System Gallery

[Fran]

They're lack coffee tables with the legs cut to lenght. Not bad at 6.99 each!

I would like something a bit wider - the amps only barely fit and the pass definitly won't fit - and that's what I'm thinking of driving the stacked quads with.


Speaking of which - work started today on the frames for them. When you're back down again we can throw on something heavier.


Fran

[tony]

excellent I should have spotted that as I had done the same for a tv and dvd stand. Didnt cut the legs but used two tops (ending up with 4 spare legs .€14 for a perfectly acceptable tv stand. Thank god for ikea.

[Matt]

Here are our latest additions
Wilson Audio Sophia 3s.
Standard color Desert Silver, grey grills and silver hardware. We are still just breaking these in really but have listened to Sophia IIs & IIIs and the Sashas many times over the last few months. We came close to getting the Sashas but after talking to Wilson, dealer etc. decided Sophia was a better fit for the room and needs (and its cheaper :-) ). We traded in our Focal Micro Utopia BE monitors against the Sophias

Sophia1.JPG

Sophia2.JPG

Sophia3.JPG

Other speakers
Updated Spendor BC1s (a few years old now - the upgrades were done at the time of purchase)
• New rosewood cabinets. These are a modern rosewood and don't have the character of the 'old' rosewood as it just doesnt exist like it used to
• Brand new fully rebuilt AlNiCo magnet bass drivers.
• Cleaned and serviced HF1300 tweeters.
• Crossovers fitted with Wima polypropylene capacitors.
• Van Den Hul internal cables.<br>- Gold rear binding posts.
• Radiused port tubes.
• Grilles re-covered with black 'vynair' (original standard for rosewood).
• New Spendor logos

Lovely system HifiFan

Id say it sounds as good as it looks

[HiFiFan]

Hi Matt,
Thanks. It was a tough decision on what speakers to buy, there are so many good choices and of course getting significant time with them is difficult. I can’t even describe the kind of sound I like but these are in the right ball-park.

So far we have not been disappointed with the Sophias. We haven’t gone through the Wilson Audio Setup Procedure (WASP) yet and it will be a few months before a Wilson guy gets here to do it. Compared with the larger Sashas I would say that they are very similar, there is a little (micro level) bit of detail missing and because of the size the soundstage is not as large but to my ears everything else is the same (or close enough not to matter).

James

[Matt]

Hi Matt,
Thanks. It was a tough decision on what speakers to buy, there are so many good choices and of course getting significant time with them is difficult. I can’t even describe the kind of sound I like but these are in the right ball-park.

So far we have not been disappointed with the Sophias. We haven’t gone through the Wilson Audio Setup Procedure (WASP) yet and it will be a few months before a Wilson guy gets here to do it. Compared with the larger Sashas I would say that they are very similar, there is a little (micro level) bit of detail missing and because of the size the soundstage is not as large but to my ears everything else is the same (or close enough not to matter).

James

Hi James

It can be a tough decision choosing speakers to suit your room and musical tastes.

Ive only heard Wilson speakers once before at a hifi show. They were the watt puppy 5's i think, being driven by a Krell fpb700cx, fed by a kps 25sc cd player/pre amp.

I remember it being a very effortless sound with a big soundstage.

[Fran]

I've always been curious about the Wilson speakers... they are so lauded but seem so rare in these parts. I saw a set of watt/puppies in buy and sell a year or more ago but they were too much money... even though they were good value.

Fran

[HiFiFan]

Hi Fran
I don't want to hi-jack the thread but here is a short update on the Wilsons as I know it (which isn't much). There is supposed a be a huge difference between the watt/puppy 5s and all models below and the later models. I have never hear watt/puppies. Then there is another step change between the Sophias, Sashas and the watt/puppies. Even between the Sophia II and III there is a big difference ( and I have heard this), the newer line of speakers have a lot of trickle down from the Maxx 3 and Alexandria IIs. Watt/Puppies had a fairly short update cycle and Wilson are supposed to be seriously slowing this down on the newer models, making more significant changes and keeping them longer. They have a great upgrade path. I haven't tried it but I have been told that you can buy a new set of speakers and trade them in full value for at least up to 2 years.

If I were to buy a set of watt/puppies I would not go below v7.

Jimmy

[Matt]

Sounds like a good upgrade path to me :)

[Fran]

Good stuff hififan - Must keep an eye out for these if I'm at a show sometime....


Fran

[dubber]

Excuse the mess :)