more so, because I live in an apartment building and cannot "crank up" my system to massive volume levels.

My question is-am I going to be able to truly appreciate these speakers with my McIntosh MA 6500 integrated and my Lector CD player? There is not going to be any money in my budget to even consider other changes for a long time. Wilson's were set up with mid level Naim gear.

Are there any risks with buying the units off the floor if I can get a deal?

As always thanks for your input.

John
jhorton19

Showing 4 responses by dgad

dgad
782 posts
 
So many opinions. The WP7s have resistors that will blow before any drivers can be blown. I assume the Sophia are the same. Don't worry about buying a demo. It is all speaker amp combination in the end. The VR4jr is a must audition & the VR4 Sr is also, if you want Wilson Type sound on the less expensive end. $4000 & $8000 a pair respectively if I remember right. I own WP7s & love them. The VR4 Jrs are great & very enjoyable for a lot less money. The Sophia is very close to the WP7 in many areas but misses the bass & the adjustability of the WP7.

Anyone mentioning the Sophia being better than the WP7 hasn't listened to them correctly setup.

IMHO Wilsons do sound better than B&W. That is what I owned (801Ns) before. B&W must play loud. They do sound great at very very loud volumes (no strain etc,). The WP7s also sound great, & don't need to play as loud as the B&W to get the same detail. B&W are shy detail unless played loud. WP7s have detail at all volumes. They also have better bass detail & speed.

Just wanted to bring some people in line here & give you a chance to save some money if it is a big issue.
dgad
782 posts
 
Enjoy. Use the money you saved to buy music. Now it is time for the fun. What did you compare beside the B&W?
dgad
782 posts
 
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.
dgad
782 posts
 
Avguygeorge,

How are the initial impressions?
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