While you are commenting on prices I addressed sound type and sound quality. As usual you build your posts making abusive argumentation type "Or are you saying that ... " and make conclusions on it.
Some audiophiles seem to live on differences. They want to evaluate differences , not the global sound quality. Direct comparisons are their sport. I prefer a global approach on sound quality.
I have lived with the Sophia's a few months in an intermediate situation. They were not an easy speaker to match and for example, much inferior to the Watt/Puppies that could easily sound excellent. Although having punch their bass was very limited and in this review they were paired with a Krell/Audio Research preamplifier. IMHO the system would easily sound aggressive with such system in his room.
Well, I do not consider arrogance finding that in my experience a particular system was not adequate for evaluating a particular DAC. However I find arrogance when the people who pretend to know it all try to make abusive generalizations on my comments on a particular situation.
I have often praised Martin Colloms work in this forum. As always, I agree and disagree with him in many aspects.
I also appreciate a lot the new Sabrina, that has a very different sound balance than the Sophia's, but would also object if the Robert Hartley review of the Wadax Reference DAC was carried with them - fortunately he used the XVX with the subs.
Now you are being absurd, Mirco. Martin Colloms makes his living (or at least part of it) on evaluating differences in gear...as well as global sound quality. He is a reviewer...that is what they are supposed to do (he is better at it than most). The evaluating differences is certainly possible with speakers like the Sophia (they aren't great but they are good enough for that purpose from the times I have heard them). For the global sound quality, well that is Martin's opinion on the where they fit into the global sound quality scheme of things and you are free to disagree with him on that. This will fit into his hierarchy and is somewhat dependent on his gear and experience with a wide range of gear in various circumstances...still it is only an opinion of his about their overall sound quality.
Yes, I stated prices because you state the price of the DAC first and obviously did so to indicate that Sophia speaker was "beneath" reviewing such expensive components...why else state the price?? I pointed out that the Sophia, while the entry of Wilson speakers, is by no means an entry level speaker. An owner should be able to upgrade components well beyond the price of the speaker and expect to hear the sound quality they have paid for. Thus my questions: If the Sophia isn't good enough what price in the Wilson structure will get you adequate resolution to hear what a very expensive source component will do? 50K? 100k?
From my experience, the speaker, if it has adequate resolution and low self-noise will be able to reveal the quality of gear way beyond it's own price. People would be amazed at what can be achieved from relatively modest speakers and top notch components/power control behind. It's only on this forum though that something like the Sophia can be considered a "modest" speaker. It would be considered expensive to most people I know in this hobby...affordable but a serious investment, nonetheless.
Neither it, nor anything in the Wilson line is my cup-o-tea, but I am at least well aware that a lot of differences can be easily heard when swapping components with them and probably a good idea on the overall sound quality is achievable as well. If this DAC left him gobsmacked compared to every other DAC he has tried in that system, it is a pretty good indication that it did something quite right. Now, would it be too soft in a less aggressive system (you are claiming his system could be aggressive, btw., not me)? Perhaps, but at least you get a good idea of the characteristics from his descriptions.
It is arrogance because I don't think you have heard that PARTICULAR system in his room to make the claims you are making. It's sad that you find someone challenging your assertions as abusive because this what you do with practically every post you make. If you don't like challenges then probably you should dial back on your own challenging posts.
Let's be clear, you claimed a system that was well over 50K was inadequate to perform a review on a DAC because in your view the speakers weren't good enough. I challenged this assertion by saying if 20K Wilsons weren't good enough then what was? Maybe Wilsons in general aren't good enough (so much for Michael Fremer's reviews then...)for reviewing? Where do we draw the line? The same designers were involved in Sophia as other models, right? It suggests they don't know their stuff if a 20k speaker can't perform at a high level. I simply point out to you the obvious implications of what it means if you are right and the Sophias are not good enough at that price level to be used as a reviewer's tool. It calls into question value and also sound quality further up the line.
A friend of mine had Wilson Duettes...they were horrible. He couldn't get them to sound right no matter what he did. Those I would definitely question their value but I can imagine that once one knew what they did you could still review with them as to relative differences you hear...judgements on absolute SQ might be out the window but they were still resolved enough to hear clear differences in gear, cables and power treatment (cords, filters, regenerators).