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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
rapogee
256 posts
 
Hce4,

My opinion is quite different where some are saying the Sophia's are no where near the older Thiel models and some are saying the 3.7 is not worth the extra compared to the 3.6's. Just keep in mind Thiels are Thiels and Wilsons are Wilsons. I owned the 3.6 for over 5 years, then jumped to the Apogee Diva's and a slew of models after that.
I have always been a Jim Thiels fan for a long time, I like his background, design theory and that balance in performance.

I on the other hand, heard the top Thiel models and loved it all. I ended up buying a brand new Wilson Sophia mk2 and will never ever have 2nd doubts with that choice. Good luck!
hce4 OP
48 posts
 
Just to update the thread. I went with Wilson Sophia 2s for many of the reasons listed above, but mainly because I felt the Sophias respond more audibly to equipment changes. This translates for me as a more transparent speaker, one that can be adapted and tailored sonically as I see fit over the years. The Sophias are also easier to drive which opens up more doors as far as amplification goes.

In addition, with the right backup equipment, I felt the Sophias had a more beautiful singing voice, but not in a euphoric sense. The Sophias have a more lifelike "you are there" voice than the Thiels I thought. They are also extremely coherent and well balanced, especially in the important lower midrange/midbass. The speakers had the ability to disappear better than the Thiels and create an amazingly spacial and stable soundstage. Finally, this speaker has all the resolution one could ask for, but also gave weight and body and texture to the music which I found to be a very rare quality in most loudspeakers.

The Thiels are almost as amazing, but I had a chance to pick up the Sophias from an authorized dealer at the same pricepoint as the Thiels, so budget was no longer a factor, only my personal preference between the two...
philefreak
423 posts
 
IMHO the first speaker for an audiophile is the Vandy signature 2CE MK2 then the Thiel 2.4 then the Thiel 3.7 or the Wilson Sophia 2s, then finally graduating to the Magico v3s! Believe me or not from the Vandy 2CE sig mk2 to the Magico3 is only about a 15% increase in speaker evolution. All these speakers are great!
jafant
18,802 posts
 
Big Thiel fan here. If you want absolute timbral accuracy, the the CS 2.4, CS 2.7 or CS 3.7 is right on the money.

Vandy is a nice place to start. Wilson Sophia / Sasha is excellent at a substantial cost (remember associated gear to accompany).
Magico and Verity Audio loudspeakers are still on my must demo list.
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