Thread: YG Acoustics Sonja 2.2 to 2.3

Hi!
Can anyone provide some input regarding the benefits of going from Sonja 2.2i to the Sonja 2.3’s?

I am very content with my Sonja 2.2i which I have had for a bit over a year now. They are very coherent from top to bottom but I do wonder if I could get a bit more energy in the low end without compromising on the rest of the presentation. I have been experimenting with sub-woofers but haven’t been able to make it work fully to my satisfaction.

Best regards

Hans

Originally Posted by HStrand

Hi!
Can anyone provide some input regarding the benefits of going from Sonja 2.2i to the Sonja 2.3’s?

I am very content with my Sonja 2.2i which I have had for a bit over a year now. They are very coherent from top to bottom but I do wonder if I could get a bit more energy in the low end without compromising on the rest of the presentation. I have been experimenting with sub-woofers but haven’t been able to make it work fully to my satisfaction.

Best regards

Hans

I own YG Sonja XVi speakers, not the juniors or studios, the real ones. My take is that you need the 2.3i if you want to hear what YGs can really do. Or better, just upgrade to XVi. The acid test is acoustic orchestral music, the scale of the music. Adding the bass modules moves the speakers into a totally different league. This applies to all music, it is just more apparent when playing the Beethoven 9th.

I have heard the 2.2i many times in several systems and it is a great speaker but the 2.3i is IMO much better and the XVi is miles ahead.

My room is 14x20 but has a high ceiling. The listening position is 10'4" from the tweeter. The folks at YG say they were not designed to need a huge room. The YG designers of course knew what they were doing with the height of the tweeter, it was designed to work and it does. Mike, if you are ever in San Diego you are welcome to hear them. Electronics are Boulder 1110/3060. Maybe we'll get you to change your mind about what is the best YG.

Originally Posted by Alpinist

Different strokes I guess. I listened at the dealer to the YG Anniversary XV with 4 Audionet Heisenberg amps and Stern preamp for several hours. Great system. Tremendous speed, dynamics, scale and soundstage. But I have to say for the type of music I listen to: acoustic, small jazz combos, jazz vocals and jazz piano, I just prefer the 2.2i. Less drivers and more transparent in my opinion.

Ken

GTT Audio? If so, on your next visit ask Bill to demonstrate the XVi chops on all jazz music, different league altogether.

Thanks for all the input. The disparity of views does make it difficult to decide on a way forward.

Hans

Originally Posted by HStrand

Thanks for all the input. The disparity of views does make it difficult to decide on a way forward.

Hans

FWIW I'm the only one here who has lived with the tall YGs. I have had them for four years. I am very used to the sound. Every time I hear the 2.2i, my immediate impression is nice but too small, so much is missing.

This guy get it: One of the Best Audio Systems I've Heard - YG Sonja speakers, Aavik Amplifiers - Part 2 Music Clips - YouTube

Originally Posted by Mike

I had a chance to hear all the models. 2.2i was my favorite.


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That does not match my experience. My first high end speakers were B&W 802D, I had three of them and two 804S in a 5.1 HT with a projector, copying a set up by Kal Rubinson. Playing a BluRay of a symphony orchestra performing Beethoven's 9th the speakers could not match what was on the screen. I wanted to know if there was anything that did. No similarly sized speaker I have ever heard could. Then I heard Wilson Alexandria X2.2s at the local dealer. It took a while but eventually I traded the B&Ws and got Wilson X2.2s. The late great Dave Wilson designed them to sound like 12th row center at the Vienna Phil. They were three times the size of the 802Ds. I once had the chance to ask Dave Wilson how/why and he spent 30 minutes explaining it. The speaker size is dictated by the music, not room size. In YG speakers, the designed needed size is the 2.3i (or XVi) and in Wilsons, currently it is the XVX. I have a second system with Paradigm 30th Anniversary Tributes, which most people think are big speakers. They sound great but are in comparison basically at best a "scale model" of the music from the Wilson X2.2 and XLFs or YG XVi.

If I am incorrect, I would like to hear your view. Why was the 2.2i your favorite? Why would you pick 2.2i over 2.3i? Would you pick Wilson Alexia 2 over XVX?

Thanks FastEddy for your input. Unfortunatly I don’t think I will be able to accomodate the XVi or Studio.

What do yo think more specifically I am missing with the 2.2s in comparison to the 2.3s; what would I gain with the upgrade? Or would the 2,3 still fall short?
Another question is if set-up becomes more difficult with the bigger models. If I upgrade I will set then additional bass units beside, not below, the existing speakers.

Also, are you willing share what the rest of your system is and any thoughts of good matches?

Best regards

Hans

Originally Posted by FastEddy

That does not match my experience. My first high end speakers were B&W 802D, I had three of them and two 804S in a 5.1 HT with a projector, copying a set up by Kal Rubinson. Playing a BluRay of a symphony orchestra performing Beethoven's 9th the speakers could not match what was on the screen. I wanted to know if there was anything that did. No similarly sized speaker I have ever heard could. Then I heard Wilson Alexandria X2.2s at the local dealer. It took a while but eventually I traded the B&Ws and got Wilson X2.2s. The late great Dave Wilson designed them to sound like 12th row center at the Vienna Phil. They were three times the size of the 802Ds. I once had the chance to ask Dave Wilson how/why and he spent 30 minutes explaining it. The speaker size is dictated by the music, not room size. In YG speakers, the designed needed size is the 2.3i (or XVi) and in Wilsons, currently it is the XVX. I have a second system with Paradigm 30th Anniversary Tributes, which most people think are big speakers. They sound great but are in comparison basically at best a "scale model" of the music from the Wilson X2.2 and XLFs or YG XVi.

If I am incorrect, I would like to hear your view. Why was the 2.2i your favorite? Why would you pick 2.2i over 2.3i? Would you pick Wilson Alexia 2 over XVX?

very cool speaker you got there eddy.
the thing is that lot of thouse top speakers are difficult to let them shine. the smaller speaker with less drivers are more simple to set up. (more potential = more risk). so yes it happens periodically that people prefere the lower model in the line up.
my dealer has both the xvx and the alexia2. and preferes the alexia2 and the alexxV over the xvx. not because they are better per se, but because they performs in his room. a xvx needs subwoofers in all 4 corners to flatten the standing waves.

Originally Posted by HStrand

Thanks FastEddy for your input. Unfortunatly I don’t think I will be able to accomodate the XVi or Studio.

What do yo think more specifically I am missing with the 2.2s in comparison to the 2.3s; what would I gain with the upgrade? Or would the 2,3 still fall short?
Another question is if set-up becomes more difficult with the bigger models. If I upgrade I will set then additional bass units beside, not below, the existing speakers.

Also, are you willing share what the rest of your system is and any thoughts of good matches?

Best regards

Hans

No point in upgrading, then. It is the height that makes the difference.

The rest of the system is Boulder 1110 pre, 3060 amp, Playback Designs MPT8 and MPD8. WireWorld Platinum Eclipse 8 speaker cables. Also have a vinyl rig but mostly use the Playback Designs.

Hello,

I am Alex . I am a bit in the same situation. It has been ~2 years I am enjoying very much my Sonja 2.2 ( not i) with a pair of REL 212 subs on top.
My local dealer is proposing me an interesting trade-in offer to upgrade to the Sonja XVi Studio model.

2 questions :
1) is.there a "massive" difference between the 2.2 and the XVi Studio in absolute and if yes in which areas ?

2) my room is not wide ( 4M) and so I am a bit limited in terms of speakers placement.
Currently, the REL subs are relatively close from the main speakers and from the side walls. But as the subs are active, I can fine tune with the crossovers and volume outputs and get a pretty good result.
With the YG, I won't have this flexibility and so I am a bit worried that I won't be able to find a good balance.
Unfortunately the XVi is not available for listening / demo so I would have to take my decision "blind"...

Any advice pls ?

Thanks and regards
Alex

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Originally Posted by moby1977

Hello,

I am Alex . I am a bit in the same situation. It has been ~2 years I am enjoying very much my Sonja 2.2 ( not i) with a pair of REL 212 subs on top.
My local dealer is proposing me an interesting trade-in offer to upgrade to the Sonja XVi Studio model.

2 questions :
1) is.there a "massive" difference between the 2.2 and the XVi Studio in absolute and if yes in which areas ?

2) my room is not wide ( 4M) and so I am a bit limited in terms of speakers placement.
Currently, the REL subs are relatively close from the main speakers and from the side walls. But as the subs are active, I can fine tune with the crossovers and volume outputs and get a pretty good result.
With the YG, I won't have this flexibility and so I am a bit worried that I won't be able to find a good balance.
Unfortunately the XVi is not available for listening / demo so I would have to take my decision "blind"...

Any advice pls ?

Thanks and regards
Alex

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The XV speakers should be in their own line instead of grouped with YG'a other speakers -- they are in a different league.

Originally Posted by Alpinist

In terms of sheer dynamics and price, yes. In terms of transparency, no. In my opinion, the 2.2i is the most transparent speaker in the YG line. That’s because they don’t have the phase issues of multiple drivers. Sometimes less is more. Mike listened to their entire line at their facility in Colorado and I think he would back me up on this point.

Ken

Interesting point. Not really sure what you mean by phase issues as I thought YG's proprietary crossover technology was world class even before the Sonja "i" updates. Which, supposedly increase it's superiority even further.

I remember listening to the big XVs when they first came out and I thought that they shared similar "Point Source" characteristics of their "smallest" at the time speaker, the 2 way Carmel.