Wilson Sophia 2's on Marantz Reference

Dave_b,

I have owned the Hansen Prince speakers for just over a year now and to my ears they very well may be the best sounding speakers I've ever heard. One cannot judge a speaker solely based on the number of drivers or the size of the cabinet. If you have not already heard the Hansen's, you owe yourself the treat of hearing them in a proper listening room. While I respect the whole Wilson line, I love the Hansen's.

I have great respect for Hansen, but I was comparing their offering vs the Wilson lineup on a cost basis. At some point I draw the line...a three way, three driver speaker should not cost more than the Sophia, which is already pushing the bubble. The Sophia has almost a cult like status with reviewers and audiophiles alike. The Hansen Prince is enjoyed by many as well. It all depends on what you want, expect and /or wish to afford:O)

As I have posted on another thread the w/p 8 are in the low 20's now and I strongly urge you to check out if you like the sophia.

So now that you've had some time with that setup, how do you like it? I have the SA-7S1 feeding a Krell stack (KCT and 400cx), and am looking at the Sophia's (probably the 1's for the price). I'm thinking that the wonderfully warm, smooth quality of the SA-7S1 will mitigate any hardness in the speaker (the 1's were reviewed as just a little hot in the upper mids). I've also read that your amp is very polished, but can be a little on the 'polite' side (as is the SA-7S1), so wonder if by using both Marantz pieces you might be missing a little bit of slam that the Sophia's a reputed to deliver so well. What's the verdict?