2. speakers
  3. 1249339357

Upgrading from Wilson Sophia 2's?

Currently using these in a 14x25 room. Enjoying them for the most part, but they can sound aggressive and make mediocre recordings sound like crap and be somewhat fatiguing. I’m interested in trying something that is slightly more forgiving without sacrificing a lot of detail, air, dynamics, etc.

Any suggestions?

Associated equipment (preamps still in flux):

Amps
Pass XA 100.5 monoblocks

Preamps – Tube
Audio Valve Eclipse
Cary SLP-05

Preamps – SS
Fire H20
Wyred 4 Sound STP SE
Pass XP-20

Sources:
ModWright Transporter
Raven One TT / Triplanar / Dynavector XV-1s

Thanks.
madfloyd
richard_stacy
686 posts
 
i will jump back in here and highly recommend mit cables with wilson too.
no_money
565 posts
 
Johnnyb

Yea the best I have heard them was with Audio Research REF3, REF210 and what ever the latest AR cd player was at the time. All cabled with Transparent Opus.
stanwal's avatar
stanwal
3,147 posts
 
HIFICRITIC used Transparent XL Ref and Yter as loudspeaker cables and Cardas Golden Reference and VDH The First Ultimate ICs. The speakers were +/-3dB 26 to 23kHz. That is with the grills removed, which was essential for best performance.
stanwal's avatar
stanwal
3,147 posts
 
Also used MSB Platinum 200, C-J 350SA, AR Ref. 3 amps and XTC preamp.
foster_9
1,610 posts
 

it is inexcusable to have speakers costing over 10 grand (or for that matter ONE grand) that sound this disappointing. the sophias are good transducers, no question, but raising this many issues in (what sounds like) a decent room with very good components upstream just doesn't add up. French_fries (Threads | Answers)

I've never owned gear on a level with some of yours, but I agree with this part of Frenchfries post 100%. Your results don't add up, and you should keep trying with the Sophia 2's. You owe it to yourself, the time effort and dollars spent in your system, and the technology that goes into those speakers to continue to tweak your system until the Sophias sing as you expect. It could be as simple as a change in cables or a bit more complex. Keep trying.
More to discover