Wilson Sophia

I think that the way a speaker scales from soft to loud is MUCH more important than just how loud it plays. Most of the expensive speakers that I don't like fail the test, not because they can't play loud, but because they sound thin or lifeless or change character when they are playing softly. As I improved my system, I tended to listen at lower and lower volumes -- I do not need to listen at unnaturally high volume to resolve detail or feel the impact of the music.

I do not ever think it is a "waste" to buy really good speakers for a small room or for a system that will not be played loudly. I would listen to all contenders at the level I would normally listen to them and pick that which can deliver the goods at low volumes. I think too many buyers focus their attention at the wrong end of the dynamic spectrum.

I think the answer to your first question is probably yes, at least as far as the integrated goes, as I've heard a Mac-Sophia combination and it works pretty well. The Sophia is more forgiving than other Wilson speakers of the electronics it is fed, it can actually sound good with a good receiver powering it. As far as the Lector goes, I can't address that, but hopefully someone reading your post has tried that combination. You might want to bring the player over to the dealer's to hear it in his place, if you can't get the dealer to bring the speakers to you for a home audition (which he may very well do if it's a good dealer and you indicate that if you like it you'll buy it on the spot). I agree with Larryi that it's not a waste to get good speakers, and my bet is that the Wilsons will sound good even nearfield; you should go back to your dealer to see if they pass the low listening level he describes.

As far as buying demos goes, as long as it's an authorized dealer and they haven't blown the drivers, that's a good way to go; I've bought demo speakers in the past from a dealer I trust with no problems.

Thanks for your response, Larryi. I did find it rather amazing that the Wilson's sounded substantially more detailed at the lower volume levels. That is obviously quite important in my current listening environment.